Here's a phrase 99% of you will never have any use for: 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene. You may never use the phrase, but in the next few years you'll surely find yourself using the stuff itself. 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene, more commonly known by its DuPont/Honeywell trade name HFO-1234yf, is a new class of refrigerant that is fast being adopted by carmakers. To clear things up, this is an article about air conditioning. HFO-1234yf is being billed as a direct replacement for the current R-134a used in your car's air conditioning system. Why bother replacing it? For all its benefits, it turns out R-134a was still wrecking our atmosphere and HFO-1234yf is hundreds of times cleaner and safer. For most of us, this change will be nothing more than a blip on our personal radars. If you're interested in the details, I'm happy to <a href="http://autorepair.about.com/od/glossary/a/Hfo-1234yf-Is-The-Green-Alternative-For-Your-Cars-Ac-System.htm">tell you more</a> about HFO-1234yf.

2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene and You originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 23:21:47.

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I've talked to more than a few readers who tell me that they really love their mechanics. They trust their mechanics, they recommend their mechanics, but would they marry their mechanics? Not only did Maggie Paskiewicz of Racine, Wisconsin accept her mechanic's marriage proposal, she agreed to marry him right in the shop! I know a lot of guys who would have gladly exchanged vows with their loved ones in the shadow of a four-post lift with grease tray, but I don't think any of their wives would have obliged the request. I know it's a cheesy story, but even wrench turners have a soft spot!

You can read more about the big event here.

When You Really Love Your Mechanic originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at 22:32:31.

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Windshield wipers seem to be one of those products that exhausted any opportunities for innovation decades ago. To be fair, there have been some serious improvements in rubber compounds over the years, but the wiper design itself has seen little in the way of advancement. If you're raising your hand to tell me about those slick double and triple blade conglomerations you had on your Escort GT in 1991, don't bother. Those things stunk and you know it. Let's not bring up the 3-vaned plastic wiper wings either. Today, we're finally starting to see a serious improvement in wiper design. I first noticed it on my wife's Mercedes -- the car featured a single wiper without a bulky metal carrier, and worked wonderfully. Now, some years later, the aftermarket has caught on and is offering this new style blade as a replacement for your car. We reviewed the Rain-X version of these wipers earlier in the year, but now we have a new set to try -- the Michelin Radius. Read the reviews to see how they stacked up.

Need Wipers? There's a New Player in Town originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 23:45:59.

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I received a letter today from Sharon who told this story:

While I was travelling in eastern Washington in July there was a strong smell...that I couldn't figure where it was coming from. I tried closing the windows and recirculating the air in the car, thinking it was coming from outside...truck ahead of me or something sprayed on roadside. This continued on and when I pulled over for gas I started searching the car to find a can of Fix-a-Flat with the gas leaking out of it, in the trunk near the spare tire.

This letter really got me wondering about the safety of an aerosol can like this over time. I'm sure Fix-a-Flat performs tests under extreme conditions, but what about a can that's 5 years old? Is it still as tough in high temperatures like Sharon was experiencing? I'd really like to hear if anybody else had this problem. This could be another vote in the Slime category. We'll see.

Leaky Fix-a-Flat in Trunk? originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Saturday, August 21st, 2010 at 22:51:27.

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It's easy to get wrapped up in gadgetry when you're talking about tools for auto repair. There are just so many exciting pieces of equipment, small and large, that perform their specific function with an amazing level of ease and precision. If you wrench for a living, these esoteric tools can be worth spending the money on -- a good tool will last a lifetime, giving you more than enough opportunities to justify the expense. But if you're a home mechanic working on the family people mover you'll want to stick to basics. One of the most basic of hand tools are the cutting pliers. This tool, referred to around our shop as "snips," is an absolute essential. Check them out, and if your tool box doesn't have a pair of cutting pliers, it's time get some.

Another Essential Tool: Snips originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 at 22:52:17.

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A good friend of mine had a sudden and unwelcome realization this week -- don't trust your mechanic to do everything for you! He was driving about 6 hours away to visit a college buddy, so he decided it was time for him to get a new set of tires and an oil change. The shop that did the oil change also claimed to check and top off a number of fluids. This used to be a premium, signature, or other specialized oil change for additional money, but these days most of the quickie-lube type places offer the whole package for one low price. Three hours into his trip he looks down at his temperature gauge and notices it's higher than usual, higher than it's ever been in fact. As he slows down on the exit ramp to check it out, the temp skyrockets -- he's overheating. Now pretty much stranded, he pops the hood and sees the problem, there's no coolant -- none at all -- in the radiator or overflow tank. Thankfully he's across the street from a Turkey Hill and can top off his radiator with no less than 2 gallons of 50/50 mix!

The lesson here is this: Check your own car before you travel! You're the one who will be stuck on the side of the road. Here's a little help if you need it.

Don't Rely on Your Mechanic for Everything originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at 23:20:42.

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Slime Tire Sealant has been around for a while now, but longevity doesn't always mean a product worth anything. Lots of products manage to stay on the market for years based on marketing alone. With a product like Slime, performance is key. What would make you feel dumber than trusting something like Slime in a pinch only to realize you fell for some gooey green marketing gimmick? To save you the humiliation, we did some real world testing on Slime. I think you'll be interested to see the results.

This Slime's Not For Kids, But Is It For You? originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 at 23:43:50.

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For California Auto Repair and Smog, or CARS, taking care of customers is nothing new. They have more than 15 years of top notch customer service under their belts, and owner Barbara White seems determined to make each year more servicey than the last. Being voted one of Motor Age Magazine's Top 10 Shops is no small accolade, but it also means White has a lot to live up to. She seems ready. CARS seems to be ahead of the curve in terms of the customer service experience. Within the CARS waiting area is a fully stocked boutique. Did I mention their high level of service has a feminine bent? The waiting room smells of lavendar, and the boutique is full of potions and lotions. But if success was as simple as a bowl of smelly potpourri in the shop we'd all be doing it. CARS also offers a full concierge service for their customers, picking up their vehicles for service and returning them while customers go about their work days. They even do this free of charge for veterans and police officers! All of this may seem like a gimmick to you, but if you put it together with quality wrenching you have a desired shop, and standing out in a crowd in these economic times can never be bad!

For more info, CARS has a website!

Boutique Repair Shop Takes Their Posh Seriously originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Sunday, August 8th, 2010 at 22:30:38.

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It's been a sad week for proponents of Right to Repair legislation. Never did it look so good for supporters of equal access to repair data as it did when S.2517 passed the Massachusetts state Senate on July 6. All that was needed was a House vote, which most expected to be a passing vote, and Massachusetts would become the first state to enact a Right to Repair law. Sadly, it wasn't to be. Though more than 8,000 citizens of the state voiced their support to their elected officials, it was not enough to push the House into a vote. The bill died a quiet death when the House of Representatives closed their regular session July 31. Supporters say they had more than enough votes to get it passed, but other more controversial pieces of legislation tool up too much time in debate, leaving S.2517 on the table, until next year.

For more info on S.2517, see www.MassRightToRepair.com.

Right to Repair Wilts in Massachusetts originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 at 22:40:21.

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Around our shop we have lots of jacks. Some are old, sturdy guys we've had for years, others are new-fangled deals we bought for specific purposes like the aluminum racing jack that turned out to be junk. One specialized jack we have and love is our motorcycle jack -- and we don't work on motorcycles. Check it out to see if it could make your job easier. There's a good chance it will!

Not Just Another Jack originally appeared on About.com Auto Repair on Friday, July 30th, 2010 at 23:37:56.

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