Even if your dad isn’t mechanically inclined, there are some things that every guy (and gal!) needs to have in their car care toolkit. Here are six things that will make any dad smile.

Car Battery Charger. This is an amazingly useful device that will make Dad into a superhero. He can charge his dead battery safely, along with anyone else who needs a jump, although he won’t have to jump them! (Read why we don’t recommend you use jumper cables on your vehicle!) You can get a plain vanilla variety, or spice it up with one that has emergency lights, AC outlets, phone chargers, and coffee maker. Okay, we’re kidding about the coffee maker.

Car Ramps. If you’ve heard your mom praying while your dad jacks up the car and crawls underneath, she’ll thank you for getting a set of car ramps. Line them up in front of a vehicle’s tires, and slowly drive up. You’ll have to get mom to buy wheel chocks, which keep the car from rolling backwards.

Socket set. A basic socket set is a must have for any dad. Look for a high quality set with a high number of teeth, quick release buttons, and a sturdy case. Or you could just head into any auto shop and ask for recommendations.

Screwdriver Set. Your dad may already have a motley set of mismatched screwdrivers. Help him get organized and make sure he has the right screwdriver for every job. A good set will have both flat head and Philipps head. We like rubber handles to ensure a good grip, with a chrome/steel finish for the shank. (That’s the metal part.)

Oil Filter Adapter. If your dad changes his own oil, you’ve probably heard him speak French while trying to remove an oil filter. Vehicle engineers are notorious for putting them in really hard to reach locations. An oil filter socket will help! It’s a huge socket that goes around the top of the oil filter, and it’s used with a ratchet to make things a lot easier. It may even clean up your dad’s language.

Dog Bone Wrench. What IS a dog bone wrench, you ask? it’s a clever tool that does everything an adjustable wrench does, without the adjusting. It’s like a complete socket set in one tool. They’re great for oil drain plugs, nut holders, damaged bolts, and much more. Fetch this for your dad!

We know that for some reason, dads are more difficult to buy for than moms, so we hope this handy guide helps you pick the perfect gift for your dad. You get bonus points if you learn to use the tools, so you can work on the car side by side with your dad!

Back in the day, people jump started each other’s cars all the time. One vehicle’s battery would go dead, and someone would call their next door neighbor to bring their car over. They’d pull out a set of jumper cables, attach the positive to the positive, the negative to the negative, and soon the dead battery would have enough charge for the car to start and be driven.

Here’s a tip: Jumper cables are no longer a good idea. Modern vehicles contain many complex electronic systems and computers which can be easily damaged if there is a current or voltage spike, or if the sequence of attachment is wrong. A jump gone wrong could turn into an expensive repair. There is also the potential to the battery itself. To make it worse, the damage could be to either vehicle involved in the jumpstart.

We recommend that you invest in a portable car power bank jump starter. These are relatively inexpensive, small units that easily fit in your trunk or hatch area. If you – or your neighbor – have a dead battery, these handy devices will start them without the danger that jumpstarting from a car poses. The power banks usually come with other handy features, like floodlights, USB chargers, cigarette lighter ports, and other emergency features.

And when you get your car started, bring it into us, to find out why the battery went dead to start with. We’ll check your cables, your fluids, the battery itself, and make recommendations to keep you from facing another dead battery any time soon.

Most of us are pretty attached to our vehicles. We give them names, pay to have them detailed, and we spend a lot of money filling them with gasoline. In return, our cars and trucks provide us with reliable and safe transportation that add to the overall quality of our life. You want your relationship with your car to last as long as possible, especially since vehicle prices are so high! Here are some tips to keep your car in your life as long as possible.

Listen for issues. All partners like to be heard, including your car. If your car makes an odd clunk, hum, grinding sound, or hiss. pay attention, If you need, we can listen to the noise, too, and help diagnose any problems. Deal with the little things now, before they become serious issues later on.

Do boring things. Every relationship has mundane things that are the foundation of success, whether it be taking out the trash or buying a birthday card. Your car or truck has the same needs. Change the oil. Change the fluids. Change the air filters. Flush the power steering, antifreeze, and brake fluid. Have your front end aligned. These things aren’t Instagram worthy events, but time invested in these boring tasks will pay off in longer life for your car.

Fix it now. Procrastination has ruined many a couple. Don’t put off things that need to be done now. If you change your brake pads before they get too thin, the expensive to replace rotors and calipers will last much longer. Change the timing belt before it breaks. Fix it now, and you’ll be happier later.

Don’t push the limit. Stretching things over and over will wear down any partnership. Don’t peel off too fast. Don’t overload your vehicle. If you’re driving high in the mountains, or in very hot or cold conditions, change the type of oil you use. Pushing limits over and over can lead to a total break down – with people and with machines.

Get professional counsel. Every couple needs the occasional professional advice. For your vehicles, that professional is us! Come in to Norris Automotive together – or apart – and let us take a look under the hood of what makes your car tick. Take our advice, and we’re betting when you leave, your relationship with your car or truck will be stronger than ever!

Use less gas. That’s a no-brainer, we know. but there are some things you can do to make your car use gasoline more efficiently. Tire pressure, OBD sensors, the right type of oil, your AC, and your MPH are all part of this FYI article about good MPG.

Get a cash back or rewards debit or credit card. Many credit cards give some sort of rewards for purchases. Some are for any purchase, and some are for specific categories, including gasoline. Chase, Capital One, Bank of America and Citibank are among the best known, and will give you from 1% up to 6% cash back on your purchases. Some cards, like Chase and Capital One, will let you redeem your points for even more value when you travel. Here’s an amazing class to take to learn about how to save money in general while using credit cards.

Of course, if you don’t pay your balance off in full each month, you’ll quickly negate your savings. Many people find that they need to stick with a debit card to keep themselves out of debt. But you have options, too! Check out this list of debit cards with cash back rewards.

Use apps. Don’t you hate it when you buy gas at one exit, and you drive down the road and see gas .10 cheaper! There’s an app for that. With gasoline apps, you can compare gas prices near you, and head to the cheapest pump. GasBuddy and Gas Guru are the best of the lot. Other apps aren’t just for gas prices, but include them, such as GIECO Mobile, and even AAA.

Join loyalty clubs. Just like you have loyalty cards at the supermarket, gas stations offer you ways to save. Lots of stations give you .05 off each gallon of gas every time you visit. Shell’s Fuel Rewards, Speedway Speedy Rewards, BPme Rewards, Exxon Mobil Rewards , and Circle K Easy Rewards all offer you great savings on gas, and will also give you perks for food, savings off rental cars, dining out discounts, and more. They’re not loyalty clubs, but Walmart Plus and Membership clubs like Costo and BJ’s also give you discounted gas.

Credit Card/Debit Card perks. In addition to cash back, many credit and debit cards have a section of ‘offers’. You usually have to go to your online account and look at the offers, which vary from customer to customer. Once you add an offer, you’ll save according to the terms and conditions. It’s not uncommon to see $5 off $15 dollar gasoline purchase!

Stack your savings. So after you make sure you are saving money on using fuel, you can combine the savings of the other methods. Suppose you look at your favorite Gas App, and a nearby BP gas station has a better price on gas than the station at your exit. It’s $4.12. Your Chase Freedom Flex is offering 5% cash back points on gasoline purchases for this quarter. You also find a BP offer of $5 off $15 when you pump gas there. You’re a BPme Rewards member, so you’ll save .05 off every gallon.

In this scenario, in addition to finding a cheaper gas, you’re saving .05 off every gallon with BPme, making the price $4.07.
5% cash back with Chase is .20, so now your gas is 3.87.
$5 cash back with Chase Offers is off your total bill.

But you can see how the savings add up!

None of the above will make actual gas prices go down, but they’ll help you spend less on gasoline for your vehicles. And at Norris, we’ll help you keep your car in tip top shape so that it will get the best gas mileage possible. Call us today!

Traffic jams. Ice storms. Downed trees. Car break downs. And yes, after school car lines.

If you’ve ever been stuck in your car for any amount of time, you probably wished for something that you didn’t have. Most of the things that we need are simply for convenience, but there are other items that are essential in an emergency.

Here’s an example list:

Jumper Cables or car battery charger
Flashlight
Emergency lights or reflectors
Tire Jack
Multi Tool
Duct Tape
Zip Lock bags
Water and snacks
Gum and dental floss
First aid kit including pain reliever
Escape Tool
Umbrella
Ice Scraper
Blanket
Tire pressure gauge
Hand sanitizer and masks
Tool kit
Bungee cords
Stain remover pads
Tissues (can double as TP!)
Small box of school supplies – scissors, glue sticks, Scotch tape, markers

What things do you have in your car already? What things should you add? And lastly – what should we add to our list? Let us know!

Quick. When was your last oil change? Car Inspection? Tire rotation and alignment? Brake maintenance? When does your timing belt need to be changed?

If you’re like most of us, you have no idea. The reality is that you should be keeping records of your vehicle’s maintenance. The more you know about it, the better you’ll be able to keep it maintained in the future. When you’re getting ready to sell your car or truck, good maintenance records are of great benefit to prove that you’ve taken good care of your vehicle. If you have an issue with your vehicle while it’s under warranty, not having maintenance records may void your protection.

The good news is that there are many ways to keep this information handy, and one of them should fit your record keeping style.

The Shoebox Method. Some people simply stash all of their car related receipts into a ziplock bag in their glove compartment. You may have to dig for the answer, but it will be in there – somewhere. Now if you can just get your glove box to close!

The Old School Notebook. A marble notebook and a stapler is another way to keep yourself organized. When you get your oil changed, write down your car’s mileage, and staple in receipts.

Photos. Your camera is a great way to keep records of your receipts. Take a picture of the receipt, annotate it as needed (add mileage, etc.), and create a ‘vehicle maintenance’ folder on your phone.

Evernote. Arguably the best note taking app on the internet, Evernote will store notes, images, and even emails. Create a notebook or tag for ‘vehicle maintenance’ and your record keeping is done. Evernote can even ‘read’ your handwriting.

Car maintenance apps. There is an app for that. Check out Fuelly, May Car, and CarFax for apps that will do all the remembering for you.

Reminders and calendars. If you use an electronic or paper calendar, you can set up a recurring reminder, or just jot down a pen and ink note on service done along with a note on a future date to remind you of the next service event. You could even set up a reminder with Siri or Alexa!

Dealers and mechanics. If you have a service contract with a dealer, there is a record of all they have done on your vehicle. And here at Norris, we do, too!

However you keep your records, at Norris, we’re here to help you make the service happen. Call us to schedule your next oil change, inspection, or brake work. Save our number in your phone to make it even easier!

As you probably know by now, Norris Automotive can take care of any of your automobile repair needs – brakes, a/c repair, timing belts and much more. While we’ve always offered routine maintenance as well, we now have a new location, right down the road, to help with some of your basic car care needs.

Same Great Service. In an effort to get you in and out quickly and make routine maintenance more convenient for you, we are excited to announce that you can receive the same great service at our second location, Elite Motor Cars located right down the road from us at 2611 Alamance Road. This new location specializes in oil changes, tire rotations, wiper blade replacement, fluid checks, and NC inspections. You’ll still call us right here at Norris Automotive for any of your other repair needs, but our new express shop provides you the convenience of short wait times so you can have your routine car care needs completed while you wait.

Quick & Easy. When your oil light flashes on or that little sticker inside your window says it’s time for an oil change, simply call us at Elite Motor Cars, schedule a time to bring your car in and sit back and relax. While appointments are suggested to keep your wait at a minimum, you can also drop by during the week Monday – Friday 7:30am – 5:30pm. One of our current customers used this new express service for the first time recently and here’s what she had to say:

I scheduled my appointment two days before and brought my van in for an 8:30 appointment. I was greeted immediately and my car was pulled into the garage. I had my oil changed, tires rotated, and even an unexpected tire leak repaired – all while I waited in the comfortable waiting area. By 9:00 my car was ready to roll as the next scheduled appointment pulled right in. It was so nice not to have a long wait time and an easy process all around!”

When it’s time for an oil change, tire rotation, NC Inspection, or even just wiper blade replacement, call us at Elite Motor Cars to have you back up and running in no time!

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While you do everything possible to keep your car maintained, up to date, and in good condition, life happens. So do unexpected repairs – your brake pads wear out, the battery dies, spark plugs corrode, or maybe your sensor needs replacing. But one of the most common reasons people bring in their vehicle is that it’s “making noises”.

What’s That Sound? This is often a question we get upon the first call for a car repair appointment. Recently, one of our regular customers brought in their older van to diagnose a “clicking sound” they had been hearing when they turned the steering wheel. We advised them to make an appointment or drop off the vehicle so that our trained mechanic could take a look, and listen, and properly diagnose the problem.

Steering Clear. Our technicians test drove the old model van and immediately recognized the familiar sound as a failing or broken CV (constant velocity) joint. Easily stated, a CV joint allows the front wheels to receive power to move. Your vehicle has a CV joint on each side to help control the steering. As they become worn over time, as in this particular case, they cause a clicking or grinding sound as the steering wheel is turned. This particular CV joint was so old and worn out that it had actually dry rotted and needed to be replaced. Your car is still drivable with a broken CV joint in many cases, but it can quickly become unsafe. This is why you need to call Norris at the first sound of trouble!

Back On The Road. We advised the customer of the repair, fixed the issue, and had them back up and safely running by the end of the day. They also inquired about any additional maintenance that we would recommend to safely keep their 182,000 mile van running for many more years. We looked at the make and model and the age of the vehicle, and advised them accordingly.

We’re happy to provide YOU with individualized maintenance tips, routine tune ups and repairs when those unexpected “noises” pop up. Give us a call today for routine maintenance, tune ups, oil changes or simply to ask “what’s that sound?” At Norris we’re here to get you back safely on the road, quickly, efficiently, and click free!