Staten Island Auto Repair

Why There Is a Shortage of Skilled Automotive Technicians - Part 1 By Jim Taddei September 7th 2012 A recent article shared with me by a co-worker reminded me of a situation looming over the auto repair industry that could become a real problem over the next few years. Skilled automotive technicians are becoming harder and harder to find. I am not talking about technicians who change your oil and perform other minor repairs. I am talking about the highly skilled technicians who diagnose and repair the most difficult problems. These technicians understand the basic mechanical theory behind each automotive system, the computer controls that now manage each of these systems, and the electronic network that links them all together. Over the past few years, many of these highly skilled technicians have left the industry; those who remain will be retiring sooner than later. If I may be so bold (Editor’s note: he sho ... read more

The Dangers of Steering with Your Hands at 10 and 2 By Natalie Josef September 14th 2012 Ahh … driver’s ed. I remember meeting my high school basketball coach and one other kid in the school parking lot at 8am on a few Saturday mornings when I was fifteen. I had already been taught the basics of driving by my cousin, but driver’s ed with Ms. Wallace was mandatory and I couldn’t wait to get my license. The things I remember most about driver’s ed were the brake pedal in the passenger side, the horrors of parallel parking (I still struggle with this), and the first time going through a toll booth, which totally freaked me out. The other thing I remember is the old adage of driving with your hands at 10 and 2. If my hands happened to drift somewhere else during the course of driving, Ms. Wallace would whack the dashboard with her clipboard and bark out “10 and 2!” It’s been over twenty years since then and 10 a ... read more

Pushing the Needle Too Far: How Long Can You Drive on Empty? By Natalie Josef September 17th 2012 Anytime the fuel gauge gets less than a quarter full, my mind starts to race. What if I run out of gas? Is this hurting my engine? Can I really “run on fumes”? I am way too much of a worrier to let my needle get to “E.” I have a friend who always comes to pick me up with the fuel light already on before a night out. After freaking out in silence for twenty minutes, I finally suggest getting some gas. What does she do? Laugh and then drive further (my friends know I am a worrywart). We’ll be fine, she says. And you know what? We always are. Some of us in this world like to push the limits, to see how far things can go before they break. These types will see a gas station on the next block, but will wait for the gas station forty miles away, just to see if they can. Others of us like to play it safe and don’t fe ... read more

What Causes Traffic Jams? By Natalie Josef September 25th 2012 Where I live, in the San Francisco Bay Area, traffic jams are as common as the fog. A few weeks ago, I drove up to Sebastopol from San Francisco and before I knew it, my leisurely drive had turned into stop-and-go traffic. The traffic was so bad, I had to turn around to head back to the city before I had reached my destination so I wouldn’t be late for another appointment. When I turned back and started heading the other way, suddenly I was in traffic again. I had seen the roadway on my way up and there had been no traffic—none at all—and now it was crawling along. And just when I was about to seriously freak out, we were moving again. Long story short, I missed my first appointment and nearly missed my second, all because of phantom traffic jams that seemed to pop up and then dissipate like they had never happened. What actually causes traffic ... read more