Should You Really Remove That Snow

Winter driving isn’t much fun, unless you’re in an empty parking lot whipping donuts out, right? Nobody likes waking up in the morning and getting stuck on the side of the road because your commute is featuring the inch thick ice you were dreading the night before. Winter is a risky time of the year in general, but the risk only gets worse when you’re driving around with a foot of snow on the roof of your car.

Driving with snow piled on top of your car is dangerous for many reasons, the first being it could fall within your line of visibility. Snow melts as your vehicle heats up, but it also could slowly slide down the front of your vehicle, or could abruptly shift and block your sight when driving. This is an issue for obvious reasons. Windshield wipers are great, but they’re made for rain. The best practice is to eliminate the snow from your roof, windows and mirrors before you drive anywhere.

As snow melts and refreezes on the roof of your vehicle, it creates small pieces of ice, that accumulate and become larger hunks. Imagine driving down the highway and having a missile launch from the vehicle in front of you. This can cause cosmetic damage to the vehicle behind you, or could potentially cause an accident to the unsuspecting driver. Even if your ice chunk doesn’t hit another vehicle, it could cause road obstruction which is just as dangerous. We’ve all seen sheets of snow fall off of a semi as they haul their loads down the freeway, so next time you leave, think about clearing off as much as you can to save your fellow commuters.

In the state of Minnesota, it is not illegal to drive with snow piled upon your vehicle. You could, however, be pulled over for driving with an obstructed view. You may also be held liable if for any damage caused by snow falling off of your vehicle onto one behind you, as it violates the Unsecured Load Law in Minnesota. State Patrol advises drivers that if their vehicles are damaged due to ice or snow falling off of a vehicle in front of you to attempt to capture the license plate and contact the police department to seek reparations for the damages. You as a driver should be responsible and remove the snow from your vehicle prior to utilizing your vehicle after a snowfall.

When in doubt, clean that snow off! Nobody wants to be stuck in the cold taking care of this annoying task, but the reality is that you are doing your due diligence as a licensed driver by ensuring you are operating your vehicle safely. Using a soft bristle snow brush should get the job done, and allowing your vehicle to heat up will warm the ice and snow on top of your vehicle, allowing it to slough off with your brush easily. Give yourself the extra five minutes in the morning, save yourself the fine, and potentially save somebody else's life.

It's Not Like The Old Days

Today in auto body, we are faced with more electronics and fluff than ever. Technology advancements have created safer modes of transportation, often edging into luxurious high-tech heaps of steel. This shows no signs of stopping, which has created a huge onslaught of misconceptions when it comes to a “typical bumper job.” There are no typical jobs anymore. Gone are the days of a one day turn around, dropping your car off in the morning for a little repair and picking it up that afternoon is no longer feasible.

Due to the intelligence we are faced with each passing year, we are required to update our repair process. The downside this has for our customers is that the length of repairs for even the smallest jobs has increased. After initial drop off, we need to perform a full disassembly of the vehicle. We remove all parts from the affected area, which often requires us to unplug sensors and other electronics. After the tear down is complete, we can create a complete blueprint of the damage to your vehicle and have a full assessment ready for you or your insurance. This process alone can take hours and is all dependent on the extent of the damage and the complexity of the systems in play.

Once we have your approval to begin repairs, we will assess mechanical requirements of the vehicle. This is when we note any sensors, cameras or other electronics that may require recalibration before being roadworthy. When we’ve established any items required, we get to the meat of the repair, the body work. We get the parts painted, straighten any frame damage and anything else required to get your vehicle back in shape.

When our technicians have completed the repair of parts, and all parts are painted, they reassemble the vehicle. We then put our information gathered during the blueprint for mechanical work to the test. We recalibrate any cameras, sensors, or other systems in the vehicle and scan for any possible code errors. This will tell us if any of the damage to your vehicle is still hiding within the electronic systems of your vehicle, which allows things like your airbags to deploy at the proper time. A step as important as this cannot be overlooked, and we attempt to do it in a quick efficient manner. Sometimes, computers get the best of us, too.

Our last step to a repair is to quality check your vehicle. We have staff check all aspects, things like the paint match, headlights, blinkers and windows are looked over now to ensure they’re in proper working condition. With each vehicle that comes through our doors, we take our time to ensure that all manufactured requirements are met. This means that we are combing over our work, the electric systems, paint match and so much more.


Our goal, as always, is to make sure your vehicle gets returned to you in the condition it was prior to your accident. Sometimes that requires us to take our time and can result in longer than anticipated repair times. We aim to make sure you are safe, and happy. Let us know if you have any questions about the repair process, or any time stipulations you may have, we do our best to accommodate all our customers!

Fall/Winter Maintenance For Your Vehicle

 

Winter is fast approaching, and we want everyone to be ready for it. Here at Oakdale Collision, this is our busiest time of the year. As much as we love seeing our customers return, we also aim to make sure that you don’t have to. With every change of season, you should be inspecting your vehicle for required maintenance, and that list can sometimes feel endless. In order to give you a head start here’s our list of things you should be looking into before winter is officially here. 

• Check your tread. Better yet, install winter tires on your vehicle. However, if you have all-season tires, simply make sure that the tread is deep enough. Utilize the penny method; insert a penny headfirst into your tire tread. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, you need new tires. 
• Test your heat. In Minnesota, this is extremely important. Who wants to walk out to their car the first day of negatives and find their heat is broken?! Do yourself the favor now and turn that heat to the max to make sure it’s working to its best potential.
• Check your brake systems! This is yet another important part of our fall maintenance. Make sure you get a proper idea of how your brakes are functioning, when they may need to be replaced, and that you can stop in a matter of seconds. Winter is full of slick roads and traffic so make sure that your brakes are in their best shape before you’re in a bad situation. 
• How are your headlights? Everybody always talks about rock chips in the paint, and your windshield, but your headlights can also chip. After long use, the headlight covers often get scratched and dingy, giving them a dimmer appearance. This is unsafe in the dark, and even scarier in the winter. There are kits online you can order to improve your line of sight, among many other options we can discuss with you.
• Check all your fluids. Windshield washer fluid will freeze in our temperatures, so make sure you replace the old with one that has a low freeze point. This is also a good time to check your oil and look into your fuel efficiency. Motor oil is also affected by low temperatures and can become thicker and cloggy when cold which affects performance.
• When is the last time you replaced your battery? This one will negate all other maintenance if ignored. Batteries lose power over the course of their lives, and weaker batteries are more likely not to work when the negative temps arrive. Check your connectors, and battery life now to save you the frostbite later. 

There’s a long list of maintenance you should be tending to for your vehicle year-round, but this is our mini-list to help you maintain now. The sooner you get started on your list, the sooner you will find the larger pieces of maintenance lingering. As always, if you ever have any questions about your vehicle, contact us. We are always happy to help!

 

 

In A Collision? What Are Your Rights?

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, we are not your favorite group of people to see. We get it, who likes getting in an auto accident? Nobody comes to Oakdale Collision, throws open the doors and exclaims how excited they are about getting their car repaired. This is an inconvenience to you, your family, and your wallet. We want to make sure that before, during, and after this confusing time you know your rights as a consumer. 

                You have the right to pick where your car is repaired. This one baffles some people, because your insurance sometimes seems to omit this detail. Your insurance company has direct repair facilities it prefers to work with out of ease and contractual agreements holding the shop to certain rates. Occasionally, they will make recommendations to their clients where they should take their vehicles. This by no means requires you to use said body shop, however. You still have the option to get your vehicle repaired at whichever shop you prefer, regardless of where your insurance mentions. 

                You have the right to pick what kind of parts are used on your vehicle. This one can be a bit less clear, but you have a say in what kind of parts are put on your vehicle. There are typically three types of repair parts we could use; OEM, Non-OEM, or recycled parts. An OEM part is an “Original Equipment Manufacturer” part, meaning it was made by the manufacturer. A Non-OEM part is any part considered aftermarket, or made by someone other than the manufacturer, and a recycled part is exactly what the name suggests, recycled. Some insurance companies have you waive this right when you sign their policy statements, but for the most part you have the right to choose which type of part goes on your vehicle. 

                You have the right to a safely repaired vehicle. You can ask us any time about our processes, what we are certified in, and how we fix your vehicle. After the vehicle is finished, we will present you with an itemized copy of everything we did to your car. Our goal is always return your vehicle back to pre-accident condition, and that includes it being a safe vehicle to operate. 

                Our goal at Oakdale Collision is to build a relationship with our customers based on trust, and assurance that we are the very best at what we do. We know it’s true, and hope that one day you can see it too! If you need an estimate, need a repair, or just have some questions about what you should know as a customer, call us today! We’d be happy to help. 

Dangers in Summer Driving

Summer is an exciting time of year. The sun is out, the cabin is open for the season, and hopefully the boat is out on the water. There’s a whole bustle of activity out there, and that’s not always a good thing. Everyone wants to be outside, which means there’s a much larger population of drivers on the road. That being said, it makes sense that summer is the most common time of the year for traffic accidents to occur. 

In the summer, we often see accidents due to construction zones. Especially in Minnesota, which should be renamed the Land of 10,000 Construction Projects, we spend most of our spring and summer avoiding construction. Presently, most of the metro is under construction. Before you take any trips, or have to drive somewhere unfamiliar, look up what construction is between you and your destination, and do your best to avoid it. Torn up concrete and debris can wreak havoc on your vehicle. Expensive havoc.

It’s in our best interests to remain vigilant while driving and pay attention to the road, which brings me to our next biggest cause of accidents; Distracted Driving. Set the right example for your family and keep your phone put away while you’re driving. Pay attention to the road, and make sure that whoever is in the car with you understands how seriously you take the safety of yourself, and theirs. In the world of apps and fancy smartphones, it’s almost inexcusable to be on your phone while driving. Applications now have safety features that include “drive mode” as well as most Apple updates for iPhones. 

Another thing to be conscious of as this summer heats up, is the condition of your tires. Tire blowouts are another one of the most common accidents we see in the summer. As the temperatures rise, bald tires are affected and their chances of blowing out under stress is much higher. This can cause damage to your vehicle, and others if uncareful. 

July and August hold the highest accident rate in our country, August taking the cake. Auto accidents kill more than 40,000 people in the United States a year! It is the leading cause of death in people under the age of 34. Every time you get into your vehicle, you’re risking your life, and the lives of those around you. We hope that you do so in the most informed manner possible. Accidents happen, and we are always here to assist you with any vehicle repairs or questions you may have. 

Does It Really Take That Long?

           It used to be that we drove around in giant metal machines, operating purely on fuel and combustion. Things always change, and in today’s world you’re driving around in a high-tech computer. People still view their vehicles as a machine, but a car hasn’t been “just a machine” for the last fifty years! In 1968 Volkswagen introduced the first computer controlled function in a vehicle; the electronic fuel injector. This advancement in the car industry was huge! The ECU is now a standard seen in all vehicles, emerging in the 1960’s and still used today. By 1986 we had our first auto-driven cars, in 2017 Tesla introduced self driving semi-trucks, and today we’re looking at vehicles that are almost completely self-sufficient.

                This loose timeline is just that, very loose. Imagine all the advancements between the 60’s and today. Now imagine the advancements technicians have seen, working on these vehicles day in and day out. The industry now requires certified technicians, who have undergone training through each manufacturer in order to understand the innermost workings of these computers and the machine themselves. This is all great, because we want our technicians to be the best at what they do. When you put it all together though, what does that mean for you, the customer?
                Time. The biggest thing all these computers have changed during our repair process is time. We no longer have the ability to do one day bumper jobs, because that Audi A6 you drive has three sensors in the front bumper that allow you to feel a little bit safer in your car, but also require us to calibrate them if we remove or have to adjust the bumper. Every vehicle newer than 2008 is equipped with sensors in the passenger seat that signal occupancy and when to deploy airbags in the event of a crash, and has to be reset each time you’re in any minor collision. These sensors are a wonderful safety feature, but in that effort to ensure safety we’re also looking at additional time in a simple repair.

                We do our best to get your vehicles returned to pre-accident condition as soon as we can, but we also want your vehicle to be safe, efficient, and in proper working order before we return the vehicle to you. So when you get frustrated at how long your repairs are taking, consider the type of vehicle you drive, and the computer systems you use each day. The more complicated and high tech your vehicle is, the longer the repairs will take. So, yes, it does take that long, but rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to get your vehicle repaired and back to you safe and sound.

Negotiating A Total Loss With Insurance

We can’t always help what situations we end up in, no matter how hard we try. Sometimes, we forget to brush our teeth. Sometimes, we get into a car accident and our vehicle isn’t repairable. If your vehicle is one of the unfortunate ones that does total out, there are steps you can take to ensure you’re getting the best settlement possible. When a vehicle totals out, it’s actually declared a total by your insurance company. A body shop like ours can’t deem a vehicle repairable or totaled, it can only do what the insurance company declares. In the state of Minnesota, a vehicle is declared a total loss once it reaches 80% of reparability. Once your vehicle has exhausted 80% of reparability, your insurance will declare it a total loss and will reach out to you to settle. The thing that most people don’t know here, is that this settlement is negotiable.

If your insurance values your vehicle at something lower than you feel is fair, you can challenge them. You have the right to seek your own appraisal of your vehicle, and should do so. This is the best way to know for sure if you’re receiving a fair value. Anything challenged with your insurance will need concrete proof, so make sure you document any and all upgrade receipts or appraisals you receive that could help your case.

Another thing you should know is that your insurance includes licensing fees in your settlement. Think about this for a second. When you go out and purchase a new vehicle, you have to pay to license it. So, if your vehicle is worth $5,000, and they give you a check for $5,000, you’re actually being shorted the licensing fees to purchase a replacement vehicle valued at $5000. There are numerous things you should be aware of, but this one is often overlooked by consumers.

Customers of larger insurance carriers like State Farm and Farmers need to be aware of the little things that are wrapped into the total loss of a vehicle. Your insurance carrier doesn’t mean anything personal by this, but they do cut corners to save themselves money. The relationship you have with your agent doesn’t transfer over to the claims department. Their goal is to resolve as many claims and total losses as possible, for the least cost to the insurance. If they save $100 on your claim, and save that same $100 on 100 other claims, they’re saving their employer $1000.

A car accident is a headache for anybody involved. It’s an unpleasant, high stress and oftentimes takes a physical toll. You do your best to keep a good standing relationship with your insurance, take care of your vehicle, and to drive safely, but let’s face it; accidents happen. Sometimes a vehicle is repairable, sometimes it’s not. The moral here you need to take away, as with anything, is to know what your vehicle is worth. If you know the value of your car, you should have no problems negotiating with your insurance.

Winter, All Season or Summer Tire?

There are three main categories of tires on the market for your daily driver, all season tires, winter tires, and summer tires. Each type of tire has its own pros and cons, but when compared collectively, the most important thing to consider is the climate you deal with on your day to day. You want to ensure that you’re purchasing the most effective tire for your time, efforts, and for expense! Lets face it, tires are expensive!

Winter tires are the extreme of the three tires, and the best for living in a place like Minnesota. While you will fair alright with all season tires, for a driver inexperienced in heavy snowfall, we highly suggest the purchase of a true winter tire. They feature tread rubber, heavier depth with heavier patterns, and strong edges to cut into the snow.

• Tread Rubber: in all season and summer tires, tread will stiffen in cold temperatures inhibiting the proper traction. Winter tires see tread that is designed to remain flexible regardless of temperature.
• Tread Depth and Patterns: in winter tires, you see a more unique tread pattern or deeper divets in the tread to channel snow and slush, while also expelling water. Summer tires and all season tires have shallow tread and fewer patterns as it’s not an essentially part of driving in warmer weather.
• Biting Edges: Winter tires also have higher sipe densities, which is tiny slits in the tread providing higher traction on ice. 

Typically when you purchase your vehicle and drive it off the lot, they’re outfitted with all season tires. All season tires were designed to provide year-round performance, making them an extremely popular choice. They are versatile and designed to function well on wet roads and in light winter driving. If you’re looking for tires that will allow you to drive year round without any extreme winters or storms, these are the ones you want.

All season tires are the compromise between winter and summer tires, meaning they have to compromise certain attributes. They don’t provide the same grip or handling of a summer tire, or the same ice capabilities of a true winter tire. Just like with your footwear, you’ll want the more extreme of the three based on what the conditions are outside. Nobody wants to wear flip-flops in a snowstorm or snow boots during a heat wave! The choice to purchase an all season tire should be made when you live in a moderate climate, free of extreme cold or ice, and free from extreme heat in the summer. In the event that your tires are ineffective in a storm, and you potentially ding up your vehicle, we’re here to help!

Perks of Detailing Your Vehicle

We all crave that new car smell and feel. When you pull a new one off the lot, and it’s pristine, no smells waft out of the seats when you plop down and there’s no ground in goldfish from your kids in the backseat… That new car feeling is desirable, so what if you can get that feeling with the car you already own? There are many benefits to having regular details done on your vehicle, from the mental benefit of feeling clean, to impressing your friends with your sweet ride. What if detailing your car could up the resale value? Guess what, it does. Regularly detailing your vehicle has tons of benefits, and so here’s a couple of reasons why:

• Having your vehicle professionally detailed will clean out any excess salt from your wheels, undercarriage, wheel wells, engine compartment, and all the other nooks and crannies in your car. This prevents potential corrosion. 
• Even small scratches in the paint can oxidize, and having those scratches buffed out and sealed protect your vehicle from rust. Professional detailing products contain UV protectant's that will help keep your paint from fading. 
• The interior of your vehicle will fade from the sun, as well as absorb all kinds of random odors that are faint to you, but evident to others. A professional detailer can eliminate those odors and restore your interior with various products. 
• They will clean out your engine compartment. You read that right, a lot of people will wash their vehicle and forget that the engine compartment also needs to be taken care of! When you’re selling or trading in your vehicle, a clean engine compartment will instill confidence in the potential buyer by showing them that you maintain your vehicle. 

Market experts say that detailing can up the value of your vehicle by 15%. That’s an incredible jump for any car, especially if you’re in the position to purchase a new vehicle. If you know that you’re going to be in the market for something new in the near future, or even if you’re planning on keeping your vehicle until the end of time, taking care of your belongings will make them last longer. Get your car professionally detailed today for the peace of mind, and to protect one of the larger investments in your life.

Help Us Help You

You know your car better than anybody else, you drive it each day, you know what weird kinks it has, and what new damage has occurred. Before you bring your car in for an estimate or repairs, look over each panel on your car and make sure everything you want fixed is being pointed out to your estimator. We will do our best to return your vehicle to its original pristine condition, but without your help, we can’t meet your expectations.

During the repair process, we aim to get everything accident related taken care of and approved by insurance, but there are times where damage can be overlooked and assumed to be unrelated prior damage. If you know that a dent was part of the accident, then bring it up during your initial drop off to make sure the damage is properly taken care of.

In some instances, there’s a scratch that you hate seeing every day. Let us know, and we can do our best to get it taken care of. If you’re looking for a more thorough fix, we can take care of the damage while your vehicle is in the shop. Getting everything sorted out prior to drop off will keep your time without your vehicle shorter, and will save you time in the long run. 

When you return to pick up your vehicle, make sure to do a thorough walk through with your estimator. If there’s damage that we missed, let us know so we can properly take care of you and your vehicle. There are many standards we have set for a repair, and want to make sure we’re doing the best we can for you. Let us know if anything was missed, or if you feel things were ignored.

Look over your car to make sure it’s been properly washed and vacuumed. We provide clean up to restore your vehicle to how it was dropped off, so make sure the panels are clear of salt or other road debris. Pay attention to any panel gaps, or non-matching painted panels, verify that your repair was properly completed and fits your expectations. Make sure to test that all your lights and electronics are working properly before leaving, so you can safely return home. If you make it home and find you’re unsatisfied with our repairs, give us a call so we can sort it out for you. Our goal is to return your vehicle to pre-

accident condition, and we plan to do the best we can for you.

Flat Tire On The Freeway

Imagine driving down the freeway at a brisk 72 mph, top down, your favorite song blaring on the radio... sounds like a carefree trip, right? Now imagine your tire blows, a loud pop followed by *thudthudthudthud*. What do you do now?

The best reaction to a flat tire on the freeway is no reaction. Keep your steering wheel straight and resist all urge to turn the vehicle in either direction. Your car will try to pull away from you, and because one end of the car will be lower than the other it can be very hard to combat this. Your car will try and spin around the flat, so be aware of which tire has blown. It should be obvious depending on how bad the flat is. You can generally see a tilt in the vehicle to either side.

As counterintuitive as this sounds, give it some gas. Your newly flattened tire is making your vehicle decelerate and you need to keep going at a reasonable speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicles traveling around you. Once you’ve assessed the situation you’ll need to start to ease off the gas and guide yourself onto a shoulder, or into a residential area if at all possible. Try to let the car lose momentum on it’s own. If you can, avoid using the breaks as it could cause you to spin out and potentially hit other vehicles. If you have blown a rear tire, make sure to be especially careful when slowing down, as they’re a bit more volatile than blown front tires.

Depending on which side of the vehicle your flat is on, ease yourself off of the road and onto a shoulder. If there's available space and no traffic, go to the side where your tire isn’t closest to the freeway. It’s safest for you, your vehicle and for other drivers on the road. Take it easy, and don’t turn your steering wheel too sharply. Slow and precise movements will keep your vehicle under control and allow you to be as safe as possible. Once off the road, call for help or start the process of changing your tire on your own, provided you know how.

Proper tire care can keep you from having a flat, but they do happen to even the best mechanics out there. Make sure you’re checking your tires air pressure regularly, and get them rotated at least every 6 months, or every 6,000 miles. Remember that with the changing of the seasons, you also need to check your tires for low air! Prevention won’t always save you from a flat, but it will minimize the chances. If you have any additional questions about flat tire, stop in today!