The Five Commandments of Driving in the Fall

1. Thou Shalt Leave the House Earlier

Hallelujah! It’s fall and that means that the kids are finally going back to school. Before you breakout the celebratory mimosas, remember that also means more congestion on the roads. More school buses and mini vans clogging up the roads. Not to mention all the kids walking to school, probably not paying attention to the road because they’re too busy playing Pokémon GO. Now, your kids probably won’t mind being late, but let’s avoid a phone call from the school.

2. Thou Shalt Mind the Weather

As a Minnesotan, you know that fall is one of those seasons where the weather drastically changes from day to day. One day, it's nice and warm and you’re still wearing your shorts, and the next day you’re wrapped up in every scarf, glove, and hat you can find. The three major weather players in fall are: fog, frost, and rain. Fog causes drops in the visibility. Frost is not only a pain to scrape off in the morning, but some areas of road may develop ice patches. Rain makes the roadway slippery; they make the leaves slippery causing even more trouble if you're not paying attention.

3. Thou Shalt Mind the Leaves

Ah, yes, fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year. The leaves are changing and falling to the earth below. Unfortunately, those leaves can cover lane lines on the road and parking space lines. And, if it rains, those little suckers make the road pretty slippery. Also, remember that people are going to flock to get pictures of those leaves and will stop in the blink of an eye to capture the moment.

4. Thou Shalt Leave Space Between You and Other Cars

Speaking of pictures, there are a few of us out there who would stop in their tracks to capture the perfect picture. Yes, some people will suddenly pull of the side of the road to take pictures. Either way, you should always keep space between you and the car in front of you. Remember what I mentioned about the changing weather? Keep that space and hopefully you won't end up in someone's trunk.

5. Thou Shalt Mind the Deer

Deer are interesting creatures, it seems they have their own set of rules. Have you ever heard the phrase "Flight or Fight"?  To a deer that phrase is "fight, flight, or freeze in the middle of road". This can be a very bad thing for your car that's heading down the road.  Always keep an eye out, especially as it gets dark.

What Do You Know About Your Wiper Blades?

The summer season is in full swing, but we know that fall is right around the corner. While you’re either preparing your kids for the new school year, or preparing the garden for the chiller months, what are you doing about your windshield wipers?

Despite being one the toughest parts of your car, wiper blades deteriorate overtime. The question is: how often should we replace those wipers? Most people would say you should change them when you notice streaking or skipping marks on the window. When the time come to replace them, you’ll know it. However, mechanics suggest that those blades are switched out every six months, specifically in the spring and fall.

Think about it; during the winter your blades are scraping ice and snow off your window. In the summer, the heat bears down on the rubber and causes it to warp and crack. While many of us rather wait to replace the blades until they’re hanging in there by a thread, we should never take for granted what those little wipers do.

Remember, wiper blades are as important as the engine. Without them, we would probably be driving into a ditch. Drive safe, my friends!

Welcome to the Oakdale Collision Paint Shop

Ben Nelson

Our paint department is a big part of our collision business. Once a car has been repaired, it often needs repainting. A big part of paint matching lies in the hands of the painter. The paint, with all of the precise measurements, color chips, lighting, and matching the color comes right down to having a good eye. We're lucky that our Paint Technician has over 20 years of experience. 

Ben Nelson has been with Oakdale Collision for 10 years. He started as a detailer in 1993 and was painting cars by 1995. He came to work with us in 2003 as our Paint Technician. Ben still enjoys painting each car he gets in to his booth and you better believe he brings his 21 years of experience with him to every job. 

In addition to having a technician we can trust doing a great job, it's also important to use the best materials possible. That's why we use Spies Hecker Waterborne paint. Spies Hecker is a German based paint company that was established in 1882 (yep, that's right!). Their waterborne line launched in 1994 and has transformed the way we paint cars. 

Car door getting painted

Waterborne paint is environmentally friendly. It produces less VOC's and less waste which is good for all of us (especially Ben who does the painting). The paint also has a one coat application process that dries fast!

As part of our state of the art technology, we use special color chips to help make sure the color is accurate every time. We get a complete overview of the OEM colors and their variations- all 53,000 color formulas so we can match virtually all OEM and custom paint  finishes. That makes for a perfect match every time. 

Before and After Photos

What better way to show you some of the jobs we've encountered and some of the work we've done than with before and after photos! 

From small dents in a side door to full blown fender benders, we have seen a lot! We can take your car from damaged to driving in no time at all, and make it seem like your accident never happened. 

Before

After

Before

After

During

And here are just a few that are in progress of being repaired. 

Minnesota Potholes

It's a fact that potholes are a huge part of life in Minnesota, especially in the winter and spring.  They seem to get bigger or at least more widespread every year once the snow melts and even if the road has been repaired.

Large or small, potholes can do a number on your car and on your wallet. Trust us, we’ve seen it all.  A new survey from the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America found that over half of car owners in the U.S. have reported some type of damage due to a pothole. So how do you avoid them? You can’t swerve on the freeway or you might risk bumping into the car next to you which could lead to an accident. Running over them could land you right in our shop fixing the undercarriage of your car. 

Here are few tips to help you avoid them:

• Don’t swerve! As we stated above, it won’t solve the problem. It will probably make it much worse.
• Reduce your speed. Hitting a pothole at a slower speed typically results in less damage.
• Beware of puddles! They may look shallow, but could be very deep and could cause a lot of damage to your car.
• Keep your tires properly inflated. A poor inflated tire could pop if you hit a pothole just right.

If you can’t avoid the pothole, here is a form to fill out that lets the state of Minnesota (MNDOT) know where it is. This helps to make sure the location makes it on their repair list.

Looking for more information on pesky potholes? Here are a few links we thought we should share:

Mapping Potholes

Minnesota drivers have few options for claiming pothole bills

Tips To Avoid Costly Pothole Damage

AAA GivesAdvice on How To Avoid Pothole Damage

What Should You do When You are in a Car Accident?

With winter knocking down the door, it’s a good time for us to talk about accidents and what to do if you get in one.

It can happen to anyone at any time. You could hit a rough patch of ice, a deer could jump out from the side of the road, or another motorist could swerve into you.  It can be in the morning or it could be at night.

Most of us have been in a car accident at some point in our lives, but have you ever looked back and wondered if you remembered what you should do when you get into one?

When I was a young driver, I remember my parents telling me if I ever got into a car accident, the number one thing you should do is to call 911. That still holds true, but there are a few other things you can do to help yourself and the process:

1. Call 911: Even if you aren’t sure anyone is hurt, always make sure it’s documented by the authorities to protect you as well as the other people involved.
2. Stop your vehicle and get out (assuming it’s safe to do so):  Check to make sure it’s safe first (especially if you are in the middle of a busy street or on the freeway). Set your brake, turn off the engine, and get out of the car. If it’s dark out or the weather is bad, consider pulling out a roadside flare if you have one to alert other drivers of the incident.
3. Check on everyone involved:  Make sure no one is hurt and if they are, let them know that the police are on the way to help.
4. Gather Information:  It’s so important to exchange information with the other driver.  This will help when the police arrive and if you need to file a claim with your insurance agency. You will want to get:
• Driver and passenger names
• License plate numbers
• Insurance info
• Makes and models of the vehicles
• Contact info for any eye witnesses
• Location of the accident
• Name and badge number of the responding police officer
5. Document the scene: Depending on the severity of the accident, you may not have time to do this, but if you can use your smart phone to take photos of the accident, the scene, and any damage to the vehicles involved.
6. File an insurance claim: One of the last things you will do is file a claim with your insurance using all of the information you collected.  

Once you have filed a claim with your insurance agency, it’s your right to take your car where you want to get it fixed. You also have the right to get a quote from anyone you want. 

At Oakdale Collision Center, we can work directly with your insurance company on the claim, the amount, and get it fixed- all so you don’t have to worry. 

Welcome

Welcome to the Oakdale Collision Center blog! We are so very excited to finally have a blog and share some insights with you about collision repair, insurance help, dent removal, and the latest technology on the market.

Locally owned, we have been serving the Oakdale area for more than 12 years and we are here to get your car looking like new again in no time at all. Our skilled technicians will provide you with a full service repair and detail work, and your car won’t leave our shop until you’re completely satisfied.

We are licensed, certified, registered, insured, and bonded. All our repair work is warrantied with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Want to find out more about us? Take a look at the video.

Thanks for visiting us and check back soon for more blog posts.