Kenwood Tire and Auto Service

If Cars Could Talk…

Spencer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:32:26 +0000

What would yours say?

What kind of accent would it have? What kind of personality would it have? Where would it tell you where to go for service? Is it a happy car? Or not feeling all the love lately?

And if an On-Star agent in Michigan can open the doors and start your car remotely, then wouldn’t it be nice if the Check Engine Light was more than that, and could tell you what’s wrong, so you wouldn’t have to pay the mechanic to tighten your gas cap? Or tell you that you should have shut the car off as soon as the light came on to avoid further damage.

Today’s cars have the technology to go a little beyond the check engine light simply being on or off, and I fully support the campaign to “Ban the Check Engine Light“as it is now.

I think your car would agree, if only it could talk.

Oversteer vs. Understeer

Spencer — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:12:11 +0000

With our mild, wild and crazy weather here in New England it’s always good to be prepared for the worst driving conditions.

Take a look at this neat video from Michelin on Oversteer vs. Understeer and see why it’s so important, that when replacing just 2 tires, to put them on the rear.

Are You A 21 Percenter?

Spencer — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:33:52 +0000

In a recent Consumer Reports survey, they found that three-quarters (77 percent) of respondents take their car to a shop for maintenance and repair, while 21 percent reportedly handle those duties themselves.

Do You Do-It-Yourself? Have you ever changed the oil or bled the brakes on your cars?

At Kenwood Tire and Auto Service, today’s cars don’t get fixed with busted knuckles…..Today’s cars are fixed with information, torque specifications and having a plan of action.

To me, 21% seems like a lot of people to be doing it for themselves. So if you’re mechanically inclined, perhaps you could give it a go with the help of Mitchell 1′s eAutoRepair. This is the same information that the pro’s use, in laymans terms……And you can get it here.

Survey: Consumers trust their shop for car repairs

Spencer — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:31:10 +0000

It turns out that car owners put a lot of faith in their chosen repair shops, with 83 percent of those involved in repair decisions saying they’ll get the right maintenance and repair done for the right price.

Read the survey by Consumer Reports: Survey: Consumers trust their shop for car maintenance and repair.

What I found interesting was that the survey also found that most consumers do some research first. Do you research your car repairs and maintenance? Where do you go to do research?

At Kenwood Tire and Auto Service, we like both RepairPal and AutoMD becaue both are free Car Repair Encyclopedias. that in simple terms, explain how components and systems work so you can understand and have an enlightened conversation with the repair shop.

Postponing Car Maintenance or Repair?

Spencer — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:44:45 +0000

A lot of drivers are and in our shop, scheduled maintenance like transmission and coolant flushes have taken a backseat to things that NEED to be now, like brakes, steering parts and tires.

Take a look at this survey by Consumer Reports: Survey: Consumers are running risks by postponing car maintenance or repair.

But what can you do? Remember that the small things can become big by ignoring them. But when you car is broke, you NEED to do something….Do some research first with the new RepairPal App or web-site.

RepairPal is a free basic Car Repair Encyclopedia that explains how components and systems work so you can understand and have an enlightened conversation with the repair shop.

RepairPal shows local prices for many of today;s common repairs so you can make an educated decision about where to have service done and to get the best value.

Life @ Kenwood Tire 2011

Spencer — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:35:30 +0000

What were we up to this year at Kenwood Tire and Auto Service? See for yourself with our favorite pictures from 2011

Tire Cleanup in Bridgewater MA

Spencer — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:18:11 +0000

A junk tire filled with standing water, is like a country club for mosquitoes. It’s a EEE magnet and it looks like crap.

When I saw this article in the Enterprise about tires being dumped on Summer Street in Bridgewater, home to some of our customers at Kenwood Tire and Auto Service, I knew I had to do something about it.

Check out the photos from the Spring Street Tire Cleanup – December 2011 and the followup article from the Enterprise here

All Season vs. Winter Tires

Spencer — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:37:31 +0000

Why snow tires are not just for snow…..

At Kenwood Tire and Auto, we carry a complete line of Nokian, Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental and Cooper winter tires. We do winter tire swaps and can store your tires here too.

Check out our Nokian Channel on You Tube

What Buy 2 Tires, Get 2 Free Really Means…

Spencer — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:36:34 +0000

You pay more? According to cobraguy, it means that they’re not going to have your size in stock after he sat the ad at his local Tire Kingdom; ”Even IF they had something in my size in the Buy 2 get 2 FREE sale, once you buy the “Premium tire installation packages, the Roadside Assistance, and the One Year Wheel Alignment policy”, you’ll actually end up spending way more than if you had just purchased 4 tires during their “normal” sale prices (because all of their tires are jacked up in price for this sale). A couple months ago, I looked at the Nitto’s and they were selling for 168.00 per tire. Today, with the Buy 2 get 2 FREE ”sale”, they are selling for 214.00 each”

We don’t use these tactics at Kenwood Tire and Auto Service, and my advice is to be careful of these ” Bait and Switch” tactics being offered at the factory-owned shops and big chains to get you in the door, to sell you more.

There’s nothing wrong with a good sale or rebate, but nothing in the world of tires is “free” and gimmicks like these always end in an argument, disappointment or hurt feelings.

How to Read Your Tire Size

Spencer — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:37:24 +0000

It’s good to know your size and performance rating when it’s time to buy tires.

The information that’s on every tire’s sidewall is hard to read, but it’s all there: Tire size, load capacity, weather ratings, and even government ratings for treadwear, traction and temperature.

My advice is to be prepared for your tire store visit and flex your tire knowledge.If you’re in the tires store, ask questions: How old are these tires? Where are they made (if it matters)? Are they All-Season? M&S?

This useful 4 minute video ftom Nitto^® Tire explains how to read the letters and symbols on your tire and what they each mean.