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200,000 Miles and More – How to get there.  

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Written on Friday, May 29, 2015 by
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First Wash in the New Bay! 

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Written on Friday, May 29, 2015 by
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200,000 Miles and More, How To Get There. 

The other day I was listening to Chris, one of my service advisors, on the phone with a customer. He was calling to remind them about some maintenance that was due on their vehicle. As I was listening, it occurred to me, this is just like the dentist.

I’ve been going to the same dentist since I was a kid. Twice a year, for as long as I can remember, I get a call from someone in that office reminding me my cleaning is due. I really want to take good care of my teeth, so I always make that appointment. As strongly as I believe in this “preventive maintenance for my mouth,” I would likely never go if they didn’t call me.

When I go to the appointment, I get a check over before the actual cleaning. If there is something wrong, I want to know about it. Skipping this step would very likely lead to problems in my future and the pain associated with it. Our jobs are similar. When your car comes in it is our job to check over your car to ensure your safety and your vehicle’s reliability. Doing any less would be like the dentist cleaning your teeth without checking for cavities. When something doesn’t look right, also like the dentist, we sometimes need to dig in to get to the root of the problem.

We easily replace our neglected car when it’s worn out, but at a cost that is much more than making it last. So when the dentist office or your friendly service advisor calls you, remember they are trying to save you pain and higher costs in the future. Now that is something to smile about!

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Written on Thursday, January 29, 2015 by
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200,000 Miles and More – How to get there. 


Would you do laundry with dirty water? 

Every load of laundry is like an oil change cycle for your engine.   Each cycle your washer gets fresh clean water and your engine gets fresh clean oil.  Over time your vehicle’s lubricated parts wear and oil breaks down.  Abrasive particles begin flowing around in the oil, adding to part wear.  Filters pick up a lot of those floating particles in between oil changes.  Sometimes vehicle owners also change their transmission fluid and filter.  Most of the time, this is where the fluid changes end.  Nearly all moving parts on your vehicle are lubricated with oil.  The forgotten fluids are the power steering, differentials, coolant and brake fluid.  These parts do not have filters to help keep the fluid clean.  The power steering fluid gets neglected, then the power steering pump or the rack-n-pinion fails, and you are left with an unexpected and large repair bill.  The differentials are forgotten and you get a premature bearing or gear failure, again a large unexpected repair bill. Brake fluid picks up water from the outside air and copper from internal components.  Both are bad for the brake system and lead to premature brake failure.  Regular brake fluid flushes will extend the life of brake parts, help your brakes work better, and keep you safe.

Would you do your laundry without soap? 

There are ways to clean your vehicle’s lubricated parts when the fluid is replaced.  This removes more of the particles floating around, causing wear.  A clean part, with clean oil, will last longer.  Dirty oil wears parts, clean oil does not.  Should you change fluids when they are still clean or wait until dirty?

If you want to help your vehicle last 200,000 miles and run well along the way, change your fluids when recommended and put some soap in your laundry.

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Written on Thursday, August 28, 2014 by
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200,000 Miles and More – How to get there.


200,000 Miles and More – How to get there.

This is my Mom’s 1997 Toyota Tercel. She purchased the car new and named it Alice. The two live in Burlington, VT and my Mom brings Alice over for oil changes based on visits to Colebrook instead of the mileage due.

Many times over the years Mom would bring in Alice for an oil change several thousand miles over due and low on oil. One time we pulled the drain plug and only a cup of oil came out of the engine. Not long after, Alice started to burn oil and as time went on it became worse. Then came the check engine light, along with a diagnosis that led to an expensive catalytic converter replacement, likely due to the oil that was running through the exhaust. 226K miles and still going! A few months later Mom called and said every time she gassed up, Alice also needed a quart of oil, so I recommended she come over to Colebrook so we could look into it. When Mom drove here, she did not think they were even going make it to Colebrook. We checked the engine and found only one out of four cylinders had compression. We knew the history of extended time between oil changes, and along with other issues, we decided to do an engine flush. This service removes sludge in the oil pan and burns excess buildup from the piston rings. On the way back to Burlington, Mom called and didn’t think Alice was going to make it. I told her to just keep going and finish out the tank which had an additive mixed in the gas. By the time she got to Burlington Alice was running like a top. During Mom’s next trip to Colebrook we checked the compression and it had come back in all four cylinders plus the fuel mileage significantly increased. That was 25,000 miles ago and Alice is still running. Alice was named after the Alice in Wonderland and was brought back to life by a seemingly magic potion from Wonderland. We learned that when used for maintenance this potion will keep your car running good throughout its life and costs only pennies compared to dollars wasted otherwise. Alice’s story is also a reminder to us all of how important it is to change your oil on time.

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Written on Thursday, July 10, 2014 by
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200,000 Miles and More—How to Get There

preventative maintenanceEveryone wants something to believe in. I want you to believe if you take care of your vehicle it will run for over 200,000 miles reliably and save you a lot of money.

preventative maintenanceMeet Frank. Frank does all the serv- ice on our tire balancers and wheel alignment machine. The equipment he services is the best in our industry, yet it still has breakdowns; when it does, we call Frank. He lives in Troy, Maine, south of Bangor, and services dealers all over Maine and NH. Last week when I called him, he was in Caribou doing a lift install and promised to be over as soon as possible. When he got to the shop we asked him, »How many miles on your truck now?« We’ve been asking this question for a while. Frank replied it had just turned 600,000. He bought his truck new in 2002. It has the original engine, never rebuilt, always changes the oil on time and uses high quality oil. The transmission was replaced around 390,000. Frank relies on his truck to run his business and doesn’t worry about being in Caribou, Maine one day and Colebrook, NH the next.

It’s estimated keeping your vehicle 200,000 miles will save you about $20,000, taking into account the origi- nal purchase. Run your vehicle an additional 400,000 miles and imagine the savings. I don’t expect to see this happen often, but it proves that the 200,000 mile mark is very realistic. Ask your service advisor today how they can help you get to 200,000 miles, run well along the way and give you vehicle ownership you can believe in.

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Written on Thursday, May 29, 2014 by
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200,000 Miles and More – How to Get There

preventative maintenanceSoon after my last article was in the paper, I received a call from a long time customer who said, I have a vehicle for you to take a picture of and I have a quote for you. When Bill came in he reminded me his Dad bought this 2000 Corolla brand new and we have done all the service on it since then. After taking the picture and thinking about his quote, I wanted to write an article about “consistency”. Instead I wrote about something else.

My sister is an English professor teaching at a Tusculum College in East Tennessee. She’s been correcting my punctuation, grammar and making general comments, like she would one of her students. Sunday morning I received an email back from her. This time she said it was all grammatically correct, but in a very nice way said the article sucked. So here I am Sunday afternoon starting over. I have posted all previous articles on my web site, including this one and the original version along with her comments.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines con·sis·tent as : always acting or behaving in the same way : of the same quality; especially : good each time : continuing to happen or develop in the same way.

I’ve written about saving money on vehicle ownership, complete vehicle inspections and alignment checks. The key to proper maintenance is to do these inspections consistently. We used to have a rule to not look over a vehicle if it had been done within the last 3,000 miles. Experience has changed that. For example, a headlight or directional at some point will work one second and not the next. Our rule now is to be consistent or do it “in the same way,” “of the same quality” every visit. Alignments can be okay today, but you hit a pothole or a frost heave tomorrow, it may not be then. We recommend checking your alignment consistently so that it is “good each time” you drive. Preventive maintenance requires “continuing to happen” action. If you have the desire to make your vehicle last longer, stay safe, be reliable and cost you less, we recommend your vehicle maintenance be consistent. Maybe someday you can pass on your well maintained vehicle to someone, like Bill’s Dad did for him.

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Written on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 by
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What Is Preventive Maintenance?

preventative maintenance

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Preventive maintenance (PM) has the following meanings:

  1. The care and servicing by personnel for the purpose of maintaining equipment and facilities in satisfactory operating condition by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and correction of incipient failures either before they occur or before they develop into major defects.
  2. Maintenance, including tests, measurements, adjustments, and parts replacement, performed specifically to prevent faults from occurring.

The primary goal of maintenance is to avoid or mitigate the consequences of failure of equipment. This may be by preventing the failure before it actually occurs which Planned Maintenance and Condition Based Maintenance help to achieve. It is designed to preserve and restore equipment reliability by replacing worn components before they actually fail. Preventive maintenance activities include partial or complete overhauls at specified periods, oil changes, lubrication and so on. In addition, workers can record equipment deterioration so they know to replace or repair worn parts before they cause system failure. The ideal preventive maintenance program would prevent all equipment failure before it occurs.

226K miles and still going!A well maintained “anything” lasts longer:

  • State and federal governments follow very strict maintenance schedules. When these vehicles are sold at auctions they are always in demand because even with high mileage they are proven to be reliable.
  • The aviation industry follows closely monitored maintenance plans that has led to airplanes manufactured in the 1940’s still in running reliably today. The health industry is moving toward low cost preventive lifestyles versus expensive treatment.

Remember the old adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If you desire to make your vehicle last longer, save you money, stay safe and reliable, work out a preventive maintenance plan with your service advisor.

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Written on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 by
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200,000 Miles and More – How to Get There

preventative maintenance

By Brian LaPerle, owner of Northern Tire in Colebrook
If you have had a chance to read my previous articles I have gone over the value of keeping your vehicle for 200,000 miles. I also explained the difference between the annual state safety inspections versus complete inspections with a high mileage goal in mind.

The next step involves furthering your regular complete inspections to include checking your wheel alignment. When your vehicle is out of alignment there are three primary problems. The first and the most known problem is rapid tire wear. When two tires are pointed different directions, one or both of them will be scuffing or skidding while going down the road. This skidding causes the second problem, a reduction in traction, especially when the roads are slippery or wet. If you have ever driven a vehicle out of alignment on snowy roads, you have likely experienced how much traction is lost. The third result of tires headed different directions while going down the road is increased rolling resistance leading to reduced gas mileage. These three together add up to higher costs and decreased safety. This does not take into effect other factors such as poor handling.

My experience has led me to the conclusion the biggest reason drivers do not regularly check their alignment is the cost. We take additional time every visit to ensure the vehicle is thoroughly looked at with the goal of helping you get your vehicle to last as long as possible. In addition to this we also offer a free alignment check with any service and customers who purchase tires from us receive that benefit for the life of the tires. Most of the time alignments are not recommended until there are signs of tire wear. Waiting until the problem becomes visual has already cost you a significant amount of money. Next time you get your vehicle serviced ask for an alignment check.

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Written on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 by
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200,000 Miles and More – How to Get There

preventative maintenance

By Brian LaPerle, owner of Northern Tire in Colebrook
My previous article reviewed the potential value of keeping a vehicle for 200,000 miles. The example I used demonstrated a cost savings of $18,000. I said in upcoming articles I would discuss specific steps to do this.

The first step in getting your vehicle to that milestone and beyond is through regular inspections. We are all required to do an annual state safety inspection. While this is helpful in keeping our roads safe, it does not encompass everything necessary to keep cars running reliably, long term. A state inspection requires us to look at the safety items now and upcoming within the next 12 months. A complete vehicle inspection considers the whole lifespan of the vehicle. These inspections require service advisors and technicians to think about what needs to be done to save on more expensive repairs and extend vehicle life.

If you want your vehicle to last as long as possible, stay reliable, and run well throughout its life, then talk to your service advisor about doing consistent and complete vehicle inspections. This will benefit you towards a long term plan to save money on vehicle ownership.

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Written on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by
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200,000 Miles and More

preventative maintenance

By Brian LaPerle, owner of Northern Tire in Colebrook
This article is the first of a series of articles intended to give you information on how you can save money on vehicle ownership and how consistent vehicle inspection and maintenance can help you achieve this goal.

Do you believe once you have hit the 100,000 milestone you should consider replacing your vehicle? In your opinion, how many miles should a vehicle last? It seems, based on the latest trends, the new milestone is at least 200,000. The financial benefit for you to get this kind of life out of your vehicle is significant. The average miles driven per year is 15,000, meaning you should be able to keep a vehicle for over 13 years. That could mean eight years without a payment.

During those eight years without a payment you should be able to save at least $30,000. Over the same period, you can expect repairs and maintenance to be about 10 cents per mile equaling about $12,000. You therefore save $18,000. This does not include the additional savings of registering and insuring an older vehicle.

The ultimate goal is to keep your vehicle running well throughout the entire 200,000 miles, not just get there. Your vehicle should still be safe and reliable, have equivalent to new fuel mileage, and some remaining resale value.

This idea is not for everyone. Certainly the automotive industry would not be able to afford everyone taking this approach. Many people are doing this now, and for others who want to decrease their cost of vehicle ownership, this is an idea worth considering. In future articles, I will discuss specific steps in order for you to make this happen. You may complete these steps with your mechanic or let the knowledgeable staff at Northern Tire assist you.

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Written on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 by
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2012 Pick the Snow Day, Winners!

Congratulations to the 2012 Pick a Snow Day Winners!

1. Lisa Vashaw Colebrook - $100 Gift Certificate
2. john odonnell. Manchester - $50 Gift Certificate

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Written on Friday, December 21, 2012 by
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Winter giveaway promo winners!

Congratulations to all our winners!

We would like to thank everyone who participated.

The Winter giveaway winners for 2012 are:
1. Kate Lind. Colebrook - Preventive Maintenance Package up to $1000 value
2. Martin and Janice Kaufman. Stewartstown Preventive Maintenance Package up to $500
3. Martha allen. Canaan - Preventive Maintenance Package up to $75
4. Russell bell stark $70 Gas Card
5. Dave beloin. Clarksville $70 Gas Card
6. Wendell case. Norton $70 Gas Card
7. Harold and Chris Stinson. Bloomfield $70 Gas Card
8. Paul and Kathy boutin. . Island pond $70 Gas Card
9. Robert beloin. East Hereford $70 Gas Card
10. Justin and jen Frizzell. Colebrook $70 Gas Card

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Written on Friday, December 21, 2012 by
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Soccer Ball Give Away!

Northern Tire will be making a donation to the local recreational program for every michelin tire sold.

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Written on Friday, September 7, 2012 by
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Northern Tire - Web Announcement

Northern Tire was founded in 1947 by Roland LaPerle. The business was handed to Roland’s son, Dennis, in 1980 and then current owner, Brian LaPerle took over in 1999. This family-owned and operated business has served the communities of Colebrook and Pittsburgh as well as Coaticook, QC. Although this business has changed hands a few times over the years, it has found a permanent home at 9 LaPerle Drive in Colebrook. Northern Tire has continually changed with the times and in order to keep up with society today, they now offer a complete line of products via the Internet. Visit Northern Tire online today at http://www.northerntire.com/. For tires, tire repair and automotive services, Northern Tire is your one-stop shop!

Customers who visit Northern Tire online are able to use the tire size finder. This tool enables those who are interested in a new set of tires to view tires from many different manufacturers at the same time. Those who are in need of automotive repairs can take a look at the automotive database to see all of the repair services Northern Tire has to offer. Anyone can visit the Northern Tire website and schedule a service appointment. Don’t delay; visit Northern Tire online today at http://www.northerntire.com/. For tires, tire repair and automotive services, Northern Tire is your one-stop shop!

 

 

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Written on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 by Mike
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Phone: (603) 237-8105
Fax: (603) 237-8068
Address: 9 LaPerle Drive
Colebrook, NH 03576
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