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Getting your vehicle stocked and prepared for winter

In Maintenance, Safety by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Are you prepared if something happens while you’re in your vehicle this winter? It’s important to be prepared for winter, and when it comes to having supplies in your car it’s no exception.

Keeping a small emergency kit on hand in your vehicle is the best way to make sure that you have what you need, whether it’s getting stuck in a snowbank or a dead battery.

Here are the supplies you should keep in your car’s emergency kit:

  • A jumper cable. You may also want to include some flares and a reflective triangle for breakdowns.
  • Flashlight with extra batteries.
  • First aid kit with any of your medications included.
  • Formula and diapers (if you have a small child).
  • Non-perishable food items, including canned food and protein-dense foods, and a manual can opener to open any cans.
  • Water. Preferably a gallon of water per person a day. Try to prepare for three days’ worth.
  • Some tools, including a screwdriver and pliers.
  • A radio.
  • Cat litter or sand, to get better traction in icy areas.
  • An ice scraper and shovel to remove snow from your vehicle.
  • Warm clothing or blankets.
  • A cell phone charger.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire wants to make sure that all of our customers are safe and prepared, especially with the winter weather coming. In addition to your emergency kit, making sure to get your car serviced and installing snow tires are a good investment in your safety and your vehicle this winter.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

Do you know the street safety rules around school buses?

In Safety by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

The school year in Virginia has just begun, and that means that school buses will be back out on the road.

Do YOU know the rules for driving and stopping around school buses?

  1. When you see a school bus stopped with flashing red lights and an extended stop sign on the side of the bus, you must stop your vehicle from any direction, if you are on a highway, private road or school road. You must stay stopped until the area is clear, and the bus is moving again.
  2. If a bus is loading or letting off passengers and the signals are not on, you still must stop.
  3. If you are driving on a road in the opposite direction with a road that has a median or a barrier, and the bus is on the other side, then you do not have to stop.

Make sure to follow the rules of the road and be safe this school year.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire partners with Caarmo on new auto technology in Woodbridge

In Maintenance, Monitoring System, Safety, Service Standards by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire partners with Caarmo on new auto technology in Woodbridge

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire has partnered with Caarmo to bring our customers more information and reliability to their vehicle maintenance.

Steve’s is one of 18 auto repair shops to offer Caarmo’s car diagnostic device, which will give consumers information about their car’s needs and allows them to connect with auto technicians to speak about their car and schedule service.

“One of the biggest expenses that people have is their vehicles. And that can be for businesses or consumers. They spend a lot of money, and a lot of time on them – but they don’t know what’s happening. So we’ve created sort of a really sophisticated ‘Fitbit’ for a car,” said Vinay Raman, CEO of Caarmo.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is partnering with Caarmo to create a better car-care experience for customers.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is partnering with Caarmo to create a better car-care experience for customers.

According to Raman, the device is smaller than a pack of cards, runs off the car’s power and plugs into the diagnostic port in your vehicle to begin transmitting diagnostic information.

“Since 1996, every car in the United States has got this diagnostic port…we use that same port [with our device] but we partner with a repair shop, to help their customers understand more of what’s happening with their vehicle,” said Raman.

Perks of the auto technology

One of the biggest benefits for customers is peace of mind that they will have information about what is going on with their vehicle, and that certified technicians will also be keeping an eye on the health of their car.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire partners with Caarmo on new auto technology in Woodbridge

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire owner ST Billingsley places the Caarmo device in a car’s diagnostic port.

“[We put] these devices in the vehicles to let them know, ‘Hey your car is operating just fine’ or if a check engine lights comes on – some people kind of freak out when they see that – we can take a look at that and say, ‘Based on the make and model of your vehicle, let me give you a sense of what’s actually happening.’ It gives you more of a sense of what’s going on than just a light on your dashboard – you have an expert on the phone,” said Raman.

Staff at Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire will be able to open their mechanic’s portal at the shop, or use a phone app that will be able available to the shop and customers with the device. From the portal, technicians will be able to see if a customer’s car is in need, call to schedule maintenance, or reassure them that everything’s okay.

“If something goes wrong with one of the vehicles, a light will pop up on the screen…it’s an opportunity to call the customer and give them some peace of mind,” Raman commented.

Consumers will only pay $80 a year for the constant service, and the application will give you diagnostic information, service reminders and GPS tracking.

For those in the auto industry, using Caarmo’s technology is also a good way to work with fleets that need to ensure that their vehicles are functioning properly at all times.

ST Billingsley, owner of Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire, is proud to be partnering with Caarmo.

“We know how important it is to keep our customers informed and on the road. By offering Caarmo devices to our customers, we hope to ensure that their vehicles are getting the best care possible,” said Billingsley.

Steve’s will be offering the auto technology to customers in the coming months, when Caarmo officially launches the device.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.