Pinnacle Auto Appraisers' Blog

Keeping the auto appraising industry up to date with important auto industry and appraiser information.

CAR TALK: Older cars — like older people — need regular check-ups - Arkansas Online

DEAR CAR TALK: I have a 2010 Chevy Tahoe approaching 125,000 miles. It runs great. Doesn't even rattle.

I had it checked out and serviced at 100,000 miles. Does it need a 125,000-mile service? -- Steve

DEAR STEVE: Heck yeah, it does.

If you went to the doctor and got a clean bill of health at age 65, do you think you'd still need another check-up at age 75?

Of course, you would. In fact, you'd be wise to get one at 66, right? And the same is true for your older car. At minimum, you should keep doing the recommended maintenance.

Even if the maintenance chart at the back of your owner's manual only goes to 100,000 miles, you should extrapolate and keep going. So, for instance, if your Tahoe calls for an oil and filter change every 7,500 miles, then you'd be due at 97,500, 105,000, 112,500, etc. The same would be true for brake fluid, coolant and everything else.

Maintenance aside, it's important to get someone to put their eyes on your car as it gets older. Like us, when cars get to more advanced ages, parts are more likely to fail.

For example, if your mechanic spots a small leak from a transmission cooler line, he can fix that for $150. If it went undetected, you could be looking at a rebuilt $2,500 transmission.

Or he could spot some rust on one of your brake lines. That's rarely a problem with cars that have 25,000 miles on them. But it sure can be with 125,000. Catching something like that could keep you from plowing into a turnip truck.

Hopefully, you have a mechanic you trust, Steve, who's interested, who can service the car, and give it a careful inspection every time you go in for maintenance. So, make an appointment with him.

And while you're at it, sign up for an annual physical, too.

DEAR CAR TALK: I have a 2015 Honda Fit that has been losing antifreeze for about two months. It started with a very small amount, then got much worse.

My mechanic couldn't find a leak. But he did find that cylinder No. 3 is misfiring and making the car sputter sometimes. My mechanic thought it might have a bad head gasket, so I had it towed to the Honda dealer.

The dealer says they don't see any problem with the head gasket. They say it might be a bad fuel injector or burned valve, which, of course, cost $1,000 more. What would you look for if it was brought into your shop? Thanks! -- Jaimee

DEAR JAIMEE: First, I'd look at your credit limit. Actually, I'd be thinking along the same lines as your mechanic.

If you're losing coolant and it's not leaking out, it has to be burning up and coming out the tailpipe. That means it's getting into the cylinders somehow, where it doesn't belong.

What's the most common cause of coolant in the cylinders? A blown head gasket. The fact that one of your cylinders is misfiring also lends credence to the head gasket theory. If enough coolant is getting into cylinder No. 3, it could interfere with combustion and create a misfire. And the problem with the "fuel injector or burnt valve" theory is it doesn't explain your coolant loss. The head gasket theory explains everything.

So, what I'd do is look harder for a head-gasket problem. We'd put a pressure tester on your cooling system and then get the engine up to operating temperature. Then we'd shut off the car and pump the pressure up as high as we could get it, maybe double its normal operating pressure -- and hope the hoses don't blow. Then we'd let the car sit overnight.

If there's a puddle on the floor in the morning, then you do have an external leak, and you can locate it, fix it, then go back to looking at other causes for the misfire. But more likely, during the night, coolant, under pressure, is going to seep into one or more of your cylinders. And that's a sure sign of a head-gasket failure -- at best. At worst, it's a cracked cylinder head.

But let's not catastrophize, Jaimee. A head gasket is expensive enough. So, start by having a mechanic of your choice do a really thorough, overnight pressure test. I suspect the answer is going to come up "head gasket." Condolences.

Ray Magliozzi dispenses advice about cars in Car Talk every Saturday. Email him by visiting cartalk.com

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Bay Area company uses cars to track air quality - NBC Bay Area

A Bay Area company is using cars as a new way to track air quality.

Here's how Aclima's technology works: Air brought into the system through a funnel on the side of a car is carried through tubes and then into a monitor stored in the trunk, allowing the company to measure air quality neighborhood by neighborhood.

"We are taking a data point every one second," said Melissa Lunden, chief scientist at Aclima. "The active sampling with the pumps is what allows us to get that resolution of data and have it be responsive to the conditions on the street."

Aclima puts its cars on the road 24/7 to measure how air quality changes across the day.

Local health groups say it's the most accurate data they see.

"It's been very important for us to be able to characterize what we're breathing when we're walking around on the street rather than from a monitoring tower 70 feet off the ground someplace," said Brian Beveridge, co-director of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project.

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'Our hearts are broken': Friends remember Antelope teen killed in car crash - KCRA Sacramento

RUBEN ANAHEIM SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME AT THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL MISSIONARY CHURCH. I REMEMBER RUBEN FROM FROM GROWING UP IN THE CHURCH AS A BABY. YES. LEAD PASTOR ALEX PAXTON SAYS ANAHEIM GREW UP IN THE CHURCH MOST RECENTLY PLAYING GUITAR AND RUNNING THE SOUND BOARD AT SERVICES. THE TEEN, HE SAYS, MADE IT HIS MISSION TO SERVE OTHERS. HE WOULD ALWAYS VOLUNTEER TO HELP. HE WOULD VOLUNTEER TO SUMMER CAMPS. TEEN KIDS, SUMMER CAMP CAMPS AS A HELPER, AS A SOMETIMES LEADER FOR THE FOR THE KIDS, YOU KNOW. BUT HE WAS AMAZING. AMAZING MAN. ANAHEIM DIED WEDNESDAY NIGHT AFTER THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR OFFICERS ARE INVESTIGATING IF THE TEEN WAS SPEEDING WHEN HE CHANGED LANES GOING WESTBOUND ON ANTELOPE ROAD. THEY SAY HE HIT A TRUCK, THEN RAN INTO A UTILITY POLE. HIS 15 YEAR OLD BROTHER AND A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL WERE ALSO INJURED. I JUST KNEW IT WAS BAD WHEN I SAW THE THE CAR THAT WAS JUST PILED UP. I MEAN, IT’S JUST IT’S RIGHT HERE. RACHEL HUNTER LIVES NEARBY AND DROVE UP MOMENTS AFTER THE CRASH HAPPENED AND DRIVING BY TODAY AND SEEING THE TEEN’S PICTURE HANGING AT THE MEMORIAL WALL, SHE FELT COMPELLED TO STOP AND SAY A PRAYER FOR THE FAMILY. AND I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, GOD GIVES THEM PEACE KNOWING THAT HE’S WITH THE LORD. PASTOR MCCUNE SAYS ANAHEIM’S STRONG FAITH GIVES THE CONGREGATION COMFORT. BUT LOSING HIM STILL HURTS. OUR HEART IS BROKEN. BROKEN BECAUSE IT’S A BEAUTIFUL LIFE IS ENDED VERY TRAGICALLY IN ACCIDENT. WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE AT THE MEMORIAL ON THE CORNER, FRIENDS HAVE LEFT CANDLES FOR OTHERS TO COME HERE TO REMEMBER RUBEN AND LIGHT A CANDLE FOR HIM. NOW, THE PASTOR SAYS THAT- RUBEN’S BROTHER IS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AND THAT HE’S DOING OKAY PHYSICALLY, BUT UNDERSTANDABLY, REALLY HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE ACCIDENT AND LOSING HIS BROTHER. THE GIRL WAS CRITICAL. AND WE’RE TOLD THAT SHE IS IMPROVING. REPORTIN

'Our hearts are broken': Friends remember Antelope teen killed in car crash

Family and friends of an Antelope teen killed in a car crash are trying to come to terms with what they're calling a huge loss.A memorial of candles and a photo of Reuben Anikhimik, 16, are at the corner of Antelope Road and Antelope North Road, where the crash happened Wednesday night around 9 p.m.Anikhimik died when the car he was driving rolled after hitting a truck when changing lanes. The car, also carrying his 15-year-old brother and a 14-year-old friend, slammed into a utility pole at the corner of the intersection. The teenager spent most of his time at the Light of the Gospel Missionary Church."I remember Reuben from as a baby, yes," said Alex Pekun, lead pastor. Pekun said Anikhimik grew up in the church, most recently playing guitar and running the soundboard at services. The teen, he said, made it his mission to serve others."He would always volunteer to help summer camps, teen ministry as a helper and sometimes be a leader for kids," Pekun said. "He was an amazing young man."Anikhimik died Wednesday night after the California Highway Patrol said he lost control of his car. Officers are investigating if the teen was speeding when he changed lanes going westbound on Antelope Road. They said he hit a truck and then ran into a utility pole. "I just knew it was bad when I saw the car," said Rachel Hunter. "It was just piled up."Hunter lives nearby and drove up moments after the crash happened. Driving by Friday, seeing the teen's picture hanging at the memorial, she felt compelled to stop to say a prayer for the family."I hope that God gives them peace, knowing he is with the Lord," she said. Pekun said Anikhimik's strong faith gives the congregation comfort, but losing him still hurts."Our heart is broken, broken because a beautiful life is ended tragically in an accident," he said. The CHP has ruled out DUI as a factor in the crash. The 15-year-old brother is out of the hospital. The 14-year-old girl is still in the hospital.

Family and friends of an Antelope teen killed in a car crash are trying to come to terms with what they're calling a huge loss.

A memorial of candles and a photo of Reuben Anikhimik, 16, are at the corner of Antelope Road and Antelope North Road, where the crash happened Wednesday night around 9 p.m.

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Anikhimik died when the car he was driving rolled after hitting a truck when changing lanes.

The car, also carrying his 15-year-old brother and a 14-year-old friend, slammed into a utility pole at the corner of the intersection.

The teenager spent most of his time at the Light of the Gospel Missionary Church.

"I remember Reuben from as a baby, yes," said Alex Pekun, lead pastor.

Pekun said Anikhimik grew up in the church, most recently playing guitar and running the soundboard at services. The teen, he said, made it his mission to serve others.

"He would always volunteer to help summer camps, teen ministry as a helper and sometimes be a leader for kids," Pekun said. "He was an amazing young man."

Anikhimik died Wednesday night after the California Highway Patrol said he lost control of his car. Officers are investigating if the teen was speeding when he changed lanes going westbound on Antelope Road. They said he hit a truck and then ran into a utility pole.

"I just knew it was bad when I saw the car," said Rachel Hunter. "It was just piled up."

Hunter lives nearby and drove up moments after the crash happened.

Driving by Friday, seeing the teen's picture hanging at the memorial, she felt compelled to stop to say a prayer for the family.

"I hope that God gives them peace, knowing he is with the Lord," she said.

Pekun said Anikhimik's strong faith gives the congregation comfort, but losing him still hurts.

"Our heart is broken, broken because a beautiful life is ended tragically in an accident," he said.

The CHP has ruled out DUI as a factor in the crash. The 15-year-old brother is out of the hospital. The 14-year-old girl is still in the hospital.

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MotorHeadline: United Auto Worker strike will cause cars to be even ... - The Augusta Press

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Man shot, killed allegedly trying to steal car during road rage incident in Lake Stevens - KING5.com

After a man got out his car to confront a female driver, another man tried to steal his unattended car. Police are now looking for the woman who fled the scene.

LAKE STEVENS, Wash. — The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office is investigating a homicide in Lake Stevens along 84th Street NE near Highway 9 that ended in the death 41-year-old man. 

According to Public Information Officer Courtney O'Keefe, the incident started as a road rage confrontation between a 23-year-old man and a woman in separate cars. They were driving eastbound on 84th Street NE. At one point, the man got out of his car to confront the woman. 

During the confrontation, the female driver informed the male driver someone was attempting to steal his car while he left it unattended.

When the man went back to the car, there was a physical altercation between the male driver and the 41-year-old man. The 23-year-old male driver then shot and killed the man attempting to steal his car, according to police.

The female driver fled the scene by the time police arrived around 4:30 p.m. She is being asked to come forward to speak as a witness. 

The three people involved in the incident did not know each other, according to police.

If there are any other witnesses, police are asking to call the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office tip line: 425-388-3845. No arrests have been made. 

The sheriff's office said that the public is not in danger after the fatal incident. 

The street is expected to stay closed for several hours. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

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Free Review:

If you are looking to increase your insurance coverage on your vehicle, the insurance company may require you to obtain a certified auto appraisal.   If you have a custom car, truck or motorcycle, the insurance company won't pay you more than book value. Get a stated value appraisal to cover money spent customizing your vehicle.  Have a collector or exotic vehicle?  Book value does not justify the vehicle value  In case you are in an accident, have a certified auto appraisal done.  Contact us today for a Free Evaluation!

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Pinnacle Auto Appraisers Will Professionally Evaluate Your Vehicle!

FLEET VEHICLES:

Pinnacle Auto Appraisers prides itself on quickly handling large amounts of vehicles. We routinely handle fleets for: vans, trucking, limousine, shuttle, buses, SUV, corporate, taxi, dealership, clubs, rental, and delivery companies. We handle large national chains, small family businesses, and car club appraisal(s).

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Pinnacle Auto Appraisers Offers Quality Fleet Appraisals!

Accident:

If you were involved in an accident and the insurance company deemed your vehicle a total loss, we can help.  If you don't agree with the insurance company's offer, you have the right to hire an independent certified appraiser to determine the actual cash value of your vehicle.  Our certified appraiser will go to the vehicle location, conduct the inspection and complete a certified total loss appraisal on your vehicle.  Total loss claims do require a negotiation phase which we will take care of for you at no additional charge!

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Let Pinnacle Auto Appraisers Help After A Crash!

CAR CLUBS & REPAIR SHOPS:

Our Appraisers are repair shop and car club fanatics! We enjoy when local and national clubs invite us out to their local gatherings. We offer an appraisal discount that lasted all month. We love everything that has an engine and drives on the road. We do our best to help everyone in need of an appraisal!

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Pinnacle Auto Appraisers - We Value Car Clubs and Repair Shops!