HIGH WATER: During some of our heavy rains here in the Bay Area we frequently experience localized flooding. When at all possible you must avoid driving through deep water. What is deep water? When the water is as high as the curb, 4 inches or above, try to go around it, take another route. Some years flood damage can rank third as the most expensive car insurance claims, right behind collision and theft. Driving through deep water can cause wheel bearing grease to be washed out, brake components at each wheel to rust and seize, carpet and/or the padding underneath can become saturated before you see the first drop of water on the floorboard, computers, relays, modules and wiring harness that are mounted on the floor of your car can become shorted or corroded. The interior of your car can become mildewed with a wonderful odor that follows. So watch the weather, listen to traffic reports, learn the high water areas during storms when you're out, and avoid them in the future.

OIL CHANGES: Based on our own experience with our own service vehicles and personal vehicles, we recommend to change the oil every 3,750 miles or 90 days, whichever comes first. We do not believe in the need for expensive synthetic oil in normal use vehicles that are serviced as mentioned above. Honda even points that out in some of the later owners manuals. We also do not believe in cheap oil or oil filters used in many facilities today.

SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE: For years many people have argued about the maintenance schedule auto manufactures put into the owner's manuals. They claim that these services are expensive and unnecessary. All that we can share with you is our experience. I believe in following the maintenance schedule whether you own a Honda or a Ford; they are important and they do pay off. We have had several cars come into our shops over the years with well over 250-300 thousand miles on them, and they all had been serviced by the maintenance schedule. Another thing we have found over the years (which became rather humorous) was all the educated young women who had been coming into our shops for years servicing their Honda or Acura just they way they were supposed to, and getting excellent reliability out of their cars. Then after getting married, and leaving all the car details up to the new man in their lives, we would stop seeing the cars for regular service. When we did finally see the car, they were always in for repairs. Most people do not even realize that the car manufacturer or the extended warranty companies can deny most repairs that were under warranty if you do not have receipts showing you maintained the vehicle according to your owner's manual. Do not underestimate the importance of scheduled maintenance.