Sant Automotive News Vol. XII, no. 2
“Free Lunches are only found in mousetraps.” –John Capozzi
Duck Race Update
Sant Automotive is proud to be a lead sponsor of the Rotary Club of Webster Groves First Annual Duck Race Extravaganza. The duck races will fund the newly created Rotary Water Safety Program which will provide 24 under privileged kids each with over 16 hours of water safety instruction. The kids will come primarily from North Webster, and the instruction will be provided by the Webster Groves Parks and Recreation Department. Additional funds will be used to help sponsor Webster Groves Community Days. Excess funds beyond that will be used to expand the Rotary Water Safety Program in the future and to support other local initiatives. In addition to being a major sponsoring the duck races, Sant Automotive held an oil change benefit to support the cause. We are pleased to announce that our charity oil change program raised over $1900 for the water safety program. Thanks to all those who participated.
On July 1, 2010 at 6:30 PM, the duck races will begin. There will be five races, and the winner of each race will receive a $100 gift certificate from The Hub Bicycle Company. Ducks are available for sale to the public for $2 each and are currently available exclusively at Sant Automotive. To reserve your duck, send us a check made payable to the Rotary Club of Webster Groves. As an added bonus, the duck races will include a swim meet that will feature a “friendly” relay race between the Rotary Club of Webster Groves and the Lions Club. Dick plans to race on the Rotary team, but if a sufficient amount of money is raised, he promises not to wear a Speedo. Webster Groves Mayor Gerry Welch will referee the race, and additional major sponsors include Schaefer Autobody, Total Access Urgent Care, The Hub Bicycle Shop, and Commerce Bank. For more information, call Dick at 849-2900.
Upcoming Events
On June 12, Greg Damon, Service Manager at Sant Automotive and host of the KMOX Auto Show, will emcee a trivia night to benefit Honor Flight Network, a non-profit organization that honors American veterans by transporting them to Washington, DC to visit and reflect upon their memorials. Tables for up to eight people can be reserved for $120 by calling 272-4497.
On August 14, the cities of Crestwood and Sunset Hills in conjunction with the Crestwood-Sunset Hills Area Chamber of Commerce will conduct its first annual Route 66 Classic Car Cruise. The cruise will run from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and will benefit the USO and the Lindbergh School District’s “Just Turf It” program. For more information or a schedule of events, go to www.route66carcruise.com.
New Equipment
A seemingly permanent feature of the Sant Automotive News has been our new equipment section. This issue, our list of newly acquired equipment includes a new Robinaire Model 34988 A/C machine and a Launch X431 scanner. The air conditioning equipment was essential for two reasons: it recovers up to 95% of R-134A in a vehicle’s air conditioning system, and it charges systems with an accuracy of ½ ounce per charge. The recovery capability is good news for the environment because while R-134A is not as damaging to the ozone layer as was its predecessor, R-12, R-134A is considered to be an ozone depleting gas. Also, increased recovery efficiency means a decrease in the amount consumers will be expected to pay for air conditioning service. Most certified shops now charge a fee for air conditioning service, and they charge for refrigerant and compressor oil that is added to a system. Increased recovery means that consumers will be charged for less additional refrigerant. The automatic oil measurement and injection feature of the equipment means that our equipment will automatically determine how much oil needs to be injected into each system based on that system’s capacity and on how much oil was removed. The ½ ounce accuracy in charging means vehicle serviced by us will receive the correct amount of refrigerant. Early R-134A systems could still provide some cabin cooling when the systems were up to 18% low. New designs are so efficient; however, that they do not have reserve refrigerant. An accurate charge is even more critical. For more information about how air conditioning systems are properly serviced give us a call at 849-2900. We will be happy to explain it.
Our Launch X431 Scanner is a new generation scanner that is billed as a marriage of automotive electronic technology and information networking. You just plug it into a car, and it tells you everything that is wrong with it. (Just kidding.) The Launch X431 uses “open diagnostic technology” which is the future of automotive diagnosis. The Launch X431 will assist in diagnosis and repair of antilock brake systems, auto boxes, immobilisers, body control, instrument clusters, air suspension systems, and check engine lights. We purchased the unit primarily to upgrade our capabilities with regards to Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, and Volvo, but it also provides additional capabilities for Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, and all other OBDII vehicles.
Tire Prices Increase
It would be more newsworthy if tire prices stayed the same or dropped. Nevertheless, citing increased raw material costs, Yokohama, Bridgestone, Cooper, Continental, Michelin, and Goodyear have all announced that significant price increases will be in effect by June 1, 2010.
Sant Automotive is a full service auto repair facility that serves the cities of Webster Groves, Shrewsbury, Affton, Sunset Hills, Glendale, Rock Hill, Ladue and Crestwood in South St. Louis County. Visit our website at www.santauto.com.
