SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, April 18, 2015
POTTER’S
MARKS 23 YEARS
TRUST YOUR
CAR TO ACR
Paul Potter, below right, owner of Potter’s Tire and Automotive in Florence,
and his technicians work to give customers same-day service.
Owner Joel Renfro of ACR Automotive in Florence is always ready to help
with the community’s automotive repair needs.
otter’s Tire and Automotive is cele-
brating more than 20 years of service
in the community. Owner Paul Potter
and his staff are proud to have reached their
23rd anniversary this year.
When asked what his secret to success is,
Potter responded, “I feel it is because we take
pride in offering quality care in Florence and
the surroundings areas. We are known
through the community for standing behind
our work.”
Located at 4515 Highway 101, Potter’s
currently employs five full-time technicians.
Being a six-bay shop and having technicians
ready to work on customers’
cars and trucks make for
quick service and shorter
turn around times.
The shop is open Monday
through Friday from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Potter takes pride
in offering same-day service
on most vehicles.
“Customers seem to
appreciate that service. With
busy schedules, we under-
stand our customers want to
be back on the road quick-
ly,” Potter said.
Potter’s
Tire
and
Automotive also offers quality tires for most
vehicles. If the exact tires needed are not in the
P
he most common question we hear from
consumers is, “What do I need to do to
take care of my car and avoid big repair
bills?” Fortunately, the answer is simple:
Establish and follow a regular vehicle mainte-
nance plan, which is essential for protecting
your automotive investment and maximizing the
reliability and safety of your vehicle.
Start with reading your vehicle owner’s man-
ual, where you’ll find the automaker’s recom-
mendations and maintenance schedules based
on your driving patterns and habits. You’ll also
need to know how to communicate properly and
effectively to avoid misunderstandings that can
increase repair and diagnostic costs.
With a sluggish economic recovery and
today’s consumers watching their finances care-
fully, it’s no surprise that the average age of
vehicles in the United States is more than 11
years old, according to automotive research firm
R.L. Polk and Co. With motorists holding on to
their vehicles longer than ever before, mainte-
nance takes an even greater importance in keep-
ing roads — and people — safe.
Neglect causes components to wear out faster
than they would otherwise (poorly aligned tires,
for example) and can result in minor problems
growing into more expensive repairs (worn
brake pads will eventually damage the more
expensive rotors).
While some people might really enjoy a
weekend tinkering with the family car, today’s
T
showroom, Potter picks up the
phone and has them in Florence
usually within a day or two.
The shop also offers brake
service, tune-ups, complete
engine repair, safety checks, trail-
er hitches, trailer brakes, radiator flushes, trans-
mission service and more. Stop in or call 541-
997-5049 for an appointment today.
RV’ers, we are
your complete Mobile
& Dry Rot Repair Service
“Complete RV
Truck & Auto Repair”
PARTS
SERVICE
Petersen Auto Detailing
SERVING THE FLORENCE AREA
Gift
tes
r
e
C tifi ca
!
b
Availa le
Protect Your Vehicle From
Th e Elements!
Wash • Wax • Detail
Please Call or Email For
An Appointment
We
Come
to You!
541-997-8287
541-902-1955
2015 Readers
Choice Winner -
Voted Best Auto
Repair
Trent Petersen
Owner/Detailer
541-999-6078
PetersenAutoDetailing
@Gmail.com
Want Breaking News? More Photos?
www.TheSiuslawNews.com
Celebrating 70 Years!
Hoberg’s
Complete Auto Repair
www.hobergsautorepair.com
NOW BUYING
USED
CARS & TRUCKS
Under 100,000 miles.
345 Hwy. 101
541-997-2413
Kevin McMullen
3rd Generation Owner
hobergsautorepair@gmail.com
Serving Your Auto Needs Since 1945
2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence
(541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475
Driving
technological advances under the hood and
busier lifestyles find most owners in search of
dependable, trustworthy automotive service and
repair. Increasingly, automotive repair and serv-
ice is becoming a high-tech profession.
Today’s auto technicians need to be master
diagnosticians, well versed in electronics, and
have smooth customer service skills. Auto tech-
nicians face components and repairs virtually
unheard of a generation ago: on-board comput-
ers, electronic fuel injection and antilock brakes,
to name but a few advances.
Fortunately, the requirements on motorists are
much less. A major component of satisfactory
auto repair is good communication between
shop and customer.
And that’s where we at ACR automotive
come in. Because we use the best parts and have
the experience and equipment to do the job right
the first time, we are the only shop in Florence
that has the confidence to offer an 18 month,
unlimited mileage warranty on our repairs. We
have offered that warranty for nearly 25 years,
and have no plans to change it.
You can trust your car to ACR. We work on
all makes of cars, and we understand that a car
problem can ruin your whole day. We have been
in the same location for the last 35 years, at 1736
15th St. in Florence, and our phone number is
541-997-6700. Or, if you’d rather, email us at
joel@acrauto.com.
—Submitted by Joel Renfro
from 1C
“The evidence suggests that
it may be reasonably safe to
have passengers that you talk
to in the car,” Hurwitz said.
“For one thing, if an incident
happens that requires a quick
reaction, everyone in the car
may see it, stop talking and
pay immediate attention. And
you literally have more sets of
eyes on the road to see upcom-
ing problems.”
There are some gender dif-
ferences among young drivers.
Females are more likely to use
Trip
3 C
from 1C
Camp out at a safe camp-
site and purchase a shower
ticket so you can enjoy a
cheap, hot shower the next
day. Spend a few nights under
the stars; just be sure you
have the right gear.
Some also like to plan road
trip routes between where rel-
atives live and make pit stops
at a friend or family mem-
ber’s home. When seeking
motels, try to bargain and see
if you’re eligible for any
rebates or coupons due to age
or military status.
• Map out cheaper gas sta-
tions. Today’s smartphones
have apps that enable you to
find nearby gas stations. Such
apps may even shed light on
which filling stations offer the
best prices on gasoline.
• Dont speed. In addition
to being illegal, speeding
wastes gas. Stick to the speed
limit to avoid potentially cost-
ly tickets and improve fuel
efficiency.
• Bring friends along.
Friends will not only make
a cell phone while driving, and
males are more likely to look
away from the road while talk-
ing to others in the car.
A large increase in this type
of training will be necessary
for it to become more widely
integrated, the researchers
said. This project was funded
by the Pacific Northwest
Transportation Consortium, an
initiative supported by OSU,
the University of Washington,
University
of
Idaho,
Washington State University
and the University of Alaska-
Fairbanks. —Submitted by
David Stauth
the trip more fun, but they
also can take turns driving
and sharing the costs of the
excursion.
• Join a roadside assistance
club. Vehicle problems are
inevitable if you are a fre-
quent road-tripper who’s driv-
ing an older car. Avoid poten-
tially costly towing costs by
joining a roadside assistance
club that will pay for your
vehicle to be towed if neces-
sary.
• Have the proper paper-
work. Keep a current copy of
your car registration, license
and proof of insurance with
you on a road trip. This
makes it much easier to deal
with traffic stops along the
way. Individuals and their
passengers planning on visit-
ing another country should
have their passports available
and follow the laws regarding
bringing food or goods over
the border to avoid fines.
Road trips can be enjoyable
excursions that cost far less
than other vacations. Road-
trippers can stretch funds
even further with some handy
tips. SC143987