Headlights to Taillights: When The Rubber Hits The Road

By Mark Kozemko, Johnson College’s Automotive Technology program director
Original published in the July 24, 2020 edition of the Valley Advantage. https://www.thevalleyadvantage.com/community-columns/from-headlights-to-taillights-when-the-rubber-hits-the-road/article_79003ac2-8a5d-50c9-9ff5-aeec7c6f96f4.html

Most vehicle owners rely on some sort of repair shop or repair technician to take care of their vehicle, much like we all rely on our doctors to take care of our bodies. So today, we’re talking about how to take care of your vehicle’s feet, the tires. Several questions have been brought to my attention regarding tires. So let’s get started.

The first question is: “How important are good tires?”

This is a loaded question because the definition of a “good” tire may differ from one person to the next. First off, let’s change good to safe. Safety is the top priority. Several conditions will deem a tire unsafe. This includes low tread depth, uneven wear, low tire pressure and rubber deterioration, also known as dry rot.

If all of the vehicle suspension components and steering geometry, or alignment, are in good condition, tires will wear evenly and you will get the most out of them as possible. If there are worn suspension parts or the alignment is off, then tires will wear unevenly and require replacement more often. When tires are replaced because of uneven wear, it may indicate a problem other than tires. If this is the case, have your suspension parts and the alignment checked.

“What effect do tires have on the overall wear and tear of my vehicle?” is our second question.

Let’s start with an easy analogy. It’s summer time, so we’ll use a beach ball as an example. Picture a flat level surface and a beach ball. With the correct amount of air pressure the ball will roll smoothly over the surface and reach the finish line. Now take air pressure away and try to roll the ball. The ball will not roll as smoothly and will have to be pushed more often to get it to the finish line. On the other extreme, you now have a ball with too much air pressure. This ball rolls OK but every imperfection in the surface causes the ball to bounce, which may throw the ball off course.

What does this all mean? Simply, correct tire pressure is critical to obtaining optimum performance from your tires and from all of your vehicle systems. Too little pressure causes tires to wear on both inner and outer shoulders and, like the ball needing more power to get across the finish line, your engine will work harder than it should to get you moving. Too much air in the tire causes it to bounce excessively, causing premature wear on suspension parts. A wear pattern on the tires will resemble cups in the tread called cupping. If the pressure is too high but not high enough to cause bouncing, the tire will wear in the center all the way around, requiring replacement.

Most, if not all vehicles produced since 2010 are equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System. This system monitors the air pressure in your tires. If your vehicle isn’t equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, it’s important for you to check your tire pressure regularly, usually every other stop at the gas station.

Now to our last question. “Are snow tires really necessary?”

Well, yes and no. it all depends on your comfort zone on driving without them. Winter tires, formally known as snow tires, provide increased driver confidence along with added traction to get you to your destination. If you use winter tires on all-wheel drive vehicles and SUVs, make sure you use four of them. I also recommend running winter tires on all four wheels on a rear-wheel or front-wheel drive vehicles.

To conclude, as with everything, tire technology has greatly advanced. If you’re comfortable enough to determine the condition of your tires and you believe they need to be replaced, by all means, do it.

If you aren’t sure, like most vehicle owners, build a relationship with a repair shop or dealer. Trusting your body or vehicle to others are big steps. When you find the right doctor or repair shop it gives you the best opportunity to keep you or your vehicle running efficiently and safely.

The next Headlights to Taillights column will be published in the August 28, 2020 edition of the Valley Advantage.

Day of Giving on August 18 Benefits Presidential Scholarship Fund

On Tuesday, August 18, 2020, Johnson College will host its first ever 24-hour Day of Giving fundraising event. Donations during the Day of Giving will benefit the Presidential Scholarship fund. By participating everyone within the community has the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Johnson College’s students. To make a donation visit https://johnson.edu/dayofgiving/.

While campuses around the country closed, and the future of higher education became uncertain, Johnson College and its industry partners kept going. Students worked and learned first-hand just how essential they are to the workforce. They kept the economy moving forward in Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond. They are fixing, building, and healing our communities, especially through this global pandemic.

Our students kept all of us going when our lives changed and we had to stay at home. Now it is our turn to give back to them.

Johnson College students receive the education, training and skills needed in today’s essential industries and are critical in helping others and supporting our economy. The more you can assist the College’s students to meet their educational goals, the more you will support the community in this unusual and critical time.

Johnson College Faculty Prints and Donates PPE Equipment to Local Hospitals

Johnson College’s Advanced Manufacturing Program Director Cole Goldstein printed face shields at his home studio to donate to local hospitals.

Chief Administrative Officer Mike Novak received an article from Maureen Brennan of Crew Systems about how individual Makers can create small quantities of shields using open source 3-D printing files and donate them to medical facilities. Novak, said, “The idea behind this is that although one person can only make a small amount of PPE, if multiple makers are creating that same amount, it will make a dent in the urgent need for this type of PPE in the medical field.”

Novak coordinated with Goldstein, who was already interested in starting this project. Working with PLA Plastic material that is used in 3-D printing classes at the College and industry-grade Polycarbonate from Grainger, Goldstein printed 100 masks total to donate. Goldstein delivered masks to Regional Hospital of Scranton and Geisinger Community Medical Center.

Visit https://johnson.edu/divisions-of-study/electronic-industrial/advanced-manufacturing-engineering-technology/ to earn more about Johnson College’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology program.

Johnson College Introduces Online Continuing Education Courses

Johnson College’s Continuing Education Department, which offers hands-on learning on the College’s campus, is now offering 21 exclusive online courses where students can learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. The education and training these courses provide students the opportunity to advance in or begin new careers in many of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s essential industries. More information about the online courses can be found at Johnson.edu/continuing-education or by calling 570-702-8979.

Many of these non-credit bearing courses offer externships and clinical practice which provide the hands-on learning students expect when enrolling in a Johnson College program. Some courses give students the opportunity to take national certification exams to further the opportunities they have to advance their careers.

The courses include: Clinical Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Computer Technician (CompTIA A+), Front End Web Developer, Project Management Professional, Six Sigma and a variety of trades related courses.

“Our new exclusive online courses are perfect for anyone who wants to advance in their current job or start a new career but cannot participate in on-campus classes due to personal or work schedules.” said Johnson College Continuing Education Manager A. J. Cimahosky. “These online courses are a perfect example of how Johnson College students go beyond sitting in a classroom.”

Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a caring environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance in their careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912, and is the region’s premier technical college, offering associate degrees in 15 programs. An emphasis on hands-on instruction is supported by a low student-to-teacher ratio. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus, Johnson is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional business and industry to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.

Headlights to Taillights: Oil Change Intervals

By Mark Kozemko, a Johnson College’s Automotive Technology program director
Original published in the June 26, 2020 edition of the Valley Advantage.
https://www.thevalleyadvantage.com/community-columns/headlights-to-taillights-oil-change-intervals/article_e4c5dc3b-4bdc-599e-be36-e3bf56d81491.html

With the price of vehicles these days, most vehicle owners have questions about how they can protect their investment. Engine maintenance, specifically regular oil changes, is one of the best ways to protect that investment.

Today we’re going to answer the question that many people ask about oil change intervals — should I change my oil every 3,000 miles?

This question most likely comes from an older generation of car owners like me, because that was the normal recommended oil change interval from almost every manufacturer.

I will never discourage anyone from changing their engine oil more often than the manufacturer recommends. In the past, manufactures recommended oil changes at 3,000 miles, and some people still use that mileage as their oil change interval. But over the years, several factors have altered the recommended oil change interval.

As with any technology, advancements are constantly being made. Engineers are constantly working on making every component and system better than it was yesterday. Vehicles ride much better than they did in the past. Everything from sound system to engine performance increase in quality with every model year. Oil is no different.

There are several different types of oil that modern day vehicles can use. Regular or petroleum-based oil is normally recommended to be changed at that 3,000 mile range mentioned earlier but you will be hard pressed to find vehicle engines that still utilize this type oil. As engines have advanced though the years, oils have evolved to meet the needs of these engines. Synthetic blend are created using mineral oil and synthetic oil and do not have to be changed as often. So the interval for oil changes is looking more towards 5,000 to 7,500 miles. There are also full synthetic oil options which would bring oil change intervals to around the 10,000 mile range.

The advancements in engine design and oil properties actually bring us to the answer to the question at hand. Modern synthetic and synthetic blend oils stand up to the very high engine temperatures way better than the petroleum-based oils do. There is way less carbon and sludge build up on internal engine parts so they perform better and last longer. But with that in mind, you should always follow the recommended service intervals and oil type for your specific vehicle and engine.

If you have noticed, we are focused on miles driven between oil changes. In recent years, almost all new vehicles have some sort of built-in oil change or service reminder system. These systems make it much easier for drivers to know when a service or oil change is due because it does not depend upon the driver to keep track of anything. Modern cars can learn vehicle habits. Not to complicate things any further but these service reminder systems do not always just count miles — there are other factors that go into when the engine needs to be serviced.

The most important thing to remember is that you can change the oil more frequently than the manufacture’s recommended interval but should never exceed the recommended mileage interval for your oil changes. But that being said, if you’re going to use an oil change interval that is less than the manufacture recommends, you will be spending more money. In my opinion, the money you spend for those extra oil changes is money well spent.

But the most critical thing to remember if you are driving a car that is covered under a manufacturer’s warranty: If you get your vehicle serviced in a repair shop other than the dealership you purchased the vehicle from, make sure your repair shop uses the correct oil recommended for your engine. If the incorrect oil is used, it is possible that will void your warranty. Your engine is by far the most expensive component of your vehicle and if it fails because the incorrect oil was used, the repair costs may be on you.

The next Headlights to Taillights column will be published in the July 24, 2020 edition of the Valley Advantage.

Johnson College Students Complete Class Held for the First Time at Don’s Machine Shop in West Pittston

Johnson College is excited to announce students completed the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining class, held for the first time in the new educational training space inside Don’s Machine Shop in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. Most students are now using their 510 hours of training as they already secured positions as CNC professionals in the workforce.

The Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining class provides students with in-demand industry training in a unique setting with equipment that students will become accustomed to once in the workforce. This hands-on curriculum trained students to utilize, maintain and program CNC machines, which perform subtractive manufacturing methods to materials such as metal. CNC professionals manufacture precision products and components used in a variety of applications such as automotive, medical, electronics, aerospace, transportation, military, and more.

As Johnson College is a leader in CNC training and has offered this class for years, the unique partnership between the College and Don’s Machine Shop launched due to our mutual belief that industry is our students’ campus. Don’s Machine Shop is the perfect environment for students to be trained in the high demand field. Donnie Eifert, Owner and President of Don’s Machine Shop, saw an opportunity to help give back to the industry by providing a location for the much needed training.

“I was very impressed with how the students worked together and how well the instructors worked with and interacted with their students,” said Donnie Eifert. “We knew this would be a challenging endeavor, made even more challenging by Covid-19 halting class with two weeks left. The students and instructors worked together to complete this class and achieve the level of success we were confident we all could reach.”

The training program gives Northeastern Pennsylvania employers an opportunity to benefit as well. Jim Golden of James Eagen Sons Co. of Wyoming, Pennsylvania enrolled an employee. The results positively impacted the student and their business. Jim Golden shared, “The course presents an easily accessible opportunity for us to improve our processes and gain a competitive advantage. It was a great investment.”

“Johnson College is very fortunate that Don’s Machine Shop opened their doors to us to provide this in-demand industry training. We’ve already begun training another class of students at Don’s. The demand for these skills is growing and we are looking forward to providing this opportunity to others going forward,” said AJ Cimahosky, Continuing Education Manager at Johnson College.

For more information or to enroll in Johnson College’s Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machinist program visit https://johnson.edu/continuing-education/ or call Johnson College’s Continuing Education department at 570.702.8979.

Since starting over 30 years ago Don’s Machine Shop, Inc. has grown to be one of the largest machine shops in Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley. Their 77,000 square foot climate controlled facility contains millions of dollars’ worth of modern equipment that are continually upgraded. Don’s Machine Shop, Inc. employs 30 people and makes machine parts for companies around the globe. Many things have changed since this business started over 30 years ago, but their commitment to providing quality parts and service will never change. For more information visit http://www.donsmachine.com/.

Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a caring environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance in their careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912, and is the region’s premier technical college, offering associate degrees in 15 programs. An emphasis on hands-on instruction is supported by a low student-to-teacher ratio. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus, Johnson is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional business and industry to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit www.johnson.edu.