Kenford Manguchei, a service technician, works on a truck at Geweke Ford-Mercury on Thursday. The most common car woes during periods of hot weather are alternator breakdowns and air conditioning malfunctions. (Allyson Yund/News-Sentinel)

Lodi mechanics see spike in business thanks to the heat

Extreme heat can be as damaging to cars as it is to their drivers, and some local mechanics have seen their business increase during the heat wave.

"We are overwhelmed with work," said Kyle Stewart, service manager for Geweke Body. He said Geweke normally sees about 45 cars a day, but the heat wave has brought in an extra 15 cars a day.

The summer months are always a busy time of year for car mechanics, as extreme heat can cause multiple problems for cars and people will often pay more attention to their vehicles in preparation for summer road trips.

"Those parts under the hood are just like a human body — when it gets hot outside, we can't do stuff we can do in regular weather," Stewart said. "Cars tend to have more failures in the hotter weather."

One of the biggest threats to cars during the summer is overheating. During extreme heat, like the triple-digit temperatures of late, car engines can heat up to 400 degrees.

In such extreme heat, drivers often crank their air conditioning more than their cars can handle, and technicians say broken air conditioning systems and alternators are among the biggest problems. Besides routine maintenance, drivers don't have many options for keeping their air conditioning in good condition.

"There's nothing you can do. If it works, it works," said Greg Loomis, owner of BrickYard Automotive, which is located at 820 S. Beckman Rd. "If it don't, there's really no maintenance thing you can do about it."

Besides routine maintenance, Stewart suggests cleaning the outside of parts hidden under the car's hood such as the alternator, engine and air conditioning compressor.

"If you don't do the maintenance on it, it's going to break down," Loomis said. "It's something you should think about all the time."

During the heat wave, business has varied at several local tow truck companies.

"It can go both ways, because a lot of people aren't driving," said Chris Greenmyre, who works at City Wide Tow, where business has slightly increased during the hot weather. "But some people are breaking down because of the weather."

Business at J and D Auto Body Towing and Pacific Towing has also picked up a bit. Eddie Sousa, a driver for Pacific Towing, said many drivers call in because of dead batteries and tire changes.

But employees at Sam Berri Towing and Geweke Towing have seen business slow down. During the slower days, employees theorize that more people are staying at home during the hot weather.

"The only thing I can think of is, it's because of the weather," said Elaine Sweeney, the dispatcher for Geweke Towing. "They're just not moving. If they can stay home, they do."

Contact reporter Melissa Dahl at intern@lodinews.com.

First published: Friday, July 28, 2006