Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — The automotive program at the Loring Job Corps center (LJCC) is a great way for aspiring mechanics to learn firsthand how to keep a vehicle going in extremely cold temperatures and harsh conditions.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Loring Job Corps automotive students Alex Johnson, safety officer; Luis Rosado, shop foreman and D.J. Nutornti took time from their classwork to explain what they’ve learning about how to maintain vehicles in cold, snowy temperatures.
Luis Rosado has been foreman at the center for about three months now and has learned a lot since he first came to Loring from Connecticut.
“My brother is a mechanic, our father is a mechanic — it goes down the list and I was the only one who wasn’t a mechanic,” Rosado explained. “While I’ve been here, I learned a lot.”
Many of these students will take what they’ve learned and apply their skills to other parts of New England, but being educated at Loring provides them with experiences they might not have had at an environmentally tamer Job Corps Center elsewhere.
Rosado was here last year when Aroostook County saw the mercury drop into the negative 40s and 50 degrees in some places; while many in the county were trying to get their cars started in that historic January ice, Rosado was learning how to keep cars operational despite the elements. He’s learned a few things that can help your engine turn over even on mornings that are so cold it seems like you need to put on a sweater just to look out the window.
“Look into getting a good battery or making sure that your current battery isn’t too old,” he suggested. “You’re going to want to make sure that the connections on your battery are good and not corroded. You’re also going to want to make sure that you’ve got a good starter, new spark plugs — basically a whole tune up of the engine to make sure that the connection with the engine is good enough to make a spark,” Rosado said. He also suggested flushing and replacing all the fluids from a vehicle’s engine to ensure that the engine block won’t freeze.
Another thing Rosado has learned at Loring is the value of good snow tires.
“I didn’t know much about studded tires until I came up here, but I think they’re very good and could be used more [in the southern parts of New England],” he said.
Making sure that your car is frequently cleaned is one of the best ways to protect the body of your car.
“I’ve noticed that people do a lot of four wheeling up here, and then they wash down the four wheelers after they use them; it’s also a good technique for your vehicle too because it keeps the salt from building up an eating away at the frame,” Rosado said.
LJCC student D.J. Nutornti agrees that washing your car every so often is one little thing that will go a long way.
“When you get your car washed once a month or so, also get it waxed,” Nutornti said.
Before the first snow hits, LJCC student and safety officer Alex Johnson suggests getting the steering and breaks checked on your vehicle.
“The act of sliding around on the ice can somewhat damage your vehicle in regards to the rods and steering knuckles and trying to break when you’re sliding across ice can mess up your breaks,” he said.
While there are many things a driver can do to keep a car running through this tundra called the County, “the biggest thing you really need to worry about is driving safe,” Johnson said.
“Some people fail to be safe while they’re driving; they get distracted trying to do other things like trying to look after kids, talking on the phone, texting, drinking and sometimes they’re not actually visualizing the road or noticing what’s ahead of them,” he added.
Being alert at the wheel and proactive about maintenance should go a long way toward extending the life of your vehicle.
