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About Mike and Linda Gray
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Hello Visitors!
Thanks for taking the time to check out our Auto Upkeep website at www.autoupkeep.com. We hope you find this site helpful. Since 1994 we have been working together as an innovative team, always searching for the next project or challenge. By utilizing our collective knowledge and our eagerness to learn, we decided to jump into publishing in 2003. That year we launched our first website www.rollinghillspublishing.com coinciding with the publishing of Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care. We began offering a free Q & A resource through our website. The popularity of Auto Upkeep Q & A made us realize that there was a growing need for a new website that could just focus on automotive technology. We hope the information we provide on this website helps owners and drivers make economical decisions and take preventative measures to enhance the overall satisfaction of being automotive consumers. With this site we will continue to share and expand the information we gain to help others.
Mike and Linda Gray
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Mike has roots in the automotive service industry. He began diagnosing and fixing cars at a young age in his family’s service station. He has worked in automotive parts supply stores, towing companies, and service facilities. After graduating from St. Cloud State University (MN) with a Bachelor’s degree, he implemented and taught a basic car care program at the high school level. During work on his Master’s degree at Illinois State University (IL), he was a curriculum specialist on a National Science Foundation project where he co-authored ten integrated mathematics, science, and technology books designed for team teaching. Currently he supervises over 60 teachers in Career and Technology Education.
"Working in the towing industry I remember driving over 60 miles on a rural Minnesota road to put on a spare tire for a driver. The driver had the physical capability, tools, and a spare tire, but admittedly did not know how to change it. The cost to change the tire was well over $100. These encounters and my student teaching experience made it clear to me that basic car care education should be a focus for anyone who drives a car. Auto Upkeep was born."
Linda was motivated to learn about cars early on by her desire to be self-reliant and save money. As basic maintenance and repairs were needed on her car she figured out how to do them. She could often be found working on her Pontiac Fiero and reupholstering automotive interiors at her family’s upholstery shop. She found guidance from automotive manuals, her family, friends, and husband Mike. During her studies at the University of Redlands (CA), she worked with classmates to design, build, and test a hybrid electric vehicle. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Linda worked as a Project Engineer for a bicycle component company. Linda’s other interests include alternative energies, home renovation, graphic design, and writing.
"I will never forget my first incident as an inexperienced car owner. My brakes were squealing, so a friend helped me take the tire off to inspect them. He explained that the little tab was making the noise and all I needed to do was bend it back a bit. It worked - no more squeal. Then a few weeks later I started to hear a grinding noise. I did not realize that the little tab was a wear indicator and the squeal was telling me that I needed new brake pads right away. I ended up having to replace the brake pads and rotors. If I had replaced the pads when I heard the first squeal I would have saved a ton of money and work. I have learned the value of knowing the basics and want to share that knowledge to help others be safe and well-informed automotive consumers."
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Mike's Background
Linda's Background
- High School Diploma from San Gorgonia High School, San Bernardino, California
- B.S. Degree in Engineering from University of Redlands
- Former Project Engineer and Manager of Marwi USA
- Editor-in-Chief for Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care
- Co-Authored Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care, Maintenance, and Repair
- Page Layout, Graphic Artist, and Photo Specialist
- Website Designer and Builder
- Technical Specialist in building codes and home improvement
Book Acknowledgments
The idea for this text came from Mike’s student teaching experience. During that experience Mike worked under a talented and enthusiastic veteran teacher, Tim Goodner. Tim taught a class called Car Upkeep. Immediately Mike was impressed with the course. This wasn’t another course just for future auto technicians, but a course for the average automotive consumer. This student teaching experience inspired Mike to implement a similar program. In the first year that the course was offered, it became one of the most popular elective courses at the school.
We would like to thank all of our former teachers in giving us the classroom experiences and instilling positive work ethics that made us successful in our lives. A special thanks to all of our family, friends, and colleagues for inspiring us.
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