Care and Maintenance Tips Keep Your Car Running in Top-Notch Condition We’ve compiled our best expert advice, surprising tricks, and car care tips to prolong the life of your Buicks, GMCs and Subarus Fort Worth!
1. Be patient during the break-in period
You’ve bought your dream car and now you want to make it last at long as possible in top condition. Here are some things to remember as you pull it out of the dealer’s lot:
During the break-in period, typically the first 1,000 miles, keep your speed under 55 mph.
Avoid heavy loads on the drive train, such as towing trailers, and loading the roof rack or trunk with heavy construction materials.
Do not allow your new car to idle for long periods — this is good advice for the life of your car, but especially during breakin. The oil pressure generated by doing so may not be sending oil to every part of your engine.
Use only light to medium acceleration, keeping the engine rpms below 3,000 for the first few hours of driving.
2. Drive with care everyday
Being car considerate shouldn’t stop after the break-in. Drive with care every day and your car will reward you with longer intervals without repair.
Do not race your car’s engine during start-up. This is a quick way to add years of wear to your engine, especially if it’s cold outside.
Accelerate slowly when you begin your drive.The most wear to the engine and drive train occurs in the first ten to twenty minutes of operation.
Warming the engine by letting it idle in the driveway is not a smart idea.The engine doesn’t operate at its peak temperature, resulting in incomplete fuel combustion, soot deposits on cylinder walls, oil contamination, and ultimately damaged components.
Put less strain on your engine and automatic transmission by shifting to neutral at red lights. Otherwise, the engine is still working to push the car even while it’s stopped.
Avoid driving at high speeds and accelerating quickly, especially when it’s very hot or very cold outside. Such driving behavior will result in more frequent repairs.
Extend the life of your tires with careful driving. Observe posted speed limits. Avoid fast starts, stops, and turns. Avoid potholes and objects on the road. Don’t run over curbs or hit the tire against the curb when parking. And, of course, don’t burn rubber.
When turning your steering wheel, don’t hold it in an extreme right or left position for more than a few seconds. Doing so can damage the power-steering pump.
Consolidate your short driving trips. Most of the wear and tear — as well as the pollution your car generates — takes place in the first few minutes of driving. Doing several errands at once, during low traffic hours if possible, will keep your engine happier longer.
3. Buy gas at reputable service stations
Ask whether the gas you buy is filtered at the pump and if the station has a policy about changing the pump filters regularly. If you get a song and dance, find another gas station. Some stations don’t have pump filters, making you more vulnerable to dirty gasoline. Other stations may not mix alcohol and fuel properly — or worse, water down their product. Find a station you trust and stick to it.
4. Don’t fill up if you see the tanker
If you happen to see a gasoline tanker filling the tanks at your local gas station, come back another day or go to a different station. As the station’s underground tanks are being filled, the turbulence can stir up sediment. Sediment in your gas can clog fuel filters and fuel injectors, causing poor performance and possibly necessitating repairs.
5. Go easy when you’re stuck
When stuck in mud or snow, don’t make the problem worse by damaging an expensive component. Gently rocking in an attempt to free the car is fine. But if it looks as though you’re really stuck, don’t keep at it. Throwing your car from forward to reverse repeatedly, as well as spinning tires at high speeds, can generate lots of heat and spell trouble for transmissions, clutches, and differentials. It may be cheaper in the long run to call the tow truck rather than risk big repair bills down the road. It’s a good idea to carry a traction aid in the trunk, such as sand, gravel, or cat litter.
6. Lighten up your key chain
Does your car key share a chain with a dozen or more other keys? That’s a pretty heavy load hanging off the car key when it’s in the ignition.The weight, combined with bouncing while you drive, can wear out the tumblers inside the ignition and eventually lead to ignition switch failure.To add years of service to your ignition switch, purchase a lightweight key chain that allows you to separate your ignition key from the others. Drive with only the ignition key in your ignition. If your ignition key “sticks” when you try to turn on the car, it’s a warning that your ignition switch is about to fail. Replace it before you get stranded.
7. Choose a good car insurer
Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, disaster inevitably strikes — typically in the form of an accident. Make sure that your car will be repaired to the best possible standard by finding an insurer that will pay for parts from the original manufacturer and guarantee the repairs it authorizes.
8. Keep an auto log
Keep a pad and pencil in the glove compartment and use them to record your gas fill-ups and mileage. If you notice that your gas mileage worsens, mention it to your service man. It may be an early warning sign that something is wrong with your car.
9. Preserve your car during long-term storage
If you are not going to use your car for more than a month, store it properly to prevent unnecessary damage and repairs upon your return.
Fill the gas tank to help prevent condensation from accumulating in the gas tank. Add a fuel stabilizer and drive the car around a bit to distribute the additive to engine parts.
Wash and wax the car thoroughly to protect the finish.
Place a vapor barrier on your garage floor. A 4-mil polyethylene drop cloth will do.
Disengage the parking brake to help avoid brake corrosion.
Put the car on jack stands to take the weight of the vehicle off the wheels and tires.
Disconnect and remove the battery to keep it from draining. Place the battery on a trickletype charger. Or periodically drain the battery, using a small light bulb, and then recharge it with a low-volt charger.
Plug the tailpipe with a rag to prevent moist air from infiltrating into it.
While not everyone is planning on taking their car to a race track, most people do want to find ways to get more power out of their vehicle. The problem is, most people don’t understand how more power is made in the engine to begin with. The most straight forward way to get more power is to allow more air to get into your engine and pass through it quickly. The more air there is, the more combustion is made when the fuel is sparked inside the engine.
This means that you can get more boost from your car without having to drop in a new engine. But how do you get more air into your car? The easiest way is to keep your air filters clean. The longer you drive without changing or cleaning your air filters, the less air goes into your engine. If you are driving with a dirty filter, your car is actually doing more work to bring air in, and still creating less power. This will also take away from your gas mileage since more fuel is required to combust.
Another way to help air flow is to allow the air to exit your car faster. This is done through your car’s exhaust system. The bigger your exhaust pipe, the more air is allow to be pushed out of your car. But sometimes you don’t need to buy a new exhaust system, you just need to keep your exhaust pipes clean and unobstructed. By checking and cleaning your exhaust regularly, you will get more power, and it is another way to squeeze in a few miles per gallon.
If you are looking for easy solutions to get a little more kick out of your motor, as well as save some money at the tank, just be sure that you are keeping your air flow strong. If you have any other questions on how to put some more horses under the hood, feel free to come by, and we’ll help you out.
If you own a truck, then chances are that you are used to loading up your bed and hauling everything from lumber to couches. After a while, you may notice that your truck bed becomes scratched and bruised. The best way to avoid this kind of wear and tear is to invest into a bed liner.
The problem then becomes, what kind of liner should you buy? There are two choices that you can make, either a spray on liner or a mold to install. While both of these systems have pros and cons, it can come down to personal preference and cost. So which one is right for you? I found a great article from bedlinersinsanfrancisco.com.
First thing is to decide if you want your new bed liner to be permanent because some spray-on bedliners or do it your self bed liners are forever bonded to the truck bed. A spray on bed liner keeps your truck bed looking new and is great for hauling light loads but you need to make sure you understand everything that goes into a spray on bed liner before you decide you that is the way you want to go. One big thing to know is that when they install your spray on liner they will have to grind down your factory paint to be able to prepare it for the spray on bed liner to adhere to the truck bed. If you are not interested in having a bed liner that you can not take in and out of your truck then it may be a good idea to look at a drop in bed liner. A drop in bed will give you a lot of different options as far as taking it in and out of your truck bed. There are all different types from a carpet style bed liner to a one piece drop in bed liner. One of the best bed liners I have seen lately on the market is a 5-piece bed liner that is custom fit to your truck bed and is not just a one size fits all. There are many nice things about a custom fit bed liner. One thing is you won’t have to worry about it rubbing your factory paint down to bare metal like the one size fits all drop ins. For many years that was a very common problem that gave drop in bed liners a bad name not having a custom fit to each truck and the combination of wind spelled disaster. When bare metal is exposed it does not take long for rust and corrosion to set in all from what was supposed to protect your truck bed. Something else to consider is cost cost can play a big factor in your bed liner purchase. A spray on is about $100 a foot so it can range any where from $500 to $1,000 for a spray on bed liner where the custom fit bed liners are about $399 shipped to your door and only take minutes to install and seem to outlast most spray on bed liner 2 to 1.
I hope that this helps you when looking at bed liner systems, and gives your truck bed longer life. You bought a truck to use its full potential, and a great bed liner can help you do just that. If you have any questions about bed liners, feel free to drop by and we’ll help you out.
With warmer weather coming it is time to make sure that one of your vehicles most important components, especially in Texas, is working. I’m of course talking about your air conditioner. While we are still far away from the true dog days of summer, it is best to make sure everything is working now before having to drive in a car that feels like the inside of a pizza oven.
The problem with having a non-working air conditioner is that having your system checked and fixed can often times cost a few hundred dollars. The good news is that you may only need to recharge your cars air conditioning system which will save you time and money. Recharging your air conditioner is simply refilling your system with refrigerant. Here’s an article from carjunky.com that explains how this simple task can save you many headaches.
According to industry research, most people are not aware that they can “recharge” their automobile’s air conditioning themselves. Recharging is simply adding refrigerant.
Easy-to-use, cost effective air conditioner charging products, such as Measure & Charge from Interdynamics, can save the do-it-yourselfer up to $100 per use compared to repair shop services. When factoring in the cost of a rental car, time spent at the repair shop and disruption of the daily routine caused by using a service station to do the job, the savings become even more significant.
“Recharging your vehicle’s air conditioning system is a simple process that takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish,” said Vincent Carrubba, director of research and development at Interdynamics.
Measure & Charge can be found at most automotive stores. For more information on do-it-yourself air conditioner recharging and retrofitting, visit www.id-usa.com.
Be sure to check your cars air conditioning system now, before you are stuck in the middle of summer without the nice cool breeze coming from your air vents. If you have any problems or questions about your vehicles air conditioning system, feel free to come by and let me know, and I’ll be glad to help.
A lot of things in cars today are run by an on-board computer system, but other things such as lights, belts, and other electrical devices still rely on fuses to operate. What fuses do is run an electrical current through a correct amp amount to the devices. Like a lightbulb, the fuses can sometimes burn out and leave crucial parts of your car rendered useless. The good news when this happens is that it is a relatively inexpensive fix. But how do you know what to do from there?
I found a great video of how to replace a broken fuse and other things to look out for when doing it. If you know it’s a fuse problem, be sure to save some money by fixing it yourself, but if you are uneasy or the problem conitnues, be sure to take your car to a certified mechanic.
If you have a car that is starting to get up there in age, you may notice that you are losing power or having to fuel up more. Both of these problems may have to do with a dirty air filter. Getting more air intake into your engine means that your engine will produce more power more efficiently. The problems happens when your filter starts to accumulate dirt and dust particles which it is designed to take out of the air to pass clean air into your engine.
You should check your air filter every time that you replace your oil, and if you notice that it is starting to turn brown or black from excessive dirt have it replaced. There are two main options that you can go with when getting an air filter. The cheaper and more common is a disposable air filter that you replace whenever it gets full of dirt and grime. These are generally the more popular choice, but if you notice that you are having to change them out every time you get your oil changed, then it may end up costing you more in the long run.
The other option is a permanent air filter that you can take out and wash between uses. These are generally more expensive than disposable filters, but you only have to buy them once and clean them to get multiple uses out of it. No matter which type of air filter you choice to go with, if you keep your filters clean you will find you car running better. This is especially important now that gas prices are sky high since it will help your vehicles fuel economy.
So which kind of air filter do you have in your vehicle? Be sure to let me know in the comments, and if you have any questions about how to find your filter and install a new one, be sure to let me know and I’ll be glad to help.
When you buy a new car, nothing is better than feeling the smoothness of a drive. Unfortunately, over time you may start to feel vibrations in your car as a result of wear and tear. The hardest thing about these vibrations is that they can be hard to pin point what is causing them. It can be anything from the tires to the engine.
While taking your car to a mechanic is the best thing to do if you are experiencing vibrations in your car, I found a great article from howstuffworks.com that may help you diagnose the problem.
Engine Problems
Sometimes a shake or shudder will emanate from the engine compartment, because the engine isn’t getting enough air, fuel or spark that it needs to run smoothly.
Symptoms that might indicate such an engine-related case of the shakes include the following:
Shudder or jerking occurs during acceleration
Staccato shaking, as if over a highway “rumble strip,” within a specific speed range
Car starts and drives fine for a while, but later begins to shake
Axle Problems
If an axle gets bent — which is actually quite easy to do in a collision or other mishap — it will create a jostle of a ride afterward. With this problem, the vibrating often picks up in intensity the faster you drive.
A related problem would be that the driveshaft also needs inspection. This rapidly spinning part transfers engine power to the rear axles and wheels in rear-wheel drive vehicles. If it’s bent, shaking may result.
Brake Problems
Do those bad vibrations appear or intensify when you apply the brakes? If so, there’s a strong possibility that your car is tooling about with a warped brake rotor, or rotors.
The rotor is the shiny, silver disc-shaped component on vehicles with a disc brake system. The rotor can get bent out of shape due to heavy wear and tear — basically, overheating from more stopping than that particular rotor can handle. Instead of being uniformly flat all the way across, a deformed rotor is raised or lowered on part of its surface. The calipers and brake pads, which squeeze the brake rotors to make the car stop, can’t get an even grip on a warped rotor. Hence, vibration.
Wheel Problems
One or more wheels may suffer from excessive “play,” or wobbliness, at the hub itself. The diagnosis and cure for this is pretty involved, as it could point to any of a number of issues. First, let’s just assume that each wheel is fastened securely to its hub with properly torqued lug nuts.
With that out of the way, the solution to a shaky wheel might entail replacing the wheel bearings. On most modern vehicles, wheel bearings are meant to last the life of the car or truck. But as you may already know, if you subject your vehicle to worse-than-typical wear-and-tear (off-roading, extremely hard driving, high mileage), it’s not unheard-of for bearings to wear out.
Another thing to look for is “runout.” This is the term that describes how much a wheel deviates from a perfectly circular rotation when it is spun. Wheel technicians use precision instruments to determine if runout on any particular wheel exceeds half an inch. Much of the time — but not all the time — the solution is a new wheel.
Tire Problems
The full list of ways in which tire issues can contribute to your vehicular shake, rattle and roll is a long one. But here are just some of the major ones:
Car vibrates at certain speeds — requires tire balance
Tires have separated tread — requires tire replacement
Uneven tire wear — requires tire rotation
Tires are “out of round” and roll unevenly – requires tire replacement
If you are experiencing car vibrations, be sure to read over the entire article to try to pin point the problem. The best thing you can do is take action as soon as the problem starts. Feel free to tell me if you are experiencing vibrations in your car.
One of the more aggravating things that can happen while driving is having that big rig pass you and all of a sudden a medium sized rock slaps against your wind shield. You may notice that it has cracked the wind shield on impact, or it may become more noticeable over time. The first thing many drivers do in this situation is go to a wind shield shop and get it replaced. Well before you do that, you should see if you can fix the scratch yourself for a lot less.
You can find many different kind of wind shield repair kits in any general auto store or retail department. They can be a life saver if you get to the crack or chip as soon as you notice it. I found an excellent article on discovery.com that explains that most small cracks that happen to your wind shield can be repaired rather than having to replace it. Check out the entire article to see if you can save hundreds by fixing your cracks and dents.
What Types of Windshield Damage Can be Repaired?
Any chip in the glass as large as one inch in diameter as well as a small star crack with no more than 2 small arms extending less than a half inch in length are good candidates for a store purchased repair kit. Longer cracks can sometimes be repaired by a professional depending on the severity of the crack, the tools used, and the repairers skill level.
The window for any successful windshield repair is usually within the first month the damage occurs. Older chips can be repaired, but in general the sooner you get to it the better your results will be. You also have to keep in mind that a chip or crack left on a vehicle for any given period, may spread quickly and become unrepairable during a spout of one cold evening, rainstorm, or jarring bump on the road.
Preparation for the Windshield Repair
Make sure the sunlight is going to be out for the next few hours, as most of these kits will rely on the sun to cure the solution. Another option is to use an ultraviolet lamp. Without either of these, the adhesive will remain a liquid and the repair will be next to impossible. One of the most important steps of any windshield repair is getting the windshield as clean as possible. This is part of the reason that waiting too long before a repair is unwise, as it will become next to impossible to properly clean the damaged area (inside the crack).
The first thing you want to do is gently remove any loose pieces of glass inside of the chip with a razor blade. Then take the razor blade and slide it across the glass to remove as much contamination (tree sap, bugs, etc.) from the window as possible. Finally, use soap and water and denatured alcohol to clean the chip or star and a two foot radius around the windshield. This will keep any contaminates from falling into your repair area.
There’s no guarantee that the repair kit will save you from having to get a whole new wind shield, but I would recommend keeping a kit on hand and trying it before going to the shop. Have you ever used a wind shield repair kit? Let me know in the comments how it worked for you.
One of the best things you can do for your cars health is to make sure that all of its fluids are at an acceptable level. This means more than the occasional oil change and gas fill up. Nearly every one of your cars mechanical parts is dependent on a fluid to help keep things running nice and smooth. Checking your fluids should be done regularly to help ensure that you won’t hit any problems at the most inopportune times. It only takes a minute, and your car, as well as your wallet, will really appreciate it.
Knowing where your fluid reservoirs are in the engine is the first step in making sure your levels are okay. Another thing to make sure of is whether or not your car needs to be warmed up or not when checking these levels. For clarity, I found a very useful article from wikihow.com on where and how you should check your fluids. Here’s an example of how to check your power steering fluid.
Check the power steering fluid. This will generally also be a plastic reservoir. Read it through the walls, as you did with the brake fluid, by opening the lid and pouring more of an appropriate power steering fluid in. There may be two pairs of lines, one for a hot engine and one for a cold engine. Read the one that is appropriate to the current condition of your car.
The ability of your car to work at its best is dependent of your fluids. Like a person, being hydrated means staying healthy and productive. If you have any questions regarding your cars fluids and how to change them, feel free to contact me and I’d love to help.
At least once every year “Old Man Winter” brings North Texas treacherous ice, sleet and snow. For those of us not used to navigating ice and snow covered roads this is the most dangerous driving time of the year. Even those of us that have been raised in the Northern and Midwest states could take a few minutes and reflect upon some good safety tips and make sure we keep our precious cargo safe.
Check you fluids -- It is very important to have a well supplied anti-freeeze resorvoir in cold weather. Wiper fluid is also often consumed in large quantities, and don’t just use water or it will freeze on you.
Tires and Brakes - A good set of well tread tires can be the difference of being in the ditch or safely on the asphalt. Pressure must be kept up as well, since cold weather promotes flatter tires. Anti-lock brakes are the best for winter, but you should always have good brake pads for icey stops.
Wipers- Nothing beats a set of maintained wipers in a blizzard or sleet storm. Rain-X is also a valid choice for extreme climate conditions.
Battery and Engine -- Good clean battery posts and a good charged battery are a must when starting in cold weather. Engine tune-ups and regular oil changes also are a must for reliable winter travel.
Here is a great video clip from CBS News about what kind or readiness is needed for save driving in wintery conditions:
As you can see, there are a few other key points to remember. That includes planning your winter trek.
Stay home if you can, as there is no substitite for safety
Know your route -- research road closures and delays
Have plenty of fuel -- this will provide much needed warmth
Have a well stocked safety kit -- flashlights, jumper cables, water, etc
Cell phone - communications are important when stranded
Drive safely -- keep plenty of space between you and cars or obstacles
Just follow these Easy Solutions and you can stay safe during these winter months! Come visit us with questions and feel free to share your driving experiences.
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