Posted on 3/27/2022
You probably have heard that expression, "A stitch in time saves nine." In other words, if you fix an issue at its early stages, it will prevent a much more difficult problem later. That's certainly the case with your vehicle, and here's a true story to demonstrate it. A driver noticed his vehicle was due for an oil change, so he took it in to his service facility early in the morning so he could wait while the work was performed. The technician routinely checks the battery on vehicles just before extreme weather is approaching (cold or hot), so with winter coming up, he hooked up the load tester (it measures voltage while a load is put on the battery). It showed the battery wasn't holding a charge well. The technician checked the manufacturing date on the battery, too (most batteries have a date stamped in code somewhere on them). The date showed it was five years old. While batteries can last more than five years, many technicians say you should expect to get anywhere from three to s ... read more
Posted on 3/20/2022
Part of the engineering that goes into designing a vehicle is testing the components to ensure that they meet durability and safety standards. Because of this, manufacturers have a good idea as to how long the parts in your vehicle will last under normal driving conditions. For this reason, they give us guidelines to follow regarding how often to inspect the various parts and systems on our vehicles.Vehicular components are required to meet certain standards. The government mandates some of these standards. Others are set by the auto industry. Recommended car maintenance schedules are designed to help NAPLES vehicle owners maintain these standards. Disregarding routine maintenance or procrastinating preventive maintenance will result in lowered performance and reduced safety for a vehicle.Maintenance schedules are designed to ensure three areas of automotive performance for NAPLES drivers: protection of the vehicle itself, efficiency and safety. Protection ... read more
Posted on 3/13/2022
Your vehicle may be like that famous battery bunny, the one that just keeps going and going. But while it may seem sometimes like you never need to take your vehicle in to be worked on, there are some things you should keep your eyes, ears and nose out for. They are warning you about something that needs attention at your vehicle service facility. If a warning light is on, don't ignore it; do something about it. There are warning lights for battery, oil, engine heat, tire pressure… you name it. And the manufacturer put them there for a reason. They're telling you something isn't normal. So when one goes on, have it checked out soon, especially the blinking Check Engine light. The earlier you have any warning light issue diagnosed, the more likely you are to avoid a more serious problem. If your vehicle is vibrating or shaking, it's not only annoying, it could signal trouble. You can bet your vehicle didn't do that when it came out of the fact ... read more
Posted on 3/6/2022
Most would agree they'd rather drive around in a clean, shiny vehicle than one coated with a layer of dirt. When warmer weather comes around, some of us are bound and determined to wash our own vehicles. And to protect the paint and its luster, there are a few things to keep in mind when you get out the bucket and soap. Cool body. It's not a good idea to wash a vehicle when the body is hot. If it's been sitting out in the sun or you've been riding around on a sunny day, make sure you cool your vehicle off by either moving it to the shade or wetting it down with cool water. The problem with washing a hot vehicle is that it's going to dry so fast, minerals in the water can form hard-to-remove spots on the paint. And some of those can be really difficult to get out. Best to avoid it. Slippery when wet. Make sure you wet your vehicle down thoroughly before you get the washing mitt out. Experts keep a couple of buckets of soapy water on hand ... read more