Easiest Way to Kill a Car? Forget Your Oil Change

It’s true that the old “every 3000 mile” rule has changed over the years.  Depending on the car, and depending on the type of oil, the frequency with which you change your oil may not be “3000 miles,” but ya gotta do it.  

 

It’s just oil… as long as it’s slippery – what’s the big deal?  The big deal is that as you turn your car on and off, that oil is not only trying to lubricate everything, but also clean the system as well.  Many new oils contain detergents that keep sludge from building up, and it’s the sludge that can cause big problems. 

Also, consider your commute.  If you’re one of those people that starts the car, drives 5 or 6 minutes, and you’re at your destination… you may need oil changes more frequently than that nice round number.  If your engine doesn’t fully heat up, your oil isn’t going to make it all the way through the places it needs to go.

Most importantly, if you goof this one up… that big fancy warranty probably isn’t going to cover it.  Proper, routine oil changes are your responsibility, and missing one could void the whole warranty.

Doesn’t take long… and it will save your engine

Stop Winter Stopping Problems

OK, so the seasons are going to change.  We can’t stop that.  However, it’s not a bad idea to do something about your brakes so you can’t count on stopping during winter.  

Before we even talk about the brakes themselves, let’s make sure the brake fluid is at the proper levels.  Your brake fluid is the stuff that is actually moving the pistons around to apply pressure and make your brakes work.  Fluids will move slowly in the winter, and if the levels are off, that can add up to a number of problems.  The brakes themselves may be fine, but if the brake fluid is leaking, low, or just not there… you will definitely have some challenges. 

Another consideration are the shoes.  No… not the brake shoes, but your shoes.  Believe it or not, many accidents occur each year because people have on wet, slippery shoes.  Their feet slide off the edge, and there just isn’t time to recover.  So… dry your shoes. 

And, of course, know what type of brakes you have.  If they are standard brakes, you’ll need to pump them slightly on slippery roads.  If you have an anti-lock brakes (ABS), the brakes will do the pumping for you.  Just apply as normal, and always keep eye contact with the road. 

Yes, your brakes are important… but the other things around the brakes are just as vital.  Stay safe!

New Car Vs. Used Car

Should you buy a new car… or should you buy a used car?  The answer is:  It depends. Sorry.

Let’s look at some of the things that may help you make your decision.

This could be a great used car...right?

New cars today do have very impressive warranties.  And, quite frankly, new cars built today are built much better than they were a generation ago.  But, used cars also come with warranties.  Sometimes it’s the remainder of the hefty warranty from when it was new, and other times you can purchase an additional warranty for used cars.

Used cars are always cheaper than new cars… in a perfect world.  But, if you’ve learned anything about the economy in the past few years… things aren’t always what they seem.  Interest rates on new cars can be quite low right now, sometimes even 0%.  Interest rates on used cars are almost never as low as new, which could mean both a higher payment each month, and a higher total cost of the car at the end of the loan.

New cars are typically in top condition, and your risk of something going wrong should be relatively low.  However, with so many manufacturers offering pre-certified used cars, the risk of trouble with many used cars is also relatively low.

On a strict apples-to-apples comparison, a good used car will almost always be the better financial deal.  But, according to bankrate.com, if you expect to hang onto a car longer than most, and are looking for a more robust warranty, a new car may make more sense.  BankRate, Edmunds, and Cars.com all have great tools to help you through the process.

Brake Problems for You are Problems for All

Getting a car to go is half of the equation of driving.  The other half is getting it to stop.  We recommend very strongly that you have the “stop” part in place well before you ever try the “go” part.

 

The problems with brake problems is they almost never suddenly happen.  Brakes are always getting progressively worse, and they’re never quite as good as they were on day one.

Little by little your brakes begin to wear down.  Stopping takes longer and longer, and next thing you know you’re sitting in the middle of the intersection.

Your brakes are equipped with a funny little feature:  an alarm that goes off when the brakes are wearing down.  It’s that squeal you hear, and it’s trying to tell you something.   We don’t recommend you wait for that alarm, however.  A good mechanic will make it a point to really check your brakes whenever you are getting an oil change. 

Finally, consider this odd occurrence recently out west.  A car going down a hill in California actually started a brush fire when a small piece of metal flaked off of its brakes and landed in the dry grass.  Firefighters say this is not all that unusual.  So, keep in mind that bad brakes cause bad problems for you, people around you, and Smokey Bear.

Brake fluid, Unicorns, and Other Myths

The brake fluid is low… so just add some more, right?  We get that a lot at U.S. Automotive, but unfortunately brake fluid isn’t the same as coolant or even your oil.  If your brake fluid is low, something might be wrong. 

 

Topping off your Brake Fluid could mask larger issues

Here’s what’s going on:  As your brakes start to wear down, more fluid is needed to fill the caliper space.  You don’t need to know all those details, but you do need to know that just “topping off” the brake fluid could end up masking something important.

Brake fluid is actually helping the hydraulics in your system apply pressure to the brakes.  It’s a good idea to flush and change the brake fluid every couple of years, but it’s not always a good idea to just add some extra just so your little light goes off. 

If you do add some, it’s always important to release the old stuff when you have any work done on your brakes.  It’s the kind of thing that could make the difference between a nice parking job, and driving through the window of the flower shop.  As always, if you think something just doesn’t seem right, bring it on in and we’ll be happyto take a look.

Here’s to safe driving!

Distracted by Distractions

First of all, if you’re reading this article while driving… stop it.  Secondly, although texting and phone calls have gotten quite a bit of attention when the topic of distracted driving comes up, it seems that there are other things that can take your eyes off the road.

A new study shows that parents are at risk of distracted driving because of the simple fact that their kids are in the car with them.  Australian researchers found that in a 16 minute trip, the average parent takes his or her eyes off the main job of driving for a total of three minutes and 22 seconds.  In fact, babies in the car can be eight times as distracting as just having an adult sitting next to you.

This bundle of joy is a HUGE distraction!

While it’s not practical to NOT have your kids in the car, it’s also impossible to leave home the other thing that has been cited.  Your own daydreaming brain.  

According to Erie Insurance Group, 62 percent of the crashes that were caused by distracted driving can be attributed to people being lost in thought.  Daydreaming. 

Distracted driving is a pretty serious problem, and the more buttons, lights, sounds, and devices that are put into are cars, the bigger the problem seems to get.  Despite all the technology that is out there, it’s important to remember your number one job while driving… is to drive.

Are Your Brakes Crying for Help?

Your brakes know how to talk to you, but are your listening?

Maybe someday we’ll get to the point where our cars are regularly talking to us and giving us advice but, unless your name is David Hasselhoff, that is still years away.  In the meantime, turn down the tunes and listen to your brakes.

"Michael, my brakes need to be replaced!"

There’s a nifty little “warning strip” in your disc brakes that lets out a cry when trouble may be near.  If your brakes are squealing, the best thing you can do is have them checked right away.  The truth is, the story only gets worse the longer you wait.

Once the warning strip gets worn down, the squealing will stop.  That doesn’t mean the problem went away because the next thing that you’ll both hear and feel is grinding.  That grinding means you are about to do damage to the rotors and the brake drums.  After that, the trouble only gets worse and the car starts to pull from one side to the other.  When that starts happening, the bill starts going up.

So, the next time your brakes start to cry, you can either take care of it now and save money… or wait until you’ve got big problems and a big bill.

Who will be crying then?

A Car Crash Test That’s Not So Dumb

 

We’ve all seen the films of cars driving straight into a brick wall, while airbags deploy and a computerized mannequin bounces around inside.  The only problem is, people don’t drive in straight lines and crash into a straight wall.  That’s why the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is experimenting with something called “location based” crash tests.

This doesn’t mean they smash a car up on the streets of St. Louis, instead cars are being equipped with a unique monitor that will determine where a car was positioned when modern crash avoidance technology kicks in. 

Scientists are working with engineers to constantly improve data in features that act like a second set of eyes on the road.  Some of these systems alert you when you’re too close to another vehicle, while others will even apply the brakes.  Lane departure warnings were intended to alert you when you started to drift into another lane, but the new location based tests are suggesting that one may be getting inaccurate information.

While these fancy things are designed to keep you safe, there’s no guarantee that your insurance company will be impressed.  According to insurance.com, major insurance companies don’t seem to be offering any discounts for these things.  So, it’s best to always keep your eyes on the road.