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Yearly Archives: 2021

​​How to Winterize Your Vehicle

​​How to Winterize Your Vehicle

It's December, which means the cold winter is on its way. Before anything else, you need to consider winterizing your vehicle. These steps are necessary to keep your vehicle performing its best during the cold months in Colorado Springs, CO. If the roads tend to get snowy or icy where you live, please pay attention to the following tips.   10 Tips to Winterize Your Vehicle  Cold weather slows down your battery processes and capacity. Have a professional test your battery to see if it needs replacing, charging or cleaning before the season sets in. Properly functioning windshield wipers and an ample supply of wiper fluid are a must this time of year, as you need a clear line of sight to see. Consider swapping out your regular all-season tires for winter tires. Winter tires provide more traction in wet or slushy road conditions. The cold will also cause the air pressure in your tires to decrease. Please have a pressure gauge on you and refill your tires (if needed) to ... read more

4 Fall/Winter Maintenance Tips for Your Car's Cooling System

4 Fall/Winter Maintenance Tips for Your Car's Cooling System

Fall is officially here in Colorado Springs, CO and another cold winter is on the way. While we can't stress it enough, now is the perfect time to check up on your vehicle before the cold kicks in. One major component that should be inspected is your cooling system. The cooling system is responsible for keeping your engine from overheating while it is hard at work. However, it also protects your engine and its components from the cold. Ultimately, you can think of it as a temperature regulation system for the motor. In other words, it's working hard in every season. Here are some helpful tips to follow this Fall and Winter to protect your cooling system! Tip #1 - Look Out for Coolant Leaks Leaks of radiator fluid, or coolant, can be pretty common. This solution is typically bright in color and easy to identify below the vehicle. If you notice any fluid leak, you should have a professional mechanic check it out to ensure it doesn't lead to significant problems down the li ... read more

Are Your Spark Plugs Doing Their Job?

Are Your Spark Plugs Doing Their Job?

You can say goodbye to football tailgates, trips to the pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating events, and all your other fall plans if you don't have good, working spark plugs. These small yet vital pieces screw into each of your engine cylinders to make your vehicle 'go.' They provide the spark necessary to ignite the engine's fuel and air mixture and ensure the process is healthy, safe, and economical. Over time, they weaken due to constant usage. It can be due to various factors, including the accumulation of engine debris, extreme environmental pressures, and even accidents. Here are some of the symptoms of weak or aging spark plugs: Engine Misfires: If your motor is misfiring, it may be due to the electrodes of your spark plugs wearing down. At some point, they won't be able to ignite the fuel and air. Poor Acceleration - If you're experiencing a sluggish or slow-responding acceleration, especially at city speeds, this can mean that the ignition coils in your ... read more

​​How to Clean Your Battery Terminals

​​How to Clean Your Battery Terminals

We all have our car cleaning routines, but have you ever considered cleaning the parts under the hood? For instance, your battery can be prone to corrosive build-up on its terminals, and it can worsen to the point where you get no charge altogether. We recommend that you regularly clean your battery terminals to ensure your battery lasts longer and performs stronger! Below is our unbeatable method of cleaning your battery terminals.   What You'll Need Protective gloves Baking soda Water Old toothbrush Petroleum jelly Rag STEP 1: Mix Up Your Cleaning Solution Combine one tablespoon of baking soda in one cup of water, and stir it together until it's thoroughly mixed. STEP 2: Undo the Cables Before you do anything, please make sure your engine is off. It would be best if you separated the negative battery cable first then the positive. They are usually different colors, so be sure to refer to your owner's manual to be sure. Build-up, battery corrosion, and grim ... read more

Packing Tips for Your Next Road Trip

Packing Tips for Your Next Road Trip

With Labor Day coming up, most of us are hitting the road for a weekend trip. However, we guarantee that you won't be looking forward to the packing itself. Our procrastination often leads to overpacking, and the next thing you know, you are struggling to stuff the back of your trunk. It takes skill and patience to safely and effectively pack your vehicle, and we are here to tell you how! These are our top tips on how to pack your car for your upcoming road trip:   #1: Clear Out Your Car Before you do any packing, you must start with a cleaned-out vehicle. This chore entails removing everything from the cabin and trunk that you don't need for the course of the trip, such as your trash, clunky gear, or your children's toys.   #2: Get Packing the Night Before We recommend packing up the car the night before the trip or as in advance as possible. As a result, you can begin the journey without stress.   #3: Carry Soft Baggage Soft luggage, such as duffle ... read more

3 Transmission Problems You Can't Ignore

3 Transmission Problems You Can't Ignore

Your vehicle's transmission is designed to (either manually or automatically) shift your car into the right gear and keep your vehicle running smoothly. How do you know when it has troubles? Well, imagine you're about to park your car when you get home. As you put the car in reverse, a jerking noise is made with shifting gears. The sound and jerk last merely a few seconds, but you're able to park the car without any other problems, hoping your transmission is not blown to pieces. That is simply an instance that begins the start of transmission problems.   3 Common Symptoms of Transmission Trouble   1. Transmission Has Difficulty Shifting Gears - If you notice when you're behind the wheel and your gears change from reverse to neutral for no apparent reason, then that is a clear sign of a transmission issue. Another symptom related to this is if your car is not accelerating fast enough or struggling to accelerate. You should observe any delays between shifti ... read more

Fun Road Trip Game Ideas for Your Kids

Fun Road Trip Game Ideas for Your Kids

  Traveling on the road with children can be a headache sometimes, but we advise you to make it fun this summer! Shake things up this summer with you and your family by playing some fun games on the road. Here are some ideas to keep your kids' screen time down or from asking the infamous question: "Are we there yet?"   Name That Song This game is perfect for those music-loving families. Name That Song is relatively self-explanatory. The adult can play tunes through a chosen playlist or radio. Every time a different song comes on, test your knowledge and be the first to shout out the song's artist and the song's title. Whoever can name the most songs at the end of the journey wins the game!   I Spy One of the children can be nominated to be "it," and they get to choose a specific thing in the car to center on. The other kids will take turns guessing clues until somebody correctly guesses the object selected by "it."   ... read more

Top Signs Your Vehicle Needs Brake Service

Top Signs Your Vehicle Needs Brake Service

Safety should be every driver's number one priority, and one of the main safety features of a car is the ability to be able to stop quickly, within seconds. In order for you and your passengers to be as safe as possible in your vehicle, you must make sure your brakes are in top working condition. Below, we have listed 5 top signs that your vehicle may need its brakes exchanged for new ones or at least to be inspected and possibly repaired. 1. Squealing or grinding noises: this indicates that your brakes are worn down, causing the metal to grind against metal. This indicates your brake pads should be replaced in the very near future. 2. Pulling: uneven wear on the brake pads could cause your vehicle to either swerve or pull to one side as you apply the brakes while driving. This could be highly dangerous, and you want to get it taken care of as soon as possible. 3. Soft brake pedal: if your brake pedal feels out of the ordinary, this may not necessarily mean that your brake pads ... read more

Does My Car Really Need Factory Recommended Services?

Does My Car Really Need Factory Recommended Services?

Getting a car is a big investment and for some, it's a necessary part of life. You're told to perform the recommended maintenance services on a regular basis, but is it really necessary? Well, your car probably won't explode but these services benefit you in the long run. 3 Reasons To Service Your Car Regularly 1. Extend the Life of Your Car The purpose of checking your transmission, rotating your tires and replacing your fluids is to keep your car running properly for longer. If you don't do these things, even if it doesn't put you in any danger -- although it might -- it wears down parts of your car that might've lasted longer if you performed these simple maintenance procedures. 2. Save You Money in the Future Having your car checked and maintained can save you from having to do costly repairs in the future. Catching a problem early is always more cost-effective than trying to fix something after the problem has gotten much worse. Maintenance services pu ... read more

Your Car's 7 Most Important Safety Features

Your Car's 7 Most Important Safety Features

When we drive around in our cars, trucks and SUVs, we want to feel safe. We hope the design and performance of vehicle help to avoid any accidents. However, if we are in an accident, we want to feel like we will be as protected as possible. Here are 7 of the most important safety features in your car. It's important to understand these systems and make sure you are taking care of the necessary maintenance and repairs that will eventually help take better care of you and your passengers. 1. Antilock Braking System (ABS) All modern vehicles feature an antilock braking system that prevents the brakes from locking up when coming to a quick and violent stop. If the brakes were to lock up, the car could skid out of control and lead to a bad accident. It's important to keep your entire brake system ... read more

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