Tag Archives: auto maintenance

Getting Ready for the Cold

Posted on by
Reply

ID-100109424

The cold should be coming soon to New York.  Hopefully, maybe, it just may.  It will happen eventually, and now may be the best time to make sure your car is ready for it.  Here is some useful things you can do to help your car when it comes time to turn on the heater.

  • Check your vehicle’s antifreeze.  Low temperatures can do some serious damage to your vehicle.  Make sure the antifreeze is at the right amount to ensure this doesn’t happen.  Also know what the effectiveness of your antifreeze is so that you are aware of the safe temperature range it has.
  • Inspect the vehicle’s hoses.  Pop the hood and look over the hoses.  Check for bumps or soft spots in the hoses.  If there are any cracks or issues, it can cause damage to your engine at the worst possible moment.  Not that there is any such thing as the right possible moment for an engine to break down.
  • Look at your air pressure and the treat on the tires.  This is what will be keeping you on the road during the cold.  A classic test for the tire tread is by using a penny.  Put the currency in the groove and see if the Lincoln Memorial is covered.  If not, time to contact a service center about getting some better tires.
  • Check the battery.  Colder weather can provide one mean workout to a battery.  If it is already weakened, then a winter this cold could be the final straw.

If you need to schedule a time for your vehicle to be serviced, contact us at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge.  You can also download our mobile app to schedule a time and keep an eye on the status of your vehicle once it’s been taken in.  Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more service tips and specials.

When to Replace Your Cabin’s Air Filter

Posted on by
Reply

ID-10085780

We’ve been covering vehicle tune up questions of a lesser known matter.  One that does tend to not get talked about is the cabin air filter.  Do you know when you should replace this filter?

As is the case with many of these, the length of time or miles driven in the vehicle before something needs to be changed or replaced differs depending on the automaker.  Some will say 12,000 miles while others may say 15,000.  For that reason, make sure to check the owner’s manual to see what is recommended for your model car.

Bear in mind that the number may also be influenced by the amount of driving you do and the location in which you do said driving.  For New York City drivers, the cabin air filter will need to be changed more frequently than that of someone in a rural location who doesn’t drive as much.  It can vary based on the air quality of the environment the car is driven in as well as the amount of driving done.

To see if your cabin air filter is acting up and needs to be replaced outside the regular check-ups; there are signs to see if it is becoming more and more ineffective.  One surefire sign is the smell.  Another is listening to the fan when you turn it up high.  If it is making a loud noise and not much air is being pushed out, that could mean the filter has gone bad.

If you need help getting a vehicle’s cabin air filter checked or replaced, schedule a time to be seen in our service department to set up an appointment time to be seen.  Be sure to by liking Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge on Facebook, following on Twitter, or subscribing on YouTube.

Cold Weather Auto Maintenance Tips

Posted on by
Reply

ID-10085780

Winter just doesn’t want to go away.  Cold weather has been hanging around for so long that I’m starting to wonder if we’ve just entered the world of Day After Tomorrow.  The tidal wave could come any moment.  That means that it is time to make sure that your car can contend with the continuous cold and survive until the New York summer gets here.  Survive the cold that is, I don’t think you can tidal wave-proof your vehicle.

Check your vehicle’s antifreeze.  Low temperatures can do some serious damage to your vehicle.  Make sure the antifreeze is at the right amount to ensure this doesn’t happen.  Also know what the effectiveness of your antifreeze is so that you are aware of the safe temperature range it has.

Inspect the vehicle’s hoses.  Pop the hood and look over the hoses.  Check for bumps or soft spots in the hoses.  If there are any cracks or issues, it can cause damage to your engine at the worst possible moment.  Not that there is any such thing as the right possible moment for an engine to break down.

Look at your air pressure and the treat on the tires.  This is what will be keeping you on the road during the cold.  A classic test for the tire tread is by using a penny.  Put the currency in the groove and see if the Lincoln Memorial is covered.  If not, time to contact a service center about getting some better tires.

Check the battery.  Colder weather can provide one mean workout to a battery.  If it is already weakened, then a winter this cold could be the final straw.

There’s plenty of more tips to keep in mind in confronting a new cold front coming into the New York area.  Check out some more here.

If you need to schedule a time for your vehicle to be serviced, contact us at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge.  You can also download our mobile app to schedule a time and keep an eye on the status of your vehicle once it’s been taken in.  Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more service tips and specials.