The safety, security, and performance of your new car Superior Auto Group car is crucial if you desire to travel without fault. In order to ensure that each of these elements are at their highest quality you must ensure that you are constantly maintaining every element of your new car or truck.
The problem is that many people will neglect to follow up on common vehicle problems unless these problems hinder the operation of their vehicle. This is the worse thing you can do. A problem which may seem small right now could erupt into an even larger scale problem that could ultimately cost you a great deal more money than if you would have corrected the issue when it first was revealed.
One problem that many people attempt to avoid dealing with is issues with their vehicles air intake system. If you remember one thing about this article it should be this:
“The air intake mechanism in your vehicle can’t be ignored! Ignoring this element could cause additional damage to your vehicle and could also render it useless.”
What Can Happen If I Don’t Repair Or Replace My Damaged Air Intake System?
Deposits can accumulate on air intake valves, fuel injectors, and combustion chambers. When this happens, your vehicle could lose power and be rendered useless. You could also experience a misfire, knocking, or a rough idle. Finally, you may have avery hard time starting your car.
What Do I Do If I Am Experiencing Issues With My Air Intake System?
If you are experiencing issues with your vehicles air intake system you should immediately stop driving the vehicle and should immediately correct the issue. You can attempt to clean the air intake mechanism on your own or you can take your vehicle to a trained specialist who can repair and clean or replace your vehicles air intake mechanism for you.
The good news is that a new air intake system is inexpensive and can generally be replaced with little effort. Even if you choose to carry out this task on your own, you will quickly discover that it is a very simplistic process. Additionally, you will quickly be pleased with the manner in which your vehicle will operate once you have cleaned, repaired, or replaced your damage system.
Here’s a fun little video to show you how easy it is to clean your new car’s air intake system: (Yes, I know the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car.)
If you have any more questions or need a little assistance, just see any Superior Auto Group location.
If the Superior Automotive Group were to give you a hint on what your resolutions should include this year, make it to make regular auto maintenance check-ups and service all the automotive liquids. That means your oil, coolant, power steering fluid, and transmission liquids. Make checking your tires a habit too.
Refer to your new car owner’s manual often. The new car owner manual is like the bible of your vehicle. If you don’t already have one, get one. You’ll wish you had one if your car breaks down. There is a lot of trouble shooting you can do when you consult your manual.
Your car engine will thank you with better performance and quicker reaction times, which is an essential part of keeping you and your family and friends safe on the road. Make yourself aware of this info. It may save the life of your engine one day. It will save you money on gas and auto maintenance.
Choose the right fuel. Your vehicle is designed to take regular unleaded fuel, which will have this symbol (87) on the pump at the gas station. The 87 symbol refers to the level of octane in the fuel. Using lower grade of fuel will jack up your car engine and will cause heavy knocking, which could easily damage your engine.
Higher grade fuels will protect your fuel system from rusting and protect against fuel lock in the fuel system (causes engine to hesitate/stall and hard to restart). In addition, it will minimize fuel deposits in fuel injection system, and prevent your engine from knocking/pinging.
Finally, increase you gas mileage by not driving at life-threatening highway speeds. That can dramatically lower your fuel economy. Plus, gradually increasing your speed will save you precious fuel. And the way gas prices have been, it is nice not having to cram all your money into your gas tank. Extended idling of your engine will lower your miles per gallon.
All of us at the Superior Automotive Group hopes theses tips allow you to spend more time with your family and friends. As well as save money on gas, and auto maintenance.
We all are guilty of letting our automobiles go at times. Even us here at the Superior Automotive Group. ”Meh, what’s a little dirt gonna’ hurt?” Well it could do quite a bit of damage to your clear coat and paint. Since I plan on washing MY car this weekend, I did a little research and found these great car washing tips.
Proper Washing
1. Wash the wheels and tires first. If you splash wheel cleaners or dirt onto your vehicle, you can simply wash it off as you wash your vehicle. Use a cleaner that water-based and has no corrosive chemicals, which is safer for coated wheels and rubber. Agitate with a wheel brush to clean wheels without scratching. Wash each wheel and tire one at a time and rinse thoroughly before moving on to the next one.
2. Now you’re ready to wash. It’s important to use a car wash that is rich in lubricants. The purpose of the car wash is to remove contaminants and lubricate them so they do not scratch the paint as they slide off the vehicle. Dish detergents are not ideal because they remove protective coatings. (This was news to me.)
3. How do you prevent swirl marks? Use two buckets. Fill one bucket with soapy water and fill the other with clean water. Each time you’re ready to reload your sponge with soapy water, dip it in the clean water first, to rinse out the grit and contamination you’ve just removed from your vehicle. Then dip it in the soapy water and continue washing.
4. Always rinse your vehicle thoroughly before you begin washing in order to remove loose debris. Then begin washing at the top of the vehicle. Wash down the vehicle as opposed to front to back. Remember that the lower panels are dirtiest. You want to clean the windows and the upper panels before cleaning the lower half of the vehicle so that you don’t transfer grit to the top half of the vehicle. Rinse and reload your sponge often to prevent cross-contamination. Rinse your vehicle frequently as you work, especially in hot weather.
5. When rinsing, you don’t have to blast your car clean with the water hose. Free-flowing water (no nozzle) will allow the water to sheet off of your vehicle for a more thorough rinsing.
Drying
Never skip drying! Drying your vehicle after washing is necessary to prevent water spots. Water spots are caused by mineral deposits that etch the outline of a drop of water into your vehicle’s paint. All water has minerals, whether it’s from the hose or the sky. As the water evaporates, the minerals remain on the surface and they will eventually, invariably create water spots.
You can dry your vehicle in a variety of ways, but you want to make sure you do it quickly. Try a microfiber towel, they absorb 7 times its own weight in moisture, and it’s completely nonabrasive. Microfiber is more absorbent than terry cloth or chamois, and it lasts longer.
Terry cloth towels are not recommended because the fibers can become matted and hard after repeated uses. They shed lint. They increase the chance of swirls. Compared to microfiber, they are not as absorbent and they don’t last as long. Never use bath towels that have been discarded from the house.
So Nitrogen in your tires….That sounds odd. Cincinnati car dealerships are seeing a lot of requests for nitrogen filling options for their tires. Not sure what the fuss is about? Are you wondering what it can do for your tires? Well nitrogen filled tires are not necessarily the latest, but the could be greatest craze right now. Did you know that nitrogen is all around us? Of course you did, you passed 8th grade science. Technically speaking, the air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and small amounts of other gasses. Science class over.
So what’s this big hubbub about nitrogen? Well, actually, nitrogen is said to have many advantages over oxygen when it comes to tire inflation. Nitrogen enhances handling, improves fuel efficiency, extends tire life, provides cooler running tire temperatures and can keep you safer on the roads….. Overall, filling up with nitrogen won’t hurt and may provide benefits. It’s really up to you to decide what you’d rather have. It is important to note that nitrogen is more expensive than ai (as air typically costs nothing)r, so be prepared for tha added expenset. But here’s the deal on that too. the added expense. You see, nitrogen particles are bigger than those of oxygen so they don’t pass through the tire wall as easily. Check out the diagram.
Here are a few stats on Nitrogen.
Maintain proper tire pressure with nitrogen, and you’ll see these three primary benefits:
• Increased Fuel Efficiency – Correct tire pressure keeps the manufacturer’s recommended “contact patch” on the road. This lessens the rolling resistance and maximizes fuel efficiency.
• Longer Tire Life – When it comes in contact with other materials, oxygen causes oxidation. Oxidation can make rubber brittle and cause it to lose tensile strength. In addition, at high temperatures and pressures, oxygen reacts and damages inner tire liners and belt packages; nitrogen does not.
• Increased Safety – Under-inflated tires cause 90% of blowouts. Nitrogen provides more reliable pressure for reduced blowout potential. Go to getnitrogen.org for more info.
Check out this video with Jay Leno on Nitrogen filled tires. Yes. Jay Leno.
Looking for a shot of nitrogen? Give your Cincinnati car dealer a shout and we can probably help out.
As your favorite car dealership in Cincinnati we want you to know that your car most certainly has things that require immediate maintenance or else they could be a very big danger to you, especially if you frequently take long trips or travel long distances frequently. Now, you may not know anything about your new car other than the color and how to position the mirrors, so you’ll just have to believe me when I tell you that…
Your timing belt is the weakest link of your engine!
Too Extreme? Well, maybe if your engine has less than 100,000 miles on it. However, the mere mention of its name should fill you with spine tingling fear. Why? A worn timing belt will quickly deteriorate into a BROKEN timing belt which could then result in catastrophic engine damage.
Timing belt service is not inexpensive and trying to save money going for the lowest bidder can be a prelude to disaster. I suggest using top quality parts, done by a mechanic that knows your type of vehicle. They will know if there are common faults that prevent the service from lasting through another full service cycle.
SPOILER ALERT! – Typically, thousands upon thousands of dollars in damage is done when a timing belt fails. Many times the engine is destroyed.
Don’t believe me? Watch this!
Even though you may have a new car, remember, the weakest link is the one that takes the rest with it. That’s just one of the reasons you follow the manufacturers recommended mileage intervals for timing belt replacement, so an experienced mechanic can inspect the timing components to ensure they ALL can keep on driving with confidence.
The cost for timing belt service will differ depending on model and components required. Be sure to read your owner’s manual to see the actual mileage that your vehicle is suggested to have it’s timing belt serviced, if you have reached or surpassed that mileage, bring your vehicle into Best Choice Automotive, and we can help you out!
As a new car dealership in Cincinnati, Superior has seen our fair share of engine issues. If you’ve never experienced an engine overheating, you are lucky, enjoy it, because you certainly won’t when you’re stranded. Needless to say this is not the most pleasant event in the world and can quickly lead to panic. STOP! Remaining cool is always the best way to solve any type of problem. So, how do you remain calm when you start to see your engine temperature rising and steam comes whistling out from under your hood? By knowing exactly what to do. Memorize these steps. I promise it will help you remain calm and avoid further damaging your vehicle when it overheats.
How to Handle an Overheating Car
AC off, heater on. Turn your heater on full blast to help drain some of the heat from the engine.
Pull over and turn the engine off. If there’s shade around, park under it. This will help you and your car keep cool.
Lift the hood. Unless you see steam coming out, lift the hood to help the engine cool down. Do not touch the radiator cap or pour cool water on the engine!
Wait. It’ll take about 30 minutes to an hour for the engine to cool down. If you’re planning on calling AAA or some other roadside assistance, now’s the time.
Check the coolant tank. It’s a translucent plastic tank located under the hood, near the radiator. If it’s empty, suspect a leak, which you’ll be able to detect if there’s liquid dripping from under the engine. Engines are designed to use coolant that’s a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water. If you have coolant in the right mixture, you can add it to the coolant tank or the radiator–but only after it‘s cool to the touch. If you don’t have coolant, you can simply pour water into the coolant tank so you can limp along to a repair shop. On the other hand, if there’s plenty of coolant in the tank, the overheating could be caused by an electrical or mechanical problem. Adding more coolant won’t help. [Consumer Reports]
Take the car to Superior. This step can be skipped, but I really don’t recommend it. You probably wouldn’t skip a trip to the doctor after a heat stroke, would you? In a lot of cases, the radiator is probably low on fluid, but it could also be something much worse. Better safe than sorry.
Why is your car overheating? Check out this video:
Remember, cars overheat all the time. The important thing to do is remain calm by knowing how to handle the situation. Give any Superior Dealership a call if you have any questions.
The Superior Automotive Group want’s you to know that changing your new car’s oil is one of those things that you need to be sure to get done regularly to help maintain the operations of your car’s engine. The motor oil keeps your engine lubricated, and all the major components working smoothly. Over time, constant heat and pressure in your engine will start to turn your motor oil into a dirty sludge, which is why you need to change your oil every 3,000 miles or three months. Of course, a lot of drivers will go past this mark, or simply forget about changing their oil, and the next thing you know you are stuck with an engine that won’t crank.
If you have bought a new car then you should get in the habit of getting regular and on time oil changes. Oil technology has changed a lot over the last few decades and there are more choices than ever to choose what goes into your car. From synthetic to conventional, high mileage to high performance, you can now choose a motor oil that will keep your car running longer and smoother. So what oil should you choose to put in your car? Your owner’s manual will have the listing for the correct viscosity for your car, so this is the place to start. A lot of people don’t know what the numbers mean for their oil. It has to do with the viscosity at certain temperatures. For instance, 5W-20 means that the thickness rating is 5 in cold weather, 20 in warm weather, and the “W” means it is specified to work in wintry conditions.
Now that you know what rating of oil to use, it is up to you to decide what to put in your engine. If you are a high volume driver, then you should probably look into oils that are made to go longer between oil changes. If your car has over 75,000 miles, then you should look at high mileage oils that help keep your engine clean. When it comes to synthetic versus conventional, it is entirely up to you. Synthetic oil will not damage your car, even if you are replacing conventional oil.
We have all hopped in our car at one point or another, put in the key in the ignition, gave the old girl a crank and been met with an engine that won’t turn. Instead you get that the most terrifying sound in the world…”CLICK”. Dead battery…bummer. Car batteries, like tires and oil, need to be changed more often than any other part of your car, but you usually won’t know when to change it until it’s too late and you are stuck in a near deserted parking lot 40 miles from home. You have three options, getting a jump from someone, call a tow truck too take your car to the shop or walk.
Before you have to make any of these decisions, a little battery maintenance will go a long way in getting the most amps out of it.
This is a handy trick. If you have poor pole contact, you are going to have a temperamental battery. Keep your battery terminals clean. No doubt you’ve popped your hood before and have seen the blue/white battery acid buildup on your pole and connectors. You can fix that! The most common way of doing this is with a wire brush and a solution of baking soda and water. This will help you get rid of all the corrosive build up which may be hurting the connection of your battery. If you don’t have baking soda, then you can use regular soda like Coke. Yup, is there anything that stuff can’t do? All soda’s have carbonic acid which will help get rid of any corrosion. Just pour it on the battery terminals, but be sure to wipe off the sticky residue with a damp cloth or sponge after it has dried.
What if your battery is dead but you are in an area where you can’t get it charged? There are a few things you can put inside your battery to help get you one last burst of energy to get you to a place with where you can get a new battery. One way is to put two aspirin into the battery. The aspirin reacts with the acid and will give you one last big boost to get your car turned on. You can also do the same thing with Epsom salt. Dissolve an ounce of Epsom salt in warm water, and then add the mixture to your battery to extend it’s life for a little bit.
With the cold weather coming, you may experience battery problems, so be sure to change your battery now if you haven’t done so in the last 6 months or year. If you are having serious battery issues, then it might not be your battery at all, but your alternator…but that’s another post. If you need ANY come into any Superior Automotive Center location.
WHAT’S THE RATTLE? DO YOU HEAR THAT CLUNK? WHENEVER I PUSH ACCELERATE, IT SPUTTERS. As a Cincinnati car owner, there will come a time when the inevitable will happen…repairs. Really, no one is immune to the occasional breakdown. A great way to save money on your car is to learn some basic auto care and maintenance on your own. From changing your headlights and windshield wipers, to doing your own oil changes, you can save a lot of money compared to taking your car into the shop for regular replacement or repair issues.
WARNING!!! Only attempt this at your own risk!!!
If you do attempt these tasks, you may find yourself wanting to fix more and more, but before you jump in over your head, there are some steps that you should know before you hurt yourself, or your car.
The first thing you should do if starting work on your car is to start simple. Don’t expect to change your steering fluid and then fix your transmission. Start with the easy things, then you can move up to changing your battery, spark plugs, and belts. Keep in mind that any work that do could do more damage to your car.
Before you do anything, do your homework. Read thoroughly about your repair, watch videos and be sure you have an excellent example before you begin your job. Remember, if you don’t know what you are doing ask for advice, or bring it to Superior for assistance.
Remember, the job isn’t finished until after cleanup. Know how to get rid of any toxic materials that you remove from your car before you start your project.
Again, if you think you are going to be getting in over your head then be sure to come into Superior Cars.
Here’s a test to check your car’s alignment, Cincinnati. Drive yournew or used car down a long, straight stretch of highway, if you feel like you are fighting to keep your vehicle going in a straight line, or more to the point, fee your car pull to one side or the other then you are most likely dealing with wheel alignment issues. Another dead giveaway is that your steering wheel isn’t straight.
This is just a byproduct of being a car owner. Over time, your car’s wheels will slowly start going out of line over the thousands of miles that you put on it. It is a very common problem, but if left ignored you may find yourself not getting the projected wear out of your tires…and that’s just throwing money down the drain.
As I just stated, the biggest problem that is a result of new and used car alignment issues is tire costs. If your alignment is off even by 0.34 degrees, which is less than two-tenths of an inch, then the result is almost the same as dragging your tire sideways across the road for 64 miles over a year. You may notice that your tires are starting to get worn down and shredded on the inner or outer part of each tire, and this is most likely due to your wheels being out of line. This means that you are having to buy new tires thousands of miles earlier than you would if your car’s wheels were aligned.
That’s not the only problem. Since you are dragging your tires across the road, your engine is having to work harder to maintain speeds. This causes less fuel efficiency, and means more trips to the gas pump. There are more than monetary costs that are effected by alignment issues. It becomes harder to control your vehicle, which is not only a safety issue, but you are actually having to work harder driving your vehicle and holding your steering wheel in line with the road. If you need to fix your car’s alignment, then be sure to bring it into any Superior location as soon as you can.
If you are noticing any of these problems, then be sure to get your alignment checked and fixed. Your tires, arms, and pocket book, will thank you over time. Of course, if you just can’t stand it anymore and are looking for a new car in Cincinnati, then you know where to find us.
The Superior Automotive Group and Mike Albert Direct have been serving Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 1928. We care about you, your cars, your safety, and our community.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and any suggestions are always welcome at SuperiorAutomotiveGroup@gmail.com
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