No matter what type of vehicle you own, keeping it in tip top condition requires attention to early service, periodic check ups and basic maintenance even if the car or truck seems to be running fine. April is the perfect time to get started, if you haven’t already done so, by taking part in National Car Care Month.
Whether you’ve visited and purchased from new or used car dealerships in Cincinnati, such as Superior Automotive Group, it’s in your best interest to follow the tips provided by the Car Care Council and the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation during National Car Care Month.
Consider these tips from the Office of Consumer Affairs.
Have a pre-selected repair shop that you’ve already researched on standby. Don’t wait until the car breaks down to start looking for help.
When visiting the shop, ask about their customer satisfaction policy, type of state-of-the art equipment used, are the technicians certified, is the shop a member of a known trade association such as AAA, do they use brand parts and what is the warranty policy on parts and labor.
Call the Better Business Bureau to ensure the shop has no complaints filed from customers.
According to a survey by the Car Care Council, the list below indicates the most often basic maintenance issues car owners fail to have addressed in a timely manner.
Low or old brake fluid
Air filters full of dirt and debris
Belts needed to be replaced
Coolant levels were too low
Tire pressure was not applicable to what it should be. This could be one out of four or all four were running at low pressure.
Engine oil was either too low or dirty
As you can see from the list, these issues are easily addressed with basic maintenance. Whether you choose to do-it-yourself or take the car in to an auto service expert for a general checkup, just taking care of the above issues can help keep your car running efficiently, safely and smoothly and save money in the long run.
If you’ve been holding off on having your car serviced or checked out; take heed. By finding and correcting an issue before your car breaks down and leaves you stranded can save you money in costly repairs. To avoid unnecessary expense and inconvenience, schedule an appointment today for a service checkup and a look under the hood with one of the qualified service technicians at Superior Automotive specializing in Honda, Acura, Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Your car’s brakes are an important part of your vehicle. Without properly working brakes your car could end up skidding dangerously or fail to stop, resulting in an accident. It’s too late to wait until this happens to fix your breaks, and waiting to have your brakes checked until you bring your new car in for a regularly scheduled checkup may be too late as well . That’s why its important to know the signs that your brakes need adjusted by a certified car mechanic so you can have peace of mind.
The most obvious sign that your brakes need re-adjustment is if you notice that your car does not have as much stopping power as it used to. If you drive the same vehicle often, this can be done just by a matter of feel. Over time parts wear down and become loosened, and you may find that it takes longer to stop than it used to.
If you can’t judge by feel, either because you don’t drive your car often or you can do some simple tests to determine if the car has the same amount of stopping power. These tests will have to be done under the same conditions over a period of time. With another person, take time tests periodically, when you first get the car, after a few weeks, and so on. If your car gradually takes longer than it used to, this may be a sign that your car’s brakes should be readjusted, and you should get them checked.
Another important indicator that your brakes may need re-adjusted or replaced is by listening to the sound they make when you stop. If they make little or no sound, your good to go, and your brakes are fine. If they make a high pitched squealing noise you should have them checked because the break pads have been worn down and they will need to be replaced soon. Another indicator that you can listen for is a harsh grinding sound, which means that you have completely worn through your brake pads and the calipers are grinding the rotors.
If your car is pulling to the left or the right when you try to make a turn, this may mean that your calipers are stuck and need adjusted. It could also be caused by a collapsed break hose or unevenly worn break pads.
A good mechanic, like the one at your New Car Dealership in Cincinnati, can help by checking your brakes and getting you back on the road safely.
One thing we see here at your Cincinnati car dealers, The Superior Automotive Group is excessive carbon build up in some of the cars we service. This carbon build up over time and can cause your vehicle to burn more fuel, feel sluggish and even cause a deterioration in overall engine performance. It take a little while, about 100,000 mile before carbon build up may become an issue. However there is a “do it yourself” way of cleaning and clearing this excess of carbon in your engine. It’s a product called Seafoam and it is designed to be administered directly to the engine. check out the video clip below. While the smoke may seem a little unnerving this actually is all of the carbon being burned off.
If you want to use Seafoam to clean your engine, do it in a place that is well ventilated and preferably not in a residential area. Go out to a large, unoccupied parking lot, as the amount of smoke discharge can vary from mild to intense and will last roughly 10 minutes. The last thing you want is to alarm your neighbors.
If you’ve already used the Seafoam product, tell us how it affected to performance of your Cincinnati car. In some cases the improvement were staggeringly dramatic and in others it may be mild. It all really depends on the age and mileage you’ve put on your vehicle. If you are looking for maintenance of this type, but don’t want to do it yourself, any Superior Automotive location can help.
That’s right. If you have heavily oxidized headlight lenses, a tube of toothpaste, a rag, some water and a little elbow grease is all you need to remove the oxidization. Now being in the Cincinnati car business, Superior knows that there are all types of good cleaners on the market.
What kind kind of toothpaste should you use? Well, any kind will work really. From what we understand and would recommend, use regular white toothpaste. Whitening toothpastes or those with mint have extra compounds that could actually damage your headlights.
All you do is apply the toothpaste in a circular pattern with a cloth, rinse with water and dry with another cloth. It’s that easy. If you want an even smoother look, use a little car polish to even out the streaks.
If your headlights look foggy now, and those once crystal clear headlights now look like waxed paper is covering them, try this simple home remedy, before spending any money on a brand name cleaner. Although the brand names work, you could save yourself a wad of cash by simply using toothpaste.
Have any more home remedies for your Cincinnati Car? Leave a comment below and let Superior know about it.
It’s OK to admit that you aren’t the most courteous driver in the world. I mean, you may think you are, but how many times have you cut someone off, didn’t let someone in your lane or simply didn’t use your blinker to let the person behind you know that you intended to change lanes. Your Cincinnati car dealer, The Superior Automotive Group wants you to know: “It’s OK. You’re not alone”. The fact of the matter is, that at one point, or another, we have all been guilty of being a bad driver.
Hogging the Left Lane – The left lane is for passing, not hogging. If you are cruising in the left lane and the traffic is stacking up behind you, move to another lane. The left lane is designed and reserved for faster-moving traffic. Occupying the left lane at the speed of traffic can potentially clog it up and only lead to frustrated drivers behind you. If people are trying to pass using the left lane or have to move over to the right to get around you, you should move to a different lane.
Bright Lights – Your “brights” come in handy on a dark road, but are really annoying and painful when used on a well traveled road. You all know it, staring into an on coming set of bright lights can seriously hinder a driver that is traveling the other direction. Be kind and turn off your brights until no one is around again.
King of the Road Syndrome – No you didn’t build the road, so no, you don’t own it. Don’t be that guy who doesn’t let other traffic merge. The same goes for people who don’t use their turn signals. You aren’t the only car on the road, so don’t drive like you are!
Doing Other Things Behind the Wheels Besides Driving – I almost nearly got into an accident when I saw a person who was driving and reading the newspaper. No joke. Multi-tasking is a great skill, but don’t do it when you are driving. Ladies, this includes putting on makeup. Driving is dangerous enough as it is, so all of your attention is needed when doing so.
Tailgating – Tailgating should be reserved for the ballgame, not the highway. The bottom line is that tailgating it simply dangerous. The rule of thumb is that one and a half car lengths should be between you and the car in front of you. If someone is tailgating you, try to get in another lane if possible and get out of their way.
Cruise Control Passing – Have you even gotten stuck behind someone who is trying to pass but never quite makes it in front of the other car because they don’t speed up enough? That is because they won’t take off cruise control! If you are going to pass, turn on your signal and speed up enough to pass them and give plenty of room behind you after you merge.
We hope that the tips above help you out so that you can be an even better driver. If you have any tips you would like to share just comment below or stop by any of your Cincinnati car dealer locations.
There is no getting around it. If you drive you have to carry at minimum, limited liability insurance on your vehicle. Of course if you are like us at your Cincinnati car dealers, the Superior Auto Group, you are going to want to spend as little money as possible. After all, we all hope you never even have to use your insurance, but it is still mandatory. So how do you shop for the best prices on insurance? Do you scour the Internet like you would the weekly newspaper for the best deals on groceries, or clothing? If so, you should put forth the same effort when searching for car insurance. Keep your well-deserved money and read on for some tips from Wallet Pop for saving money on car insurance:
Determine the limits you want on your policy, and then get multiple quotes. To ensure you’re comparing apples to apples, ask the agents to give you quotes based on the same or similar deductibles, coverages, etc.
Consider purchasing your homeowner, auto and umbrella insurance with the same company, so a multi-coverage discount will apply.
Tell your agent about anti-theft alarms, anti-lock brakes and other safety features of your car or SUV. These could translate into bigger discounts.
Ask for a quote that would pay to replace your vehicle, rather than pay you based on its depreciated value.
Ask your agent what documentation you need to substantiate a claim, in case of damage, or theft.
Pay your entire premium up front, since many carriers offer discounts for doing so.
Read all the details in the policy so you know exactly what is covered.
Insurance, you can’t drive without it, and nor would you want to. The tips above are great money-saving tips, now you just have to do something with them. Do you have any others to share with your fellow Cincinnati Honda, Acura, Hyundai and Kia drivers? Do you feel that Ohio insurance is higher than in other states?
The warmer weather starting to make an appearance and it’s also the time to get your vehicle into tip-top, summer shape.
Below are six basic tips that will get you’re vehicle summer ready, thanks to National Motorist Association. Below you will find the easy, and mostly cosmetic tasks to perform before the summer heat hits, however, we also suggest that you bring your vehicle into your Cincinnati new car dealer, the Superior Automotive Group for a thorough tune-up.
1) Clean the crevices.
Door sills/jambs, trunk undersides; the inner fenders and undercarriage are places where winter gunk tends to accumulate. It’s not just unsightly, either. The gunk can prevent proper drainage/drying-out, which will accelerate body rot. Caustic compounds such as road salt are also hard on rubber seals/weatherstripping. It’s a good idea to wipe down the inner door jambs/trunk underside and run the car through the undercarriage wash at your local automatic car wash (or you can do it yourself with a garden hose).
2) Check the tires.
People know about keeping track of tread depth but sometimes forget to physically examine their vehicle’s tires for signs of physical damage — such as bulges on the sidewall or rips/tears — things that can be caused by hitting a bad pothole or bumping up against a curb. Such damage often happens during the winter months — but isn’t noticed because it’s just too cold outside to get on your hands and knees and take a close look at each tire. But now that it’s getting warm out, it’s a good idea to do a walk around. Any tire that has a bulge on its sidewall or any evidence of physical damage should be replaced as soon as possible.
3) Replace your wiper blades.
New wiper blades are cheap and easy to install — one of the few such things you can say about car maintenance these days. If you live in a four seasons climate, wiper blades should be replaced at least twice a year — once in fall and then again, in spring. Or even sooner, if you notice they’re doing more streaking than cleaning. This is a (usually) no-tools-required/DIY job that almost anyone can handle. And if you don’t want to handle it, many of the auto parts stores that sell blades will install them for you, free. Just ask.
4) Try your air conditioner.
Do it now — before it gets hot. And before every repair shop in town has a backlog of two weeks because of the vast legions of people who dropped off their cars for AC work. AC systems — especially on cars more than four or five years old — sometimes have very minor leaks that, over time, result in loss of cooling power. Also, long periods of disuse such as over the winter season can lead to other problems such as a sticky compressor clutch (this is why it’s smart to run your AC a couple of times a month for 5-10 minutes at a time during the winter months) that won’t become obvious until that first really hot day when you turn on the AC — and all you get is warm air. So, make sure your car’s AC is blowing cold now, before you really need it — and get it fixed if not, before everyone else realizes they need to get theirs fixed, too.
5) Polish your headlights.
Most late model cars have clear-plastic headlight assemblies instead of the sealed beam glass headlights cars used to come with. The upside is these plastic headlight assemblies look better and (when new) usually give you better night-time illumination. The downside is the plastic tends to yellow or become cloudy as the car ages, and this looks bad and also reduces the effectiveness of the lights, too. But the fix is fairly easy. Get some polish wax and a soft rag. Use the polish wax to buff out the plastic. It will safely remove the outer yellowed/opaque layers and restore your headlights to as-new look and function. Specialty kits are also available to do this job that include UV sealers to help keep the headlights looking great (and lighting right) longer
6) Hose off your radiator.
Your car’s radiator is really a heat exchanger. Engine heat is transferred to liquid coolant, which circulates through the radiator, where heat is taken away by the flow of air over thin cooling fins. But if dirt — and dead bugs and leaves/debris — cake onto the radiator’s surface, it becomes less capable of shedding heat. It’s harder for the fan to draw air through the radiator, which reduces it efficiency. The fix is easy — and free. Just get out your garden hose, pop the hood and — with the engine cold — thoroughly hose down the radiator, paying particular attention to the front (facing away from the engine) because that’s the section that acts as a bug-catcher and grime collector, too.
And if you’re not into doing the work yourself or find that you need expert help, then stop by and chat with the friendly and knowledgeable folks at any of your Cincinnati car dealers, the Superior Automotive Locations!
We all know nothing lasts forever. Wear and tear go hand in hand as your vehicle ages, but an aging vehicle doesn’t mean a dying vehicle. With a proper maintenance schedule you can get the most out of your Cincinnati used car. It’s really is all about maintenance. Take a look at this Howcast video which explains what you need to do to extend the life of your Cincinnati car, truck or SUV:
So do you follow the maintenance recommendations that your vehicle’s manufacturer suggests? Why or why not? And where do you usually have it serviced? At your neighborhood mechanic, or at your Cincinnati used car dealer?
This Memorial Day, your Cincinnati car dealers, the Superior Automotive Group wants to welcome back all of the brave men and women who made it home and salute all of the HEROES that didn’t.
This Memorial Day Weekend, take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices that were made by others to protect your freedoms.
“Thanks” cannot begin our gratitude. Your service will always be remembered. The Superior Automotive Group.
Now, even though I work for Mike Albert Direct, I’m willing to admit, sometimes I can be a hypochondriac when it comes to the health of my Cincinnati car. There have been times where I’ve seen a puddle under my engine and thought, “Did that come from my car? Do I have an oil leak?” I’ve even gone as far as to get on my hands and knees and touch any liquids under my car, just to make sure. It’s always just runoff from my AC, which is a huge relief, but what if it’s wasn’t? What if it’s a greenish puddle under your car? I could have a cracked radiator.
So, what can you do if you suspect that you have a leaky radiator? Watch the video below:
A leaky radiator isn’t something you should take lightly. A small crack can rupture very, very fast as pressure from the heat of your anti-freeze builds up. (That’s why you have to let your engine cool before you pop the radiator cap) If you think you have a leaky radiator, get it to Mike Albert Direct soon. If you have a catastrophic radiator failure it could cost you more in repairs, especially if you run your vehicle too long in an overheated condition.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them here!
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 [email protected]
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