Spring Into Car Care

April is National Car Care Month and who doesn't love the purr of well-maintained vehicle? 

Let's take a look the top 10 spring cleaning musts for your Honda! 

1. Check all fluids, including engine oil, power steering, brake and transmission as well as windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant.

2. Check the hoses and belts to make sure they are not cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or showing signs of excessive wear.

3. Check the battery and replace if necessary. Make sure the connection is clean, tight and corrosion-free.

4. Check the brake system annually and have the brake linings, rotors and drums inspected at each oil change.

5. Inspect the exhaust system for leaks, damage and broken supports or hangers if there is an unusual noise. Exhaust leaks can be dangerous and must be corrected without delay.

6. Schedule a tune-up to help the engine deliver the best balance of power and fuel economy and produce the lowest level of emissions.

7. Check the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, as proper heating and cooling performance is critical for interior comfort and for safety reasons such as defrosting.

8. Inspect the steering and suspension system annually including shock absorbers, struts and chassis parts such as ball joints, tie rod ends and other related components.

9. Check the tires, including tire pressure and tread. Uneven wear indicates a need for wheel alignment. Tires should also be checked for bulges and bald spots.

10. Check the wipers and lighting so that you can see and be seen. Check that all interior and exterior lighting is working properly and replace worn wiper blades so you can see clearly when driving during precipitation.

While some of these you can easily do yourself, the technicians in Orem's Ken Garff Honda Service Department can help you spruce up your car just in time for your first Spring road trip! 

I Saw (and Smelled!) the Signs

Sugar and I took a long, mountain-climbing drive with a few friends last week.  When we arrived at the peak, we parked to observe the gorgeous view and breathe the fresh air.  The only trouble?  The fresh air smelled mysteriously like it was burning.  I leaned in closer to get a better idea of how bad it was and solicited the opinion of my car wise best friend.  He asserted it was a burning belt, I countered that it was burning oil (Not that we're keeping score, but I won again!).

We made our way back down and I took my car for an oil change the very next day.  The technician told me I was a solid quart low and that I REALLY shouldn't let that happen too often. Sugar's aging, so I need to keep a better eye on her.  Poor thing.  I felt quite bad for her, but low oil is an easy thing to miss.  In fact, I needed an oil change pretty badly.

So let's take a look at 5 easy signs you need an oil change so that you don't get stuck burning up your engine:

1.   The oil looks black and gritty.  This one's a little tricky.  Oil should be a dark honey color.  After a few weeks of driving, it starts to get murky with black particulates.  You don't want to see black oil on your dipstick! That's a bad sign.
2.  Your engine sounds rougher and louder than usual.  (This is the one I'm most likely to notice.) Oil lubricates your engine, so without it the parts grind pretty loudly.  If your engine starts complaining at the top of its lungs, get in for an oil change immediately.
3.  You can't remember the last time you changed your oil. (Oy.  Guilty. As. Charged.) Most manufacturers recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles; 4,000-6,000 is okay, but don't push it beyond that.
   
4.  Your oil light comes on.  Now, this one sounds harmless enough, but if your oil light comes on, that actually means you're dangerously low on oil.  Either add oil or take your car in for an oil service IMMEDIATELY.
   
5.  Your oil level drops.  Engines will eventually just use up engine oil.  That's normal. But the lower it gets, the harder it is for your engine to run smoothly.  Check your levels regularly.   The best time is about 20 minutes after you shut off the engine. The oil level should be between the two holes on your dipstick.  If you're down to the bottom hole or lower, start by adding half a quart and check it again.  Over-filling is just as bad (or worse!) than being low.
   

Of course, Ken Garff Honda of Orem has the sweetest deals on oil changes around.  Click here to find out about the amazing Honda Advantage Care package!

Perdiddle

www.clarineyecare.com

Remember when Sugar and I got pulled over for her tail lights being out?  Well, we're having a run of funny luck.  I thought I was suddenly driving a bit dim and it was time to haul Sugar over to my friends in the service department at Ken Garff Honda, but you know how life is... and I just hadn't gotten there.  I knew I was pushing my luck, but every day, I thought... tomorrow... I'll get in tomorrow.  Well, let the record show: Don't push your luck.  The universe knows and it's always going to have the last laugh.

It was late one night and I needed to gas up and run a couple of errands.  Off I went into the night, knowing I was a perdiddle time-bomb.  (Remember playing "Perdiddle!" as a kid?  You'd have to touch the roof of the car and be the first to shout Perdiddle!! every time you passed a car with a headlight out... Maybe it was just us...) Anyway, it was late and I was hedging my bets that there wouldn't be any cops out at that time of night.  This is not sound logic.  At all.  Cops come out at night.  They're the definition of nocturnal.  Nevertheless, off I went.  There's a gas station RIGHT by my house and lo-and-behold there were TWO cops there getting gas.  In a panic, I thought I shouldn't stop there.  If I pull in, I thought, they'll see my perdiddleness and I'll get a ticket for sure.  So I decided to get gas elsewhere.  

Genius. 

I worked my way up a few side streets to another gas station, filled up, and headed on my way. I blew right on by another police officer hidden in a parking lot. Pleeeeease, don't see me... Pleeeeeease don't turn on those lights... I told the universe.  He didn't.  Whew.  Then of course, I got cocky.  Foolish girl.  I told myself that I was just fine.  I'd already seen three cops and no one seemed to mind that Sugar had a perma-wink.  I could finish my errands in peace, right?  Ha. 

Off I drove, very careful to abide the speed limit (why thumb your nose at fate more than you need to?), to finish my night's to-do list.  I was humming a happy tune and rounding the last curve when I saw an SUV make a quick U-turn.  Nooooooooooo.  

Yes.  

The lights came on and my luck ran out.  Let me be clear: I do know that driving with only one headlight is both dangerous and illegal.  (Don't try this at home, kids!)  I pulled over and waited for the officer, license and registration in hand.   He was super nice, pointed out which headlight was out, and made me promise to get it fixed... oh, say... TOMORROW.  How about first thing in the morning, eh?  I promised and he gave me back my license without issuing a fix-it ticket.  I'm not sure when I've breathed such a sigh of relief.  I hurried and finished my errands and went home (passing yet ANOTHER cop... we're up to FIVE now... who kindly did not pull me over.)

First thing next morning Sugar and I went to see our friends in the Ken Garff service department.  Jesse had me in and out in about 20 minutes.  Seriously.  I got to eat a cookie and have a diet soda.  Can't argue with that, right?  

The Salt of the Earth

http://images.cars.com/

Sugar and I took a little trip to the car wash this weekend. (So did everyone else in Utah Valley!)  After a couple of afternoon tries, only to discover that the lines were horrendous everywhere we went, we finally gave up and made it a midnight rendezvous. (I’m lucky I live next door to a car wash!)  Sugar was pretty filthy from a winter’s worth of driving me just being too busy (lazy) to care for her properly.  Still, as I watched weeks of salt a grime slide right off, I felt a little guilty.  You hear it all the time: “Salt eats car paint!” And I suppose I hoped it was just a car wash marketing racket or an old wives’ tale like your eyes sticking “like that” when you crossed them too much as a kid.   But I’ve done my homework lately and discovered that while it’s a huge factor in road safety (like decreasing the number of auto accidents by about 80% in winter conditions), salt really is sort of a monster to your paint job.  

Here are four easy ways to prevent any permanent damage to your car during these long, salty, winter months:

1. An Ounce of Prevention…

… is worth a pound of cure.  One of the best things you can do to protect your car from rust and other road salt damage is to give it a good wax in the late fall before the snow starts to fall.  Waxing helps prevent the road salt from corroding the paint.  You should also have a sealant applied to the undercarriage of the car.  This part of your car is bombarded with road salt all winter long and things like brake lines are very susceptible to rust damage.  So next Thanksgiving add “wax the car” to your to-do list!  

2. Weekly Washing

Really?  Every week?  Yep. If you are in an area where rock salt is used to keep the roads safe (and we are!), even if it is mixed with sand, you need to wash your car every 7 to 10 days regardless of the weather.  I’m totally guilty of the old, “but it’s just going to snow again tomorrow” excuse!   That’s how I wound up going a few weeks without tidying Sugar up. But  really, I should wash her again directly following any heavy snowstorms.  This routine will remove the salt residue from the car before it can cause any damage.  Make sure you are thoroughly washing the underside of the car or using a car wash that includes this service.  For best results, try and wash your car when the temperature is above 40 degrees (that’s not always very practical around here, so find a good car wash with a drying cycle).  After you wash the car, open all doors, hatches, and trunks and allow them to dry or dry them by hand to keep them from freezing shut.     

3. It’s Not Just About the Paint

Even though that obvious, crusty, white coating is cringe-worthy, make sure to clean out snow and ice that has become compacted into wheel wells and under or against the fenders, too.  These areas are very susceptible to rust damage and leaving snow and ice filled with road salt increases the likelihood of damage.  Wheel wells packed with snow can also impact the way the car handles and make braking, turning, and maneuvering difficult.  I make a regular habit of kicking the daylights of that snow-pack.  I’m pretty sure my neighbors think I’m strange, but it’s weirdly satisfying.

4. An Inside Job

The outside of the car isn’t the only part that can be affected by road salt.  Every time you step in the car with snowy shoes you are bring salt and dirt with you.  You wouldn’t leave snow and salt all over the carpet in your house, would you? No way.  Make it a habit to vacuum the carpets in your car every time you wash it to prevent long term damage to the carpet and interior of the car. 

Pretty easy, right?  If you want something even easier, let Ken Garff Honda of Orem handle the car washing for you!  Their super sweet Advantage Care plans include car washes, oil changes, and tire rotations!

15 Gift Ideas for the Car Lover in Your Life

Christmas is a hard time to find the right gift for everyone.  Here are some helps and hint for the car lover in your life.

1.  Back seat car organizers are perfect for seats with no pockets.

2. An oil change is something that you have to do several times a year anyway.  Gift a Ken Garff oil change and get an executive wash and vacuum included. 

3. All weather floor mats are a must.  If someone on your list doesn't have them, this is the perfect gift for them.

4. Car wash gift cards make a perfect stocking stuffer!

5. For winter months, a steering wheel cover will keep a loved one's hands from the cold.

6. XM Satellite Radio is a great gift for the music lover on your list. 

7. Everyone needs an emergency kit in the their car.  It's an easy thing to forget about, but it's also inexpensive to give.  Nice sets start around $30.

8. A trunk tray protects your trunk from all of the things you haul.  

9. Here at the Honda of Orem store, giving a prepaid maintenance is a great option.  It includes 3 oil and filter changes, 3 tire rotations and 3 car washes.  

10. Giving someone a car is outside of what's possible of most of us, but giving a full detail is the next best thing.  It revives the car making it seem like new.

11. Thinking green and clean, you can get a reusable trash sack--a super handy gift for people with kids or who are on the road a lot.

12. An auxiliary cable is helpful for all kinds of things including, plugging your iPod right into your sound system.  

13.  For families, a DVD player is a must.  Portable ones are affordable and easy to find.  If you're feeling generous, getting one installed may be the best gift yet.

14. Coolers that plug into the auxiliary jack, are especially thoughtful for the frequent traveler. 

15. Car magazines like Car and Driver or Motor Trend have been popular at my house.  It keeps your car lover up-to-date on what's going on in auto industry.