How To: Properly care for your vehicle!

We want our customers and community to know how to properly care for their cars or trucks. We want you to understand why and how your tires wear; how to get the best gas mileage; and overall how to get the most out of your tires. Hopefully, with these helpful tips you will be able to improve gas mileage and reduce tire wear when driving in and around Menasha, WI and Neenah, WI. You will also understand when and why your car needs to be serviced by Van Zeeland's Auto Care Centers or another Menasha, Wisconsin car service shop. Call Van Zeeland's Auto Care Centers today at (920) 738-7333 to schedule your next maintenance appointment.
As the miles add up, you want to ensure your car is reliable & safe to last you as long as possible. While achieving this can be daunting, it is not impossible! Your car is one of the most significant investments, therefore, you want to ensure you prolong its lifespan.

​Perhaps, one crucial aspect you want to ensure remains in top-notch condition is the car’s engine. A car’s engine can quickly wear off if you overspeed. And if you want to avoid damaging the engine’s components, slow down speed racers! All it takes to keep your engine in the right state is abiding to speed limits whenever you go for a ride. Whether it’s a new or used car, there are other ways to prolong it's life. See below to identify other ways to get the most out of your investment.
1. Get the Right Insurance
If you got caught driving an uninsured car, you are likely to face severe legal implications. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why most people will purchase car insurance. There are other benefits of getting car insurance, such as covering any damages to the car in case of an accident.
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Therefore, you want to ensure you research the best cheap car insurance to cover your car against any damages. This can significantly prolong your car’s lifespan as any damages will get repaired immediately if you lack enough money to cover the expenses.
2. Maintenance and Repair
You want to stay on top of maintaining and repairing your car now and then. Regular maintenance of your car is absolutely the most vital step that can effectively extend its life. Ensure you schedule maintenance with your mechanic, who can check the engine to change the oil, coolant, and fluids for efficient operation.

​At all costs, ensure you avoid putting off or postponing car repair as this can elevate trivial damages. Check for any damages that need immediate repairs, such as a leaking water pump, squealing brakes, or any other strange noise. Get your car inspected and repaired to avoid more costly repairs.
​3. Keep it Clean and Store in the Garage
Another unique way to extend your car’s life is by keeping it clean and storing it in the garage if possible. Besides, keeping your car clean can help increase its resale value in the future. Especially during winter, you want to ensure you regularly clean your car as road salt can easily cause rust damaging your car.

If you have been parking your car outside due to a congested garage, it is time to reconsider this. Clear out your garage and make enough room for your car! Storing your car in a garage can protect it from harsh weather and other elements that can damage its paint. Also, don’t forget to wax it to avoid dust buildups.
​4. Don’t Forget About Your Tires
Along with driving carefully, don’t forget to check up on your tires. Make it a habit to rotate and check the pressure of your tires regularly. This is a surefire way to boost the car’s fuel efficiency and safety.
The above tips are not only simple but are guaranteed to improve your car’s lifespan. Adhere to them, and you will be amazed by the results!
Originally on: ​https://holrmagazine.com/4-effective-tips-for-prolonging-your-cars-lifespan/ found on ArticleCity.com
Car Maintenance and Care
Change
  • your fluids on time, every time.
  • your oil every 3,000 miles for regular, 5,000 miles for synthetic oil
  • your antifreeze fluid every 30,000 miles.
  • your brake fluid every 30,000 miles.
  • your transmission fluid every 30,000 miles.
Maintenance checks? ​
Schedule a maintenance check every 15, 30, 60, and 90,000 miles.
Replace
  • your air filter every 12 months or 12,000 miles (whichever comes first).
  • your fuel filter every 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever comes first).
Tire Care
Along with driving carefully, don’t forget to check up on your tires. Make it a habit to rotate and check the pressure of your tires regularly. This is a surefire way to boost the car’s fuel efficiency and safety.
  • You should rotate your tires every 5,000 miles or every 6 months.
  • Approximately once a week, check your tire pressures. Handling, comfort, and fuel economy can all be affected by low tire pressures. To measure your tire pressure accurately, check tires when they are cold. You should wait at least three hours after driving before you do anything else.
  • Ensure your wheels are always properly aligned. If the wheels are not aligned properly, the car will drag on the road.
  • To keep your spare tire properly inflated and ready to go when you need it most, check it each month.
  • If the tread on your tires is worn to low, use the penny trick to determine if it needs to be replaced. Put Abraham Lincoln's head into one of the grooves of the tread with a penny. If the tread covers part of his head, you're ok. If you can only see part of his head, the tire doesn't need to be replaced. If the tread on a tire wears down to 1/16th of an inch, the tire must be replaced.
Gas Mileage
  • You should check and/or change your air filter every 6 months to improve fuel economy and keep your engine running smoothly.
  • Do not top off. Do not waste time topping off your car's gas tank. Any extra gas will just slop around or seep out.
    Make sure the gas cap is tightened. If your car's gas tank has an escape, gas will evaporate from it. 147 million gallons of gas evaporate each year due to loose, missing, or damaged gas caps.
  • Look for a place to sit in the shade. The hot summer sun not only makes the inside of your car feel like a sauna, but it also evaporates fuel from your gas tank.
  • Choose the right oil. By using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil, you can improve your car's gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent.
Always check for potential problems before they happen.

What Does It Mean When You See A Flashing Check Engine Light?

by Olive Bennet

Drivers don't get to see a flashing check engine light that often unless there's a looming problem on the car's engine. Since this is a seldom occurrence, not everyone knows what a flashing check engine light means. This article can help you learn the things you need to know about a flashing check engine light. 

You might be wondering why your check engine light is flashing. Seeing the check engine light flash is a rare occurrence compared to other car symbols that light up on your dashboard display. The reason might be alarming but there’s nothing to fear as long as you take immediate action upon seeing the warning sign. 

​There are several causes to why your check engine light might flash. Here’s a guide to help you understand the reason why and what you need to do when you see your check engine light blinking. 
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Overview
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Whenever you start the car, the check engine light always comes on then turns off within 6 seconds when there’s no problem detected. When something does go wrong, your car’s electronic Engine-Management System (EMS) triggers the check engine light. 
The check engine light is a warning symbol that lights up when a malfunction or an error has been detected within your engine component or system management. Usually, you can see 2 variations of warning lights between steady and flashing depending on the issue. A steady check engine light indicates a minor issue while a flashing check engine light indicates a severe issue. 
The last thing you might want to see on your car’s dashboard display is a blinking check engine light. 

You should never ignore a flashing signal as it indicates a severe issue with your car’s engine. The experience might be distressing for you, but irreversible damage can still be prevented. Avoid driving a longer distance if your check engine light is flashing because it can do more damage to your vehicle. In extreme cases, you risk yourself and other passengers in your car, and others on the road to a potential danger such as fire. Pulling over and calling a professional is the smartest response you can do when faced with this kind of incident.
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Why Your Engine is Misfiring?

Here are three commonly known reasons why your engine misfires:
  • Ignition Problems- This is the most common cause of an engine misfire. Spark plugs and ignition coils are most likely to cause the misfire as these parts do wear over time and fail. They cause problems such as improper ignition timing and plugs failing to provide a spark to the cylinders. Defects in the ignition system are the least expensive to repair when the engine misfires. 
  • Fuel Mixture Issues - A problem in fuel mixture can cause your engine to run too lean or too rich. The engine runs leans when the air-to-fuel mixture is too light. When there’s a higher concentration of the air-to-fuel mixture, the fuel in the ignition chamber is being ignited with too much air or too little fuel which makes your engine run on less fuel than it needs. This may cause problems such as trouble in starting your car, sluggish acceleration, and even backfiring. The engine is considered to be running rich when there’s too much fuel and not enough air. Rich fuel mixture tends to generate more power because of the excess fuel. It can degrade the catalytic converter by clogging it with sediments of the burned excess fuel. Running too rich in fuel mixture may cause a strong smell like a rotten egg smell from the exhaust, bad fuel efficiency, and vibration that can be felt when your car is idle. 
  • Low Compression - Low compression is another cause of an engine misfire due to the low power and slow acceleration. A low compression occurs when the right amount of pressure isn’t generated in the cylinders. A blown head gasket creates this issue as it leads the gas to escape from the cylinder due to the gap between the cylinder and head. An issue with the piston that powers your car’s movement can also be the source of losing compression. When your engine runs too hot, it could burn holes in the pistons which makes them a spot for the gas to leak out. 
There are some of the many issues that can cause an engine misfire. It is recommended to keep your engine in check by having an OBD reading. When there are existing issues, this reading helps identify the location of the problem or which cylinder is causing a misfiring through the use of the generated fault codes. A poorly executed engine modification and tuning can affect the performance of the engine and its components. There are plenty of state-of-the-art automobile tuning tools and tuning accessories that can help you achieve the best balance in performance and emissions. 

What To Do When Your Check Engine Light is Flashing?
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As mentioned above, when your check engine light is flashing, the smartest thing to do is to pull over as soon as possible and contact your nearest mechanic.  Although, it is technically possible to continue driving but only for a short distance when the check engine light is steady. Don’t risk driving when the check engine light is flashing as it can lead to severe damages which you’ll end up paying expensive repair costs. 

Keep in mind not to panic when you see your check engine light blinking. Play it safe and let a professional mechanic handle the diagnostics and repairs


Source: ArticlesFactory.com

Alignment Benefits

There are several benefits to correcting alignment issues, including:

Longer tire life: Wheel alignments are an adjustment of your suspension, specifically the angles that determine how tires are positioned and pointed when installed on your vehicle. For tires to get the longest life, they should be pointed so they aren't scrubbing against the road or being pulled by the other tires. This can happen from hitting a pot hole hard or from suspension parts worn with time and use. Imagine if one tire is slightly pointed to the left while the others are pointing straight ahead. You paid good money for your tires. Make sure you're getting the mileage you expect.

Safer vehicle stability and handling: Misalignment can cause handling problems. If you find yourself fighting the steering wheel to stay straight in your lane, then you'll want to have an alignment check.

Improved fuel efficiency: Your tires play an important role in fuel economy. When out of alignment, tires drag. This results in decreased fuel efficiency.  A simple wheel alignment can help your tires and your wallet.

Less suspension wear: Misalignment adds additional stress on your suspension system. While rapid tire wear is what you're likely to notice first, your suspension parts also take a hit in the longevity department. If you're interested in getting the longest life out of your vehicle and avoiding problems down the road, then you'll want to keep your vehicle aligned.
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With the conditions of our roads deteriorating from the changing climate & seasons your alignment should be checked yearly.