Benchmark Auto and Tire

Maintaining your vehicle during Summer travels

benchmarkauto — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:37:42 +0000

Well, it appears that Mother nature is holding out a little longer for the “hotter” weather this year! She has given us a taste of summer a few times so far this year, however; not the normal we all expect by this time of the year. I am optomistic that it will eventually get here though. It seems that many consumers are fairly proactive in getting their vehicle ready for the Winter travel season, but not so much for the Summer travel season. Summer temperatures are very hard on vehicles just like the Winter conditions can be, in many cases even worse!

Here is a small list of items to have checked before your Summer travels.

One of the most overlooked items for Summer travel is your battery. Heat is very tough on batteries and they will often fail without warning, potentially leaving you stranded.
Engine coolant and cooling system components like your thermostat and radiator/heater hoses.
Tires, all tires are “vented” and will leak small amounts of pressure, so check them often. The Department of Transportation (DOT) recommends and suggests that all tires, regardless of tread depth, be change every 6 years due to the structural decline of the tire.
Cabin air filter. Most current vehicles have a cabin air filter equipped in the heater box to help with pollutants, dust and pollens in your vehicle. This is a much overlooked item so if you have a “musty” smell or a windshield that always seems to be “dirty’ on the inside, it may be time to change your filter?
Wiper blades are actually more important in the Summer months than the Winter months. Why you ask? when the wiper blade sits on your windshield and the sun is on the glass most of the day, the sun has a tendency to “cook” the blades and this dries them out. Of course, most of us do not realize this after having had some hot sunny days until that first rain shower; you turn on the wipers and it almost seems worse than it did before you turned them on! Wiper blades are reasonable price wise and should be replaced at least twice a year.
Don’t forget about that air conditioning! Check your A/C for proper cooling so when it gets hot you are not surprised to find it does not work. For tips on how to lower the interior temp of you car,

click here: http://www.carcarenewsservice.org/articles/two-tips-cooler-cabin

Lights are often overlooked this time of year due to longer daylight hours.
Fluids. All fluids are important to your vehicle so make sure to have them checked and serviced as needed.

We hope this small list helps prepare you for your summer travels and please contact us with any questions.

Tips for keeping your vehicle’s interior cool during the Summer season.

benchmarkauto — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:27:10 +0000

This is an interesting article found on one of the informational sites we read. We felt it was appropriate to pass this information on. Simply “click” the link to get to this article.

http://www.carcarenewsservice.org/articles/two-tips-cooler-cabin

Car Care

benchmarkauto — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:41:32 +0000

Maintaining your vehicle add’s longevity to its life, oil starts to become acidic after about 3 months, so whether driving your car on a daily basis or keeping it stored, make sure and change the oil on a regular basis. Keeping your tires at the recommended car manufacturer’s pressure setting, will help you obtain your best mileage and wear on the tires. This recommended tire pressure setting can be found in the door jamb of the driver’s door on most all makes.

Frequent inspections of your vehicle are very important on your investment, make sure that your service facility is providing you with a detailed list of recommended items and/or maintenance related items on your vehicle. This will help you plan and budget for needed repairs or upcoming services recommended by the manufacturer.

Vintage, classic and antique auto discussion

benchmarkauto — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:33:11 +0000

One of the things I love as a hobby is restoring special interest cars. This is the latest project that is very close to being finished. It is a 1971 Pontiac Trans Am 455 H.O. 4 spd car with 55k miles showing on the odometer. This was a full restoration on a numbers matching drivetrain including paint, interior, engine, trans, diff, exhaust etc…. We are not a full restoration facility, however; we do everything but the body and paint work. We can do the smallest mechanical restoration to full drivetrain restorations. If you are a hobbiest but don’t have the ambition, time or facility to do something like an engine detail, feel free to contact us. We can pull the engine and/or drivetrain and detail the undercarriage, engine compartment, individual components etc…. If you need paint, interior or metal work done, feel free to contact us for our recommendations on whom to use.

Fuel prices of yesteryear

benchmarkauto — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:10:01 +0000

It always amazes me how many comments we get about the gas pump in the corner of our waiting room. Customers generally comment about its age and overall conditon, but most of all, the price that is displayed $.24 per gallon! I certainly do not remember those prices. If you look at the pump when you come in you will notice that there is only 3 spaces on the price indicator. That is two for numerals and one for the 9/10′s indicator. I guess they never fiqured the prices would be over the $.99 mark! We here at Benchmark Automotive all understand how “painful” it is at the pump these days and that is why we offer many services to help your vehicle obtain the best mileage possible. Feel free to ask us about our “Fuel Maximizer” service the next time you come in for service. We would love to offer our suggestions for increased fuel mileage to help maximize your savings!