We have seen many vehicles affected during this record setting cold winter. One of the easiest steps you can take to make sure your car will start on these frigid days it to keep the gas tank at least half full. For peace of mind you will also want to make sure you have plenty of windshield washer fluid to contend with the slushy roads and resulting poor visibility. We have heard stories about how many people are trying to save money on their medical expenses by taking their prescribed medicine every other day or not at all. People are also putting off seeing the doctor or dentist to try to save money. Unfortunately this can be a very dangerous way to save money - it could even cost a life. A doctor that was being interviewed said that it is very dangerous to skip taking prescribed medication, the doctor has prescribed it for a reason, and it is not a good idea to skip doctor visits because preventive medicine is a much easier method to practice versus treating serious problems. The same can be said for your vehicle maintenance. Putting off maintaining your vehicle may seem like a financially smart decision, but in the long run could end up costing you dearly. When you bring your vehicle in for routine oil changes and maintenance we do an inspection, or “check-up” to make sure everything is in peak working order. If there is a problem we rate it on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being something to keep an eye on for the future and 5 being something major, needing immediate attention. We know that in the long run the decision is always yours, we just want you to be informed so you can make a “healthy choice” for you and your vehicle. Lengthen the Life of Your Tires Why Alignment is important: Proper alignment helps ensure that your vehicle handles correctly and will help increase the life and performance of your tires. Daily impacts such as potholes and railroad crossings, as well as more severe circumstances like accidents, can knock your vehicle out of alignment. You should have the alignment checked if you’ve hit something, you see a wear pattern developing on the shoulders of the tires or if you notice a difference in your vehicle’s handling. Do your driving habits affect the life of your tires? YES! Here are several tips to help increase the life of your tires: Don’t speed. High speeds generate excessive heat, which increases the rate of tire wear and reduces the tires durability. Drive the safe, legal speed limit. Avoid fast turns on curves and around corners. Avoid fast starts and panic stops. Don’t ride on the edge of the pavement or drive over curbs, potholes, or other obstructions. ur Tire o Y f i t a Wh ged? is Dama All tires wear out eventually and, unfortunately, damage happens. It’s important to quickly determine if your tires are safe to drive on, are in need of service, or need to be replaced. Here are some simple ways to tell if you need new tires: If your tire is damaged there is a chance that it can be repaired IF it has not been driven on when flat, the damage is only on the tread section tire or if the puncture is less than 1/4”. However, you need to have one of our technicians remove the tire from the wheel and inspect the tire from the inside. This inspection is absolutely necessary because internal damage is not visible while the tire is mounted. The proper way to have a tire repaired is to patch the tire from the inside and fill the puncture hole. If someone offers you a plug repair, refuse! Plug repairs do not involve taking the tire off the wheel for inspection. A plug is simply inserted into the punctured area. Plug repairs are not reliable and can lead to tire failure. Insist on a full inspection and fill repair on the inside of the tire. Vehicle Maintenance Makes Financial Sense Although you may want to get rid of your present vehicle in favor of a new car, taking better care of your current set of wheels may make much more sense in the long run. A new vehicle is, for most people, their second biggest investment next to a home, so a great way to save money and increase financial assets is to hang onto their current vehicle rather than buy a new one every few years. Budgeting for and doing preventative maintenance on your car is one of the best ways to cut your costs and keep your car. It is estimated that more than $60 BILLION in vehicle maintenance and repair is not performed every year, evidence that there is considerably more that consumers should be doing to protect their automotive investments. Whether it’s an oil change, replacing brakes or new belts and hoses, that periodic repair bill is a drop in the bucket compared to monthly payments on a new car. The bottom line is that a properly maintained vehicle is safe, more dependable, more fuel efficient, less polluting and more valuable. The smartest way to get a solid return on investment is to keep your car through the “Cinderella Era.” It’s that period of time after the payoff when your car is still in great shape and needs only modest repairs. So the next time you want to skip an oil change or put off doing some recommended maintenance, give some serious thought to whether it is really worth it to wait… your car and wallet will thank you in the long run! Fuel Saving Tips Short of swapping out your SUV for a smart car, what can you do to save money at the pump? Here are a few simple steps to save a little here, a little there which can add up in the long run. First of all, clean out your trunk and back seat, only carry what’s essential. All of that extra weight causes more fuel to be burned. Try to combine many trips into one, and in warm weather try to avoid running your air conditioning unless you have to. Take care of your car and it will take care of you. Just like an athlete can’t perform at top efficiency while running in bad shoes, a suffocating car on improperly inflated tires will gulp gas like Gatorade. In fact, for every on pound of pressure drop in all four tires, you are losing 0.4 percent fuel efficiency. So get your vehicle serviced regularly. Fix mileage-killing problems like sticky brake calipers, low transmission fluid or a broken thermostat ASAP. Tuning your car up can drop your fule consumption by 4 percent, while addressing a more serious problem could gain you as much as 40 percent efficiency! Why is it So Hard to Start the Car in the Winter? The whole "starting your car in cold weather" thing can be a big problem, here are three reasons why cars are hard to start when it is cold. Reason 1 - Gasoline, like any other liquid, evaporates less when it is cold. You have seen this -- if you pour water onto a hot sidewalk it will evaporate a lot faster than it will from a cooler place like a shady sidewalk. When it gets really cold, gasoline evaporates slowly so it is harder to burn it (the gasoline must be vaporized to burn). Reason 2 - Oil gets a lot thicker in cold weather. You probably know that cold pancake syrup or honey from the refrigerator is a lot thicker than hot syrup or honey. Oil does the same thing. So when you try to start a cold engine, the engine has to push around the cold, gooey oil and that makes it harder for the engine to spin. Reason 3 - Batteries have problems in cold weather, too. A battery is a can full of chemicals that produce electrons. The chemical reactions inside of batteries take place more slowly when the battery is cold, so the battery produces fewer electrons. The starter motor therefore has less energy to work with when it tries to start the engine, and this causes the engine to crank slowly. The Pastor’s Nuts... A pastor was visiting one of his elderly parishioners one day. As they were talking, he noticed she had a bowl of peanuts sitting on the coffee table. The pastor LOVED peanuts, and as they talked he would occasionally eat a few. After a while, the lady left to go to the kitchen and get them some coffee. While she was gone, he just started stuffing the peanuts in, and when she got back there were only a few left in the whole bowl. When he realized how inconsiderate he’d been, he said to the lady “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to eat all of your peanuts.” The lady replied, “Oh, that’s okay pastor, I can’t eat peanuts. I just like to suck the chocolate of off them.” Al Huss Auto, LLC W2074 Lau Road Kaukauna, WI 54130 920-788-3308 alhussauto.com Winter Newsletter For: MotorVac CarbonClean Service Cleans entire fuel system, helping your engine function more efficiently by unclogging accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and other engine components. Improves fuel economy and mileage. Regular price $129.95 Special Price $99.95 Call Al Huss’ Auto to schedule an appointment Tire Special Purchase any set (4) of Uniroyal, BF Goodrich or Michelin brand tires and receive a $25 Kwik Trip Gas card. Get new tires which will keep you rolling smoothly and fuel for the trip. Call Al Huss’ Auto to schedule an appointment 920-788-3308 Coolant Flush Special Pressure test system Inspect water pump Inspect belts & hoses 22 point vehicle inspection Consultation about your vehicle Save $10.00 Coolant may be added if needed, dexcool antifreeze extra. Offer expires 3/14/2014 *May not be combined with other specials or offers Call Al Huss’ Auto to schedule an appointment 920-788-3308 920-788-3308 Offer expires 3/14/2014 Offer expires 3/14/2014 *May not be combined with other specials or offers *May not be combined with other specials or offers
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