April is National Car Care Month!
For me, growing up in rural Indiana, keeping vehicles in safe reliable operating condition wasn’t viewed as an option. When you could literally be miles away from any type of assistance, pre cell phones and still intending to stay on schedule, you learn to appreciate a reliable vehicle since relying on the kindness of strangers could take several hours!
Safe and reliable vehicles don’t come by chance. They are the result of routine maintenance and care taken before something becomes an issue that could leave you stranded. First and foremost, here’s my shameless plug – have a routine oil change at least every 6 months, regardless of mileage for typical drivers in our area.
Has it been 6 months or more since your last oil change? Schedule today
It truly is the simplest and about the least expensive thing you could do for your vehicle.
Any reputable full-service auto repair facility will do at the least a safety inspection when you go in for an oil change that would also be your first line of defense for any issues or upcoming maintenance you could proactively plan for on your own schedule, not when a new warning light shows up on the dash or the vehicle makes some crazy noise that you know is not normal!
In addition to the many routine items that can and should be inspected regularly, (check out CarCare News Service Article) sometimes one of the most important things here in Florida that can get overlooked until there is a problem is your vehicles Air Conditioning system! Our days are quickly warming up, humidity is returning in full force and perhaps by the time you read this our evenings will be just as hot and humid as our days giving us no reprieve unless we have A/C.
While many of us are holding on to our vehicles longer, the traditional R-134a freon is the most common and dare I say colder option in A/C for most; however, the newer freon R1234yf has been in use since the early 2010s with many US manufacturers beginning to install in vehicles since 2013, European manufacturers were required to transition to in 2017 and the EPA has required newly manufactured vehicles be equipped with R1234yf since 2021.
We have the resources to handle both versions of freon at Duane’s Dealer Alternative. We are always happy to discuss an inspection of your A/C system that is specific to your situation. This can often be incorporated into your routine oil change visit.
Another item we find that gets overlooked, at least until our rainy season is in full force, are sunroof drains. Did you even know your sunroof had a drain? Honestly if I did know I’d forgotten until we had a situation come up with a customer’s car in our shop.
Our technicians have a couple of ways to approach this item. They consider if the client is experiencing any issues with the sunroof, the age of the vehicle, where it’s routinely parked and other sometimes odd questions based on their own experiences. Maybe you always park in a garage, but once a week you work from your vehicle at Philippe Park, with the sunroof open because the weather is great! In some cases, that might be the time debris gets in your sunroof drain(s) potentially creating the opportunity for water to back up into your vehicle’s interior after a rain. It’s often an easy fix either way, but most of us probably prefer to keep our interiors dry!
We have the knowledge and equipment to work on most anything you can bring us. Our affinity towards Lexus & Toyota is where we shine, but our customers drive our business no matter what they bring our way! We look forward to meeting you and providing you with awesome service for your vehicle!
Please check out the helpful Car Care Guide from Car Care Council here
– By Kimberly DeSouza