Safety Tips for using Cruise Control

Once a luxury option, cruise control has become basic on many makes and models of new vehicles. Service professionals in the Olympia Auto Mall, Aberdeen’s finest auto repair shops, are frequently asked about proper use of cruise control. In addition to reducing driver fatigue by eliminating the need to constantly apply pressure to the accelerator, cruise control makes driving more fuel efficient by maintaining a consistent speed. However, all advantages come with some drawbacks. To ensure driving on cruise control is as safe as it is convenient, here are a few safety tips the professionals in the Olympia Automall service departments recommend:

Cruise Where Appropriate
Cruise control is designed for lengthy trips on dry, open roads and highways. Ideally, you should only use cruise on roads with at least two lanes proceeding in each direction of travel.

Stay Focused
Just because you’re not required to keep the speed setting steady, don’t allow your attention to wander from the task of driving safely. Cruise control doesn’t reduce the critical need to steer, brake and be alert to any emergency that may suddenly arise. 

Keep Your Foot at the Brake
While you may draw your foot away from the accelerator for comfort, always keep your other foot positioned at the brake pedal. If you need to turn off the cruise to decelerate—or make an emergency stop—quick access to the brake pedal both disengages cruise control and applies braking action.  

Turn It Off In Wet Conditions
Don’t use cruise control during rain or other slick road conditions. Hydroplaning is a common occurrence where tires lose contact with a wet road and skim on the layer of water, instead. In a hydroplaning scenario, the cruise control may try to compensate for lost traction by increasing speed and spinning wheels even faster. This may result in total loss of control.

If you are looking for a trusted auto repair shop near Aberdeen Washington, search no more. Visit theservice departments in the Olympia Auto Mall. They will take great care of you and your car!

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Symptoms of Automatic Transmission Problems

If you’ve experienced that sinking feeling that comes when your car makes a weird noise or doesn't run quite right, you aren't alone. I recently had to take my car in to get looked at and the thought of a major repair bill was making me sweat. All the classic signs of a transmission gone bad were there:

First and foremost, my car seemed to be hesitating as I accelerated. Sometimes it ran just fine and other times it would suddenly lurch out of first gear. The needle showing my RPMs would keep going up, but I could feel the car working harder and harder. I replaced the transmission fluid, but the problem persisted and I knew I was in trouble.

My friend recommended that I put the car in neutral and see if anything happened. I wasn't sure exactly what I should be looking for, but I was surprised by a series of weird noises. It wasn't what I would call a good sign. 
Thinking back, there were probably warning signs a few weeks before I actually took by car into my local mechanic. I had noticed some fluid leaking out of the bottom of my car. In retrospect, I should have checked the transmission then and perhaps prolonged the life of my transmission.

The verdict was pretty clear and the cost of a new transmission simply wasn't worth the cost. That is when I decided to visit the Olympia Auto Mall, serving Chehalis and surrounding areas. They specialize in new and used cars and reliable, honest service. After careful thought, it was a better investment to put the cost of repairs towards a used car. The representatives at Olympia Automall worked with me to find an option that fit my budget and now I feel a lot safer driving around in a car that smoothly shifts.

For all your new and used car needs in the Chehalis Washington and surrounding areas, visit the Olympia Auto Mall. You won’t be disappointed!

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Green Tips for Taking Care of Your Car

Purchasing used cars in Olympia can be considered a green act in itself when you think about it. After finding your perfect vehicle after shopping for used cars in Olympia, these green tips can help you take care of your car.

Maintain Your Car & Help the Environment
Following the manufacturer’s service recommendations for maintaining your car will help prolong the life of your vehicle and allow it to run more efficiently.

• Change your air filter as needed. Proper airflow will help maintain your car’s acceleration and performance. It also improves your car’s emissions.
• Check spark plugs and replace when needed. Faulty or dirty plugs can cause engine misfiring, which wastes gas.
• Keep your tires properly inflated. You should check you tire pressure at least once a month. This will help improve your gas mileage and prevent excess wear and tear on your tires.

Keeping your car clean does not mean you need to use harsh cleaners or waste water in the process. There are greener ways to keep used cars in Olympia looking great:

• Take your car to an environmentally-friendly car wash that uses a water recycling system
• In between washes, use a 1 part to 4 parts vinegar and water solution to clean your windows
• Remove unnecessary items from your trunk to reduce clutter, lighten load and improve gas mileage

For more great tips and excellent car care in Olympia, visit the Olympia Auto Mall.

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Tips on how to keep vehicles working during hot weather

Hot weather usually spells heavy additional wear and tear on your vehicle. During seasonal periods with hot weather, people tend to run the air conditioning and travel more so than any other period during the year. Rather than have my summer road trip travel plans placed on hold due to some vehicular malfunction, I try to keep my vehicle in working condition, especially in preparation for the grueling hot weather of the summer.

Hot weather presents all sorts of challenges, but I like to prepare for these types of vehicular challenges by conducting some preventive maintenance. I usually do some of these preventive measures on my own, while I am certain to take a lot of the maintenance work to one of the nearby car dealerships in Tacoma WA for professional certified mechanics to complete and guarantee the work.

Tips for Hot Weather Vehicle Preventive Maintenance
Here are some tips on how to keep your vehicle in tip top shape during hot weather time periods:

• Check fluid levels prior at the beginning of spring and prior to summer
• Oil
• Transmission fluid
• Coolant
• Check engine for leaks, drips and other damages requiring proper attention
• Ensure that all tires have proper air pressure

Tips for Long Distance Driving in Hot Weather
In order to prepare for long distance driving such as summer road trips, here are some of my top suggestions for having one of the local car dealerships in Tacoma WA check and repair your vehicle prior to a road trip:

• Radiator flush and refill
• Air conditioning service package
• Tire inspection and rotation (Replacement if necessary)
• Oil system and transmission inspection (Refill fluids if necessary)
• General road test and overall vehicle inspection

This should provide you with confidence for braving another hot summer with your vehicle intact and road ready. For more great summer travel tips and service, visit the great cardealerships at the Olympia Auto Mall, proudly serving Tacoma and surrounding areas.


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Tips for Maintaining Your Car Battery

Basic upkeep is part of owning an automobile. You can have the best midsize SUV on the market today but that doesn’t mean you can ignore regular maintenance. One aspect of maintenance that you can do on your own is maintaining your car battery. If the car battery in your SUV is not a maintenance-free battery then you will need to run through this list on regular basis. Here are some simple steps to keep your battery maintained and your car on the go...  

1.   Keep your battery clean and free of oxidation, corrosion, and grease.

2.   Make sure your battery is secure and is not bumping around under your hood hitting other parts of your engine.

3.   If you don’t have a maintenance-free battery, keep it topped off with water.

·         First park your car in a safe area and turn off the ignition. Make sure you have plenty of room to work in. Raise the hood and locate your battery. At this point you may want to clean the top of the battery itself to prevent dirt and debris from falling into the battery cells when you open it. Next remove the vent caps. 

·         Next check the water level in each of the battery’s cells. For those that are running low on water carefully top them off with distilled water. It is very important that you only use distilled or water that has been purified. Impure water (for example straight from the tap) can damage your battery due to its impurities.

·         Fill the battery to just below the cap hole. Be sure to not overfill. Be sure to clean up any spills that may occur with fresh water and carefully wipe down the top of the battery.

The Olympia Auto Mall cares about your car experience. Check out our large inventory of new and used SUVs, cars, trucks, and hybrids!

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What Are the Functions of a Car Radiator?

Whether you're driving a brand new hybrid SUV, a classic muscle car or conservative family sedan, one piece of equipment all will certainly have installed is a radiator. Radiators are appliances designed to transfer heat, whether in your automobile or in your home.

Vehicle radiators perform two important functions:

• Cooling the engine
• Providing heat for the passenger cabin

Proper Cooling is Critical

Explosions and friction associated with internal combustion engines cause the engine to heat up significantly. This is needed because an engine must "warm up" and remain at proper operating temperature for best performance. Too much heat, however, will destroy your vehicle's engine, causing metal parts to fuse and the engine to seize.

Channels built into an engine's exterior allow for cooling fluid to run through the unit, transferring heat from the engine to the coolant. The liquid then runs through a hose to the radiator, where heat is dissipated to the surrounding air, facilitated by the radiator's fins, the engine fan, and the radiator's front-positioning within the engine compartment.

Fin-construction allows for maximum surface area and small tubes running through the radiator expose the coolant to the effects of cooler surrounding air. It's then returned to the engine jacket in order to absorb more heat. During this cyclic process, some of the heat is made available to the passenger compartment, where it's used to provide warmth for occupant comfort.

Your car's thermostat is a heat-sensitive valve that regulates when and if coolant is circulated through the system. This regulates engine temperature. A low coolant level in your hybrid SUV or your two-seater sports car can spell disaster if allowed to go too low. Then it's new engine time!  

If your radiator needs maintenance or you are ready to look at the latest in SUV technology including hybrids, visit the Olympia Auto Mall. They have the largest selection and best prices!

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