Cutshaw Automotive
 Winter is clearly over and now, it is time to take assessment. If you’ve hit potholes (in RVA? Naaa!), your tires have lost pressure. Your brakes may have accumulated road salt. Your alignment may not off after driving on icy roads. Here is your checklist for After-Winter-Care from Cutshaw Automotive:
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Visit our Facebook page for our contest - simply post a GIF in the comments of the post and we'll choose a winner by Tuesday - feel free to share with a friend, ya'all!   According to 2015 data from the Car Care Council, 84% of vehicles surveyed required immediate service. Among the issues: low or dirty oil, contaminated air filters and inadequate coolant levels. Neglecting preventive auto maintenance means easy fixes can become expensive repairs down the road.
Preventive maintenance important because it saves you money. "Preventive maintenance helps you get the most out of what has become a significant investment in transportation", says Tony Molla, Vice President of Communications for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). "For most consumers, a car is [one of the biggest purchases] they're going to make in their lifetime."
 Don't you hate getting gas when it is freezing rain? Don't you hate how LONG the 28 days of February seem? OK. I will stop whining. Why is it so important to not ignore oil changes while the weather is stinking cold?
Following manufacturer's recommendations, you should change the oil and oil filter every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Because Virginia is mild compared to other regions in the country, changing the viscosity of oil may not be necessary, over the winter, but just know that 5W-30 motor oil flows quicker in cold weather than 20W-50. Oil is rated by viscosity, but temperature does affect its thickness. In cold weather, it gets very dense and might have a hard time (at start-up) circulating through the system for proper lubrication. It's important the oil you put in isn't thin enough to run past all the components, without properly adhering. Don't ignore your oil changes in the winter. Cutshaw offers a roasty-toasty waiting area with free coffee and comfy couches....so let us get your oil changed while you let us offer you care-free car care. We even offer free towing and a loaner car, if necessary for larger repairs. Well, it's kind of like this question: Do you take a bath? (or shower)? If the answer is
'Yes' then you'll understand the need to flush your powersteering. Simply put, it gets dirty. If your answer is 'No' - that's creepy :-) Powersteering fluid, much like oil and others contains additives. In addition, powersteering is one of the few systems in your car that does NOT have a filter on it. So, over the course of the vehicles life, that fluid, which lubricates the powersteering system, gets dirty and is no longer keeping your system lubricated. As a result, metal parts will rub together and break. Benefits of a Power Steering Fluid Flush (old fluid removed, system is cleaned, and new power steering fluid is added)
Many car manufacturers do not provide a service interval for powersteering flushes. A good rule of thumb is every 30,000 miles or every two years. This kind of service is much cheeper than repairing or replacing your powersteering system ($500 and up!) With that said, it's your car. But, when your trusted friends at Cutshaw recommend it :-) do it! The challenges of the winter aren't just chilly toes and ruined shoes - taking care of your car has its challenges, too. Here are a few tips for you to keep your car in great shape, until springtime.
  We'll be going over the safety features of your car - the good, the bad, and what you need to know. Tune in to our Facebook page to follow the feature! This month, we'll start with Airbags -- they are the biggest reason you need to keep your children in the back seat! Front airbags have been standard on all new cars since 1998 and light trucks since 1999. Most vehicles had them even before then. Crash sensors connected to an onboard computer detect a frontal collision and trigger the bags. The bags inflate in a few milliseconds—the blink of an eye—then immediately start deflating. While airbags have saved thousands of lives, they also have the potential to cause injury or even death to children or to occupants who aren’t using a seatbelt. Children under 12 should be seated in the rear in an appropriate restraint system and rear-facing child seats should never be installed in front seats equipped with airbags. While we're talking about children, don't dress them in puffy coats (better to just use layers or a car blanket) for children in car seats, this winter, as the "puff" deflates in an accident and when it compresses the child can more easily slide out of the seat. Adaptive, or dual-stage front airbags, introduced in 2003, became standard across the board by the 2007 model year. Most airbag systems now detect the presence, weight, and seat position for the driver and front passenger, and deactivate or de-power front airbags as appropriate to minimize the chance of injury to drivers positioned close to the wheel, out-of-position occupants or children. Side airbags. Torso protecting side-impact airbags for front-seat passengers are also nearly universal, and some automakers offer side airbags for rear-seat passengers, as well. Side airbags are fairly small cushions that pop out of the door trim or the side of the seatback. They help protect the torso, but most aren’t effective in protecting the head. Nearly all new models today also include additional “side curtain” bags that deploy from above the windows and cover both front and rear side windows to prevent occupants from hitting their heads and to shield them from flying debris. A curtain bag often also stays ‘inflated’ longer in most cases to also keep people from being ejected during a rollover or a high-speed side crash. The better head-protection systems deploy the side-curtain bags if the system detects that the vehicle is beginning to roll over. At Cutshaw, we live and breathe everything automotive because that is our job. However, simple things like regular maintenance can slip your customers’ minds because your lives are busy. Do you need an oil change or a tire rotation? Come by and see us! And if you didn't know this - we cannot take appointments for Virginia State Inspections - it is best to come by a the beginning of the month (or mid-month) and beat the crowd. See you soon!  Well, it's kind of like this question: Do you take a bath? (or shower)? If the answer is
'Yes' then you'll understand the need to flush your powersteering. Simply put, it gets dirty. If your answer is 'No' - that's creepy:) Powersteering fluid, much like oil and others contains additives. In addition, powersteering is one of the few systems in your car that does NOT have a filter on it. So, over the course of the vehicles life, that fluid, which lubricates the powersteering system, gets dirty and is no longer keeping your system lubricated. As a result, metal parts will rub together and break. Benefits of a Power Steering Fluid Flush (old fluid removed, system is cleaned, and new power steering fluid is added)
When Should I Flush My Powersteering Fluid? Ok, so I'm going to flush my powersteering fluid. How do I know when to do that? Many car manufacturers do not provide a service interval for powersteering flushes. A good rule of thumb is every 30,000 miles or every two years. These services are pretty cheap (from $59 to $199ish) and so, it's an inexpensive form of insurance. With that said, it's your car. Flush it whenever you think is right or when your trusted friends at Cutshaw recommend it :-) But don't wait too long. Repairing your powersteering system can cost $500 (and up!).  So you need to new brakes on your car.. Either a mechanic told you so or you've started feeling that guh, guh, guh vibration or hearing squealing when you step on the brakes while driving. Bummer! But, we can help. Bottom line, there are 4 things you need to know when you think you need new brakes.
1. First, brakes are EVERYTHING, keeping you, your family and friends safe. How often have you been driving, maybe not paying attention a bit and had to stomp on the brakes to stop your car just in the nick of time? You? Never! Right, me neither. Yeah, you need em. 2. Do I need brake pads? Brake pads should last between 30-50,000 miles and are measured with that thingy on the left. Ask to see the measurements to make sure they DO need to be changed. 3. What type of brakes should I have installed? There are 3 types of brake pad, basically: Basic/Good, Better, Best. Found this good article with lots of pictures and details, ignore the typos and misused words...we didn't write it. We DONT recommend the basic metallic pads because they tend to make noise and throw off a lot of brake dust making your tire rims look dirty. 4. Should I replace rotors at the same time? Notwithstanding budget, YES. Since you are going to replace your brake pads only every 3 to 5 years....it's not that much more $$$ to do both at the same time and avoid another trip to the brake shop. It also ensures that new brake pads don't get torn up by warped rotors. With that said, no sense replacing rotors if they are silky smooth:) At Cutshaw Automotive we can advise you on the best brake buy for your budget. |
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