Auto Maintenance: Your Car’s New Year’s Resolutions

Having survived the COVID hangover that was 2021, we find ourselves looking towards the new dawn of 2022. J.B. Priestley famously said, ‘I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.’ This made us wonder, if you auto could have 4 New Year’s auto maintenance resolutions, what would they be?

1. Regular Auto Maintenance

We cannot stress enough the importance of keeping up with basic auto maintenance. Mostly it is a nuisance factor that prevents us from adhering to a set schedule. These are there for a reason, and for both your safety and your auto’s lifespan we suggest you stick to it. So, bite the bullet, and bear with not having your pride a joy for a day. Trust us, if you don’t you could be stuck without wheels for weeks.

2. Check Tire Pressures

This is a strange one, but tire pressures are actually much more important than you think. Keeping them within the correct guidelines specified by the manual (there are usually two sets of pressures, one for laden and another for unladen) means that you will always have optimum traction. Also, your auto’s suspension will get the correct response from the wheels meaning less wear. This helps with avoiding potentially dangerous situations where overinflated tires could cause skids. Make your tire pressure too low and both your fuel consumption and tread wear will suffer.

3. Accessorize

We all love shopping, and when it comes to your car there are a few things that are a good idea to get. Specifically, we want to talk about the humble sunshade. Let’s face it, in Florida; We. Do. Sun. So making sure that you have one of these simple devices means that the AC has to work less hard when you get into your auto. It also stops the dashboard from cracking and protects the modern facade (acres of plastic knobs) from damage. The cost of replacing one of those plastic doohickeys might surprise you.

4. AC Service and Re-gas

Being chilled is so important in today’s world of COVID restrictions. AC systems last much longer if they are checked from time to time. The three most important auto maintenance tips here are:

• Replace Pollen Filter

  This sucker keeps the air inside the cabin fresh. It can easily get clogged with gunk and leaves putting unnecessary strain on the blower fan and causing the evaporator to ice up. Lots of fan noise but no air? Probably need to check this filter.

• Check Refrigerant Pressure

  Over time some refrigerant escapes and keeping the system topped up puts less strain on the pump and makes sure that stays lubricated.

• Circulate the Gas During Winter

  If you don’t use the AC during winter, make sure that you turn it on at least once a month to circulate the gas through the system and re-lubricate all the moving parts.

Auto Maintenance & More at Foreign Affairs Motorwerks

In many ways 2022 is our ‘new day.’ The worst of the COVID seems to be passed. Although much has changed, we face the future with renewed optimism and vigor. At Foreign Affairs Motorwerks we look forward to taking this journey with you. Here’s to a Happy New Year!

To schedule your appointment for any auto maintenance and routine service, call Foreign Affairs Motorwerks today at (954) 746-0488.