Performance Shop Tips And Tricks For Keeping Your Car On The Road

There’s nothing worse than having a car that is out of commission and needs repairs. While sticking to your car’s manufacturer’s recommended service schedule is the best way of keeping your car on the road, there are more things you can do to help. We asked our performance shop pros about their favorite tips and tricks for keeping their cars on the road longer

Get Warning Lights Checked ASAP​​​​​​

We can’t tell you how many cars get towed into our shop that has had a warning light on for months! We understand that sometimes life happens, and you can’t get to a mechanic immediately, but unfortunately, there can be a lot going on in your car. Driving around with a warning light on can lead to a catastrophic failure further down the road.

One of the mottos we have in our shop is “better safe than sorry,” and we encourage all our customers to adopt it too. Just don’t risk a $50 repair becoming a $5,000 repair.

Invest In Body Protection​​​​​​

In Florida, we are lucky enough not to have to deal with the snow and salt that our northern neighbors have to contend with, but we still have to deal with the salty sea breeze and harsh Florida sun

Protection From Rus

While most modern cars have excellent rust protection from the factory, it is usually only done on the chassis, exposing suspension and driveline parts. The factory protection can be worn away, especially if you’re a fan of off-roading. Applying a rust-proof coating every few years will save your car from rust on exposed metal, and your mechanic will thank you the next time you visit a performance shop

Protecting From The Sun And Elements

To protect your car from the sun and other elements, getting your car wax or ceramic coated will offer a sacrificial layer that the elements can destroy instead of your clear coat. While wax is cheap, easy to apply, and regularly available, it has a short lifespan and will need to be reapplied after every wash. Ceramic coating, on the other hand, does require more preparation, such as degreasing and clay barring the paint (essentially a full detail) but it does last anywhere between 1 and 3 years, depending on the number of layers applied.

Ceramic coating can also be applied to plastics and interior panels to restore their original color and add additional protection from the sun

Get Modifications Done By A Reputable Performance Shop

We completely understand the urge to squeeze out every possible bit of performance from your car; in fact, we encourage it. Unfortunately, car modification is now easier than it has ever been before. With the sheer amount of knockoff and replica parts being made, there are a lot of performance shops out there that are all too willing to take advantage of an uninformed enthusiast.

You protect yourself in two ways by going to a reputable performance shop, which is an authorized dealer and exclusively employs ASE-certified technicians. Firstly, you eliminate the risk of sub-par quality or knockoff parts being installed on your car, and secondly, you gain the benefit of experience. An ASE-certified technician will have worked on enough cars to be familiar with a number of modifications and will ensure they are installed correctly with the right supporting mods.

Shorten The Service Intervals

This bit of advice is more for the vintage car owners, the spirited drivers, and racers among us. While the manufacturer’s recommended service schedule is a great guideline for when to service your car, it is based on the wear an “average” driver would put on the car. Unless you’re using your car for nothing more than commuting, consider having your oil changed more frequently

The more strain you put your engine under, the harder the oil must work to protect it. This leads to faster degradation of the oil, which lowers the protective properties of the oil. If you use your car for a specific activity, like track days, off-roading, or drifting, you will also need to increase the intervals some parts are maintained. For example, drift cars will need differentials fluid replaced more often, while track cars will need coolant regularly changed

Bring Your Car To Foreign Affairs Motorwerks

Finally, the most important tip to keep your car going for longer is to bring it down to Foreign Affairs Motorwerks in Pompano Beach for any work it might need. We have been South Florida’s Premier German Auto Repair, Performance, and Race Facility Since 1978. Our team of automotive experts will be able to advise you on and complete any maintenance item or modification you might be dreaming of. Don’t hesitate to book your car today by calling us at (954) 746-0488.