New driver? Top 5 Things to Know About Your Car

Congratulations!

After months of studying and many nights spent dreaming about your first car or about the driving experiences that are going to come your way, you have finally done it: you earned your drivers permit. 

However, one thing you will hear from many is that, even though you learned the rules of the road, there's a lot more to driving.

If you want to impress your parents by driving safely and save money while you do so, you have to know how to keep your car properly maintained.

Here are five car maintenance and repair tips to get you started:

1. Don’t buy more gas than you need

First tip for your vehicle: Using a higher grade of gasoline than your car manufacturer recommends is like throwing money away.

Think about it, premium gasoline is about 20 to 40 cents more expensive per gallon than regular gas. In fact, most experts would agree that there is very little difference in quality between gasoline grades anyways.

Another easy gas related money-saving tip? When the gas tank is full and the pump handle shuts off automatically, do not add more gas.

Gasoline expands once you put it in the car and thus it needs room to expand. By topping of your tank, the extra gasoline can evaporate into your car’s vapor collection system, causing your engine to run poorly. 

Also, filling up past when needed causes that extra gas to be fed back into the gas station’s holding tank through its vapor recovery line. Lastly, overfilling your gas tank can cause harmful vapors to be released into the environment.

Next time you visit the pump think green, for your wallet and for the environment.

2. Tires: Invest in a penny's worth of safety

One of the best ways to guarantee your car will have proper traction is by making sure the car’s tires have plenty of tread. While 4/32 of an inch is recommended, your vehicles minimum tread should never go below 2/32.

Want to know the easiest way to check your treading? The old penny trick

Take a penny and insert it so Lincoln's head goes into the grooves of your tires first. If any part of Lincoln’s head is covered, you have a legal amount of tire tread left and can go on without having to replace your tires. However, if you see space above Lincoln’s head, or if you can see any part of the words “In God We Trust,” it’s time to get new tires.

At Jerry’s we offer tires for life on all of our vehicles. This means that Tires that are originally purchased on your Jerry’s New or Manufacturer Certified Pre-Owned vehicle will be replaced once they are worn due to normal wear and tear. On top of that Jerry’s also offers nitrogen air fills for your tires free of cost!

3. Change your Oil!

This one was emphasized to me by my own father so I am sure you will hear the same: "CHANGE YOUR OIL"

Experts used to recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles, but now the standard is that vehicles 2002 and older can go 5,000 miles without oil changes, while anything below that should stick with 3,000 mile intervals between oil changes.

So, what’s the big deal about oil changes? Pay attention.

Motor oil helps to lubricate, cool, and seal many of your engine’s internal components. When the engine is running, oil is constantly circulating through critical parts of your car’s motor, thus making regular oil checkups and changes vital to your car. Neglecting to change the oil periodically will shorten the life of your engine.

One great thing about oil changes is that they are simple and inexpensive to do, which is the main reason why so many car owners change their own oil. If you want to do it yourself, get a parent or other adult to help you out, consult your vehicle owner’s manual to find out what kind of oil to use. If you don’t want to change it yourself bring it into the shop, it still won’t cost you much, and it will keep you from having to spend big money down the road.

4. Replace your own fuses and save a few bucks!

If something electrical in your car stops working, (Such as your windows or windshield wipers), it might be a simple fix such as a blown fuse. Identify which electrical part isn’t working then, using the owner’s manual, locate the fuse box. After locating which is fuse runs the part that isn’t working, remove it with a plastic fuse removal tool, usually located in the fuse box. After installing the new fuse test the electrical part for proper operation to verify the repair

(NOTE. Make sure you install a new fuse with the same amperage rating, ir else it wont work :o) )

Replacing a fuse is one of the easiest repair jobs you can do yourself. If you are feeling shaky on replacing a fuse yourself ask an adult to help, go online to access how-to guides, and always consult your vehicle owner’s manual to learn more.

5. Always pay attention to your check engine light!

One of the biggest mistakes drivers can do is ignoring their Check Engine light.

The Check Engine light can signal any number of component failures, from a loose gas cap that causes a fuel-vapor leak to a faulty oxygen sensor that affects gas mileage. A blinking check engine light usually indicates a severe engine misfire that could damage your car’s expensive catalytic converter if ignored.

The best tip we can offer is to read your owner’s manual in order to familiarize yourself with all the dashboard warning lights. The more you know about your car, the less likely you’ll be seeing our mechanics in the near future.

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For more information on all of our available vehicles, products and services visit us at http://jerrysitsaboutyou.com