Last week winter officially arrived and I couldn’t be happier. With the official winter wonderment, we also had our first healthy heap of snow. Is your vehicle ready for whatever weather based plot twists mother nature throws at you? Let’s be real for a minute here…you never know what you’re going to get here in the capital district. Will it be 85 degrees and sunny in this January? Will it be 4 degrees and blizzarding? Who knows?? Not me. I prefer to be prepared. If you want to be ready for whatever kind of winter we end up with, check out these helpful tips on things you should have checked or changed!

Tire Traction

I hear ya! Is it really worth it to get snow tires? It’s your choice, but my snow tires have saved me from some pretty intense snowfall. They are designed with increased tread and temperature-withstanding compounds that can keep tire material structure pliable in extreme cold, giving you better traction, so in my opinion, they are 100% worth it.

Tire Tread

Should you decided to not go with snow tires, at least make sure that your tires aren’t bald and have a decent tread. Even the best all-season tires won’t do any good if they don’t have adequate tread on them. If you have any doubts, you can easily do the penny test. Basically just insert a penny (with Lincoln’s head pointing down) in between the raised portions of your tire’s tread. If you cannot see the top of Lincoln’s head, then your tires have sufficient tread; if you can, you need new tires. It’s also important to make sure that your tires are wearing evenly so check all of your tires in different places to make sure.

Proper Tire Inflation

In addition to tread, keeping your tires inflated correctly can help keep you safe in snowy terrain.  

Remember that for every 10-degree drop in temperature, your tires lose one psi of air, meaning this is prime time to keep up with that tire pressure. Most vehicles are equipped with a tire pressure sensor so keep an eye out for that light, but also walk around your vehicle periodically and look to see if your tire is bulging a bit. If it is, check the tire pressure and inflate it to the correct psi!

If you keep on top of these things, you will be able to make it through the winter months like a champion! If you want to have your tires checked and or changed, stop by Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Granville today and we’ll get your winter ready!

*To the tune of Frosty the Snowman

Zappone here in Granville, has some specials on our lot
A Jeep Cherokee, a few Chryslers you’ll see, and a Dodge for Uncle Scott

Specials at Zappone are a fairytale, they say.
So before they go, tell everyone you know, to stop by Zappone today

You’ll soon believe in magic when you ask about the price.

The savings are so clear to see you won’t even have to think twice!

Oh, Specials at Zappone are only here for a short time,
So come down today, or check our specials page
For savings that are sublime!

Last week we talked about the repairs that you can totally do on your own. They are relatively simple and it’s not likely that you will cause serious damage if you mess them up. The following list, however, is comprised of the things you REALLY REALLY should not do on your own. Not because we doubt your mechanical prowess, but mostly because they require very specific machinery, or you could actually get seriously hurt trying to accomplish them. It’s not you…it’s safety. So before you decide to do some home repairs on your car, check out this list:

1. Wiring Harness Repair

Wiring harnesses send electrical signals to make your vehicle run. So the big question to ask yourself before messing with the equivalent of your car’s brain is: Is this a vehicle you plan to drive? Or is a vehicle you’re just working on a home to learn more about cars? If it’s just a fun learning project, you’ll likely learn a lot, and carry on with playing around here, but be careful, you’re still working with electricity. If however, you will need to drive this car in the near future, don’t do it, man. For real, wiring harnesses are notoriously temperamental and when something’s wrong in there you’re gonna need to call in a pro at Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Granville.

2. Air Conditioning Repair

There are 3 levels to air conditioning repairs, and even the most basic of those is pretty complicated. If you don’t have experience working with hazardous materials like that found in a DIY refrigerant top-off kit, this is not a project to tackle on your own. This is more of a health risk, than damage to my vehicle and risking your health for the sake of replacing your own AC is not worth it. The next 2 levels would require specialized parts like a vacuum pump to remove existing refrigerant before charging the system back to factory specs, or even having to dismantle the dashboard to check for leaks or a malfunction. That’s a bit more than I’m willing to take on as a project, and is best left to the professionals.

3. Body Work

Unless you happen to be exceptionally good at moulding putty, this is not a task you’ll want to take on. You will definitely save money, but if your goal is to bring your vehicle back to its former glory, DIY is not the way to go. It’s usually best to leave these sorts of issues to the professionals, it will look significantly better than if you tried to fix it on your own.

4. Spring Removal

Unless you have access to an industrial-grade spring compressor, taking a spring out of its housing is not going to happen. Yah, I didn’t think so. Even if you did, keeping that spring tamed and secured in a safe way is not easy. If the spring let loose and you were in its way you could be seriously injured. People have even died this way. Please leave this one to the safety of professionals.

5. Ignition System Repair

If you want your car to start, you’ll need your ignition system in tact. So if you mess this up, you can end up doing more harm than help. The risk of failure and subsequent damage here has only grown with the creation of modern electronic ignition systems. It’s no longer as simple as pulling a spark plug wire and looking for a spark. 50,000 volts of electricity is no laughing matter. So if you’re not super interested in being electrocuted, I strongly recommend not tackling this job by yourself!

if your vehicle is in need of service, stop by Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Granville today and we’ll be happy to get you all sorted out.

I’m the kind of person who likes to have a more hands-on role in the fixing of my car. It’s nice to know how the car works and be able to save a few dollars while doing it. As much of a DIYer as I am, there are some pieces of maintenance that I wouldn’t, and honestly shouldn’t, attempt on my own. That being said, this week and next week’s blogs will talk about what maintenance you can do on your own, and what you should leave to the professionals. First things first, below you will find a list of the car maintenance that you can probably handle on your own without causing too much trouble with your vehicle.

Air Filter
You need a new air filter for your car every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. This is a fairly easy job that would take probably 10 minutes to do on your own.

Headlights
Depending on your vehicle, replacing your headlights is a fairly simple task and should only take you about ten minutes. The only cost with this maintenance task is the cost of the new headlight, which can run anywhere from $20-$100 depending on what kind of bulb you need.

Spark Plugs
Changing your spark plugs can take anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on how many plugs you have. It costs around $15 to do this yourself (the price of new spark plugs).

Oil/Oil Filter
Your oil is typically changed every 3,500-5,000 miles depending on your vehicle. If you aren’t sure, check your owner’s manual. Your engine keeps everything in your engine running smoothly and acts as a temperature regulator, so it is vitally important that you keep up with your oil changes. It takes about 45 minutes to change your own oil and will cost around $30 (the price of oil and a new filter).

Windshield Wipers
You’ll need new wiper blades after about six months or a year of use. It depends on how much you’ve had to use them that year. Driving with a streaked windshield is unsafe for you and those on the road around you, so it’s not worth the risk to ignore something as simple as this.

So now you know what you can handle on your own in terms of maintenance for your vehicle. If you still aren’t interested in maintaining these things on your own you are more than welcome to stop by Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Granville, and we’ll be more than happy to take care of everything for you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us and we’ll do what we can to answer your questions.