When the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter as summer moves into autumn, the most important thing you can do is get your car ready for fall. In addition to being more cautious while driving on wet leaves, there are a few things you should do to take care of your car to prepare for the fall season. These will also better prepare you for the inevitable winter season that's right around the corner. Check Your Brakes and Tires It's crucial that you check you make sure your vehicle's brakes and tires are in working order due to the somewhat hazardous conditions of the autumn season and its wet leaves. This is especially true in Fairless Hills and other areas in eastern Pennsylvania, where there are many trees and leaves can sometimes cover the roads. Brakes and tires that are new or in good condition are vital for being able to stop in time or control your vehicle in hazardous conditions. At Peruzzi Mitsubishi, we'll inspect your brakes and tires as part of your scheduled maintenance and recommend any service that needs to be completed. Check Your Vehicle's Battery Colder weather can make it difficult to start a battery that's on its last legs or is not functioning properly. It's a good idea to look under your hood for any signs of corrosion on the battery terminals or loose connections. You don't want to be stuck out in the cold with a dead battery waiting for help to arrive. You can also take your vehicle to a service center and ask them to complete a battery inspection. A trained technician can make sure your battery is in good working condition and can recommend a replacement or repair to get you on your way and give you peace of mind. Check Your Vehicle's Fluid Levels Transmission, brake, and power steering fluids are very important for maintaining your vehicle. Make sure these are topped off and that all these systems are functioning properly. This can be included as part of regular maintenance and can be remedied very easily. Another fluid that you shouldn't neglect is windshield washer fluid. Often, drivers don't realize they are running low or completely out until they really need it. This is especially important as the fall season turns into winter. You don't want to find out your fluid has run out when you need to clear your windshield of salt or ice. Make sure your windshield washer fluid is topped off before you need to use it. Make Sure Your Car's HVAC System is Working Properly Properly heating and cooling your car is critical for maintaining your comfort while driving. Your probably have not used the heating side of your HVAC system all summer, so it's a good idea to make sure it's working before you start to need it in the fall. In addition to your comfort, making sure your HVAC system is functioning properly is also essential for your safety. When your windshield fogs up in the fall, it can cause serious visibility issues if your system isn't quickly able to dissipate it. This can make driving dangerous both for yourself and your passengers and for others with whom you have to share the road. Check Your Tire Pressure Tire pressure is an important aspect of your vehicle to stay on top of when the weather starts turning cold. For the most accurate reading, you should check your tire pressure when the tires are cold and the car has not been driven for a while. Even driving a short distance can cause your tires to heat up slightly and give you an inaccurate reading. Tire pressure decreases with temperature change so you may find that you need to fill up your tires with some air. Maintaining the recommended tire pressure can help make your vehicle more fuel efficient and allow your tires to last longer. If you have any questions about the tips above, you can visit the experts at Peruzzi Mitsubishi for help. Our service experts can inspect every aspect of your vehicle and make sure it's ready for the fall season. There are many things to get done in preparation of the season change, but a maintenance appointment with Peruzzi Mitsubishi's service department will go a long way towards solving these issues. If you're looking for a new car instead, Peruzzi Mitsubishi has a huge selection of over 160 new Mitsubishi vehicles in stock including the new 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. If you're looking for a used car, Peruzzi also has a massive collection of over 500 pre-owned vehicles for sale. Visit Peruzzi Mitsubishi at 130 Lincoln Highway in Fairless Hills, PA or our Service and Parts Center at 49 Spencer Avenue in Fairless Hills, PA.
Although vehicle battery durability, and reliability has gotten much better, you may still find yourself in the position of needing a jump start at some point in your life. If you've ever been stranded with a dead car battery and without a way to jump it or without knowing how, you know how frustrating it can be. So regardless of battery improvements, you should learn the proper way to jump start a vehicle either for yourself or another driver you may be helping. Follow these simple instructions to learn the proper way to jump start a vehicle. Turn both vehicles off first and pop the hoods of both vehicles. Find the batteries in both vehicles and identify the positive and negative terminals on each. Connect one of the red positive jumper cable clamps to the dead battery's red positive post. Connect the other red positive jumper cable clamp to the live battery's red positive post. Connect the black negative jumper cable clamp from the same end as the already connected red clamp to the black negative post of the live battery. Connect the other black negative cable clamp to a clean, unpainted metal surface under the hood of the vehicle with the dead battery. It's very important that you do not connect the negative clamp to the negative post of the dead battery because a spark could ignite resulting in a battery explosion. Start the vehicle with the live battery and allow it to run for five minutes with the jumper cables connected. This will allow some time for the dead battery to charge up. After five minutes, attempt to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If the vehicle won't start, you may have to reposition the clamp that's attached to the unpainted metal surface for better contact. You may also try racing the engine of the vehicle with the live battery to deliver more amperage. Once the engine of the dead battery vehicle has started, disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse order they were connected. Drive the vehicle with the previously dead battery round for a time before turning the vehicle off to allow the battery to charge. Although jump starting a battery is a task that some people fear, once you try it once for yourself you will see that it is very simple and intuitive. You should always carry jumper cables in your vehicle so that you can jump your own car or help someone else with jumping theirs if the need arises. When your vehicle is running smoothly again, it might be a good idea to take it to a service center to determine if there is anything wrong with your battery that caused it to lose its charge. The service experts at Peruzzi Mitsubishi can take a look at your vehicle under the hood and diagnose and fix any problems, including battery issues. Make an appointment with our Levittown and Trenton area service center today and make sure your vehicle stays running in working condition. Give us a call today at 855-210-2919 or visit our Mitsubishi service and parts facility at 49 Spencer Avenue in Fairless Hills, PA.
Oil is an essential component for keeping your engine running smoothly. It reduces the friction and maintaining proper oil levels can prevent many vehicle problems. You should check the oil level of your vehicle once per month to make sure that there is enough oil present and that it is not contaminated. If the oil in vehicle is visibly dirty or smells like gasoline, it's probably time to replace it. You should also be checking the level of oil with your car's dipstick. The process for testing your oil level and quality is very simple. Remove the dipstick and wipe it on a clean rag. Make sure your vehicle has been off for at least ten minutes before you check the oil. This will ensure that the engine is cold. The location of your oil dipstick depends on what type of engine you have. If you have a rear-wheel drive engine, it will probably be somewhere near the engine around the middle of the area under your hood. If you have a front-wheel drive engine, the dip stick will probably be located somewhere near the front of the area under the hood. If you're having trouble finding the dip stick, check your vehicle's owners manual. Insert the dipstick back into the pipe. If you are unable to insert the stick the entire way in, rotate it. The pipe is curved so the stick might not be able to fit if came out the opposite way. Take the dipstick out again and look at the oil left on the end. The level of the oil will probably fall somewhere between "Add" and "Full". If the level is full, or close to full, you don't have to worry about adding any oil. If the level is at or near the add line, you should add some oil to the tank. You don't have to add it to the same tube you used the dipstick in. There should be a screw-off cap somewhere on your engine that may even be labeled as "Oil Cap". It may even tell you what grade of oil you should be using in the engine. Unscrew this cap and add as much oil as needed. Test the quality of the oil. It can be difficult to tell if oil is dirty based purely on color. Oil turns black quickly and this may not always be a sign that it needs replacing. Try rubbing a small amount between your fingers. If the oil leaves a smudge of dirt on your fingers, it probably needs to be changed. If you've noticed your oil level is low or your oil is dirty, you can contact the professionals at Peruzzi Mitsubishi to help you replace your oil or add oil to your tank. You can also stop by our Mitsubishi service center and we can perform both of these tests for you as part of our preventative car maintenance and inspection. We can also check for other problems and take care of any problems as needed such as replacing oil filters, brake repair, engine diagnostic services, and much more. If you have any questions about our vehicle service, don't hesitate to give us a call at 855-210-2919. You can also visit our service center at 49 Spencer Ave in Fairless Hills, PA. Schedule service at your local Trenton, NJ and Levittown, PA area vehicle service center today!