Friday, June 27, 2014

The Details of Detailing


Your car is a mess. I mean, a MESS. And you’re thinking about getting it detailed. But what exactly happens when you take your baby in for the full clean? We can offer you a little insight on some of what the service entails.

It starts on the outside. The wheels, tires, doorjambs, bumpers, grilles, anything you can think of that doesn’t count as “interior” gets cleaned spotless first. Then your car gets a facelift with a good polish and buff of the finish – bye bye, bugs! They top it off with a coat of wax, do little touch ups like cleaning the door handles and polishing the glass, and then move on to the interior.


The interior gets a thorough vacuuming – and we mean thorough – which includes taking a brush to the carpets and air vents, and between the seats or other pesky spots. After that, it gets a nice shampooing using a mild cleaning solution, a soft wash mitt, and towels. Sounds kinda nice, right? This shampooing process can knock more dirt loose, so it gets vacuumed again afterward. If you have a fabric interior, the rest gets cleaned with citrus cleaner, which eliminates odors, and a hot water extractor to cut down moisture. If you have a leather interior the detailers will put a liberal amount of leather care product on the seats and allow it to soak in for a bit before wiping all the seats down.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Must-Have Items for Your Trunk


Before you head out on your summer road trips and camping expeditions, here are a few things you ought to consider keeping in the trunk:

Extra coolant! You might not always be able to make it to a gas station, and if your car overheats this could be a big problem.

Keep a quart or two of oil on hand.

GPS – any kind, whatever you prefer to use, just be sure you have it on long trips.

Keep a roll of duct tape in the back as well. It’s great for temporarily repairing, say, a leaky hose – or quieting the backseat driver in your life.

Get a REAL spare tire, not one of those dinky things that come with your car. Would you want to be stuck on a doughnut while driving through unpopulated terrain? We think not. They’re usually only recommended for about 50 miles of driving, anyway.

The Uh Oh Kit – a screw driver, a couple flairs, pliers, vise grips, and a coat hanger just in case.

A jack…that you know how to use. Before you travel, take it out and try it a couple times to get comfortable with it, that way you’re not sitting on your hands when you get into a pinch.

Jumper cables. This is obvious, literally everyone should keep these in their car.

Cell phone! Cell phone! Cell phone! Payphones are a thing of the past, and if you get stranded in the middle of nowhere a cell phone could literally save your life.

A first aid kit. Always keep a first aid kit in the car.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Get the most out of your mileage!


Planning your summer road trip is already stressful enough–why worry about what you’re spending on gas?  Here are a couple of things to avoid and a couple of things to remember while you’re out on the road.
DO be assertive (not aggressive).  Speeding up and braking sharply slices your highway gas mileage by 33 percent.
DON’T drive with the windows down.  While you may think you’re cutting costs by avoiding use of the air conditioning, you are actually making your car work harder to maintain speed because of aerodynamic drag.
DO make sure your tires are properly inflated.  Driving on partially deflated wheels does nothing but damage to your gas mileage.
DON’T use a rooftop cargo box.  If you need the extra room, try a cargo tray that attaches at the rear bumper.  It’s much easier on your mileage.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Are you a #Soul sister? Read this!



If you’re a “cool mom” that’s also budget-conscious, you probably have a hard time finding the right vehicle to suit all your needs.  You’ll need plenty of cargo space to haul road trip luggage and sports equipment, but you don’t want a double-wide wagon.  You refuse to pay the price that comes along with a gas-guzzling SUV, but you want your style to stay current.  And, to complicate it even further?  You aren’t rocking the minivan look– but you won’t compromise when it comes to safety.  Times are tough!
Luckily, the 2014 Kia Soul eats tough times for breakfast.  And it knows the importance of eating a well-balanced breakfast every day.  That’s why it’s the perfect blend of style, safety, and sass to fit right in with your busy–and cool– life.  Come see us to take one for a spin today!