Fall Automotive Challenges

 

Did you know? The Fall months are some of the most challenging for drivers and their cars. Why? After Summer, upkeep of our cars and trucks takes a back seat to going back to school, work, and life in general. It’s easy to take your car’s or truck’s performance for granted, and with the upcoming expenses of Thanksgiving and Christmas, we sometimes tempt fate. Let’s not tempt fate – instead, do these simple check-ups that will save you money and time while avoiding a horrible surprise.

Check your wipers. Wipers are often neglected, but once they’re replaced, we notice the improved vision during both day and night. Fall leaves and sticks always seem to damage our wipers. Wipers are an inexpensive upgrade to both your safety and the safety of others. This simple fix is a DIY project that could save you from an unwanted accident.

Check your battery. Make sure your battery cable ends are tight and free of corrosion. Such a simple issue caught at home or by your shop can save you the BIG headache of an unexpected breakdown. Then again, if a breakdown was expected, wouldn't you do something to make sure it didn’t happen?

Check your tires. Fall brings new roadway challenges of wet leaves on the roads. Make sure the air pressure of your tires is at the manufacturer’s specifications. Look at the wear and tread depth. Most tires today have wear bars. Lastly, check your tires for abnormal wear. Do your tires have the steel belt showing on the edges? If so, please purchase new tires as soon as possible.

Check your heating and defroster. Fall creeps up on us quickly. Make sure you take a moment to check both the heater and defroster for proper operation. Does the temperature change as you adjust the temp control? If so, GREAT! If not, this could be caused by a low coolant level. If your coolant level is low, take your vehicle to your shop and have them check for leaks. Switch your climate control from heater to defrost to make sure your hot air is coming out of the correct locations. Again, if something is not quite right with the operation of your HVAC system, take your car into your shop for a checkup of this system.

Lastly, is it time to change your oil and filter? Our suggestion as to where to take your vehicle for a complete service is to the shop that does your repairs. Why? Think of your shop like you do your doctor. Your car’s doctor is the shop that does your repair work. When you allow them to do your routine service, they become familiar with the sights and sounds of your vehicle. This is important because all cars and trucks don’t have the same noises or may look a little different under the hood. Give your repair shop every opportunity to work in the best interest of you and your car.

With all those listed tips, have a great and blessed time of the year.  Remember Pugh’s Auto Service’s free SHOT inspection if you need any of these systems checked, free of charge. What is a SHOT Vehicle Inspection? Sight, Hearing, Odor and Touch. Now you can tackle Fall with confidence!!!!!!

Checklist: Is your Car Rain-Ready? ✅✅✅

Delaware residents have been singing the familiar jingle “rain, rain, go away” for well over a week due to the overcast, rainy skies that have been plaguing the State since the beginning of February.

Thankfully, a reprieve has come, but according to Mr. Weatherman, that reprieve will be short lived. With another long wet spell heading our way, it would be beneficial for drivers to make sure their vehicles are ready go.

So, how do you get your car ready to ride in the wet weather? Surprisingly, it’s not a difficult list to check.

Check Your Tires

Given that the last time you had your tires changed was at the beginning of the winter season, if not before that, a good place to start would be to check the Tread Depth of your Tires. You do this by placing a penny between the treads of your tires. If the Tread doesn’t come to President Lincoln’s head, then you’re in need of Replacement Tires.

At Pugh’s Automotive Service we Install Tires and include the Mount and Balance in the price of the installation.

Check Your Brakes

Since your Brakes are responsible for bringing your vehicle to a halt in a timely manner, it is an excellent idea to have your Brake Pads checked before the rainy season gets going.

In wet weather, your Brake Pads will often squeak when you first use them. This isn’t a cause for concern unless the Squeak persists. If the sound continues after you have driven the vehicle for a bit, this could indicate that your Brake Pads are low and need to be replaced.

With so many different driving styles, it is difficult to give a range of how long you should go between Brake Replacements, which is why it recommended to have them checked every 3,000 miles or every three months. Basically, have your Mechanic check your Brakes at every Oil Change.

Turn on Your Wipers

Checking your wipers may seem like a very easy and commonplace idea, but that is exactly why your Wiper Blades can be overlooked until the moment you need them most.

If you see rain in the forecast, turn your Wiper Blades on for a quick test by using your Washer Fluid controls. If your Wipers are leaving streaks, then that could indicate a couple of things. First, they could just be dirty, in which case all you need to do is wipe them off. If that doesn’t help, then chances are your Wiper Blades are old and need to be replaced.

Now, if you go to use your Washer Fluid and the Wiper Blades don’t move at all, that could indicate a bigger issue. This could mean anything from a Bad Fuse to a Failed Wiper Motor, both of which need to be diagnosed by a professional Automotive Mechanic.

Check Your Headlights

Again, checking to make sure your Headlights Operate Properly seems like an obvious practice, but it is a step that is often overlooked.

Since it is required by law that your Headlights must be on if your Wipers are moving, then this is definitely something you want to make sure is working properly.

If you have Automatic Headlights, all you need to do is start your car and walk around front. If both lights are on, then you are all set. If you have to manually turn on your Headlights, then start your car, find the Headlight Control located on the side of your steering wheel and turn it to the “on” position.

If by some reason your Headlights do not come on, whether you have manual or automatic Headlights, you should take your car to a Mechanic to see what the problem is. Typically, the only problem is a Bad Headlight Bulb, but you could also have Burning or Loose Wires, a Bad Relay, or a Bad Headlight Switch.

Whatever the issue, make sure to have this repaired by a professional Mechanic, as replacing bulbs in some vehicles can be tricky.

If you were able to get through this list without a hitch, then you are all set for the next rainstorm that comes along! If not, then don’t fret, Pugh’s Automotive Service in Dover is there to help make sure your car is ready for whatever the weather throws our way.

To schedule an appointment, just visit our website or call (302)734-4231.

Synthetic vs Conventional Oil & Which should You be Using?

Synthetic Oil vs Conventional Oil?

If you are wondering if you should switch the type of oil that you are using in your vehicle then don’t feel alone. Thousands of Automotive customers turn that question over in their heads endlessly to no avail. This is why we are here to help.

Before you decide what to do, you need to understand that Synthetic Oils are superior to Conventional Oils. They last longer and are able to withstand harsh temperatures better than Conventional Oil. This is because they are made in a lab, where the molecules are quite literally engineered to perform better.

Unfortunately, because so much time goes into making Synthetic Oils, they can cost much, much more than Conventional Oil. If you search Social Media platforms, like Facebook, I guarantee that there are those complaining about how much they just spent on their last oil change because a Synthetic, or a Synthetic Blend, Oil was used.

To put things in perspective, depending on the car and where you live, an Oil Change using Conventional Oil rarely tops $60 bucks. Oil Changes involving a Synthetic Oil can go as high as $120. To top it off, studies show that even with being able to go longer between Oil Changes when using Synthetic, customers’ pocketbooks don’t see that big of a difference.

So, this brings us back to should you be using Synthetic Oil during your vehicle’s Oil Changes? More likely than not, the answer is no.

If you change your oil regularly, the recommended interval is every 3 months or 3,000 miles, then you don’t need to use Synthetic Oil. If you live in a climate where you could regularly fry an egg on the road, or where your pipes bursting from freezing temperatures is a regular occurrence, then you could benefit from Synthetic Oil Changes. If not, then Conventional Oil is perfectly fine.

The only time to disregard your punctuality or climate, would be if your owner’s manual specifically says otherwise. If your owner’s manual requires that you use Full Synthetic Oil, or a Synthetic Blend, then that is what you need to use. Otherwise, save your money, and stick with Conventional.

Regardless of whether you use Synthetic or Conventional Oil, coming in for regular Oil Changes at 3,000 mile or 3-month intervals is alwaysa good practice. Not only does it ensure you’re running fresh oil in your engine, but it allows your Mechanic to keep a close eye by doing regular courtesy inspections.

Pugh’s Automotive Service in Dover, DE performs Free Courtesy Inspections during all Oil Changes. To schedule an appointment, visit our website at www.pughsservice.com/auto or call (302)734-4231.

Should I Warm My Car Up in the Winter?

Ever look outside your window to see your car covered in frost and think to yourself I really don’t feel like going out there to get my car ready to go to work?

I’ve got news for you. As much as you don’t like going out there to warm it up, scrape off your windows, or clean off last night’s snow, your car hates it when you start it up and speed off on your morning commute without letting it warm up.

I realize this flies in the face of what you may have been told, but think about it. Just like you, your car needs time to warm up before you just throw it in gear and put it through the rigors of highway traffic.

During the winter, when your car sits overnight, the Engine Oil becomes cold and sinks to the bottom of your vehicle’s Engine. Then, as it sits even longer, it loses its viscosity, which is what helps it move quickly and easily to all the proper parts of your engine. If not given time to warm up, the oil will have a much harder time making its way through your engine, which means all the moving parts that need lubrication aren’t getting it the way they need to.  The viscosity isn’t restored until the Engine Oil warms up to the proper point. 

Many advice blogs will tell you that your engine only needs 30 seconds to warm up; however, as noted above, that doesn’t take into account the currently cold, sludge-like Engine Oil that still needs time to heat back up. Ask any scientist— it takes far more time and energy to heat something up than it does to cool it down.

Another thing that is said in those blogs, which is still true but often ignored, is if you do wait 30-60 seconds for the Engine to warm, it’s ok to drive as long as you drive easily. The reason for that little disclaimer is because even they know that the Engine Oil hasn’t fully warmed up, even if the engine has. Also, if you are like me, you’ve waited until the last second and don’t have time to take it easy with the car. So instead you jump in, start the car, and it’s off to the races.

Doing this to your car repeatedly will shorten the life of your engine and could wind up resulting in costly repairs. As a Repair Shop, Pugh’s Service Automotive is always ready to help should the worst happen. However, we would much rather give you advice on how to avoid potentially costly situations.

Another reason to let your car warm up first before driving it is to let your heater and defrosters kick into gear. By doing this, you might just find that you don’t have to scrape off your windows, freezing your tushy off in the process. If you are like me, that is the last thing you want to do after drinking your nice hot cup of coffee.

So, tomorrow morning when it’s cold and your windows are frosted over, remember to go out there 10 minutes early to start your car. It may not verbally give you thanks, but it will always be warm and ready for you when you hop in to begin your commute to work.

How to Get your Car ready for Winter

Winter has a nasty habit of wreaking havoc on our daily lives, especially if you are one of many who has to leave your vehicle out in the cold or make a commute to work. From causing dead batteries to body damage, due to the unfortunate slip on some black ice, winter is more foe than friend to the average Joe.

So how do you stay on top of things when winter comes blowing in? You take your car to a trusted Automotive Shop, like Pugh’s Service Automotive, to make sure it is in tip-top shape to handle the coming winter weather.

At Pugh’s Service Automotive, we offer free Sensory, or SHOT Inspections. SHOT stands for Seeing, Hearing, Odor and Touch. This quick, but very thorough, inspection allows us to access your car and its ability to keep you safe, even during a snow storm.

Pugh’s Service Automotive’s SHOT Inspection will start with a Test Drive to make sure that we don’t hear any concerning noises from your vehicle. Low Brake Pads will make a Squealing Sound that will give them away. A Test Drive will also allow us to feel any vibrations, which could indicate Unbalanced Tires. If there are two things you definitely don’t want to have while driving around in the snow or rain, its Low Brakes and/or Bad Tires.

On a Test Drive, our mechanics will also use their sense of Smell. Is there a Sweet Smell in your car while it’s running? Could be that you have an Antifreeze Leak, which is something that could really hurt your vehicle if not caught before it gets too cold. Maybe there is a Burning Smell coming from your Heater Vents. This could be anything from Dust and Debris in the Vents to a problem with your Heater Core.

Once back from the Test Drive, our Mechanics will go over your vehicle completely, checking the Battery and Battery Terminals, checking the Tread Depth of your Tires and the level of the Brake Lining, inspecting the Wiper Blade Condition. They will also Feel the Belts and Hoses for any Cracking, Fraying, Soft Spots or Bulges. The Condition and Level of all of your fluids, such as Antifreeze, Oil, Brake Fluid, Washer Fluid, and Transmission Fluid will be checked as well.

Finally, we will test to see if all of your lights are working properly, to ensure that you can see clearly whether it be a clear day, raining, sleeting, snowing or just foggy.

At Pugh’s Service Automotive, we value your safety and understand that during this time of year, saving money is more important than ever. That is why our SHOT Inspections are free with every Oil Change or Automotive Service, along with any accompanying estimate for repair.

If you are looking to get your car ready for winter (and save a little money), please visit us at 728 Leipsic Road in Dover, Delaware. You can always call to schedule your appointment too, at (302)734-4231.

Pugh’s Service Automotive

728 Leipsic Rd, Dover, DE 19901

www.pughsservice.com/auto

(302)734-4231

Get True "Service" with your next Service

When people take their car in for a Service, many shops for speed and convenience, will only change the Oil and Oil Filter. This may be better for your daily planning, but is really what is best for your vehicle? Is it enough?

The answer is an unequivocal NO.

In truth, just changing the Oil and Oil Filter is better than doing nothing, but it isn’t even close to what your car needs. So, what does your car need when you bring it in for a Service?

The answer is simple. Your car needs to be fully checked over. At Pugh’s Service Automotive, we don’t just change your oil and filter. During a Service, we will look at all the other fluids, including Transmission Fluid, Anti-Freeze, Washer Fluid, Power Steering Fluid, and Brake Fluid. If any of those need topping off, we will re-fill them to the proper levels.

In addition to checking your vehicle’s fluids, we also check the condition of your vehicle’s Belts and Hoses, the Tire Inflation and Wear, as well as the condition of your Windshield Wiper Blades. We also perform a courtesy 30-Point Inspection that is completely free of charge.

If issues are found while we are performing our inspection, we provide an estimate for the needed repairs and schedule an appointment. If your schedule makes waiting difficult, we offer Shuttling Services to your work or home, and we also will happily return your car too you upon its completion.

This has been our level of service since 1945, when Horace Pugh, Sr. first opened Pugh’s Service Automotive as a gas station. This level of service was often expected back then, and while it is rarely seen today, we still hold ourselves to that high standard.

Imagine having this kind of an Inspection every time you bring your car in for any sort of maintenance! A good shop, a shop that cares about you more than their pocketbook is HUGE! At Pugh’s Service Automotive we perform a 30-Point Vehicle Inspection on every car every time it comes in for any kind of Maintenance Service, and it’s done for free.

So, what’s in a 30-Point Inspection?

A 30-Point Inspection is all the items listed above, including the inspection of your Steering, Suspension, Drive, Exhaust, Computer, Lighting, and Braking Systems.

In addition to the 30-Point Inspection, Pugh’s Service Automotive will provide a print-out of your vehicle’s Maintenance Schedule, called a K Plan. The “K” in K Plan stands for 1000, because your plan is broken into 1k mile intervals and each vehicle has a specific Maintenance Plan.

This plan can be found in your owner’s manual and is very important. Doing the maintenance prescribed by your manufacturer when directed is a must and will save you money.

Years ago, Fram Oil Filter Company had a commercial that featured a shop owner performing a vehicle service. His message was to those who didn’t properly maintain their vehicles. He said, “You can pay me now or pay me later.” Paying later always costs much more in both money and time, and it is never convenient.

Here’s our advice. Find a shop like Pugh’s Service Automotive to completely inspect your vehicle. A shop should be able to prioritize the needed work with estimates, by always looking at safety first, then the manufacturer’s plan.

Today’s vehicles are not as simple as they once were and finding a business that watches after you more than their pocketbook will give you the confidence to make the best decisions for you and your vehicle. Hopefully this will help you save money in the future by enabling you to find an Automotive Shop that cares about YOU!

Please feel free to call us at (302)734-4231 or visit us at 728 Leipsic Road in Dover.

Second Opinion Auto Repair Inspections Welcomed!

                                                                           

At Pugh's Service Automotive we get a lot of Walk-In Customers that come for Second Opinion Auto Repair Quotes given by other companies.

Unfortunately, many of these New Customers feel guilty for seeking Second Opinion Diagnoses and Quotes. We at Pugh’s Service Automotive have some good news for you…

Seeking Second Opinion Automotive Repair Quotes is nothing to be ashamed of! In fact, it’s a great idea! Here are some reasons why….

1.) It can Save Money:

Many places do Courtesy Checks as a part of their initial Inspections. Pugh’s Service Automotive also does this as a Free 30-Point Inspection. However, there are places that will try to up-sell you on repairs that don’t need to be completed at that time.

Brake Problems illustrate this point quite well. We at Pugh’s Service Automotive have had several people tell us stories. They went to one service center to and were told that they would need new Front and Rear Brakes. Upon our Intake Inspections though, we would find that only one set of Brakes needed Replacement.

Of course, if on set is at half of its depth or less, we will let you, our customers know. However, we will recommend when a replacement is optimum based on your Driving Habits.

2.) Making sure you Fix the Right Problem:

We would all like to think that all Auto Repair shops would be on the up and up, but that just isn’t the case anymore. At Pugh’s Service Automotive we have heard quite a few stories about how customer X had repairs done at shop Y two plus times, only to never have the issue fixed.

Getting a Second Opinion on your Auto Repair and Quote can help stop this from happening.

Like we mentioned above, we give Free Inspections, and that includes Second Opinions for those who are unsure of the first Diagnosis.

Electrical and Charging Issues that can be difficult to Diagnose are the typical cause of this. When these issues pop up, some shops will start “Throwing Parts” at the issue without knowing the root cause.

At Pugh’s Service Automotive, we will keep you in loop the entire time through our Diagnosis Process. This way you never feel that we are not being completely up front with you.

3.) It Gives You Peace of Mind:

Instead of your Car, imagine that it was you, your child, or your pet that was having issues. One doctor tells you that there is nothing wrong without doing any tests. Would you settle for that? No!

You should use the same logic for your car. If you feel like the issue isn’t getting fixed, then search for a Trustworthy Auto Repair Shop. One that you feel confident in. If you don’t, then how can you ever achieve peace of mind?

Nobody wants to be second guessing their bills, because they are wondering if the Mechanic fixed the right issue. It causes undo stress, and we at Pugh’s Service Automotive are dedicated to alleviating that stress.

Next time you find yourself second guessing your decision to get a Second Opinion Auto Diagnosis remember two things. One, Second Opinions are good things and can save you time, money, and stress. Two, Pugh’s Service Automotive welcomes customers like you and always has your back!