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We all love our vehicle, but many don't love the maintenance you have to put into your vehicle for it to continue to run smoothly. Lucky for you, when you service your ride with us here at King Volkswagen, you don’t have to get your hands dirty and you could score huge savings! So if you find that your vehicle is in need of some maintenance and you don’t have time to do it yourself or you just don’t want to, schedule an appointment today or just stop in! Big or small, we can get the job done for you in no time! We’re talking about servicing your vehicle because this week we are talking about an issue that many car owners run into, mysterious fluid leaks. Have you ever pulled out of a parking spot and noticed a large puddle or stain right where your vehicle was? If so, you know that panic that quickly sets in. However, this week we want to help calm your nerves with some simple and easy to remember tips if you find yourself in this situation! Did you know that you can figure out what part of your vehicle is leaking just by the color and texture of the fluid that’s leaking? Yup, it’s true, and that means you can quickly determine the issue and get it fixed asap! So, to help you in this situation, we have provided a color guide for you below! King Volkswagen’s Color Guide To Leaking Fluid LIght brown to black: If the fluid leaking from your vehicle is a brownish/black color, chances are its motor oil. This can leak from various spots of your vehicle, but if it is leaking from the center and the odor smells like rotten eggs, the culprit could be a lube oil leak. This won’t stop your vehicle dead, but it means that there is an ongoing issue and you should bring your vehicle in for a professional examination Light yellow to dark brown: Brake fluid starts out as a clear/yellow color and as it ages it becomes dark brown, similar to motor oil. An easy way to distinguish is simple, just feel the fluid. If the fluid feels slippery, it’s likely brake fluid. If this is the case, your vehicle is not safe to drive and you’re going to want to bring it in for repair as soon as possible. Red(ish): If the fluid leaking from your vehicle is a red or reddish color, it’s generally power steering fluid. Power steering fluid will leak from under the front part of your car and is thin in texture. If this is the case, there is an issue with the power steering pump. Orange: If the leak is from the center of your vehicle and the fluid is an orange/reddish-brown color, it could be transmission fluid. However, rust from your radiator mixing with an antifreeze leak can appear orange-ish as well. However, antifreeze will be thin and can leak from anywhere, which could help you determine the difference. Yellow, Green, or Pink: These leaks will be the easiest to spot, and typically the simplest to diagnose. More times than not, the cause of such bright puddles is a simple coolant leak. In these cases, your vehicle’s age comes into play. Older vehicles tend to blow off a bit of coolant when the engine gets too hot, so a few little spots are nothing to worry about. If your vehicle is newer, this coolant shouldn’t be dripping any excess liquids so it might be a good idea to bring it in for a look. Clear: If the fluid leaking from your vehicle looks like water, it probably is water. The air conditioning can build up excess condensation and result in puddles of water underneath your vehicle. This occurs in properly running cars, only be worried if it becomes constant and a lot.

If you’re looking to save money any way you can, why not consider increasing your gas mileage? Over time, this can save you serious cash, and all you have to do is tweak your driving a little bit. Interested? Keep reading. The first step is to not speed. When you speed, you’re accelerating and decelerating frequently, which decreases your MPG’s. For every five mph over 50 you go, you’re paying roughly 10-20 cents more per gallon of gas. Use your cruise control. It gets rid of any extra acceleration and deceleration that might happen when you’re driving on the highway and keeps your vehicle moving at a consistent rate of speed. Don’t idle your vehicle - find a place to park. Come to a full stop and then turn it off. Idling wastes a lot of gasoline and is also not so good for the environment. If you have a storage box or bicycle rack on your roof, consider switching it to something that’s rear-mounted. With a bulky storage accessory on your roof, the aerodynamics of your vehicle decrease, which in turn decreases your mileage. Be patient and focus on being safe as well. When you pay attention, you drive safely. (Though you should be driving safely all the time)… just sayin’! Find Your Next VW At King Volkswagen!

Out of all the people in the United States, 60% own pets. 73% of those pet owners own dogs. And do you know what? A lot of those dog owners like to travel with their dogs in the car. If you’re part of that population, we’ve got some great tips for you on how to safely travel with your dog - keep reading! Only travel with your dog if they are healthy. If your dog is looking sick, bring them to the vet! If you need care for your dog while you’re away, then find a dogsitter or a place for you to board your pup if you’re going to be away for a while. In the car, your dog needs to be restrained so they don’t wander and hurt themselves. The two options you’ve got are a crate (which needs to be big enough for your dog to stand up, sit down, lie down and turn around inside of) or a harness tie-down. When you’re on the road, only give your dog water to drink. Food is a no-no while you’re driving just because dogs can get carsick too. That water should be distilled/filtered or the regular water from your tap that you give them at home. Don’t let your dog ride on your lap or stick their head out the window. The former because they can impede your ability to drive properly and potentially cause an accident, and the latter because debris, dust, and other nasties can fly into your dog’s eyes, ears, and mouth from the road and cause injury. The final piece of advice is to stop frequently for potty and exercise breaks. Not only can your dog use the exercise, but you can as well! Dogs Love New Volkswagens, It’s A Fact

Do you suffer from blind spots in your vehicle? Sometimes it’s a burden we all have - but did you know there are some quick and easy ways to completely eliminate your blind spots for good? Sure, it does involve careful driving and making sure to look in your mirrors when you’re changing lanes or backing up… but you should be doing that all the time anyway. Check out our two tips for getting rid of your blind spots once and for all! The first tip is the easiest. Get a couple of aftermarket stick-on convex mirrors and stick them to the outer corners of your side mirrors. They help you see pretty much everything around your vehicle, eliminating rear blind spots. If you don’t want to spend money, adjust your mirrors. There’s a trick to it. Here are the steps: Adjust your rearview mirror to give you a view directly to the rear. Make it so that it best covers your rear window view. Don’t tilt it to get side views - just straight back through your window. Lean your head until it almost touches your driver’s side window. Adjust your left side mirror so you can just barely see the side of your car - no more. Lean your head to the passenger side as far as you can comfortably while still sitting up and adjust the right mirror so you can barely see the right side of your car. You shouldn’t be able to see the side of your car when your head is all the way upright! Stay Safe With A New Volkswagen!

Are you planning some road trips this holiday season? And by “road trips,” of course I mean “getting the family into the car and to Grandma’s with minimal drama” which is an important distinction to make. Anyway, it’s important to have the right supplies with you when traveling, especially when it’s not exactly the first thing on everyone’s list of things they’d want to do if they were given the choice. We have put together a list of important things that should live in your car if you travel with family a lot, and we know it’s a bit overboard but please feel free to pick and choose to build your perfect kit/tote bag/backpack/whatever for your road trip supplies! In The Car Blankets and pillows Music Folding chairs Reading material Camera Cash for toll roads GPS Binoculars Wet wipes Puzzle books and quiet toys for kids Pen, pencil, notepad Tissues, paper towels, toilet paper Small bags for garbage Vehicle Emergency Kit Flashlight, roadside signal flares or reflective cones/warning signs First aid kit Booster cables, wrenches, screwdrivers (basic toolkit) Gallon jug of water Extra washer fluid, oil, transmission oil, brake fluid Rags, workshop towels, old blanket Gloves Spare belts (alternator, fan and air conditioner belts) Candle, warm clothes, heavy blanket (for winter travel) Duct tape and WD40 Check Out Our Specials!

When it comes to your vehicle, one of the most important things to keep an eye on and monitor is your tires. Seriously - tires are the key to everything from getting better gas mileage to staying safe in hazardous conditions. This means making sure that they are at the correct pressure and that the tread depth is still good. The great thing about this is that checking both of these things is super duper easy! First, to check your tire pressure, all you’ll need are the tires and a tire pressure gauge. The gauge can be bought at pretty much any auto store (or store that sells auto supplies and accessories) for super cheap. Put the gauge on the valve stem and it should tell you what your pressure is. To find out what it should be, check in your owner’s manual, the sticker inside the door jamb of the driver’s side door, or the sidewall of the tire itself. If you’re low, pump your tire up with an air compressor. Easy! Second is checking the tread. This will cost you approximately one cent and is a great use for your pennies, which are basically useless. The way to use a penny to check your tread is to put the penny into your tread with Lincoln’s head facing directly down. If you can see the top of his head, you need new tires. That’s all there is to it! Your tires should be lasting you at least five years, so if you find them wearing out faster than that, you might want to be more vigilant about your tire pressure as well as the way you drive. You should see an improvement in the longevity of your tires! Need New Tires? Check Out Our Tire Center

If you’re anything like my wife, you look at something that’s broken and think, “well, I can fix that myself - it’ll save money!” However, we’ve found out through some amount of trial and error that when it comes to your vehicle, there are some things you should really be leaving to the professionals. Here’s what we’ve found to be the things you shouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole unless you’re a certified pro like the folks at King Volkswagen (thanks for being awesome)! The Transmission. Just don’t even try anything with this, because when it’s broken it’s really actually broken and it’s an expensive replacement. Even changing the fluid is something for the pros. Trust me on this. I know that there are kits you can get that say they’ll fix your windshield, but this is also something you should take to your dealer’s service center. If you’ve got a big crack or chip, it’ll more than likely grow, and you’ve got to replace your windshield anyway if the injury is big enough to see. The glass can even crack invisibly, so even if the glass looks okay there could be a bunch of tiny cracks through it that damage the structural integrity of the glass. Anything with wires, like your sound system, is a thing you shouldn’t mess with. Not only because you run the risk of shorting out your car, but because you could cause a fire, or at the least spend money and time trying to do something and just not have it work. When it’s a pro job, you know it’ll work and be good and your car won’t catch on fire in your driveway. The fuel pump is another thing you should take to get looked at by professionals. It’s a very precise part that requires precise repair and installation, and if you mess this up you’ll total your car from the inside out. It’s not pretty, trust me. The last thing, and my wife actually agrees with me on this, is that you shouldn’t use one of those engine diagnostic tools. Sure, they’ll turn off your check engine light, but you should really be, you know, seeing what’s wrong and then getting it repaired. Turning off a light doesn’t fix the problem! So, if that light comes on, check your gas cap and if it’s fine then bring your vehicle in to get evaluated and repaired by professionals. Maintenance Plans Are Great Ideas

When you’re set on buying a new car, it’s pretty hard to tell yourself to be patient. But the best rule my dad ever told me was that you should never ever EVER buy a car the same day you test drive it. It’s been a pretty good rule, and it’s kept me from making some bad decisions. Anyway, the test drive shouldn’t be consumed by your brain being like “buythecarbuythecarbuythecar,” it should be methodical - think about the important things regarding this vehicle and then use those things to decide which vehicle you’re going to buy. Because, you should be test driving more than one! Yeah, seriously. Even at the same dealership. So what are the things to look for? Check them out here. You definitely want to make sure the ride is good. Is it bumpy, smooth, or does it seem disconnected? Depending on what kind of car you’re testing, you should have certain expectations, but make sure the vehicle meets or exceeds them. Acceleration is what a lot of people look for in a vehicle. Make sure that the one you’re testing can get up to speed the way you want it to. If not, look at a different car. Can it handle hills and merging into highway lanes? Remember this as you drive. Are the brakes responsive? Would you trust them to save your life? Test them out by trying all different types of braking - slow, short, forceful - and see how you feel. Remember that hybrid cars will pretty much universally feel different. Do the steering and handling meet your expectations? This is what people really notice about driving, and so if it sucks the car might not be the one for you. Try quick maneuvers as well, like pulling a U-turn on an empty road. How’s the turning radius? Is the inside of the vehicle noisy? Make sure the sound level in the cabin is bearable because things only get worse over time. You should also make sure the sound system is up to your spec, and that you can actually see out of the car (unrelated, but wanted to pop that one in there). After your test drive, make a list of pros and cons! And then DON’T BUY THAT DAY. Make sure the dealer will hold the car for you and then come back later when you’ve had time to think. That’s the dream car recipe! You Can Test Drive Every Single One Of These Cars