Blog

It’s that time again - car washing time. Your baby needs some TLC and maybe you don’t want to wait in line at the car wash or perhaps you want to save a little bit of cash. Either way - we’ve been there too. This week we have dedicated our blog to a DIY car wash AT HOME. That’s right, you don’t even have to leave your driveway or even change out of those pajama pants! Shall we start washing now? First, you will need a few things. Car washing soap (not liquid detergent, dish cleaner, or hand soap from your house) Washing mitt (a clean one!) Microfiber towels (a couple of them, approx. 5 at most) Bucket Source of water Tire/ wheel cleaner Let’s get started! Fill your bucket with what and your car soap, pour the soap in after the water and swirl around creating those sudsy bubbles. Before rinsing down your vehicle, clean your wheels and tires first with the cleaner you have. Cleaning these first will allow you to rinse off any residue from the cleaner if it happens to end up on your vehicle. Once this is complete, rinse your vehicle entirely and make sure to rid it of any loose dirt, pollen, or grimy substances that have built up. Grab your washing mitt, dunk it in the bucket, and start scrubbing! Make a few passes over your vehicle with the mitt and dunk it back into the bucket for more soap. Pay attention to the water in the bucket and if it becomes murky or dirty, dump it out and start with a fresh clean bucket of water and soap. After sudsing up your ride, take your hose and rinse your vehicle from top to bottom. Continue this step until you have made your way around the vehicle fully. By now, your vehicle should be sparkly clean and ready to be dried. Park your vehicle in a shaded area to avoid those pesky water spots from the vehicle drying in the sun. Take your microfiber towels and begin removing any excess water that is on your vehicle. Make your way around the vehicle, like you did with the soap. Don’t forget to dry off places like door jams, the inside of your trunk, and places where water can seep into during the wash. And, voila! There you have it, a clean ride that will have your ride sparkling like new! New Volkswagen = Clean Volkswagen

Spring is the season of new beginnings, and that includes your vehicle! There’s a list of services that you should be doing for your vehicle at the beginning of the season, and it’s all important - the winter is always hard on a vehicle, especially with snow and salt and rough conditions. Here are our recommendations for services you should be doing for your vehicle before spring really gets underway, and remember that you can always call us here at King VW for advice and help! Start with your tires, even if you drive on all season tires. If you drive on all season radials, this is the time to rotate them. By rotating tires seasonally, you extend the life of all four tires. Windshield wiper blades also take a beating during winter weather. Colder temperatures are hard on rubber compounds, and slush from the road isn’t helpful in the least. This slush often carries with it corrosive salt used to melt road ice, which can do a number on your blades. Early spring is a good time to you’re running low after winter. Next, clean your vehicle’s undercarriage. There’s no magic solution to getting rid of the corrosive salt build-up but the best tool is a high-pressure sprayer. Pay special attention to the area around the front and rear bumpers. Once you’ve thoroughly sprayed the underbody, check for signs of rust and take the necessary steps to stop any small rust spots from eating away at your vehicle. We’ve all seen those pillars of snow that form around bumpers and wheel wells. That’s the most likely place for road salt to begin the erosion process. While you’re at it, you might as well wash the whole car. Winter is not really the time to spend afternoons hosing off your vehicle and chances are it’s been a while since the last time you’ve washed your car. Examine your brakes. Like wipers, brakes take on a bigger role during wintertime and should be checked to ensure that they’re still in good shape. Listen for brake noises such as grinding, chatter, or squeals. Even if your brakes aren’t making any distinctive noises, it’s still a good idea for you or your mechanic to determine the amount of wear on the pads or drums. We often become accustomed to the feel of worn brakes, without realizing that we’ve become used to decreased stopping power. Check all automotive fluids and top them off as necessary. Winter driving conditions require your engine to work harder and condensation can cause moisture buildup in the engine that creates wear. If your car is due for scheduled maintenance, have the oil changes and be sure to use the proper formulation and viscosity recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Go over the interior of your vehicle. This includes taking out and washing floor liners. Vacuum and clean the carpets, and make sure they are dry before you put the liners back in. A nice, clean interior is one of the best parts of driving after all! Source: https://exchange.aaa.com/car-care/repair-maintenance/seasonal-car-maintenance/#.WpXIAZPwZTY Schedule Your Service Online Today!

Your headlights are essential for safe night driving. Without them, you won’t be able to see the road, you will present a hazard to other drivers, and most importantly you’ll be breaking the law by driving at night without headlights on. Of course, if your headlights are broken, it’s no fault of yours - but you will need to get them fixed. If only one of your headlights is out, you still need to get it fixed. It could be due to a burned out bulb or a broken headlight component that needs to be replaced. If neither of your headlights work, well, why aren’t you at the shop right now?! There is a very slight chance that it’s due to both of your headlights being burnt out, but it is much more likely that it’s a broken relay or a control switch that needs to be repaired. If your headlights both work but just aren’t as bright as they should be, try cleaning them with a clean microfiber cloth and some cleaning solution. If after the cleaning they are still dim, take a good close look at the plastic of the headlights themselves. If it is yellowed, scratched, and pitted then you should ask us about headlight reconditioning or replacing your existing headlights with brighter bulbs. Finally, if your headlights work fine but go dim in certain situations, such as when you accelerate, you could have a problem with your charging system. Talk to us about getting that checked out! Schedule Your Appointment Online Today!

Has your Check Engine light come on recently (or at all)? Did you feel that instant panic? That sinking sensation in your stomach? Well, you can rest easy because there are five reasons (well, the five most common reasons) that we’ll be telling you for your check engine light to have come on. Only five! And one of them is a really easy fix. So, please. Relax, sit back, and absorb the heck out of this important information. It could be your gas cap. Seriously, if your gas cap is loose or broken or cracked or totally missing, this could be what’s making that light come on. So if the light appears, the first thing you should do is check on your gas cap. It’s a possibility that that’s the solution. If the cap is broken or missing, your dealer can replace it for wiiiicked cheap. Spark plugs are also a likely culprit. Everyone needs to get them replaced every so often (usually about 100,000 miles in newer cars) and it might just be that time for you. Your Mass Airflow Sensor could be to blame. This part tells your car’s computer to add the right amount of fuel based on the amount of air that’s coming in to the engine. When this piece is broken, your emissions increase, your efficiency decreases, and your car might stall. Maybe your oxygen sensor(s) are to blame. Your O2 sensors monitor the unburned oxygen in your exhaust, which tells your vehicle’s computer how much fuel is being burned in your engine. When the sensor is broken, your mileage can decrease. Don’t wait too long to get this checked out, because you run the risk of burning out your… Catalytic converter! This is also a reason your check engine light might be coming on. If this part is broken or faulty, it won’t reduce your exhaust gases like it’s supposed to, which in turn will decrease your MPGs and mess with your acceleration. Get this fixed IMMEDIATELY, even though it is the most expensive repair on the list. Service Coupons For You Behind This Button

When it comes to what’s under the hood of your vehicle, how much do you know? It’s okay if you’re not a car genius (or even if you are), but there are definitely some basics you need to know. The one we’ll cover today is… drumroll, please… fluids! There are a lot of fluids in and around your engine, and you should have at least a basic understanding of what they are, how to check them, and what to look for if you have a problem. First is the oil. This is the lifeblood of your vehicle, and if you don’t have oil your engine can weld itself together, meaning that you’ll just have a chunk of useless, engine-shaped metal in your car. Not good. Oil lubricates and cools all the moving parts, and it also prevents the buildup of residue in your engine. Check your oil at least once a month, and if something’s wrong, go see your dealer for an oil change. Second, comes the coolant. The reservoir for this is located near the radiator in a clear opaque plastic container. You can see the coolant level through the plastic, which is great because you shouldn’t be opening that reservoir too much. If the level is low (there should be an indicator line) then take your vehicle in to your shop to have them top it off. Power steering fluid is next, and this is important! The reservoir is located at the base of your windshield in a small tank. The fluid makes it easier for you to steer your car, and without it, your steering mechanism won’t work properly. There are levels indicated on the tank, and the fluid should be between the minimum and maximum levels. Then comes brake fluid, which is also in a tank marked with minimum and maximum lines. Keep an eye on this - if the level is chronically low (i.e. it keeps getting filled up and going down again quickly) then your brakes might be wearing down, so you need to get that checked out pretty quickly. Finally, the windshield washer fluid! This one we all (should) know, but it’s in a big tank with a windshield diagram on the cap, and when we run out it’s impossible to clean the windshield. This is also an easy refill because all you need to do is stop at a gas station, pick up a new bottle, and fill ‘er up again. Service For Those Trickier Fixes - For Less!

Checking your engine’s oil is one of the most important items of routine maintenance that you can perform at home. It’s very easy to do in any vehicle, and especially in your Volkswagen. All you have to do is open the hood, pull out the dipstick (this is located very close to the engine and has a labeled yellow handle), wipe it off with a clean paper towel or rag, put it back in and pull it out again to check the oil level. If the level is between the two marks, you’re good. If it’s a little high, there’s no need to worry. If it’s low, you can top up your oil yourself. You just need to make sure that you’re using the same oil that is already in your engine. To know this, talk to your dealer or consult your owner’s manual to find out what type of oil you need. You should also be checking for the quality of your oil. If there are little specks and bits of grit in it, you should have your oil changed ASAP. This doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with your oil; rather, it means that your oil is doing what it’s supposed to. Oil is supposed to keep these gritty bits from getting stuck in your pipes and tubes and engine bits (technically speaking, of course). But to have those bits moving around in your oil for too long isn’t good, so you should get it changed as soon as you can. In the meantime, check out this great video from Volkswagen on how to check your engine oil! If you have questions, come talk to us at King Volkswagen and we’ll get you on track. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iL0oxF6Wq4 Service Specials, Just For You