How Servicing Your Car Can Extend its Life (Even Further!)

As a car buyer, you’ve experienced the uneasy feeling of maintaining your vehicle.  In most recent years, advances in technology have lessened visits to the service department, but routine service should still not be missed.  Our dealership is a safe haven for your car, catering to its specific needs, like a preventative care center.  One of the main questions you ask when purchasing a new or used vehicle is: How reliable it is? In today’s blog, we provide some tips to maintaining your vehicle and how to extend the already long life of your vehicle.

1.    Read the vehicle manual and schedule maintenance appointments - Keeping up with your vehicle’s scheduled maintenance is key to avoiding costly problems to the cooling system, drivetrain, suspension etc…

2.    Call your dealership and ask questions – We’re here to help.  If you have any service questions feel free to call us with your questions. 

3.    Have your dealership check fluids – Always come in and ask us check the level of antifreeze, oil, transmission fluid, and brake fluid regularly. 

4.    Change oil regularly – By changing your oil when your dealership requests it, you can protect your engine.  Every car is different, so call us to get the exact information for your specific vehicle make and model.

5.    Request a fluid flush every two years – By flushing the power steering, brake, and cooling system fluid when it is pertinent, you can cleanse your car’s liquids in one fell swoop.  However, if you have gone more than 50k miles without a change, on many transmissions, it is not the greatest idea to do so.  It can cause breakdown varnish and other solids that have built up in the transmission over time.

6.    Have the tires rotated – Having your tires rotated at your nearest dealership should be second nature.  By doing so, you can avoid uneven wear and tear on the tread, extending the life of your tires.

These are just a few tips to help you maintain your vehicle in your daily commute, feel free to add your comments below!

Our blog is a great aid to our fans.  Check out our post about maintaining a healthy life for your vehicle.

5 Ways to Devalue Your Vehicle

So, you’ve got a reliable vehicle that’s great on gas, looks great, and gets you from point A to B in style.  You want to keep it for a long time, bu you also want to maintain a lot of the value associated with it so you can trade or sell it when you’re ready to update.  In today’s blog, we’re describing 5 ways to devalue your car quicker than you can say “junk it”  So, hold on and be prepared, it’s going to e a bumpy ride (pun intended).

1. Lack of Maintenance and Servicing

Every buyer wants piece of mind.  A feeling of tranquility when they purchase their car AND verification that the vehicle is in a good state of reliability.  Each car comes with a service book, which will be marked and stamped by the dealer, so keep ALL of your records to show prospective buyers (dealerships, too) that your car has a great history.

2. Lackluster Paint Care

DO NOT neglect your paint job.  In most cases, vehicles these days maintain their paint jobs due to the detailed precision of application during the car’s inception.  Don’t buy discount car care products.  The best wax kits include: washes, waxes, polishes, and extra protective layers.  Don’t use brushes to wash your car, but rather soft clothes.

3. No Friggin Insurance

Always get insurance for your vehicle.  Why?  Because it’s the single most important remedy for accidents that can happen when you’re driving.  It also means any damage will be fixed properly, usually by us or a reputable bodyshop. 

4.  Smoking Cigarettes

If you EVER want to resell your vehicle., don’t smoke in it.  Smoking seeps into fabric surfaces, seats, headlining and carpets and is virtually impossible to extract.  This will depreciate any potential buyers who are repulsed by smoke, or potential buyers with children

5. Not Cleaning Vehicle Interior

For some parts of the day, your vehicle is your home.  Treat it well.   Make sure you keep your car clean and vacuumed.

Top Reasons Drivers Are Pulled Over

Picture driving down the interstate with your top down while the wind is hitting you at a perfect angle, throwing a soothing, cool air through your flowing hair. Then, out of the blue, you hear a clearly distinct cop car sound-off behind you, causing you to jump out of your comfort zone into an all out panic.  You’ve been here before; you sift into low gear and head for the median, realizing you were going over the speed limit.  It’s happened to ALL of us.  Yes, including us at the dealership.  In today’s blog, we're discussing the top reasons why people are pulled over by the cops.  Feel free to share your comments below.

1.    Speeding – this entry is the most predictable, and the most common.  The faster you drive, the shorter your reaction time and control.  Braking distances also increase as speed builds, and it takes about 120 feet for a vehicle to stop when it’s traveling 60 mph.  Our advice? STOP driving so fast!

2.    Illegal Phone Use – Talking and texting on the phone while you’re driving is extremely dangerous to your safety and the safety of those around you. Although just a couple of states have banned phone use in the car, more than 30 have banned texting behind the wheel.  “I’ll just send a quick text.” Is the usual response, but individuals should drive as if their life depends on it.  "The really horrific stories about texting make the news," a traffic expert says, "But we see accidents and even just fender-benders from it every day."

3.    Hazardous Driving – these practices include stop sign and stoplight violations, illegal U-turn’s improper lane changes, failures to yield and unsafe speeds.  This also includes shaving, eating and even changing clothes.  We can’t imagine trying to pull off a shirt while having one foot on the gas pedal!

4.    Equipment Violations – Individuals who have heavily tinted windows, burned-out headlights, broken windshields, expired tags and loud exhaust modifications are prone to the bait of State police officers.  Always check your equipment to make sure that it meets road standards.

5.    Following Too Closely/Improper Lane Changes – Police are on high alert for these current violations.  On the freeway especially, it’s important to keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of you.  Add this to cellphone use and you’re brewing a recipe for disaster.  Driving too close equates to a slower reaction time.  So keep at least three car lengths away, that should give you more than enough time to react

An improper lane change is another phrase for “cutting someone off” by changing lanes without looking or indicating.  A failure to signal can add fuel to the fire, but it won’t initiate a traffic stop—just because the failure to signal is SO common.  However, speedily changing lanes without indication that you’re doing so can result in an accident and subsequent ticket. 

So, Fans please practice safe driving habits and feel free to Comment below!

Audi San Diego Sponsor, Josh Kerr Brings Smiles to Children's Hospital

Josh Kerr is proud to announce his new relationship with Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.  Over the next year Kerr will be collaborating with the children’s hospital for a variety of events including visits with the kids to drop off toys and sign autographs. Kerr recently visited with the kids and delivered memorable experiences through laughter and story telling. Rady Children’s Hospital is the largest pediatric hospital in California and dedicated exclusively to pediatric healthcare and the regions only designated pediatric trauma center.

“The children’s hospital was a great experience, one that I’m looking forward to doing much more with in the future,” said Kerr. “There were kids whose eyes lit up when I gave them a toy and your heart just melts.” 

Next, Kerr heads home to the Gold Coast to kick off the 2013 World Championship Tour. He will use his momentum from his back-to-back podiums at the Billabong Pipe Masters and Volcom Pipe Pro for the 2013 season. Bringing an arsenal of aerial maneuvers and barrel ridding prowess, the Aussie-native is a force on any size and shape wave the tour presents.

“2012 was a great year, but I still feel like I’m finding my feet and have lots to do as we go into the 2013 season,” said Kerr. “Making the Pipe Masters final and being so involved in the world title race were highlights of the season.” The second place finish at Pipeline Masters proved not to be a fluke, as Kerr followed it up with another podium finish, third place, at the Volcom Pipe Pro early this year.

Kerr now heads down under to the beaches he grew up surfing near his childhood home in Tweed Heads, NSW, Australia. There he’ll compete in the first two WCT events of 2013. “I’m very excited to go home and get the next season underway and to put on a good show throughout the year.”

Josh is supported by Rusty Apparel and Surfboards, Arnette Eyewear, Nixon Watches, Audi of San Diego, Peak Wetsuits, 3D Fins, Pro-Lite, and Fish 101 Leucadia.