Tag: Car Service

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Great Used Cars

Electric Vehicles are More Practical Than You Think. Here’s Why

Woman and her child charging their electric vehicle at a charging station

As fuel prices soar and climate change becomes a larger public concern, the need for electric vehicles becomes clearer and clearer. Despite the growing need for electric vehicles, there is no shortage of negative rumors surrounding the vehicles. You’ll hear about “range anxiety” or how rare materials are used to build batteries for EVs. The thing is, you could say many of the same things about gas-powered vehicles — without all the benefits of an EV. 

Whether you’re considering an electric vehicle or flat out refuse to adapt, this blog will show you just how practical electric vehicles are. By the time you finish this blog, you’ll be convinced that electric vehicles are the future of automobiles — and that future is now. Once you’re done reading, make sure to pay a visit to Thrifty Car Sales located in Coopersburg to test drive an electric vehicle today. 

They Require Less Maintenance

One of the biggest reasons electric vehicles are more practical than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles is that they require less maintenance. With a gas-powered vehicle, you have to perform routine maintenance, such as oil changes and tune-ups — all of which are costly. Unlike gas-powered cars, electric vehicles require little to no routine maintenance and will only see a mechanic when it needs major repairs or servicing. 

While electric vehicles will still need new tires, brakes and wiper blades throughout the year, you will still be performing less routine maintenance on them compared to a gas-powered vehicle. This means you’ll be able to save tons of money on oil changes, tune-ups, fluid changes and other routine maintenance that is associated with a gas-powered vehicle. With the money you save on both fuel and maintenance costs, owning an electric vehicle practically pays for itself!

Save on Fuel Costs

An obvious benefit to electric cars is the amount of money you will save by not purchasing fuel. If you own a fully-electric vehicle you won’t be hitting the local gas station to fuel up once a week. Instead, you’ll be able to “fuel” up at home as you can have a level 2 or 3 charger installed inside of your garage with relative ease. This means not only will you save money on fuel, but you’ll also save yourself some time as you won’t have to travel to the gas station.

Now, if you live in an apartment complex, charging your EV might be a bit more complicated if your complex doesn’t have on-site charging stations. In this case, you’ll have to figure out where the nearest charging station is and spend a bit of time charging up there. While the time spent charging may be a drawback, if you can combine it with other activities it is quite practical. 

Whether you have the ability to charge at home will decide just how practical owning an EV is for you. However, as time goes on and EVs grow in popularity, more public charging options will become available and make owning an EV more practical than ever before. Even if you don’t have the ability to charge an EV at home, the amount of money you’ll save on fuel and maintenance is enough reason to make the switch. 

Self-Driving Mode

A feature straight out of a sci-fi movie, self-driving technology is yet another reason owning an electric vehicle is more practical than you may think. We all know that driving is dangerous and combining human error with it only heightens the amount of risk — yet we all get behind the wheel each morning without a second thought. 

With self-driving electric vehicles, that inherent risk of human error is eliminated, making the roads a safer place for everyone. Self-driving car technology allows you to commute completely hands-free as artificial intelligence makes driving decisions for you. You will have to remain alert at all times while using the self-driving mode just in case you need to take control of the vehicle at any time.

Not only do self-driving cars keep people and the roads safer, but they also make your daily commute easier than ever before. 

Test Drive an EV Today at Thrifty Car Sales

Now that you know just how practical owning an electric vehicle can be, it’s time for you to test drive one at Thrifty Car Sales. At Thrifty Car Sales, we offer the best deals on new and used vehicles — including full-electric vehicles. If you don’t want to overpay for your next car, you need to visit Thrifty Car Sales today!

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Maintenance

Buying a Used Car? Here are 5 Maintenance Tips to Make Life Easier.

Man doing maintenance on his used car at home

Everyone knows that buying a used car is a great way to save money. However, the real key to frugal car ownership is performing your own maintenance at home. You can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars simply by performing your own routine maintenance on your vehicle. 

When it comes to owning a car, there is no better way to ensure it has a long lifespan than with routine maintenance. However, not everyone is a trained mechanic — that’s why we put together this list of five valuable car maintenance tips that make your life easier. Whether you’re an expert mechanic or new to wrenching, you’re sure to find a useful tip on this list. 

Keep Cardboard Boxes

While most people look at empty cardboard boxes as trash, us DIY mechanics look at them like they’re gold — and they kind of are. Cardboard boxes are perfect for repurposing in the garage since you can use them for a variety of jobs. 

Don’t want to lay on a cold concrete floor? Put down a flattened cardboard box. Doing an oil change and don’t want oil on your garage floor? Easy solution: put down a flattened cardboard box. See where we’re going with this? 

When you use cardboard boxes in your garage — you’re not just being savvy — you’re making a positive impact on the environment too. Why not save the environment while also saving your back from the cold concrete floor? 

Get a Magnetic Dish

Staying organized is one of the most important parts of working on your car at home, that’s why this is one of our favorite tips to share. If you want to keep track of those pesky nuts and bolts that want to roll away on you, there is no better way to do it than with a magnetic dish. 

A magnetic dish is exactly what it sounds like, a dish that is magnetized so you can easily store objects within it. You can attach the dish to your car so it is always within reach while you’re working, helping you keep track of things with ease. 

If you’re looking for a magnetic dish, you can find them at your local hardware stores like Home Depot or Harbor Freight. Magnetic dishes are fairly inexpensive and their use will far outweigh any money you spend on it, so get one today!

A Little Light Goes a Long Way

Another great way to make life easier in the garage is to have a great light source. When you’re working on your car, things can get tough to see, especially when they’re covered in motor oil and dirt. That’s why we suggest having at least one good source of light handy in your garage at all times. 

We recommend a headlamp as it’s a hands-free way to get light in the exact places you need it. However, if you don’t want to look like an angler fish, there are plenty of great shop lights out there to choose from. There are magnetic lights that you can attach to the car, old school “trouble” lights and fancy LED strip lights — all of which work great in the shop. 

Don’t work on your car blind, stop by your local Harbor Freight and pick up a shop light today. No matter which light you choose, you’ll be glad you did it!

Take Pictures as You Go

Cars are complex pieces of machinery and while anyone can work on them, there are some best practices you should follow. This tip is an absolute must for any mechanic, be it experienced or not. If you want to make performing your own vehicle maintenance simple, taking pictures with each step is the best way to do it. 

While you’re working on your car, keep your smartphone handy and snap pictures as you go. Chances are you’ll need to reference the pictures at some point during your repair, so it’s best to have them than not. If you’re ever unsure about how something goes back together, having a picture on hand really comes in handy. 

Another bonus of taking pictures is being able to reference them down the line during other repairs. Need to take that manifold off again but can’t remember how? Just reference your tear-down photos from the last time and you’re off to the races. This simple tip will save you hours in the shop and endless frustration — so don’t forget it!

Replace Things in Pairs

Whenever you’re replacing an item your vehicle has more than one of, always replace all of them at once. There is no bigger annoyance than replacing an item on your car, only to have to do it all over again just a few short days or weeks later. That’s why we recommend always replacing things in pairs if they come in them. 

Whether its brake pads, headlights, tires or anything else on a car — replacing both or all at once saves you time and frustration. The best part of this method is that you’ll never have to play the “when was that last replaced” guessing game! 

When In Doubt, Visit Thrifty Car Sales

Still unsure about your ability to work on your car? That’s okay, simply bring it to our service center here at Thrifty Car Sales and our expert technicians will handle the rest. Whether you just need an oil change or a full engine rebuild, the expert technicians here at Thrifty Car Sales can do it all. 

If your car needs maintenance and you don’t want to do it at home, come on down to Thrifty Car Sales and we’ll take care of it for you. At Thrifty Car Sales, we make servicing your car a breeze. Simply stop by our service center or schedule an appointment ahead of time on our website — it’s really that easy.  

Categories
Maintenance

What is Synthetic Oil and How Often Should I Change It?

Get your synthetic oil changed here at Thrifty Car Sales located in Coopersburg, PA.
Get your synthetic oil changed here at Thrifty Car Sales located in Coopersburg, PA.

Some may say that the engine is the most important part of your vehicle, but the truth is, it isn’t the engine itself, but what runs through it that is the most important part of your vehicle. Engine oil is the most important part of your vehicle, as it protects vital components of your engine that keep your car running right. Through short trips, weekend joy rides, and long cruises, the oil in your engine heats up and cools off multiple times, and must not degrade during this process as that could cause engine wear and tear, and eventual failure. 

To keep engine oil from degrading quickly, oil manufacturers turned to synthetic oil blends which degrade at a slower rate and even provide improved protection to the engine. Synthetic oil is far more refined than traditional oil, resulting in less engine friction, reduced sludge buildup, and even better engine performance. 

If you’re located in Coopersburg or the surrounding areas and wondering when you should change your oil, you’ll want to read the rest of this blog!

What is Synthetic Oil?

Synthetic oil is an artificial lubricant that was designed to reduce friction and wear of internal combustion engines, as well as replace traditional motor oil. Developed from chemically modified petroleum instead of crude oil, synthetic oil provides better performance by reducing friction and wear of your engine, far better than a traditional motor oil can. Synthetic oil tends to degrade at a slower rate than traditional motor oil, making it an attractive choice to auto manufacturers attempting to keep their vehicle maintenance costs low. 

One of the best benefits of synthetic oil that often goes overlooked is it’s reduced impact on the environment. With synthetic oil usage on the rise, the world’s reliance on crude oil has decreased, thus reducing the environmental impact that oil has. If you want to reduce your vehicle maintenance costs, wear and tear, and environmental impact, using synthetic oil in your car is the way to go! 

Why Should I Use Synthetic Oil?

The use of synthetic oil isn’t just about reducing your environmental impact or stopping the use of crude oil throughout the world, its best trick is increasing the performance of your engine! Synthetic oil is great to use in your engine, as it can withstand a wider range of temperatures, is more stable, and causes less engine sludge. Using synthetic oil also means your internal engine parts will stay better lubricated, meaning less wear and tear on your engine and better performance too. 

With a longer lifecycle, synthetic oil allows you to stretch the time between changes, as they last anywhere from 7,500 to 15,000 miles. This longer lifecycle means you can save money and not worry about your engine’s performance degrading or being at risk. If you own a newer car with a turbocharged or hybrid engine, using synthetic oil is a must as these engines have higher compression ratios which cause extreme wear and tear.

How Often Should I Change My Oil?

Each vehicle and engine has different requirements for oil change intervals, but its been a general rule of thumb to change your oil every three months or 3,000 miles. These days, however, oil change intervals seem to be growing, with most manufacturers making the switch to synthetic or fully synthetic oil. Since synthetic oil takes far longer to degrade and can withstand higher temperatures, you should be able to stretch out the time you take between oil changes. 

With most synthetic oil manufacturers claiming to get tens of thousands of miles between each oil change, it’s easy to get confused about when you should be swapping out your oil. The best way to know when to get an oil change is to read your car’s owner’s manual, as it will list all the various service intervals needed to maintain your car properly. If you’re unsure of when to change your oil, simply call up the parts and service experts here at Thrifty Car Sales, we’ll be happy to provide you with that information.

Where Can I Get Synthetic Oil?

You can purchase synthetic oil from your local auto supply store, or you could stop in here at Thrifty Car Sales as we stock the widest variety of synthetic oils around. Not only will we have the exact synthetic oil and filter you’re looking for in stock, but we’ll have it at the best price as well. 

Is it time to change your oil? Have it changed here at Thrifty Car Sales, as we have the best team of expert mechanics and the lowest prices in the Coopersburg area. Don’t waste your precious weekend beneath your vehicle, let our certified mechanics here at Thrifty Car Sales Service Center, located in Coopersburg, PA.

Categories
Maintenance

Thrifty Car Sale’s Top Tips for Winter Driving

iStock/Scharfsinn86
iStock/Scharfsinn86

Winter is coming! That means it’s time to start preparing your vehicle for the cold temperatures and harsh weather to come. With harsh weather and cold temperatures comes car problems that could leave you out in the cold. Ensure you and your vehicle make it through the winter without any hiccups by following these wonderful tips on winterizing your vehicle. 

Not ready to winterize your vehicle on your own? Thrifty Car Sales can help, as our service and parts professionals have the knowledge and product to help you keep your vehicle in tip-top shape during the winter months. 

Batteries Need Attention, Too

One of the best ways to ensure you and your vehicle survive the winter is to check and maintain your battery. The battery in your vehicle is one of the most important parts of your car, as it not only helps the vehicle start-up, but it keeps all of the accessories running, including that precious heat system. As the temperatures drop outside, so does the cranking power and charge of your battery, so make sure to constantly check your battery to ensure it’s operating effectively. 

Checking the charge level on your battery is simple, just bring it to the service center here at Thrifty Car Sales and one of our technicians can perform a voltage check on your battery. This voltage check can alert you to upcoming issues with your battery, as well as tell you if it needs to be serviced or replaced entirely. If you need to replace your battery, the technicians here at Thrifty Car Sales can have a new one installed in your vehicle swiftly, and at a great price too!

Avoid breaking out the jumper cables by having your battery checked before the winter comes, it could be the difference between a smooth winter ride and being stranded in a cold vehicle. Stop by Thrifty Car Sales Service Center today to have your battery tested, serviced, or replaced. 

Check Those Tires

A good set of tires goes a long way during the cold season, as it helps keep your vehicle on the road and under control during heavy braking. Before you embark on a winter journey, make sure to check out your tires, the cold months can cause cracking in the rubber, and low tread levels can be disastrous in icy conditions. Opting for a solid set of winter tires is also a fantastic way to stay safe while driving during the cold months, as they perform better in cold weather and icy conditions. 

Have your tires inspected, serviced or replaced in our service center, here at Thrifty Car Sales located in Coopersburg, PA today!

Wiper Blades 

Are you having a hard time seeing through the ice and the snow? Maybe it’s time to change out your wiper blades, so they can perform better for you this winter. There is nothing worse than trying to navigate a winter storm with streaky windshield wipers that miss large parts of your windshield. Most folks tend to overlook their windshield wipers when it comes to basic maintenance, only to scramble to replace them once winter hits and they can’t see through the blizzard. 

Routinely checking your windshield wiper blades for wear and tear is a great way to catch problems before they arise. Another good way to ensure long life out of your windshield wiper blades is to lift them off the car before a winter storm comes, this will prevent the rubber from getting frozen to the windshield while the vehicle sits. Avoid using your wiper blades as a means of clearing ice from your windshield, as this can cause premature wear and tear on your wiper blades. 

Keep your windshield clean and free of debris with a set of fresh wiper blades, installed by the professionals here at Thrifty Car Sales. 

Top Off Your Fluids

Keeping up with your fluid levels is always important when you own a vehicle, doubly so for those that live in places with harsh winter months. A car that lacks the proper levels of fluids will struggle to perform at its peak, making daily driving a hassle and potentially even dangerous. Some fluids to keep an eye on are:

  • Coolant (Anti-Freeze): This fluid not only keeps your engine running at optimal temperatures, but it also helps keep fluids in the vehicle from freezing during the winter as well. Coolant goes in your coolant reservoir and runs throughout the engine to provide cooling, but it also can be added to your washer fluid to prevent those lines from freezing as well. Coolant is one of the most important fluids to monitor in your vehicle.
  • Engine Oil: It may seem obvious, but having the proper level of oil in your vehicle is extremely important in keeping your engine and car running. Engine oil lubricates the necessary parts of the engine so it can run smoothly, as metal on metal doesn’t bode well for the life of your engine. Engine oil behaves differently in extremely cold temperatures, therefore you may need to use a special blend during the winter months. If you need help determining which engine oil is right for your vehicle, speak with one of our service technicians here at Thrifty Car Sales today!
  • Washer Fluid: Although washer fluid may not be the first fluid on your mind when it comes to maintaining your vehicle, it is an important one to remember during the winter. With most cities that get snow using a salt or brine mixture to keep roads clear, your windshield gets dirty quite quickly during the winter, and that’s why it’s important to keep your washer fluid full. One good snowstorm can see you running your washer fluid tank dry, so always keep an extra bottle on hand during the winter months to avoid disaster. 

Ensure you have a safe and easy winter, make an appointment today to get your winter car servicing performed here at Thrifty Car Sales.

Test Your Climate Control

Testing your climate control systems before the winter hits is an absolute must if you want to survive the winter comfortably. Before you start driving this winter, make sure to check the defroster and heating functions of your climate control system, as you most likely haven’t used them since last winter. Check your climate control in just a few seconds, simply run your defroster and heat at each fan speed and temperature available. This simple action will tell you if you have any climate control issues so you can have them fixed just in time for winter. 

If your climate control system needs servicing, our service professionals here at Thrifty Car Sales can help! Located in Coopersburg, PA, Thrifty Car Sales’ Service Center is the best place to have your pre-winter vehicle inspection performed.

Be Prepared

It sounds cliche, but being prepared for the worst-case scenario is actually the best thing you can do. When it comes to being prepared for winter driving, the above tips are always great to follow but its also important to go a step further and have an emergency scenario bag packed and available in your vehicle. 

Keep a bag full of spare clothes, including winter clothes in your vehicle. Inside of this bag should not only be clothing, but a blanket, a first aid kit, a flashlight, jumper cables, a cellphone charger, and some snacks. You can feel free to add more to this bag, but this is the bare minimum we recommend keeping in each one of your vehicles.

Imagine traveling down a back-country road in the winter, when suddenly you lose traction and skid off the road. Luckily nobody is hurt, but your car is disabled and needs to be towed out of the ditch on the side of the road. Waiting for that tow truck in below-freezing temperatures in a car with no heat is not ideal, however, it’s much easier when you have a winter emergency bag in your vehicle. 

Winter Servicing

From a fluid top-off to new tires, and everything in-between, Thrifty Car Sales is the place to have your annual winter vehicle servicing performed. Here at Thrifty Car Sales, our highly trained service professionals are dedicated to making sure your vehicle is safe and ready to tackle any adventure you throw at it. Ensure you have safety and peace of mind each time you hit the road this winter, have your vehicle winterized by the service professionals here at Thrifty Car Sales today!

Categories
Tires

The Importance of Tires and Maintenance

Check Your Tires

Tires serve a vital role to your personal safety and your vehicle’s performance. Since tires are the only component making contact with the ground, they are prone to endless damaging situations. Driving on worn tires increases risk for poor input response. Handling, steering and braking are all directly tied to the quality of your tires. Poor tire performance equates to poor vehicular performance and a higher risk of losing control. In order to preserve your safety and the safety of others, paying close attention to your tires’ age and tread are promising indicators on whether or not you should get new tires.

Checking your tires’ expiration date is the first way to gauge your tires’ lifespan. Tires are typically expected to last six years. It is also common for tires to last longer than that, but tires should not be driven on for more than a maximum of 10 years. Rubber weathers away simply due to the environment around your vehicle. Regardless of your vehicle’s quality, tires can age and require replacements in a much shorter period of time. Printed on your tires’ sidewalls is a 16-digit tire identification number. The last four digits represent the tire’s age by detailing the week and year of its manufacture (for example, “1219” would signify the 12th week of 2019). 
Inspecting your tire tread is the second option for determining the quality of your tires. When tire tread reaches 2/32 of an inch, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends replacing the tire. Furthermore, many tires have tread wear indicators which become visible when the tread wears down. They will create a noise while driving to prompt you to check your tires. 

Uneven tread wear is another sign for tire replacement. If you notice tire tread indicators are visible in some spots but not in others, your tires have unevenly worn down and require replacement. Tires can unevenly wear down due to improper inflation and failing to ensure your vehicle’s alignment and suspension are in order. If you experience problems with handling and/or excessive vibration, consider checking your tire tread.
Lastly, if you can observe physical damage to any of your tires, such as punctures, bulges, blisters, cuts and/or cracking, a replacement is most certainly necessary. Consider making a habit of regularly scanning your tires for visible damage. 

A tire’s age and tread thickness are two easy ways to determine when to replace your tires. Checking the expiration date of your tires by acknowledging the manufacture date will give an indication of your tire’s expected lifespan. Closely monitor the tire tread for proper thickness while also looking for tread wear indicators. Excessive vibration and difficulty handling your vehicle are other signs to replace your tires. Indicating problems with your tires could save your life and the lives of drivers around you. Be safe and replace your tires.

Schedule your service today at Thrifty Car Sales of Coopersburg to ensure your car & tires are road ready!