Tag Archives: car maintenance

Have a Game Plan for Fall Service

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With fall quickly approaching, it is important to have your vehicle ready for the chilly temperatures ahead. Although it does not snow or get too terribly cold here in South Louisiana, you still need to have your car service and ready for the fall weather that will soon be upon us! All Star Automotive has compiled a few tips and recommendations in order to get your vehicle in tip-top shape before the season changes!

  • Check your battery

Keeping your battery connections clean, tight and corrosion-free are highly important! The summer months were tough on your car battery, but the cold weather can be every tougher if you don’t properly take care of your vehicle’s battery. In addition, if your vehicle’s battery is older than three-years-old, we recommend you look at replacing it sometime soon. Batteries don’t give a warning on when they start failing, so it is always better to be safe than sorry!

  • Heater, Defrosters and Wiper Blades

Make sure to check that the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system are working properly. Heating and cooling performance is vital for those cold mornings and hot afternoons and for safety reasons! The last thing you want is to be late to school or work because you’re defroster was not working! In addition, checking your wiper blades is just as important. In Louisiana, we tend to have lots of afternoon showers. This leads to worn out wiper blades and streaky windshields.

  • Tires

Checking your tires, tire pressure and treat depth before seasons change is very important. Uneven wear can indicate a need for wheel alignment. During the colder months, tire pressure should be checked weekly because tires lose pressure when the temperatures drop.

These are just a few things All Star Automotive suggests you check before the fall season rolls around! Taking care of your vehicle and routinely getting it serviced will ensure your vehicle will last a lot longer! Make sure to schedule your service appointment at any of our 11 dealerships, and view all of our Service Specials! 

At All Star Automotive, we offer a wide range of automotive services to make every step of your ownership experience as easy as possible, whether you’re shopping around for a new, used or certified pre-owned vehicle, or need repairs from certified experts.

To help you find just what you’re looking for, our new inventory and used inventory search provides plenty of options. And when you’re ready, quick credit approvals and online financing help make your purchase go smoothly and efficiently. You can also schedule your service online and get the expertise of one of our factory-trained technicians. All these options are available at Baton Rouge’s favorite place to buy and service vehicles – All Star Automotive! Proudly serving Baton Rouge, Port Allen, Zachary, Baker, Denham Springs, Prairieville, Hammond and surrounding areas.

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Summer Heat Tech Tips

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ASAG & ASC

We all know how blistering hot it can get in Louisiana during the summer time, and getting into a hot car is no fun. You burn your legs on your hot leather seats, you feel like you need to wear oven mitts to touch your steering wheel and your dripping sweat before you even start your car! Summer can be tough on cars, especially during high temperatures when heat can destroy batteries and stress the cooling system and tires. As a precaution, these vehicle components should be checked periodically during summer to help avoid breakdowns and car problems. All Star Automotive Group is here with some awesome summer tech tips to make sure your car is in perfect condition for the hot Louisiana weather.

  • Tires need special care in warmer weather as high temperatures put added stress on them. To maximize tire life and safety, check the tire condition and inflation pressure monthly. It is also good to have the tires rotated every 5,000 – 6,000 miles. Summer heat will cause the pressure within a tire to rise, therefore, it’s important to check the pressure when tires are cold. You vehicle’s owner manual includes the recommended air pressure for your vehicle’s tires.
  • Sunshades are sometimes metallic and look almost like aluminum foil stretched across the inside of a windshield. Others, especially ones designed for back seat windows, have child-friendly designs such as Winnie the Pooh on them. Their use is obvious: they keep the sun from reaching the inside of the car and heating up the seats. If you do not have a sunshade, you should try to park away from the sun. Parking in the shade or in a garage is also highly effective and recommended whenever possible!
  • The key to summer driving is keeping the engine cool. We’re going to talk about the radiator and coolant soon, but first you need to check the hoses and belts. The hoses connected to the radiator help pump coolant to and from the engine block, and the belts run the fan that helps cool the system further. If the hoses crack or the belts snap, the radiator will quickly overheat, leaving you stranded.
  • Check hoses for cracks, leaks and loose connections. Hoses should be firm, never soft and malleable. Hoses suffer from a slow deterioration process called electrochemical degradation (ECD) that eats away at rubber hose material from the inside. The most vulnerable parts of the hose are those nearest to clamps where the hose connects to the radiator or the engine.
  • Belts can also be visually checked for cracks and damage. Take note if the belt looks excessively slick or smooth. Remove the belt to make sure that the material hasn’t started separating into different layers. Experts say the risk of belt failure rises dramatically after 36,000 miles.

At All Star Automotive, we offer a wide range of automotive services to make every step of your ownership experience as easy as possible, whether you’re shopping around for a new, used or certified pre-owned vehicle, or need repairs from certified experts.

To help you find just what you’re looking for, our new inventory and used inventory search provides plenty of options. And when you’re ready, quick credit approvals and online financing help make your purchase go smoothly and efficiently. You can also schedule your service online and get the expertise of one of our factory-trained technicians. All these options are available at Baton Rouge’s favorite place to buy and service vehicles – All Star Automotive! Proudly serving Baton Rouge, Port Allen, Zachary, Baker, Denham Springs, Prairieville, Hammond and surrounding areas.

 

 

 

National Car Care Month

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2016-04-11 National Car Care Month

April is National Care Car Month! “Why April?” you may ask yourself. In April, as winter comes to an end, it is time to get your car ready for spring driving and summer road trips! National Car Care Month reminds you to take care of any issues that may have occurred or been ignored during winter. Spring time is filled with sunshine, some afternoon showers and lots of pollen. Make sure your tires are rotated, balanced and in good condition for those wet roads. Deep potholes aren’t friendly to shocks and struts. An inspection to determine wear or leaks can alleviate bigger issues down the road. Also having your wheels properly aligned after a season of tough conditions can help keep you on the road in a safe direction. Also make sure your windshield wiper blades are being replaced every 6-12 months to avoid streaking on your windshield.

With all of that pollen in the air, your vehicle’s air filter can get clogged up pretty quickly. Make sure you are routinely checking and changing it to ensure optimal air flow is being produced. When it comes to vehicle safety, the brake system is at the top of the list. Making sure your brakes are working properly before you head out on those slick roads or long summer road trips will ensure for a safe and comfortable ride! Brakes are a normal wear item for any car and eventually they’re going to need to be replaced. For routine maintenance, check your vehicle’s braking system at least once a year. A thorough inspection should include brake lining wear, brake fluid level, rotor thickness, condition of hoses and brake lines, brake and dash warning lights, as well as taking the car for a test drive to detect other potential brake system problems.

If you need assistance with any of these car care tips, we are more than happy to help! You can schedule a service appointment 24/7 by clicking here!

At All Star Automotive, we offer a wide range of automotive services to make every step of your ownership experience as easy as possible, whether you’re shopping around for a new, used or certified pre-owned vehicle, or need repairs from certified experts.

To help you find just what you’re looking for, our new inventory and used inventory search provides plenty of options. And when you’re ready, quick credit approvals and online financing help make your purchase go smoothly and efficiently. You can also schedule your service online and get the expertise of one of our factory-trained technicians. All these options are available at Baton Rouge’s favorite place to buy and service vehicles – All Star Automotive! Proudly serving Baton Rouge, Port Allen, Zachary, Baker, Denham Springs, Prairieville, Hammond and surrounding areas.

Tips to Help Your Vehicle Survive Hot Temperatures!

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SunshineWhen we think about taking care of the internal components of our car, we typically associate car problems with winter. However, heat can also push a vehicle past its limits. All Star Automotive recommends drivers address five key areas of their vehicle to ensure it survives the high temperatures. Remember, a safe vehicle means a safer you! Continue reading →

Seasonal Car Care: Six Fluids to Check

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Did you know? Your car uses six primary fluids: coolant, motor oil, brakes fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid and windshield washer fluid. Seasonal changes affect the performance of these fluids, so regular fluids checks are essential. Take the time to check your fluids and avoid the hassle and unnecessary expenses that result from car failure. Here is a rundown of the six fluids that help your engine hum.

Car Fluid Continue reading →

Changing my Oil

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When Should I Change my Oil?

Most vehicle manufacturers recommend changing the oil in your vehicle once a year or every 7,500 miles, and some even recommend every 10,000 miles in passenger cars and light truck gasoline engines.   For diesel engines and turbocharged gasoline engines, the usual recommendation is every 3,000 miles or six months.

There seems to be some mixed feelings and ideas on this.  If you ask different companies you may get an answer stating that this is for vehicles which are driven under ideal circumstances.  What exactly are ideal circumstances?  What we consider normal driving may actually be considered severe driving in certain states.  Stop and go traffic and frequent short trips in cold weather, driving at highway speeds in hot weather and dusty or gravel roads and carrying heavy loads are all severe driving.  For this type of driving it is recommended that you change your oil every 3000 miles. This is not to say that everyone needs to start changing their oil every 3000 miles.  If you primarily drive on the interstate and have a newer car you should probably follow your manufacturers recommendations.  Most newer cars come equipped with an oil monitoring system and a light inside the car will come on to let you know when it is time to change the oil.  A new engine can probably go 7,500 miles between oil changes.  Manufacturers have developed new technology and have created better engines, but they can’t ride with you and make you drive better, nor do they know your driving habits, a good estimate and, what we recommend is to change your oil every 5ooo miles.

Why Change the Oil?

As miles build up more unburned fuel is dumped into the crankcase diluting the oil and causing the oil to break down.  Not changing the oil often enough causes accelerated wear and engine problems.  Oil breaks down due to high operating temperatures, causing a loss of lubrication and without enough lubrication those engine parts rub against each other and wear out.   Also remember to check your oil levels between oil changes because eventually all engines will burn oil, so you may avoid an engine meltdown one day.