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Category Archives: Maintenance

Maintaining Your Older Car in Memphis, Tennessee

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars in Memphis, Tennessee: emission devices and control computers, safety equipment like airbags and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the Memphis motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new vehicle.Because new vehicles are more expensive, people in the Memphis area are driving their old vehicles longer. The average vehicle is now over nine years old. Two thirds of vehicles on the road in Tennessee have more than 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. As cars age, their performance drops, they have difficulty idling for long periods and are more sensitive to weather extremes. Fortunately today's cars are up to the challenge – but they need a little help to keep on goin'.Give Allen's Automotive Center a call at 901-332-3279 to schedule your next maintenance.Some owner's manuals don't specify service requirements at higher mileage. That doesn't mean it doesn't hav ... read more

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Maintenance

Can Your Car Last Another Year?

Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at Memphis car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of Memphis, Tennessee, folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacturing, there's no reason a modern vehicle can't be made to last for a 150,000 miles (250,000 kilometers) or more for smart Memphis drivers.The old adage: 'a stitch in time saves nine' is really true for Memphis residents when it comes to car maintenance. A great example is coolant service.Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. Smart Memphis drivers have their cooling system service taken care of right on schedule at Allen's Automotive Center.Ditto for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. Of course, oil changes should be done right on schedule to avoid the bui ... read more

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Maintenance

Make Your Vehicle Last

We live in such a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away. New stuff comes out so fast, we just toss the old and move on. In the old days, Tennessee folks were real sticklers about taking care of their things. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough - they had to do without. Most Memphis drivers couldn't afford new vehicles very often, so they had to make them last as long as they could.It's a good thing that vehicles are more reliable these days. They just don't break down as often. And the good news for us Tennessee penny pinchers is that a modern vehicle can easily go 200,000 miles/320,000 km with proper care. The engineering and the manufacturing quality is tremendous. The missing ingredient is us Memphis vehicle owners making sure we follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedules.Every time you go a little farther between recommended oil changes, you have created an opportunity for sludge to be formed and ... read more

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Maintenance

The Harm in Skipping an Oil Change for Memphis Drivers

People in Memphis have been hearing a lot about higher oil change intervals these days. Maybe you're wondering: What are the key issues?Some new vehicle manufacturers are now recommending much higher oil change intervals than they have in the past. As much as 5,000 to 8,000 miles (8,000 km to 13,000 km) or more. This practice came under scrutiny when four of the largest new vehicle manufacturers announced that owners like those in Memphis were experiencing engine damage resulting from these higher oil change intervals.The manufacturers' standard oil drain service for particular vehicles was scheduled at around 7,500 miles/12,000 km. People following these recommendations were experiencing engine damage. It turns out that oil sludge was building up. This caused small oil passages to clog and engine parts to fail.What causes oil sludge? It's a factor of time and mileage. There are hot spots in every engine that cause oil burn off that leads to sludge. Als ... read more

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Maintenance

Keeping Your 'Old Faithful' Auto Running

At Allen's Automotive Center we've had a lot of Memphis customers asking how they can make their vehicles last longer. These questions are actually a reflection of a trend that's been building for several years in Tennessee. The median age of personal vehicles is now over nine years. And 33 percent of all vehicles on the road have over 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. It looks like it's going to keep heading in that direction for a while. With high fuel prices, a lot of Tennessee folks are putting off buying a new car. So let's say you're one of the average in the Memphis area; you've got a nine-year-old car with 80,000 miles (130,000 km) on the odometer. What can you do to make it last another year or two?Let's start with the premise that there's no reason that a modern car can't run for 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care in Memphis. The engineering and manufacturing quality is there.Of course, some parts will wear out along the way, but there's n ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance

Synthetic Oil for Memphis Autos

If you are a driver in Memphis and you aren't currently using synthetic motor oil in your vehicle, maybe now's the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil. Synthetic oil doesn't gel or gum-up like petroleum based oil and it doesn't vaporize as easily. It protects better in severe driving conditions like stop and go driving around Memphis, as well as in very hot or very cold conditions. More and more new vehicles are being delivered with full synthetic motor oil, with the recommendation to use synthetic for the life of the vehicle. Why is this? Synthetic motor oil maximizes engine power and fuel economy. To see why, we'd need a microscope, so we'll have to settle for using our imaginations. The molecules of conventional motor oil are long hydrocarbon chains. Synthetic motor oil, on the other hand, has uniform, round molecules. Which is more slippery, a pile of pencils or a ... read more

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Maintenance

Hey Memphis Drivers; What Is the Most Distracting Food?

So what is the most distracting food to have in the car while driving around Memphis?Is it: A Hamburger; Coffee; A Soft Drink, or Gummy Bears? Well, you may be surprised to learn that all but the gummy bears are in the top ten most distracting foods when you are driving. But if you chose 'coffee,' then give yourself an extra two points.  Coffee is the number one food distraction for drivers in Memphis and around the country.Food distractions cause 25 percent of all car accidents; over a million and a half each year!You'll notice that all of the top ten distracting food items are messy. Messy foods are the types of food you might spill (very distracting!), then try to clean up (a safe-driving impossibility!). If you gotta eat on the run, take five-then drive. You'll thank yourself later for two reasons: one, that you can actually relax for just a moment in our fast-paced world, and two, you won't have to worry about getting ... read more

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Maintenance

I Can See Clearly Now: Wiper Blade Replacement in Memphis

About 90% of our driving decisions in the Memphis area are based solely on what we see. So having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely important.Most Memphis drivers have experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm, or when our vehicle windshield is just dirty. In fact, it's estimated that 46,000,000 drivers across the nation are driving with wipers that can't adequately clear their windshield in a storm.It seems like our wiper blades are always at their worst when we need them the most. If that sounds like you, you've got plenty of company in the Memphis area. 78% of drivers only change their wiper blades after the blades function so poorly that they become a safety hazard.Memphis drivers need to change their thinking. Instead of blades being something to replace when they fail, we need to consider wiper blades as vehicle safety component. Then we'll stay ahead of the storm.Memph ... read more

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Maintenance

Another Couple of Years: Making Your Vehicle Last With Help From Allen's Automotive Center

A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the Tennessee news. Memphis people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better gas mileage and receive a government rebate. A lot of Memphis motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They're good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they're paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their vehicles for 200,000 miles (320,000 kilometers) or more – as long as it's economical to do so. There are plenty of Memphis drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles (240,000 or 320,000 kilometers). We can learn from what they're doing to keep our own vehicles on the road in Tennessee.The Memphis drivers of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. That may sound a bit unsophistica ... read more

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Maintenance

Does Your Car Have A Recall Item?

Recalls are pretty serious for Memphis residents and don't happen all that often. But sometimes cars have less serious problems that Memphis residents still might want to know about. For these less serious cases, the vehicle manufacturer issues what is known as a Technical Service Bulletin – or TSB. These bulletins tell Memphis service centers (including Allen's Automotive Center) how to repair a problem that occurs frequently or is especially difficult.Your Memphis service center receives updated information through subscription plans, which are sometimes available in consumer versions too.Whatever your source, pay attention to Memphis vehicle recalls to keep you and your passengers safe. No matter how well they're made, vehicles are bound to have problems with their design or manufacturing. Think of all the moving parts. When the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the vehicle manufacturer to issue recall notices to Memphi ... read more

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Maintenance
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