At Main Street Automotive, we want you to know which key scheduled dealer maintenance intervals you should have performed. Neglecting to have them done could lead to damage to your car which will cost much more than preventative maintenance that keeps your car in tip-top shape.

– Regular Car Maintenance

Changing the oil and oil filter in proper intervals is important, even when your car is brand new. Because most cars run on synthetic oils, it generally lasts around 5,000 miles, depending on your driving habits. Tire rotation and balancing are also part of routine maintenance, though they don’t need to be performed as often.

– Before 30,000 Miles

In addition to changing the oil, during this checkup for your car, changing the air filter and replacing the fuel filter are important milestones. A pressure test can help determine whether or not the mechanic should replace these filters.

– Before 60,000 Miles

Among some common checks added on to your regular maintenance, you’ll want to have the battery checked out and likely replaced. Most of them last 4 or 5 years, or 50,000 to 60,000 miles. Brakes also require special attention at this time. Brake fluid, brake pads, and brake rotors likely need a look and possibly replacing. Coolant and transmission fluid levels should be checked and cleared out if necessary to keep them clean.

– Before 90,000 Miles

When your car has been on the road this many miles, checking the hoses, timing belt,  and spark plugs is critical. Power steering fluid will need to be flushed and replaced somewhere around 75,000 miles.

Keep in mind that the services you will need and when you need them depending on the type of vehicle you drive and how you drive it. FOr example, what a Ford, Chevy, Jeep, Honda, Toyota, or Nissan requires is different. When you have your routine maintenance checks done, every mechanic will check major points on your vehicle to catch any problems before they arise.

If you have a new car under warranty, don’t think that you must go to the dealership to get your service. All that’s required to keep your warranty intact is keeping your service records of having these scheduled maintenances completed. You can have them done anywhere.

In fact, it’s best to avoid going to the dealership. With high markups and long wait times, you’ll be wasting a lot of time and money. Dealerships love to make it seem like they must do the maintenance, but you are free to see any certified auto mechanic for your repairs and maintenance.

To keep your car in the best running condition for as long as you own it, bring it to us at Main Street Automotive in Crestview, FL, and avoid the outrageous dealer fees!

Be on the lookout for these 5 ways that kill your car faster and if you find yourself guilty of any of these, hurry in to Main Street Automotive so we can help you. No judgement, we promise! We just want you on the road running safe!

1. Neglecting oil changes and routine maintenance

While you don’t need to go every 3 months anymore as was the old standard, you do need to follow a routine maintenance schedule for your car. It might seem like a pain, but we get you in and out fast and make sure your car has enough oil and other important fluids to run efficiently. Putting it off when maintenance is required can lead to much more expensive repairs.

2. Not keeping tire pressure at optimum

When you don’t keep your tires filled up at the right levels, your tires build up heat from the extra flexing. So your car works harder and reduces your fuel economy. Tires that aren’t properly inflated can be harder to handle and compromise braking ability too.

3. Skipping the balancing and rotating of tires

Tires don’t just need to be filled up right. They also need to be balanced and rotated. This helps them give you the best support on the road. It also reduces the wear on your tires and makes it more even. When you do it right, you won’t destroy your tires before their prime.

4. Driving when you can walk

Do you take the car just to drive to the mailbox instead of walking? If you love your car, give it a break. Short journeys that are less than one mile don’t allow for your engine oil to get to that sweet spot in viscosity which lubricates the moving components in your engine. For those short jaunts, just walk.

5. Keeping your hand on the gear shift

Whether you drive a manual or automatic transmission, keeping your hand on the gear shift is a bad idea. It can prematurely wear the gear. If you have a stick shift, wiggling the stick around can wear out that gearbox, leading to that grinding and crunching sound when you shift. And for automatics, you can weaken the gear grip, shifting out of gear accidentally. It’s not something you want to have to fix, trust us!

You don’t want to kill your car before you’re able to comfortably buy a new one. Make sure you take good care of it. Main Street Automotive in Crestview, FL is here for you anytime you need service. Whether you’ve neglected your car or not, come see us and let us help keep it roadworthy!

The car in question: the Audi E-Tron GT. In the movie, the car makes quite a bit of noise, especially considering it’s powered by batteries. This was all the doing of sound engineers. Interestingly, the sound was developed digitally with Audi experts to add drama for the scene.

When it comes to your car though, if you hear unusual engine sounds, it’s something you shouldn’t ignore. In fact, your mechanic uses those sounds to help diagnose the problem. Here are some of the sounds you might hear and what they mean.

– Whirring

Whirring sounds could mean several things. It’s either a power steering problem, bad water pump, or issue with the alternator. If you hear a whirring sound, bring it to us at Main Street Automotive immediately so we can fix it before it leads to worse damage.

– Knocking

If your car sounds like it’s knocking but can’t come in, you might be facing troubles with your spark plus, timing chain, or distributor cap. When one of our mechanics gives it a listen, we’ll be able to check those points more quickly to get your repairs done and get you back on the road again.

– Pinging

Pinging is often a sign that the timing gears, crankshaft, or transmission mount has a problem. Let us look to know for sure!

– Hissing

In Florida, it could be a snake under the hood! It happens, but that’s rare. What’s more likely is a cooling system problem or troubles with your vacuum line, exhaust, or catalytic converter.

– Popping

There’s a lot that can be wrong when you hear popping sounds. Hurry in as it could be your ignition wires or engine compression, among other things!

– Grinding or screeching

These sounds when you turn the ignition on are most likely a starter issue. However, if you hear them when you step on the brakes, you’ve got to let us check your brake pads and rotors.

If you hear unusual sounds coming from under your hood, it’s certainly not an added sound effect for flair. Save the drama for the movies and come in for a diagnostic at Main Street Automotive before you wind up having to call AAA to tow you over. We’ll listen and take a look under your car’s hood to find out what all that racket is about and get you back on your way fast!

1. Take along a cooler

Snacks, drinks, and ice are all treasures to behold when you’re on the road. It will keep you from spending too much money at rest stops too. Put it in the back behind the driver’s seat or front passenger seat and entrust one of your passengers with the job of handing out drinks and snacks as needed.

2. Use the center console wisely

As the driver, your sole job is to pay attention to the road and keep everyone safe. Having a central point, like the center console for example, filled with necessities like paper towels, cleansing wipes, and hand sanitizer, is ideal for any mishaps and messes on the road.

3. Keep a dedicated trash bag

The longer the road trip, the more likely garbage can get out of hand. Bring along several garbage bags or even plastic bags from the supermarket. Once they fill up, throw them away when you stop at a gas station or rest stop with a trash receptacle.

4. Bring entertainment bags

If you have kids, this is critical. Allow your kids to pack up a personal bag full of activities that can keep them occupied. Books, coloring books, tablets, and whatever else you’ve got to keep the are-we-there-yets from popping up too soon into the journey.

5. Use a backseat organizer

Traveling with kids or not, a backseat organizer is another way to keep the interior of your car under control and organized. You can stash change for tolls, tissues, chips, hold tablets, and do so much more if you’ve got one.

6. Remember your Tetris skills

When it comes to packing up your vehicle, remember to use your space wisely. Stack and pack the stuff you won’t need until you get there in the trunk and keep the things you’ll need for the journey up in the cabin.

7. Think about first aid

It’s always a wise idea to have first aid items and OTC medications on hand when you’re on the road. You never know when all that driving will go to your head or you accidentally slice your finger when opening a can of soda. Always be prepared!

8. Bring an emergency kit for your car

While you should always have one in your car, it’s imperative when you’re taking a road trip. It should include all the essentials like jumper cables, a flashlight, and your emergency roadside assistance card.

And before you ever get going, come see us at Main Street Automotive to check your car out so you can drive with peace of mind to your destination!

Today’s cars can go a lot further, especially if they’re running on synthetic oils. As a general rule of thumb, you can go about 5,000 miles or 6 months before it’s time to change the oil. Most cars today have computerized systems that will remind you when it is time to make an appointment for your oil change.

But what if you don’t? What if you ignore it and keep on driving? Cars are certainly designed to give you fair warning. For example, when your gas light comes on, you’ve got about 40 miles left on that tank to get to a gas station. But that doesn’t mean you should push your luck.

If you don’t change your oil in your vehicle on time, you’re not lubricating your engine properly and carrying the heat away from it. There are thousands of components in your engine and that oil helps keep it going. But as it does, it picks up dirt and other little bits of debris from your engine. This is food for keeping those particles out of your engine, but with time, the oil becomes dirty and needs to be changed.

Neglect to change your oil and you’ll wind up with engine problems, a much more expensive repair than taking it in for maintenance as you should. Your parts will become too hot and with time, the engine becomes less efficient. Leave it too long and the parts of your engine will wear out. If you don’t change your oil at all, your engine will likely shut down and need to be replaced completely.

It’s not cheap to replace an engine, and although we have fair prices here at Main Street Automotive, we think you’d rather do the preventative maintenance of an oil change a few times a year than drop a chunk of change on a new engine. Depending on the age of your car, it may not even be worth it to replace.

Let us take care of your car at Main Street Automotive. We’re here to help keep your car running as it should and we offer oil changes and other maintenance at great prices. We’ll have you in and out so you’ll be ready to hit the road. With the weather warming up, now’s a great time for spring cleaning and getting that oil changed. Make an appointment today!

It might not snow in Florida, but when the weather turns cold, you want that heat up in your car. But if you turn it on and it keeps blowing out cold air, or doesn’t come on at all, you’re likely to get upset. There are a few things that can go wrong though, some of them easy to handle while others a bit more complicated.

Here are 5 things to check when your car heater isn’t working.

1. Coolant level

It might seem odd that your car needs the coolant it uses to cool your engine during those hot and sticky Florida days, but during the winter, the coolant moves from the engine to the heater core. It should feel cool the first few minutes because your engine needs to warm up to heat up the coolant. However, if it continues to blow cold, check the coolant level. If there’s not enough, it won’t be able to give it to the heater core.

2. Heater core

Another more complicated car heater problem could be the heater core. If you check your coolant level and it’s fine, then you need to check the car heater. You might have a problem with the heater core if you find fog inside your car, smell a fruity-type of odor, you’ve replaced the coolant and it is being used very quickly, or your engine is overheating.

3. Broken or clogged controls

If your car is older or has been put to good use, the heater control buttons can stop working as can the heater control valve. You may get lucky and be able to get these things unstuck but most likely, it will be best if you replace it.

4. Thermostat malfunction

Does your thermostat still read “C” after you’ve allowed the car to warm up? This means the thermostat is broken. The good news is they’re mostly cheap and easy to fix.

5. Water leak

Hoses, water pumps, and radiators can all incur damages after time. If any of these are leaking, you’ll likely have a car heater problem.

It might not always get cold in Florida, but when it does, if your car heater doesn’t work, it’s a miserable experience. It’s even worse when you turn it on and nothing happens. Plus, even if you think you can deal with the lack of heat during our short winter, these problems tend to lead to bigger problems. It’s best to let us at Main Street Automotive help you now, before a bigger, costlier problem arises.

At Main Street Automotive, we’re family-owned and operated and will treat you like family to help you get your car running right on the road today. Come on in and see us!

With this regular check, it’s easy to spot any issues and alert you so that we can keep you safe on the road. So when you’re told that you should get your brake system flushed, it’s not a ploy to make you part with your hard-earned money. It’s something you should do for your safety.

Braking systems are more detailed than you think. They have rubber in the valves plus the calipers and wheel cylinders can deteriorate. All those bits flake off and they wind up in your brake fluid. The brake fluid is also subject to wear and tear. Plus, when moisture gets into your system, it can cause rust and create more debris in the brake fluid. When this happens, it compromises your braking system’s effectiveness, resulting in a decrease in topping power.

Just as you shouldn’t skip oil changes, you shouldn’t skip getting a brake flush. It’s best to do it every 30,000 miles though so if you go to a bigger automotive dealership shop and they tell you to do it when your car only has 10,000 miles on it, you can feel good about declining. But if your car has 30,000 miles on it or more, take that advice to heart and agree to the brake flush, otherwise you could wind up having your brakes go out on you when you need them most.

Incidentally, brake flushing is different from bleeding the brakes. When we flush your brakes, we remove all the brake fluid from your system and replace it with brand new, clean fluid. Brake bleeding involves removing some of the brake fluid, usually enough to get the air bubbles out. The difference is huge. Make sure you’re going for that brake flush every 30,000 miles, and make sure you have it performed by certified and trusted mechanics.

Even if it hasn’t been 30,000 miles though, if you feel that your vehicle’s stopping power isn’t on par with how it should be, please don’t wait. Bring it to us at Main Street Automotive so we can put your mind at ease. Many things can happen with your brakes and you don’t want to take them for granted. Without brakes, driving would be a very scary experience. Let’s keep you safe by taking a look and making sure your entire braking system is working right. Stop by today!

It seems an intelligent man in Knoxville, Tennessee, came up with a solution that just might change your life — or at the very least, help your morning not suck so much. This local TV weatherman shared a recipe for a simple mixture that will get rid of the frost on your windshield in less than 5 seconds.

Good News!! You should have the ingredients already in your home. Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol and water. This was recorded years ago but keeps getting viewed more each year. (The video’s been viewed more than 17 million times!)

Here’s what you do: Mix ⅓ part water and ⅔ part isopropyl or rubbing alcohol together and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto your windshield, and voila! You’ll see the ice disappear instantly.

“The reason why this works is rubbing alcohol has a freezing point of 138 degrees below freezing so you can always keep this mixture in your car and it will never freeze,” Ken describes in the video.

This seems so simple and easy….. I’ve used the top of cologne bottles and the top of deodorant containers before to clean my windows. What is the strangest thing you’ve ever used to scrape your window?

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If your car has been submerged under water from a storm surge or flooding and has been in this condition for several days or longer, the outlook really isn’t good. Not only will your entire interior be unsalvageable but so will the rest of the vehicle. The electronics and powertrain will be shot. Salt water is even worse and the damage from the salt makes it impossible to repair. Your best bet in that situation is to let your insurance company total you out and buy a new car.

Some vehicles that experience car flood damage can be saved. It depends on the type of water, the depth of water your car was submerged in, and how long it was in the water. For example, if you drove into a flooded street and the engine died out on you, there may still be a good chance that you can repair the damage.

While we’re almost free of hurricane season this year, Florida is a tricky place that can feature heavy rains at any time. Here’s what to do should you encounter a flooding situation.

• Don’t start your engine if it’s been flooded! You’ll just kill it.
• Don’t try to save your car! Get out of that water. Your car can be replaced if it needs to be, but you can’t.
• If the water level is low and there’s no imminent danger, you can try to push it out of the water. For example, if only your front end has gotten under some water, you can try to free it yourself or call for a tow truck to get it out quickly.

What can we do at Main Street Automotive? You can have your flooded car towed to us if it has not been fully submerged under salt water for days or weeks. We can force the water out of the engine, drain your oil, and replace the oil filter. We also can check your transmission fluid levels and make sure there is no damage to the transmission. We do not recommend trying to do any of these things yourself unless you are an experienced mechanic. In the event that only your interior has suffered from flooding by accidentally leaving your windows or sunroof open, this is easier to fix. The seats, carpets and insulation will need to be removed and dried out. However, please keep in mind that even the most experienced mechanics might not be able to save your car after a flood. That is why you have car insurance to handle unfortunate circumstances like these.

If you need an honest mechanic to check out your flooded vehicle or for any other repairs, call on Main Street Automotive in Crestview, FL to get you back on the road today.

Let’s talk battery

First, you should think about how old the battery is in your car. If you’ve never replaced it since buying your car and it’s about 4 or 5 years old now, it’s most likely the culprit. Batteries aren’t very expensive to replace, which is very good news. The battery is what bring the power to start your car and gets the electrical system running. But as it ages, the ability to retain a charge begins to fade away, which results in a fail to start.

The way to know is to look at your dashboard battery gauge. With the key in the ignition and turned without starting, does it illuminate? If the light looks dim, it’s probably the battery. You can also try using your wipers, lights, or automatic windows. If the car still won’t start, you can get it jump started. Let it run a bit and then turn off your car. If it won’t restart, it’s a sign that the battery is definitely in need of replacement because it won’t retain the charge. Bring it on in and we’ll fix it.

What about the alternator?

If, however, your battery is working, you should consider that the alternator is to blame. Here are 4 ways to tell if it’s the problem:

1. Let the car run and look at the intensity of brightness for your interior lights. If the dashboard starts to dim gradually, it’s a sign the alternator is problematic.
2. Look at your headlights. When accelerating, do they become brighter but then dim down as you decelerate on your approach to a red light? If so, that’s another sign you need a new alternator.
3. Hear anything strange? If you head a type of growling sound prior to all this trouble, it was your alternator trying to tell you something.
4. Smell anything funny? If you smell burning, like with rubber or wires, chances are it’s that alternator of yours.

Whatever you do, don’t run the engine while the negative battery cable is disconnected. This can damage your electrical system and lead to bigger problems for your vehicle. At Main Street Automotive, we’ll help you replace your battery or alternator and get you back on the road again fast. We treat you like family too, so we won’t overcharge you for our services. If you notice any of these problems, come on in and let us help you!

Should you wait until your battery fails?

A poor battery is often the root cause of killing your alternator and this forces a MORE EXPENSIVE alternator replacement.

A battery with a short in it OR not charging fully will cause the alternator to run at full output for extended periods of time, if not continuously, and they are not built to do this. Alternators are built to supply an initial high current, tapering back as the current used to start the vehicle is replenished. Constant running at full output simply overheats them and the rectifiers fail.  So if your battery has a 3 year warranty you should replace it at 36 months and not wait until it dies. Put a reminder in your phone, this will help.

What other tips or comments do you have to help people diagnose this problem in Crestview, FL?

Of course, if you’re in need of preventative maintenance or serious repairs and you’re in or around Crestview, FL, you know where to go. Come to see us today at Main Street Automotive for all your automotive needs or call us at 850-689-1728!!