Summer is officially here and the road trip, that age-old family torture tradition, is on your horizon. It’s bad enough to endure endless, “Are we there yet? Bobby’s touching me! I have to pee again! Nevermind,” without having to suffer some sort of automotive catastrophe. Planning your dream trip to the Grand Canyon will go soooo much smoother if you take the time to prepare your car for the ride. Getting there is half the fun but only if you actually get there. Call Sallas Auto Repair at least a week or so before your planned launch just to make sure your Country Squire is up to the task. Have us check the following: Air conditioning system. Don’t just assume that when you’re deep in the Arizona desert that it will work. In fact assume that it won’t, and have it checked out. Sure it ... read more
Regular oil changes can be one of the most significant ways to extend the life of your vehicle. Period. Oil changes are one type of preventative maintenance that can do wonders to extend the life of your car. Oil changes greatly reduce the risk of engine problems down the road. To understand the importance of regular oil changes, we have compiled a list of the top five reasons to have an oil change: 1. Oil Stress Because of high operating temperatures, oil experiences a thermal breakdown. The thermal breakdown wears on the oils additives and lubrication. When the lubrication wears down, parts of the engine may begin to rub against each other causing dysfunction and a shorter life span for your engine. 2. Combustion Gunk Combustion gunk can do major damage to your engine and makes your car run less efficiently. Gunk occurs when there are corrosive byproducts that build up in your oil over time. Gunk left for a long period of time can cause your engine to overheat, leavin ... read more
Keep Your Car Going In Hot Summer Weather So while we prefer to stay inside air conditioned offices and homes at some point we are forced to venture out for work, shopping or just to get out. Our cars are often the last thing we think of when it comes to hot weather, we just sort of assume they’ll work when we get into them. But this hot weather can really take its toll so take a hard look at your poor car and read these tips on keeping it going in this hot weather. Check your air filter. Not only have we experienced above normal temps we’re suffering way below normal rainfall. This means that dust and dirt are just swirling around waiting to be sucked into our car’s air filter. And if you routinely drive through building or road construction you’re compounding the problem. Neglecting your air filter could damage your car’s mass airflow sensor and this co ... read more
Winter is right around the corner…So this means… Cold temps makes it harder for your engine to start Rain, snow and ice will limit traction Cold temps to cause windshields to fog up and reduce visibility WE MUST PREPARE BECAUSE we all can’t move SOUTH can we… But…with proper winterization of your vehicle you can be more prepared to take on the harsh winter weather. 10 Simple Steps To Winterize 1. Tires – What condition are your tires in? • Low Tread Depth on tires will increase your chances of hydro-planning or sliding on ice and snow. • Old Tires (over 7 years old) they will harden and crack and again will not work as well and have a better chance of going flat in extreme weather. • Tire Pressure ... read more
Ouch. That what all of us think each time we fill up our gas tanks these days. With gas prices skyrocketing, many of our grand travel dreams over Spring Break have turned into “stay-cation” plans around the town. As you begin making plans for Spring Break, here are a few ideas for those of you looking for some FUN around Kansas City! 1. Go Visit Nikita! If you’ve not yet been to the Kansas City Zoo to visit the new polar bear, you must go! Kansas City’s now got its new own Arctic animal, Nikita the polar bear, in a new exhibit featured year-round. 2. Eat at the Train Restaurant A long-time favorite of many families and children around Kansas City, Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant makes a great stop when visiting the Crown Center shops and attractions. You’ll order your food, sit down at a booth, and when your food is ready, a motorized toy train system running throughout the ceiling of the restaurant will drop down your food to your table. Kids even leave with conductor hats! 3. Puppet ... read more
Sometimes the unthinkable happens in the Kansas City metro. A terrible accident and those involved aren’t able to provide rescuers with emergency contact information. You have people in the Kansas City & Overland Park are who you’ll want to be contacted to arrange help, give consent to treatment, and inform paramedics of medical conditions, allergies or medications. Too often, our MO/KS police and rescue workers must sift through pockets, glove compartments, wallets, purses and cell phone directories for clues – often wasting precious time. A brilliantly simple solution is now spreading around the globe: ICE. ICE – standing for In Case of Emergency, is a way to identify emergency contacts in your cell phone directory. Simply put ‘ICE’ before a contact name in your cell phone, like ‘ICE – Dad’, ‘ICE – Nancy’, or ‘ICE – Doctor Roberts’. Rescuers will be able to quickly identify your emergency contacts, saving val ... read more
Your car is important to you and keeping it running is vital to your lifestyle. That’s why you should have it serviced regularly. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right. It’s also very important to Sallas Auto Repair to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money service centers like Sallas Auto Repair spend every year to make sure their technicians are properly trained. Sallas Auto Repair offers a variety of car care services to many kinds of vehicles. We need to be up to date on the latest techniques and parts so that we can care for your car properly.Sallas Auto Repair subscribes to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer. And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. Technicians at Sallas Auto Repair follow these procedures so we can safely deliver a consistent level of high-quality service. Some services require the use of specialized equipment. Te ... read more
Your vehicle manufacturer publishes two auto maintenance schedules. The regular schedule and the severe service schedule. It’d be wrong for us to tell you that everyone in Kansas City always needs to follow the severe service schedule – but its wishful thinking to say that the regular schedule is always good enough for your vehicle. Contact Sallas Auto Repair to learn more about Severe Service Requirements for your auto. At Sallas Auto Repair we’ll give you the definitions and explain the issues, and you can be the judge. Most manufactures list the following as severe conditions: Most of your trips are less than four miles. Most of your trips are less than 10 miles and outside temperatures are below freezing. The engine is at low speed most of the time – not on the highway. You operate your vehicle in dusty areas. You regularly tow a trailer or carry heavy loads. Driving in very hot or very cold weather. So think about your typical week. Do you live a block from ... read more
Caring for your car allows you to go the extra mile with the vehicle that you have bought. However, you will also need to make sure that you have the products and services that fit best for your budget and for the health of your vehicle. If you are getting an oil change, then you will also want to look at the synthetic and conventional oil so you can continue on the road that fits best. Oil Change: Conventional Oil Typically, when one gets an oil change, they are interested in getting the best for their budget. The conventional oil that you receive typically is cheaper than synthetic oil. However, this isn’t necessarily the best with your oil change. The synthetic oil burns three times as slowly as conventional oil, making the change more effective with your needs. You will want to add up both the price and how often you would need to get an oil change. Oil Change: Synthetic Oil The oil change that you decide to get also uses diff ... read more
We’re living in a disposable society. Everything from elaborate packaging to our clothing. Even cell phones are disposable. When replacement is cheaper than repair, the term “built to last” goes by the wayside. An exception is our vehicles. They’re still a very big investment and we want to make them last as long as possible – and we want to make keeping them as cheap as possible. When talking cars, it’s all about preventive maintenance. There is an old saying that says, “a stitch in time saves nine” and that is really true when it comes to taking care of your car. A great example is coolant service. Your coolant not only protects your engine from overheating and freezing – it must also protect cooling system components from corrosion. Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. That’s why you need to have your cooling system serviced on a regular schedule. The same is true for your power steering system, brake fluid, air condition ... read more