Tag Archives: car care tips

How to Prepare Your Car for a Spring Break Road Trip

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Spring is just about here, which means Spring Break plans are already in motion! If you are planning a road trip for spring break this year, keep in mind that it requires a fair amount of thought, research, and preparation. In addition to making all the necessary arrangements, mapping a driving course, and packing, be sure not to overlook another important aspect of road-tripping, which is car care. Simply topping of the gas tank and re-filling windshield wiper fluid won’t cut it; and stocking up on air fresheners won’t either. So, when it comes to going on a road trip, you must also prepare your vehicle for optimal safety and dependability.

Continue reading to learn how to prepare your car for a fun and safe Spring Break road trip!

24 Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance for Indiana
24 Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance for Indiana 317-247-8484

Perform a Full Vehicle Inspection

Before planning a road trip with your personal vehicle, it is important to first determine just how “ready” your car is for long distance driving. A simple pre-road trip inspection should do the trick. You can choose to do it yourself, or hire a licensed mechanic to do it for you. By finding small problems and having them repaired before your trip, you can greatly reduce the chances of experiencing costly mechanical problems on the road. This avoids a long list of safety hazards, inconveniences, and unexpected expenses.

What to Inspect:

Check all vehicle filters and fluids. Fluids include motor oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, windshield wiper fluid, and battery fluid. Replenish necessary fluids and replace old or dirty filters wit new ones. You may need a licensed mechanic for help with this part of the inspection.

Check all hoses and belts for signs of damage or deterioration. Look for brittle, cracked, kinked, frayed, or loose belts and hoses. These are critical to your vehicle’s electrical system and should be repaired before a long road trip.

Check the vehicle’s alignment, tire tread, and tire pressure. Get a tire rotation and balance, as well as an alignment if these areas are off in any way. See our blog, “How to Test Tire Tread Using a Penny” to determine if your tires have enough tread for a long-distance drive.

Check the brake system. Be sure the battery connection is clean, well-fit, and free of corrosion. Check brake pads and replace worn or old ones.

Check all exterior vehicle lights, including brake lights, hazards, parking lights, and more. Replace bulbs and fuses as necessary.

Check your gas cap. Be sure it is damage-free and secure. Also be sure your license plate is not loose or missing any screws.

Who to Trust for 24 Hour Roadside Assistance in Indiana

If your car breaks down in Indiana at any point during your spring break road trip, call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for 24 hour roadside assistance for fuel fill-ups. Our friendly staff is waiting by the phones, ready to help you get back on the road, safe and sound. We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, so you can always count on us. Request a free estimate, today.

Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484

Top 3 Ways You Might Be Destroying Your Car

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Vehicles are not cheap. They are not cheap to buy, and they are certainly not cheap to repair. So, in order to ensure you are protecting your investment to the best of your ability, and within your budget, it is important to avoid some common habits drivers do that slowly (and sometimes instantly) destroy their car.

Continue reading to learn the top 3 mistakes people make with the operation of their vehicles so that you can avoid doing them yourself!

24 Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance
24 Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

❶ Parking Brakes

Do you use your parking brake when necessary? You better hope you do! This is one of the most common bad habits of vehicle owners. If you are parking on any sort of an incline, regardless of your vehicle’s make, model, location, condition, or transmission type, you must engage the parking brake. It is not an optional feature on your car.

The parking brake puts a lock on your tires, preventing them from slipping or shifting as a result of the imbalance of weight. Without the parking brake, you might find your car rolling down a hill! Furthermore, it prevents stripping the parking pawl in the transmission. Just be sure you release your parking brake before you put the car in drive.

❷ Shifting

Are you the type that idolizes those action-packed movies in which drivers fishtail, donut, and spin out on the road to evade their enemies? If so, hopefully you do not try to imitate such driving. Many drivers like to shift their transmission into drive or reverse, before they come to a complete stop. This is a major mistake that can do instantaneous damage to your transmission, engine, and various inner components.

After too many incorrect shifts, the tension bands reduce in quality and the teeth on the transmission mesh wears away, all of which results in the car no longer being able to shift. Do you know how much this repair costs? On average, a transmission repair of this nature can cost between $400 and $1800, depending on the make and model vehicle. For luxury cars, you can expect the average cost to be even higher.

❸ Maintenance

When was the last time you changed the oil in your car? Or the other six essential fluids? Lack of car maintenance, namely oil changes, is one of the most common mistakes people make that cause damage to their vehicles. Motor oil is vital to the engine because it lubricates the metal pistons and rings as they move up and down within the cylinder. Without proper lube, friction of metal on metal will cause irreparable damage to the engine.

Additional essential car fluids that should be changed or maintained on a regular basis include transmission fluid, coolant (radiator fluid), brake fluid, power steering fluid, battery fluid, and windshield wiper fluid. Check your owners’ manual for instructions on when to have these fluids checked and changed. Read our blog, “The 7 Automotive Fluids Required for All Cars” for more advice.

Got Car Troubles in Indy? Call Zore’s Towing!

Call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for prompt, 24 hour towing and roadside assistance in Indianapolis and its surrounding counties. Our licensed towing and recovery division retains an extensive fleet of over 35 tow trucks and wrecker equipment, allowing us to assist drivers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, rain, snow, or ice. Request a free estimate, anytime.

Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484

Is Your New Year’s Resolution Better Gas Mileage?

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Are you looking for ways to reduce fuel consumption in 2020? If so, these gas mileage tips might help you get started on developing better driving and car care habits for the new year!

24 Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance
24 Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

How to Lower Your Gas Consumption

➤ Eliminate Extra Weight

The first step to reducing fuel consumption is reducing any excess weight within your vehicle. Remove any heavy items that have been stored there for some time.  Things like sporting equipment, clothes, books, trunk items, and more can all add unnecessary weight to your ride. The heavier a vehicle is, the more fuel it requires for motion. This is the easiest and quickest way to immediately improve gas mileage on your own.

➤ Don’t Idle Too Long

Another approach to saving on fuel is to avoid long idle times in your car. Next time you go to pick up pizzas for the family, park and walk into the store rather than pulling up and allowing your car to run while you are inside paying. Unbeknown to ordinary drivers, this action causes our fuel to burn up almost as fast as it would if we were driving.  Avoid taking lunch breaks in your car, leaving it on while applying makeup, or listening to music before school. This will eat your fuel up faster than you would believe.

➤ Practice Better Driving

If you really want to reduce your gas mileage and fuel consumption, try driving better. You may believe you are a fantastic driver, especially if you have a solid record. But this does not mean you can’t improve on your skill. Driving fast, erratically, taking off fast, and coming to abrupt stops can cause your vehicle to use more fuel than it needs to. It can also damage your vehicle’s inner workings. Try driving slower, smoother, and in a more consistent manner can help reduce fuel consumption and save you money in the long run.

➤ Service Your Car as Needed

It is also highly suggest getting regular scheduled maintenance for your vehicle to keep it in good condition. Oil changes, engine cleanings, tire services, and more all contribute to the efficiency of your car’s fuel consumption.

➤ Never Drive a Malfunctioning Car

If you experience problems on the road while driving, it is vital that you pull the car over immediately, and contact a local Indianapolis roadside assistance service. Driving a car while it is malfunctioning in any way will put more strain and stress on the engine, and therefore, use up more fuel. Worst of all, it can cause additional damage to the inner workings of your vehicle.

Who to Trust for 24 Hour Roadside Assistance in Indiana

Call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for 24 hour roadside assistance for fuel fill-ups in Indianapolis, or anywhere within Central Indiana. Our friendly staff is waiting by the phones, ready to help you get back on the road, safe and sound. We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, so you can always count on us. Request a free estimate, today.

Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484