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  • 7107 Canoga Ave Canoga Park, CA 91303
  • 818-710-8244

Month: November 2017

Tire Pressure Check

Tips to Increase the Longevity of Your Car Tires

Many drivers don’t realize how important their tires are for the overall health of their vehicle. Depending on the type of vehicle you drive, you may have noticed that tires can be expensive to replace—especially when they aren’t properly cared for. There are many factors that contribute to how often we need to replace or service our tires, and it is important to keep these factors in mind while going about your daily life. In fact, most drivers may not realize what a huge impact daily driving conditions and driving habits can have on their car’s tires, and therefore your car’s overall performance levels. Owning a luxury import vehicle comes with the responsibility of ongoing vehicle care; regular maintenance is important in order to uphold the brand’s integrity, retain its value, and increase performance and endurance. Since your tires are your main connection to the road, they can tell us a lot about what kind of condition your vehicle is in and how well it is performing. Additionally, the healthier your tires are, the longer they will last. Here are some tips to increase the longevity of your car tires and improve your vehicle’s performance:

Tire Rotations

How often you rotate your tires will likely depend on how frequently you drive your car, the typical distance you drive, and the common condition of the roads that you drive on. A good rule of thumb is to have your tires checked for rotation every time you get your oil changed. It is also important to have your tires rotated before a long road trip—this will reduce the risk of a blowout or a flat tire while traveling at high speeds for extended periods of time. Rotating your tires spreads the wear around evenly amongst all four tires so that the front and back and right and left side tires don’t wear out any sooner than the others.

Wheel Alignments

Wheel alignments can greatly improve the longevity and reduce the wear of your tires. It is important to pay attention to any small differences in alignment by looking at your tires wear patterns in addition to looking out for a few other telltale signs of misalignment. For instance, if you notice your steering pulling in a specific direction other than straight on a flat bit of road, you likely need an alignment. Or, if the emblem of your steering wheel is off-center while facing in a straight forward direction, you should have your alignment checked.

Check Tire Pressure Regularly

Keeping a tire pressure gauge in your center console is a good way to remind yourself to check your tire pressure routinely. Many modern vehicles will alert the driver if tire pressure becomes too low on any of the four tires; however, in order to avoid uneven wear patterns, blowouts, frequent tire replacement, or dangerous flats while driving at higher speeds, you should always keep your tire pressure at the specified level recommended by the manufacturer. You can find this specific pressure level in your owner’s manual or on the inside of the driver’s side door.

Routine Suspension Inspections

Because your wheels and tires are directly connected to suspension components, if something goes wrong with a suspension part it can express itself in your tire health. For instance, one of your front tires may show uneven wear patterns if a suspension component begins to prematurely wear or fail completely. By routinely checking your various suspension components through ongoing maintenance appointments you can keep an eye on the different parts of your vehicle that affect your tire health.

Our Philosophy on Tire Health

Wheel Alignment Check At Euro Plus Automotive, we take a holistic approach to vehicle care. Serving Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, San Fernando Valley, and other areas of Los Angeles County, CA, we see a wide range of vehicle issues daily. After years of experience and automotive knowledge, our approach to repair and maintenance tasks is to treat the vehicle like an integrated system—in other words, we know that if your tires are showing signs of uneven wear that there are likely other issues causing it. While we never advise our clients to spend more money than is necessary on repairs, we take great pride in our philosophy on educating and informing our clients on how they can best care for their vehicles. For more information about our expertise in European import vehicles, call us today. We look forward to helping keep your car, and your tires, performing at their best.

Buying Used Audi

What Should You Focus on While Buying a Used Audi?

Audi’s are known for their multi-purpose functioning. Rated one of the best cars for families, best value, and best vehicle brand year after year, Audi’s are versatile. They are renowned for their luxury, high performance, and adaptability to fit a wide range of drivers’ needs. Above all else, Audi’s withstand the test of time; their value retention is much higher than other luxury vehicles out there. Therefore, when looking for a used car to purchase, Audi’s are a sound choice. When you decide to purchase a used Audi, there are specific things you should look for; actually, this translates to most used vehicles, not just Audi’s. Considering the interior, exterior, specs, and mileage are all critical to the success of your purchase, and it’s important to be as informed as possible before diving head first into a deal. So that you don’t go in totally blind, here are some things to focus on while buying a used Audi:

A Model that Fits Your Needs

Much like falling in love, even though the process of buying a car is exciting, it’s important to remain levelheaded and hold out for the right one. Audis come in a variety of designs that address different areas of concern for drivers. Not all Audi models will suit your needs—for instance, although a new sports car is enticing, it might not be the best option for a family of four who needs more space and efficiency. In this case, be aware of the sacrifices you might need to make in power for a larger vehicle that fits more people. Audi SUVs and sedans maintain a sense of luxury, but accommodate the needs of a family better than a high-performance counterpart. In other words, have a list of your needs that will help you narrow down your options.

Mileage Doesn’t Tell You Everything

Many people looking to buy a used Audi go straight for the lower mileage cars. While higher-mileage vehicles aren’t ideal in general, that doesn’t necessarily indicate that they have been beaten and battered into a worn pile of useless metal. Audis are known for their durability, and many Audi drivers are committed to ongoing vehicle maintenance. Therefore, even a higher-mileage Audi that costs less than others might be a better deal in the long run. Vehicle longevity is highly predicted by the quality of care an owner puts into a vehicle, not how many miles are on the odometer. It’s best to get a second opinion before jumping to any conclusions. Pre-purchase inspections are critical in this sense, and we’ll talk more about that in a moment.

Judging a Book By Its Cover is OK

If you’re looking for a fixer-upper, then maybe the outward appearance of an older, heavily used Audi won’t scare you. Unfortunately, the exterior and interior of a vehicle can tell you a lot about the previous owner’s standard of care. If the exterior paint job, body, or glass or the interior seats, leather, or carpeting is in poor condition, you may want to skip to the next option—this is a pretty good indication that what’s under the hood isn’t in any better of a state. If the exterior doesn’t bother you, a pre-purchase inspection can help verify if the condition of the engine and other critical components that will likely cost an arm and a leg to replace, and you might be able to pay a lower price for the car.

Pre-Purchase Inspections

Buying a used Audi can be a tricky process to navigate—especially because we Used Audi for Sale typically aren’t able to determine the quality of the engine components just by looking at a surface glance. At Euro Plus Automotive we have helped countless used car buyers in the Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, CA, areas conduct pre-purchase inspections that help them to determine the quality of a vehicle before they invest. Because we specialize in German-engineered imports like Audis, we have a keen sense of what cars hold the most value and what a good-quality engine should look like. We also offer a wide range of automotive services for ongoing vehicle maintenance performed by our ASE certified technicians. For over 30 years we have employed our skills and knowledge in helping used car buyers; if you would like more information on how we can help you, contact us to schedule a pre-purchase inspection or speak to a professional today.

Audi 6 Series 2 image credit goes to: stonena7.

Trusted Car Repair Shop

Significant Traits of a Trusted Car Repair Shop

The traits of a trusted car repair shop are unchanging; like any business, they have to offer things that the community needs and services people can trust in. Not every automotive business is good at upholding their commitment to trustworthiness and integrity, so it is the consumer’s job to make sure they make the right choice when it comes to finding an automotive shop that suits them best. If you are looking for a trustworthy automotive specialist that can help you with your vehicle repair and maintenance needs on a regular basis, here is a list of qualities that you should keep an eye out for:

Reputation

Because automotive care can be a difficult thing to accurately assess for as the average driver, it is important to listen to what other customers have to say about a business. Customer ratings are one of the number one ways to determine how a business handles the customer service aspect of their company. You will be able to get a sense of a shop’s honesty and the level of pride they take in their work. Many automotive technicians undergo rigorous educational standards of training, and have earned a reputation for exceptional repair and maintenance services, but do not have what it takes to maintain good business relationships with their clients. This is a critical element of automotive services—as it is important to make customers feel valued, respected, and cared for. You can look up a shop’s reviews online to hear a range of comments about their customer service including efficiency. While it’s normal for not every individual to experience a service in the same way, you should look for a shop that has an overwhelmingly positive online response from current or former clients. There are other ways to gauge how a business conducts themselves with their clients, which brings us to our next point.

Communication and Connection to Clients

Have you ever been to an automotive shop or dealership where you felt ignored, unattended to, and left in the dark? It can be one of the most frustrating experiences for drivers, especially because the vast majority of individuals are not automotive experts. A trustworthy car repair shop should be attentive, friendly, and highly responsive to your questions and concerns. An important part of auto care is the approach a business takes to informing their clients throughout the ongoing process of vehicle maintenance. They should help educate their clients in terms that they can relate to and understand, and help people improve their vehicle performance by increasing their awareness about automotive maintenance. Reach out to a few shops to gauge how they respond to your inquiries about their services in order to find a shop that best suits your individual needs.

Experience and Qualifications

High-end, performance vehicles require special attention and care in order to maintain their optimal driving conditions. An automotive shop that meets that need for maintenance should have a good amount of experience working with specialty brands. They should be certified, credentialed, and have a wide base of knowledge of different models and manufacturer maintenance standards. You can usually find these qualifications on a shop’s website—they will proudly display their credentials and training. Furthermore, beware of dealerships that increase their prices for “specialized” services; you can usually find auto care at the same skill level and quality or better at a much more reasonable cost.

The Euro Plus Automotive Promise

Euro Plus Automotive serves Canoga Park, CA, and the surrounding areas of Lady with Auto Mechanic Woodland Hills and other San Fernando Valley locations. After three decades of experience in the automotive business, we have a wide skillset that deems us qualified to perform any automotive repair or maintenance task with expertise, although we specialize in Japanese and German engineered vehicles. Unlike expensive dealerships and other nearby automotive service centers, we have a genuine passion to help clients in our community who need auto care but can’t afford the hefty price tag. Our online reviews are outstanding, and our clientele is loyal—which is indicative of our high level of customer service. It is our mission to make sure every client leaves our shop satisfied with our work and more informed than when they arrived. If you need more information about our shops qualifications, credentials, or expertise, contact us today—we look forward to becoming your trusted neighborhood car repair shop.

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