Spring Vehicle Maintenance Checklist

A new year brings the perfect opportunity for fresh beginnings, and while we often set personal goals, what about your car? It deserves some attention too! Whether it's maintaining peak performance or expanding your collection, these five car-focused New Year’s resolutions will ensure you're ready to roll into 2025 with confidence. From enhancing your vehicle care routine to exploring the thrill of adding a second car to your garage, there’s a resolution for every driver out there. Keep Your Car Clean A cleaner car isn’t just more enjoyable to drive—it’s also better for its overall performance and longevity. Consistent cleaning prevents dust and dirt from Damaging interior components, while regular exterior washes help protect your car's finish from grime, salt, and other roadside contaminants. Wash your car weekly or biweekly, focusing on removing debris that can scratch paint, and finish it off with a protective wax coat. Vacuum carpets and upholstery, clean your dashboard, and use vinyl or leather surfaces protectants. Even wipe down the inside of your windshield to remove that annoying grime buildup. Keeping your car fresh isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s car maintenance 101, and it pays off in the long run. Learn Simple Mechanics You don’t need a full toolbox or years of training to handle minor car maintenance tasks. Gaining a basic understanding of your vehicle can help you avoid unnecessary repair costs and be prepared for the unexpected. Know how to check your engine oil, transmission fluid, and brake fluid. Learn to change a flat tire and check your battery terminals for buildup. Familiarize yourself with your car’s owner manual—knowing where essentials like the fuse box or spare tire are can save you in a pinch. Setting time aside to learn these simple tasks empowers you as a driver and ensures you’re ready to keep your car running smoothly. Drop Bad Driving Habits Bad driving habits don’t just potentially lead to accidents—they also damage your car and can cost you more over time. For this New Year, commit to kicking these common bad driving habits to the curb. Don’t hog the fast lane; keep it for passing and then move over, reducing unnecessary strain on your engine. Ease up on speeding, as driving at safe speeds saves fuel and wears your engine less. Drive calm, not angry, since aggressive driving eats away at your tires and increases the risk of damage. Driving thoughtfully can prolong the life of your vehicle while also preventing costly repairs or insurance claims. Prepare Your Emergency Kit Ever been stuck on the side of the road wishing you had a flashlight or jumper cables? Emergencies happen, so having a well-stocked car emergency kit can be a lifesaver during those unexpected moments. A basic kit should include jumper cables or a portable battery jump starter, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit, blankets, water bottles, a tire repair kit, an air compressor, and non-perishable snacks. Whether heading out on a long road trip or just navigating harsh weather, this kit ensures you’re prepared for the unexpected. Spring for That Second Car Is 2025 the year you finally add that second vehicle to your household? There are plenty of great reasons to make the leap this New Year. A growing family might make your current ride feel too cramped, making it the perfect time to upgrade to a spacious SUV or minivan. If your family has multiple drivers with different schedules, a second car can ease the stress of sharing one vehicle. Or perhaps you need a sturdy truck for towing or an adventure-ready SUV for weekend getaways—now's the time to find the perfect fit. Start saving now, then visit Monken Chevrolet GMC for the best deals on Chevy and GMC vehicles. Take your time exploring compact cars, sedans, SUVs, even electric vehicles, and more—our financing department makes it easier than ever to drive away with your dream car in 2025. Drive Into 2025 with Confidence This New Year, focus on goals that benefit both you and your car. A little time spent on car maintenance, staying prepared, and even upgrading your garage can make a big difference in how smoothly (and safely) you drive all year long. Which of these resolutions will you add to your list? Whatever you choose, remember that taking care of your car is taking care of yourself. Here's to a year full of smooth rides and new adventures!

Summer is coming to a close, kids are back in school and families are starting to focus on getting things done other than blowing up pool floats. Fall is a busy time for all of us, but it’s also the perfect time to slowly start getting your vehicle ready for the winter, (yuck, the ‘w’ word), months ahead. Getting a head start in the fall means that you don’t have to scramble in once winter does hit and it may be too late. The following are our Fall Car Care Tips to help get your vehicle ready for both fall AND winter. No need to have all these done at once. Spread the cost out over the fall so that by winter you’re safe and ready to drive! Here are our September Service Specials for Toyota, Chrysler/Nissan, and Chevy Buick GMC. Check your Tire Tread – you can visually check this yourself. The easiest way is to grab a penny and insert the penny into a tire groove on each one of the tires. Make sure that Abe Lincoln’s head is upside down and facing you. If you can see ALL of Abe’s head, it’s time to replace your tires. This isn’t a fool proof test though, depending on your tires, so if you have doubts, definitely bring your tires in to be checked by a service professional. Check ALL your Lights – it will start getting darker sooner and you don’t want to be caught out driving at dusk with lights that don’t work. Grab a family member or friend and have them help you check to see that your brake lights, turn signals and high beams all work. Check fluid levels – most vehicles will now alert you when you need to replace fluids or if there is a fluid leak, but if you have an older model vehicle, you will need to check for these manually yourself or have a service professional do an inspection. Washer fluid – this is an easy issue to rectify yourself and washer fluid is inexpensive. But oftentimes people forget to refill this and then find themselves in a scary situation when “winter” weather creeps into fall months without warning. Heating and Cooling – checking the HVAC system is something that is a little bit more difficult to do at home. Obviously, you can tell if your AC/Heat has completely stopped working, but if the system is on it’s way out, you may not notice right away until the temps drop drastically. But at a service center this is a quick test and they can tell you exactly how adequately yours is working. Tire Pressure – air pressure in a tire decreases 1-2 pounds for every 10 degrees of temperature change. This is something that you will want to check a few times each season. And the nice thing is that putting air in your tires is free! Not just to help ensure your safety this fall and winter, keeping your car properly tuned can improve your gas mileage by an average of 4%* - everybody likes saving on gas money! *source: The Car Care Council

Truck towing can be a different experience depending on class, model, and make. However, with a few easy tips you can tow just about anything. How and what can you tow with the 2024 Chevy Silverado HD’s 36,000 lb. towing limit? Read below for basic towing tips and to learn about all the things you can tow in your new truck! Towing Safety Towing safety begins with understanding your vehicle's towing capacity, the maximum weight it can pull safely. This varies by configuration, load, and trailer weight distribution. Manufacturer-provided capacities often assume only the driver is in the vehicle, so adjust for extra passengers and cargo. To calculate towing capacity, know your vehicle's gross combined weight rating (GCWR) and curb weight. Subtract curb weight from GCWR, maintaining a 10% safety margin for shifting loads and sudden stops. Understand the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which includes the vehicle's weight with passengers, fuel, cargo, and tongue weight. Exceeding the GVWR risks mechanical failure and legal issues. Familiarize yourself with terms like braked vs. unbraked towing capacity, gross axle weight rating (GAWR), and payload capacity. Use your vehicle's correct trailer hitch class and load for control and safety. Following these guidelines ensures a safe and efficient towing experience. What Can You Tow? With a top towing limit of 36,000 lbs., the 2024 Silverado HD can tow just about anything! Camping and Travel For those passionate about the outdoors and the open road, the 2024 Chevy Silverado HD can help you bring the best in comfort along for the ride. With its powerful tow limit, you’ll pull even the largest, heaviest RVs – practically a second home. Travel comfortably, easily towing 42’ RVs that can reach upwards of 12,000 base weight and plenty of room for all your belongings. Hobbies and Sports Fill your weekends with all your fun outdoor hobbies with the Chevy Silverado HD. Whether you’re into motocross, equestrian sports, boating and sailing, or an exciting drive through the countryside on an ATV, you’ll tow it all. A four-horse gooseneck trailer weighs between 4,200 to 8,400 lbs empty. Add in a fully loaded stock with hay, horses, and gear, you’re looking at roughly 14,000lbs, with plenty of room to spare. On the other end of the heaviest towable vehicles, a cabin cruiser motorized boat in the medium can reach 35 feet and as high as 16,000 lbs. Those numbers are no match for your towing capacity and the Silverado HD's up to 14 backup camera views combined with Transparent Trailer View helps make the trip from home to your favorite shore smooth sailing. The Sky is the Limit! Now that we’ve seen more realistic examples of day-to-day towing, what could you possibly tow next? Well, if you ever need it, you could tow a personal aircraft. The average weight for a small plane ranges around 13,000 lbs, and while you would likely need a wide load permit, weight is not your enemy. Other ridiculous things you could tow include elephants, several other pickup trucks, and even construction equipment like small bulldozers and medium backhoes. Choose a Truck that Goes the Extra Mile. Choose Chevrolet Tow with confidence, letting nothing get in your way from this day forward with Chevy’s 2024 Chevy Silverado HD. At Monken Chevrolet GMC we have a large variety of trucks in trims to fit your needs – whether you need a full-size high-power workhorse for heavy towing and payloads or something that’s more city-friendly but still gets the job done. Visit our dealership and test drive the 2024 Chevy Silverado HD today! Our team is eager to get you into the truck of your dreams with frighteningly good specials, unbeatable financing, and top-quality service!