Archives for July 2015

Most Eagle Lake motorists are all talking gas mileage right now. Better gas mileage. Fewer emissions. MN folks want to save the environment and our pocketbooks.

And we Eagle Lake car owners all know — or should know — that preventive maintenance will help maintain maximum gas mileage. But is there something more we can do? After all, some of us Eagle Lake auto owners can’t cut back on our driving, and others would like to do more to economize.

Weight is one major enemy of fuel efficiency. The more you lug around in your vehicle, the more fuel you have to burn to get from Eagle Lake to Eagle Lake to Mankato. And that means buying more gas and producing more emissions.

Of course, your vehicle’s weight isn’t negotiable. And you can’t do much about the weight of your passengers. And this isn’t an article about diet and exercise.

But look around your car. Are you hauling a bunch of unnecessary weight around Eagle Lake? Do you really need your golf clubs every time you leave your Eagle Lake neighborhood? Store sports equipment in the garage. Load it when you need it and store it when you don’t. Who knows? The extra exercise just might reduce the other type of weight in your vehicle.

The same goes for anything else in your sedan: make-up kits, music collections, extra electronics, spare clothing; whatever your particular extras may be. Pack it when you need it; store it when you don’t.

Clean out your vehicle. You’d be surprised how much weight you’re lugging around in plain old junk. Toss old papers, leftover food, and regular old dirt. Even if it’s not a lot of weight, you’ll feel better when you get into your car. A good cleaning is also part of good car care.

Now, don’t toss stuff you really do need. You do need that spare tire — the one in your trunk. And a kit of emergency essentials is not a bad idea. But just carry around the day-to-day essentials. You can pack a more extensive kit and store it in your garage, then toss it in the car when you go on a longer trip, but you don’t have to lug it around Eagle Lake all the time.

After all, are you a driver? Or are you a junk chauffeur?

Lose the junk and save some income.

When it comes to their vehicles, some Eagle Lake car owners don’t have a maintenance mindset. They know they need to take care of their cars, but it just seems really hard to get them to remember to do it. Eagle Lake drivers generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance, but just may have not applied it to their sedans.

For example: the lawn. You water it and mow it every week. And weed the flower beds and rake the leaves. There are other things that Eagle Lake residents are diligent about. Going to the dentist twice a year. Clothes to the dry cleaner. Flu shots. Taking the kids to your Eagle Lake doctor for a checkup before school starts.

So Eagle Lake drivers really are maintenance minded. They just have to learn to apply that mindset to cars. I mean, if you never brush your teeth or go to the dentist, you’ll become painfully aware of your neglect when you get a big cavity. Once the damage is done, most of us learn our lesson and shape up.

Unfortunately, Eagle Lake motorists too often learn a hard automotive lesson when they bring their vehicle to Hughes Automotive Inc on a tow truck. So many times a little routine maintenance would have prevented a steep breakdown.

So how can Eagle Lake car owners get into the habit of taking care of their sedan? It’s so easy to forget. If you skip cutting the grass, you see it every time you pull in the driveway.

Here’s something that will help: The key to good vehicle maintenance starts with the oil change. Think about it – when you go in for a full-service oil change, your honest Hughes Automotive Inc tech will check all your fluids. If one of them is low, he can look for the reason why. If your serpentine belt is cracked, he’ll see it and let you know. Corroded battery cable – they’ve got you covered. And at Hughes Automotive Inc, we check to see if your sedan vehicle manufacturer has recommended any services at your current mileage.

The oil change becomes kind of a focal point, a way to check in to see what needs to be done. The fact is that vehicle inspection surveys consistently reveal that over 80% of vehicles have one or more unperformed repair or maintenance service. Vehicles are generally very reliable and can take a lot of abuse and neglect. But, you’ve got to remember that sedans are complicated machines. There are parts and fluids that are critical to their operation. Without them, the sedan won’t run at all.

So when you come in to Hughes Automotive Inc for an oil change, you get an inspection from your honest service advisor and a reminder for recommended services so you can avoid a total failure. And remember that your honest Hughes Automotive Inc technician can help you work out a maintenance and repair plan, prioritizing and scheduling the work to make sure you and your family are safe, and helping you avoid expensive breakdowns.

Suspension systems function effectively for many years and tens of thousands of miles. Eventually, however, sedan suspension components do wear out, but how long that takes depends a lot on how you drive around Eagle Lake and Mankato.

As you can imagine, if most of your driving is on smooth MN highways, your shock absorbers will last a lot longer than if you do most of your driving on bumpy Eagle Lake roads or haul heavy loads. In addition to just wearing out, sedan suspension components can be damaged in an accident or by a hard impact – like a pothole, hitting a curb or a rock in the road. Because the life span of shocks can vary so widely, sedan auto manufacturers recommend periodic inspections.

During an inspection at Hughes Automotive Inc in Eagle Lake, your honest automotive service technician will check for worn, broken or missing parts.

Here’s a quick rundown of suspension system components:

First there are the springs which hold the weight of your sedan. There are several varieties of springs. Springs are obviously critical heavy duty parts that rarely break or wear out. Shock absorbers work in conjunction with springs to smooth out the ride and help keep the tires on the road. Good shocks are essential for handling performance and ride comfort.

You’ve probably heard of struts. They combine a shock absorber and a coil spring in one unit. Shocks and struts will wear out over time. If your tires develop a cupped wear pattern, your shocks or struts may be wearing out. This is from the shocks bouncing unevenly. You may notice a floaty or drifting sensation when cornering. If the front of your sedan dives excessively when stopping, or rocks back and forth after you’ve stopped, your shocks may be worn out. And if they are leaking fluid, it’s definitely time to replace them at Hughes Automotive Inc.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, visit Hughes Automotive Inc for a a vital suspension inspection. Same if you’ve been in an accident that involved one of your wheels. If your sedan suspension actually fails, it could lead to a serious accident, so don’t put it off.

When you replace your shocks, it’s usually a good idea to replace all four at the same time. That’ll give you more even handling. Talk with your honest Hughes Automotive Inc service advisor because you don’t want a big difference between the performance of your shocks from wheel to wheel, and replacing all may be the safest bet.

There are different grades of shocks and struts. You always want to use a replacement shock or strut that equals the one that came as original equipment when your sedan was new. But remember, they were designed to meet the expected needs of the broad range of Mankato people who buy that particular vehicle. Your needs may be more specialized.

For example, if you want increased handling performance, your honest Hughes Automotive Inc advisor can recommend an upgraded shock or strut specially designed for improved handling. If you haul heavy loads or trailers in Eagle Lake, we can recommend some heavy duty shock absorbers.

About 90% of our driving decisions in Mankato are based solely on what we see. So having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely vital.

Most Eagle Lake motorists have experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm, or when our sedan windshield is just dirty. In fact, it’s estimated that 46,000,000 car owners across the nation are driving with wipers that can’t adequately clear their windshield in a storm.

It seems like our wiper blades are always at their worst when we Eagle Lake drivers need them the most. If that sounds like you, you’ve got plenty of company in the Mankato area. 78% of car owners only change their wiper blades after the blades function so poorly that they become a safety hazard.

Eagle Lake motorists need to change their thinking. Instead of blades being something to replace when they fail, we need to consider wiper blades as an important sedan safety component. Then we’ll stay ahead of the storm.

Eagle Lake drivers really ought to replace wiper blades twice a year; in the spring and the fall. If you live in the colder parts of MN, you may even want to get special winter blades in the fall.

Winter blades are made to resist freezing. Speaking of winter and freezing Mankato conditions, if your sedan has been sitting for a long time and the windshield becomes frozen, don’t use your wipers to clear off snow and ice. That can shred your blades and may even damage the wiper motor.

Your wiper blades live outside in the freezing cold and blistering Eagle Lake sun. Over time, they become hard and brittle, and then tear. They also lose their flexibility and just don’t clear the sedan windshield effectively. Worn wiper blades aren’t just a safety hazard for Eagle Lake motorists; they can also scratch their windshield. That may require replacing the entire sedan windshield – that’s a steep consequence for neglecting such a small part.

AutoNetTV and Hughes Automotive Inc recommend Eagle Lake motorists replace worn blades right away. Your Eagle Lake service center can provide you with a quality replacement blade. At Hughes Automotive Inc, they cost about the same as they would at the store – but installation is included.

Of course you also need washer fluid to help your blades do their important work. Even though Hughes Automotive Inc will top off the washer fluid with a full service oil change, it is a good idea to have some extra fluid at home. Bring it with you if you’re heading out on a road trip.

Always use windshield washer fluid. Plain water, even that fancy French bottled water, just doesn’t cut it. It can freeze in the fluid reservoir or on the windshield itself, making things worse. Besides, water won’t clean your windows as well.

So follow these tips to keep your windshield clear and your eye on the road.

Find us at:

Hughes Automotive Inc
109 E LeRay Ave
Eagle Lake, MN 56024
507.257.3730