Car Care Tips

Here, at Hilna Tires, we want our customers to be in the know about how to properly care for their car or truck. We want you to understand why and how your tires wear; how to get the best gas mileage; and overall how to get the most out of your tires. Hopefully, with these helpful tips you will be able to improve gas mileage and reduce tire wear when driving in and around Brooklyn, NY and Bay Ridge, NY . We understand how important your vehicle is and why your car needs to be serviced by a Brooklyn, New York auto repair shop. So give us a call at (718) 996-8273 today to schedule your next maintenance appointment.

Car Maintenance and Care

• Change your fluids on time, every time.
• Change your oil every 3,000 miles for regular non synthetic oil engines or if you have never done a synthetic oil change.
• Schedule a maintenance check every 15, 30, 60, and 90,000 miles.
• Replace your air filter every 12 months or 12,000 miles (whichever comes first).
• Replace your fuel filter every 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever comes first).

Tire Maintenance and Care

• Rotate your Tires Every 10,000 miles.
• Check your tire pressures approximately once a week. Low tire pressures can affect fuel economy, handling and comfort. To accurately measure your tire pressure, check tires when they are cold. Wait at least three hours after driving.
• Always make sure that your wheels are properly aligned. Badly aligned wheels will again lead to dragging of the car on the road.
• Always check for even tire wear and that your vehicle's steering wheel is straight when the wheels are pointed straight and on a flat even road you car does not pull to the left or the right. The tires should all be wearing at the same rate, if one side of a tire or one tire is more worn that another, it is probably time for an alignment.
• Check your spare tire each month and keep it properly inflated so it¹s ready to go when you need it most.
• Use the penny trick to determine if the tread on your tires is worn to low. Take a penny and put Abraham Lincoln's head into one of the grooves of the tread. If part of his head is covered by the tread, you're ok. If you can see all of his head, it's time to replace the tire. When the tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch, tires must be replaced.

Gas Mileage Tips

• Check and/or change your air filter every 6 months to improve fuel economy and keep your engine running smoothly.
• Don't top off. Don't bother topping off when filling your car's gas tank. Any additional gas is just going to slop around or seep out.
• Tighten up that gas cap. Gas will evaporate from your car's gas tank if it has an escape. Loose, missing or damaged gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year.
• Go for the shade. The hot summer sun that makes the inside of your car feel like a sauna also evaporates fuel from your gas tank.
• Use the right oil. You can improve your car's gas mileage by 1 percent to 2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil.

And most important of all……

• Always check for potential problems before they happen.