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Routine trips to a trusted technician are vital for true vehicle health, performance, and longevity. With this in mind, head to your local Chevy dealer today to set up a suitable schedule for the following essential Chevy services. more 7 Services Offered by Your Chevy Dealership Change Motor Oil With all the heat and potential friction inside your engine, high-quality motor oil is crucial to lubricate parts and clean out debris. Modern motor oil tends to last 7,500 to 10,000 miles before degrading. Most drivers should have their oil changed at least twice a year to keep the engine properly protected. Top Up the Coolant Coolant is the engine's primary defense against overheating and should always be monitored. Top your coolant up when it's low and flush when it starts to age and discolor, which will typically be every two or three years. Tune Up the Engine Every aspect of your engine should be examined and finely tuned by a seasoned technician once a year. These routine tune-ups keep your car running smoothly and ensure that any engine problems are found quickly and nipped in the bud. Rotate and Change Tires The tires should be rotated twice a year to prevent excessively uneven wear. This extends tire lifespan; well-kept tires should ideally last from four to six years. Once the treads of your tires diminish to 2/32 of an inch or under, have them replaced. Inspect the Brakes For your safety, never neglect to have your brakes properly inspected twice a year. This involves removing each brake pad, rotor disc, and brake caliper to examine each part, plus careful inspection of the brake fluid and hoses. Replace Air Filters The engine's air filter usually needs to be replaced once a year, lest it clogs up, restricting the inflow of oxygen into the engine. You should also replace your cabin's air filter yearly. Service the Transmission The transmission fluid is vital for proper gearbox maintenance. Have this fluid topped up as required and periodically flushed. Your transmission should be fully serviced every 60,000 to 100,000 miles (30,000 to 60,000 miles for a manual transmission). Schedule All Chevy Services With Our Technicians In your busy daily schedule, it can be hard to remember each required service. This creates the risk of neglecting a car part, which might then start to experience problems. When you schedule services with us, we can help ensure you stay on top of it all and keep your car in tip-top condition at all times. Visit Ted Britt Chevrolet in Sterling, VA, today to arrange a convenient vehicle maintenance schedule. We offer an impressive inventory of over 500 new and pre-owned vehicles, excellent upkeep services, and personalized customer care.

Your tires will gradually wear out and will eventually need replacement. While it's impossible to prevent tire wear, you can reduce its impact on your tires and delay the need to replace them. As your Chevy dealer, we want to give you a few tips on tire maintenance that will help prevent avoidable early tire replacement. more Tire Maintenance Tips From Your Chevy Dealer Check Tire Pressure Regularly Regularly checking your tire pressure helps keep your tires in good condition. Your front and rear tires have specific pressure requirements, and their pressures are listed in your car manual. They can also be found on a sticker or a metal plate in the inside door jamb on the front passenger side door. Tires that are correctly pressurized will suffer less surface friction damage. Underinflated tires droop slightly, exposing the softer and weaker sidewalls to fiction. In this situation, you'll see excessive smooth bands of wear around the outer edges of the tread and lower sections of the sidewalls. Overinflated tires, in contrast, show excessive wearing in the center of the tread, as the increased pressure pulls the outer edges of the tire away from the surface. We can test your tire pressure and correct it within minutes. Tire Rotations The tire tread gradually wears down. Some of the wear is naturally occurring due to constant contact with the surface, but other factors can also cause wear damage. Wheel misalignment or incorrect tire balances increase damage to specific sections of the tread. Tires also develop increased wear due to their position on your Chevy. A tire rotation will reduce wear damage, as each tire is moved to a new position. The positions the tires move to depend on your drivetrain. Moving the tires to new positions spreads wear and tear more evenly across the tires and extends their life. Our technicians can easily rotate your tires for you. Look For Damage Sharp objects on the road can penetrate a tire surface and cause a leak. A bubble could form on the sidewall of a tire that has been pinched against a hard object. The tire bubble is easily noticeable, and it makes the tire potentially dangerous to drive on. The air inside a tire heats up as you drive, and if the air in the bubble heats up enough it can burst and cause a blowout. Tire cracks can develop on the surface of older tires, as the rubber gradually loses its flexibility. Once a crack forms, it will widen and deepen and eventually cause a leak. We can repair leaks caused by sharp objects, but tire bubbles and cracks can't be repaired. We'll remove the damaged tires and install and balance new ones for you. If you'd like to know more about maintaining your tires, contact us today at Ted Britt Chevrolet in Sterling, VA.

Getting a wheel alignment at your Chevy dealer when needed helps your tires last a long time, and it makes driving and lot easier. When your wheels are misaligned, you'll deal with issues such as excess steering wheel vibrations, difficult handling, and premature tire wear. None of this is pleasant, and it all makes driving less safe, too. more Why Is It Important to Get Your Wheels Aligned? Getting your wheels aligned is important because your car's handling can suffer when your car is out of alignment. Plus, misaligned wheels contribute to premature tire wear. When your car is easy to handle, it's a lot safer. Having tires that have worn down correctly is safer you, too, so never skip alignment appointments. How Frequently Do You Need a Wheel Alignment From Your Chevy Dealer? It's important that you get your wheels aligned at least once a year, although stopping by the dealer for an alignment twice a year is even better. If at any time you notice that your steering wheel is off center, your car is drifting or pulling to one side, or your tires have worn down unevenly, you should visit the dealer in case your car is out of alignment. The Benefits of Getting Your Wheels Aligned Better Handling It's a whole lot harder to handle your car when your wheels aren't aligned. To drive straight, you need to hold your steering wheel at a strange angle, usually off to one side. The more out of alignment your car gets, the more effort you need to put into adjusting your steering. It's distracting, uncomfortable, and not very safe. Better Ride Comfort It's not just more comfortable to drive when you don't have to adjust your steering angle; it's more comfortable to drive when your wheels are aligned because of your tires, too. Alignments help your tires wear down evenly, so you won't have to deal with excessive tire vibration. When your car is aligned, you'll also notice less vibration in your steering wheel. Better Fuel Efficiency When there's pretty much anything wrong with your car, it's going to use more fuel and leave you stopping for gas way more often than usual. Because your tires wear down unevenly when your car is out of alignment, the car has to work harder and is under more pressure during every ride. So, to compensate, it guzzles gas to help itself work harder. Better Tire Lifespan When your tires wear down unevenly, parts of them stop being road-safe much sooner than others. So, you end up buying a new set more often than you'd need to if your wheels were aligned. When the tires wear down evenly, they last longer, saving you money. Come down to Ted Britt Chevrolet in Stirling, VA for an alignment to avoid the issues that misalignment can bring. You can schedule your next service appointment online today.

Tires are an essential part of your vehicle's performance and safety. The proper tires from your Chevy dealer provide traction and stability to your car or truck. Here are five signs that you need new tires. Tire Pressure Light A tire pressure light coming on can mean your tires are low on air, the sensor is malfunctioning, or there's a leak. But if you're seeing this light regularly, you probably need to replace your tires. more That's because when tires are worn out, they lose their ability to maintain proper pressure. When this happens, the pressure sensors in your car will alert you that something isn't right with your tires. Traction If you notice that your car is struggling to grip the road when you drive, it's time to take a look at your tires. The reason for this could be any number of things, but the main one is that they're worn down. Tires with uneven wear can also cause poor traction. If you're driving on worn-out tires, they won't be able to grip the road as well as they used to. This also means that it will be harder for your car to stop quickly, especially in poor weather. Bulges Some signs your tires are wearing out are pretty obvious, like bulges. If you notice that one of your tires is bulging, you need to get a new one as soon as possible. The problem with bulges is that they can lead to blowouts. Blowouts can happen anytime, and they're extremely dangerous for both you and other drivers on the road. Tire Cracks Cracks in the sidewalls are a sign that your tires are old and the rubber is starting to break apart. This breakdown happens over time due to chemicals, oils, and UV light. If the tire is not replaced eventually, it will split, leaving it useless. If you notice a crack in the car's tread, this is a potentially serious problem that should be addressed ASAP. Tire tread cracks may indicate dry rot, putting you at risk of a severe blowout. Your Treads Are Worn The penny test is the easiest way to tell if your tires are worn out. You can do it at home, and you only need a penny! Put a penny in the tread with Lincoln's head down. If you can see Abe's entire head, then it's time to replace your tires. If you don't have a penny handy and want to know whether or not your tires need replacing, try looking at the tread pattern instead. If there are no grooves left in the tread (or if they're very shallow), then it's time for some new rubber! It's always a good idea to regularly check the condition of your tires. If you notice your treads are worn, or your tire pressure is frequently low, it's usually time to replace your tires in Sterling. Stop by Ted Britt Chevrolet, and we'll be happy to provide any auto repair service you need! Image courtesy of Pixabay.com