Volvo Auto Repair in Vista, CA

Stop and start aggressively

As glamorous as movies and TV shows might make it seem to slam on the accelerator and peel out onto the road, this is really not good for your Volvo and can actually lead to more maintenance and repairs. Neither is braking super abruptly. Though the latter is sometimes necessary for safety reasons, you should definitely avoid doing it willy-nilly. “Love to peel away from a stop? Your mechanic will love you for it,” warns Matt Schmitz, assistant managing editor of Cars.com. “Driving gently will prolong your car’s life, and it will improve fuel efficiency and overall safety in the process.” In addition, slamming on the brakes repeatedly can wear on (what else?) the brakes.

Using the wrong octane level of fuel

You probably already know that putting diesel in a gas Volvo can be dangerous—and if not, this is what can happen if you put diesel fuel in a gas car. But this applies to different octane levels of gasoline, too. “Vehicles are designed to run on a specific grade [of] gas,” says Jill Trotta, VP of the Auto Team at RepairPal. For instance, using lower-grade fuel in a high-performance vehicle can cause a decline in performance. And while doing the opposite, putting higher-grade fuel into a car that can run on regular ol’ gas, won’t cause any harm, there’s just no reason to do it. “[It’s] a waste of money and any performance benefit noted is most likely perceived and not real,” Trotta explains.

Neglecting cleaning

How often do you clean your Volvo? Probably not often enough, according to Richard Reina, Product Training Director at CARiD.com. In addition to keeping the interior clean to prevent germs from accumulating on the surfaces you touch, keep an eye on the exterior as well. The paint and metal surfaces can deteriorate if you’re constantly letting dirt build up. And keep in mind that even the most thorough washing of the exterior of your Volvo will probably neglect the undercarriage. “[The undercarriage] should receive a good wash at least once a quarter to remove any chemicals or debris that can cause corrosion and ultimately result in rust holes,” Reina says. He adds that cleaning your Volvo is especially important during weather changes. And, of course, keeping the body clean and in good shape will also make your car more sellable! Find out the things that people with clean cars have in common.

Driving full throttle right away

The directive that you need to “warm up” your Volvo by letting your engine idle for a few minutes before you drive is somewhat outdated—it only applies to old carbureted engines and is not necessary to avoid unnecessary Volvo Auto Repair Vista shop visits. Idling your combustion engine like that really just wastes fuel; the best way to “warm up” your engine is by, well, driving it. You still should give your engine some time to warm up, but instead of letting your engine idle, you should just take care to “go easy on” your car right at first. “An engine will warm up faster if you drive lightly—no hard acceleration—for the first couple of minutes,” says Jenni Newman, editor-in-chief at Cars.com. You should especially take care to do this if you’re heading right onto a highway or climbing a hill.

Being aware of how you operate and take care of your Volvo, or any car for that matter, can reduce your overall expenses with Vista  Volvo auto repair and maintenance. We hope these 4 tips have been helpful to you. If you do find that you need Volvo auto repair in Vista CA, please call us today for an appointment at (760)940-6060. Golden Wrench Automotive is your “Stress Free, Hassle Free” service provider.