Posted on 7/3/2013
No matter how well they’re made, cars are bound to have problems with their design or manufacturing. When the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice to Maumee residents and to fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone who owns that type of car in Maumee and elsewhere until the work is done. These recalls always affect safety, so you need to take them seriously. It’s really easy to find out if a vehicle is being recalled. For links to government sites, look in the AutoNetTV website. Other website include: carfax.com; autobytel.com; and dmv.org. All of these sites have free recall searches. Recalls are pretty seri ... read more
Posted on 5/29/2013
People from Maumee OH love their cars. And nothing goes with cars better than a road trip. Freedom from daily schedules, new sights and the open road – it's great! But there's nothing like car trouble to bring the fun to a grinding halt. Now you can't always avoid problems, but you can take steps to reduce the probability of getting sidelined on your trip. Let's look at some of the auto maintenance related problems you might encounter on a road trip and what you might do to avoid them. It all starts with a thorough trip inspection by your service professionals at Lange's Auto Care, Inc.. Let's talk about some of the items on the trip inspection checklist. The most common vehicle component to fail is the tires. Of course, you can't always avoid a road hazard that leads to a flat, but you may be able to head off some maintenance-connected tire problems. A good ... read more
Posted on 5/15/2013
There's a segment of the Maumee area population that's not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Now, the ignition system in your vehicle is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers). So tune-ups used to force you in to Lange`s Auto Care, Inc. for service, and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.
Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new vehicles in Maumee have been leased. These folks plan on turning the vehicle in after two or three years, so they haven't focused on the maintenance that helps a vehicle last longer.
Given all that, what's the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy.
Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that  ... read more
Posted on 4/23/2013
Lease? Or buy? It's always a tough question for residents in the Maumee area. But here are a few ideas that'll make the choice more clear. Either option gives you a choice of how you might finance your car. If you buy, you'll pay the full cost of the car, with maybe an initial down payment, then monthly payments on the balance that pays down the loan principal, and the finance charge. If you lease, you're financing the portion of the cost of the car that's used up during the term of the lease. When the lease is up, you return the car to your local Maumee area dealership. You'll pay some money upfront; fees, security deposit, first month's payment and maybe a capital reduction. The month payments include a depreciation cost and a finance charge. So how do you decide? First, how big a down payment can you make? A lease would require a smaller down. How much monthly payment can you afford? Again, lease payments will be much ... read more
Posted on 3/21/2013
All new cars and light trucks in Maumee, OH, since 2008 have come equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, or 'TPMS'. The TPMS system detects when a tire becomes under-inflated and lights up a warning light on the dash.So what's the big deal for Maumee drivers? Well, underinflated tires can be a real safety concern for in OH. First of all, they don't handle properly and that can lead to an accident. Second, underinflated tires can overheat and cause the tire to come apart, which can also lead to an accident.Government regulations requiring TPMS systems aim to reduce accidents in OH and save lives, a very worthy goal. There are also positive environmental effects because underinflated tires are fuel wasters – lose 1 percent of their fuel economy for every 3 pounds of pressure below ideal. So proper tire inflation can save you a tank of gas a year. And your tires last longer so you won't have to replace them as often.There a ... read more