Car Buyer Labs

Car Buying Advice, Tips, and Reviews

Steady Chevy, Don’t Let Me Down

If you haven’t done so already, you’ve got lots of warm nights with extra sunlight to get your car ready for summer road trips. Routine vehicle maintenance will ensure that you and your family get to your final holiday destination ready to hit the beach, campsite, or amusement park. Make a resolution to take better care of your Chevy, use genuine GM parts, and you’ll find that it will go farther with fewer issues, and certainly save you money.

This maintenance is especially important if you own an unusually high mileage car. By taking care of your older vehicle and being diligent with maintenance habits, you’ll find that there will be less time in the shop or sitting on the side of the road.

No matter where you travel with your Chevy, you’ll more than likely run into some type of severe weather, such as rain, hail, tornados – even hurricanes! By upgrading your vehicle with new GM parts, such as tires, brakes, and windshield wipers, you’ll find it easier to drive through these stormy issues with a safe, dependable, and efficient vehicle.

Oil and Oil Filter Replacement

Summer is a good time to swap out the car’s oil and oil filters. If you neglect to replace your engine oil, you might find that your Chevy vehicle will have poor engine performance, higher fuel consumption, less longevity, and possibly severe engine damage. It’s an easy fix to replace dirty engine, fuel, or cabin air filters without being too costly, especially since you can do it yourself. After checking your service manual for the proper time, order the correct genuine GM part filter depending on your GM car model.

Check to see if your Chevy has a timing belt or chain. If it does, experts agree that you should replace the belt prior to the car being driven 100,000 miles. Many motorists forget about the timing belt until it breaks and then they need an entire engine replacement.

It’s summer and we know that the temperatures can reach at or above 100 degrees. For that reason, it’s important to check your Chevy’s fluids—all of them. That includes your power steering, brake, transmission, windshield washer, and coolant. If the levels are low, replenish them, or you may need to replace them altogether with genuine GM parts.

Let your new wipers drive off those bugs

We all know how distracting and unpleasant a trip can be if your windshield is covered with bugs and your wiper blades are not cleaning it properly. Or you might get hit with a summer rainstorm pelting your vehicle non-stop. Before this happens, replace your wiper blades. A torn or cracked wiper blade won’t give you good visibility.

Batteries are an important component of your vehicle no matter what season. But now that it’s summer, it’s a good time to check and see how harsh the winter has been on it. You should also check if your battery is securely mounted under the hood and if its connections are clean, tight, and corrosion-free.

Now that your tires have gone through a few potholes and icy snowy streets, it’s time to check them for summer driving. Inspect your tires for bulges and bald spots and replace them if necessary. Make sure that optimal pressure is found on all tires (including the spare) as well as tread depth.

You might think headlights are more important in the winter during dark days but headlights and turn signals are just as valuable in the summer months. A GM Parts department has factory GM headlights to ensure the correct fit on your vehicle.

Summer months are a call to kids in every neighborhood to come out and play. You’ll want to be extra cautious for children running into the streets. Your brakes and brake pads need to be ready for those quick stops.

By replacing brake pads or brake shoes, you’ll prevent uneven wear, improve braking power, and provide longer life for brake rotors and brake drums. GM parts carries an entire selection of new brakes, performance brake rotors, brake pads and brake shoes for your Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, or Saturn vehicle.

Logo floormats

Your Chevy’s floor mats take a beating in the winter so when summer arrives, replace them with fresh floor liners. A GM parts store is stocked with genuine GM floor mats that fit the contours of your car, truck, SUV, or minivan. If you really want to customize your Chevy, choose carpet mats with your vehicle’s brand logo.

Once the cold winter temperatures have ebbed, it’s a good time to see if your belts and hoses are damaged. Hoses can be hardened, softened, start to leak, crack, or blister. Sometimes you also have to replace the tensioner and pulleys to keep the new belt from slipping.

Here in Ohio, you might have encountered sand kicked up on your windshield after being used to treat icy roads. Summer is a good time to check your windshield for the start of chips and cracks. If you let these go, these cracks can grow larger and deter your sight while driving, or can completely break your entire windshield in an accident. If your windshield has a crack or chip, it’s important to have it repaired or replaced immediately.

Finally, take the time to lubricate your chassis parts. Summer is a good time to do those routine maintenance jobs that will help your Chevy run even better.

For General Motors’ drivers who need auto parts to care for their cars, take the time this summer to visit the online auto parts store for OEM GM car parts. No matter what model you have, you’ll find the GM part you need, even powertrains. In addition to GM parts, you can receive expert customer service, extensive automotive industry knowledge, expedient shipping, and low prices.