Did you know that warranty companies can in some instances deny what would normally be a legitimate warranty claim due to the vehicle owner's failure to maintain your Chevrolet or GM vehicle as per your Owner's Manual?  Not only would this cost you and leave you in a bad mood but proper Certified Service, auto repair, and maintenance at regular or recommended intervals can prevent costly repairs down the road.

Our St. Albans, VT Chevrolet dealership's car repair staff have given us the following information on a few imperative items regarding auto repair, service, and maintenance that you should always keep in mind - in fact if you want to retain the worth of your new or used car you should follow these tips as if they were gospel.

For more information, use the appointment form to the left and setup a date and time to meet with a Certified Service technician or advisor, call us at 888-831-2041, or send them an email.

Oil and Filter Service
Changing your engine or motor oil and filter at the interval prescribed in your vehicle's Owner's Manual, generally a 3,000 to 5,000-mile or 90-day range, extends the life of your engine as well as maintaining overall car health.  Click the "Learn More" link under the oil and filter change menu item to the left and find out why it's one of the most important pieces in the car maintenance puzzle.

Air Filter Service
Your Chevrolet or GM car, truck, or SUV's air filter, just like an oil filter, gets dirty simply from being used.  In the St. Albans and greater Burlington, Vermont or Champlain and Plattsburgh, NY areas we are lucky enough to have clean air, but even without all the smog of some places (which can make your air filter's life expectancy shorten drastically) you will still build up a lot of debris like pollen in the spring time, dirt in the summer, or even salt and sand from paved winter roads.  As the air filter gets clogged with dirt, bugs, and other debris, the lack of air literally chokes the engine an creates a "rich" content of gasoline - in other words the air-to-gas ratio is off which leads to too much gas being burned and not enough air getting through the system.  This will not only burn extra expensive gasoline but the engine can and will lose power.

Changing a clogged engine air filter can improve gas mileage by up to 15%; that's 1.5 extra miles for ever 10 miles per gallon, or 15 cents per gallon!  On the other hand changing a cabin air filter is vital to your personal health.  Proper breathing air circulation is obviously important, but to those of us with allergies a clean cabin air filter turns a possibly miserable ride into a comfortable one.

Tire Maintenance
Everyone knows tires are expensive whether they are all-season tires or snow tires, but most people think they have a certain timeframe that tires should last.  Did you know that proper tire maintenance can minimize treadwear and thus extend tire life?  As an added bonus, proper tire maintenance can increase fuel economy and keep you safer overall.

Tire Rotation
Tires wear in different ways depending on how you drive, but it also depends on where they are placed on a car.  For instance if your front-right strut was busted, that same tire could bear more wear than the rest.  As another example, some Chevy models and tire models require diagonal rotation exclusively, as the tire manufacturer considers how your tires wear normally and how they'll be most effective next.

Proper maintenance and rotation of your tires can keep you traveling safe - as long as you rotate them according to the Owner's Manual of your specific GM of Chevy car.  The other option?  Have the tire rotation performed by a Certified Service technician like those at Handy Chevrolet of St. Albans.  Our team is trained to maximize your vehicular safety, tire life, and ultimately happiness.