AUTONET TV

Fuel Saving Tip: Dirty Oil in Your Herndon Vehicle

If you're a quart low in your vehicle, there isn't enough motor oil to lubricate your engine properly. The extra friction causes drag that reduces fuel economy while you're driving around the Herndon area.

The same goes for dirty oil; it doesn't reduce friction properly. The result is you get to watch those numbers at your local Herndon gas pump rolling higher and higher.

The transmission also needs the proper amount of clean fluid to do its work. When it's in need of service, the transmission drags your fuel economy down.

So keep it clean at McLearen Shell  and give yourself a fighting chance.

McLearen Shell
3043 Centreville Road
Herndon, VA 20171
(703) 318-7744
http://www.mclearenshell.com

The McLearen Shell Guide to Proper Fluids for Your Vehicle

The automotive professionals at McLearen Shell would like to give Herndon drivers an update on some of the things happening in automotive fluids. You know, vehicles are becoming more sophisticated every day.  Fluids such as, oil, coolant and transmission fluid are becoming more specialized at about the same pace.

The Herndon do-it-yourselfer has to be pretty careful so that they do not actually harm their vehicle with the wrong type of fluid. That is why so many VA ] owners rely on the advice of their friendly and knowledgeable McLearen Shell service advisor to not only get the correct family of fluids, but to suggest the formulation that is best for their vehicle and their driving habits in the Herndon area.

Let's start with engine oil. Herndon drivers who have been paying attention will have noticed a number of new oil weights on the VA scene in the last several years. Modern engines are built to much tighter tolerances and have very complicated valve trains. The oil must be thin enough to lubricate complicated parts when the engine is cold. The weight of an oil is expressed in terms like 20-W-50 or 5-W-30. The vehicle manufacturers recommend the weight of oil for each vehicle they make. The recommendation is based on engine design. Your Herndon service center will know what weight your vehicle manufacturer recommends - and it's important to follow those recommendations. Your service advisor at McLearen Shell can also offer suggestions for special formulations and can tell you all about conventional and synthetic oils.

Antifreeze, or engine coolant, is another area that has become more complicated. For a long time, vehicle manufacturers only recommended a couple of different types of coolant. Now, several different formulations are needed because of the high-tech materials that vehicle manufacturers are using to build the cooling system. Using the wrong type of coolant in your vehicle can actually void your warranty, so it's important to get that right.

Transmission fluid is becoming specialized for Herndon vehicles as well. New transmission designs have particular requirements that require specific formulations. Recently, new, somewhat confusing, standards for brake fluid have also been released.

Not too long ago, there was a good chance that all of the vehicles at your house would use many of the same fluids. However, as automotive technology advances, the array of basic automotive fluids VA drivers need will grow. And, some of the formulations will cost a little more for Herndon drivers. Fortunately, McLearen Shell will continue to update their training to keep pace with technology so that you'll get the right fluids your vehicle needs. It's all part of the commitment we make to your driving peace of mind.

 McLearen Shell
3043 Centreville Road
Herndon, VA 20171
(703) 318-7744
http://www.mclearenshell.com

Buying the Right Tires and Wheels in Herndon, VA

Everyone in Herndon, VA eventually replaces their tires, whether it's because they're worn out or they're just looking for something different. There are so many great tire choices in Herndon, it can be difficult to sort them out. Let's group the broad spectrum into several categories that will help in the selection process.

One category is often referred to as "summer tires". Summer tires are designed to be driven on the road when temperatures are generally above 45 degrees F (7 degrees C). Their tread design is optimized for traction on dry roads around VA and they're also able to effectively displace water on rainy roads.

So if you live where its summer all year round, these tires will work well for you. If you like maximum performance in warm weather, but still live where it gets cold and snowy, you'll want to change your summer tires for winter tires as the weather starts to change.

There's a range of tires within the winter tire category. If you live where there's a lot of snow and ice, look for the mountain and snowflake icon that signifies a severe snow rating. If you have milder winters and still want a performance component, they make a winter tire for you as well.

For many people, an all-season tire is the answer. You will give up some of the performance at the extreme ends of the summer tire/ winter tire spectrum, but you will find a long wearing tire that gives both good highway performance and winter traction on our Herndon, VA, roads.

Within the all-season category, there are many choices that your tire advisor at McLearen Shell can help you evaluate.

McLearen Shell
3043 Centreville Road
Herndon, VA 20171
(703) 318-7744
http://www.mclearenshell.com

Light's Out! Trouble Ahead (Exterior Light Bulb Service)

Whether or not your exterior light bulbs are all working probably is not at the top of your list when you think about your vehicle.  But those exterior lights are more important than you think, and they're vital to your safety and that of other drivers near you.

Headlights are important.  Not only do they help you see safely down the road at night, they also help oncoming drivers know that the vehicle they're approaching is not a motorcycle.  Both headlights should be working properly and aimed so that they don't blind other drivers.

Taillights are also important for a few reasons.  They tell drivers what your intentions are (changing lanes, turning, stopping).  So, the bulbs back there must be all in working order for maximum safety. Ditto for the front turn signal lights.  They alert oncoming drivers to your lane changes or turns (if you use your turn signals!).  Some side mirrors also have turn signal bulbs in them.

There are a few other important bulbs.  You may not care about the ones that illuminate your rear license plate, for example. But they are there to help public safety forces identify your vehicle. In fact, in many municipalities you can be pulled over and ticketed if ANY of the standard lights are burned out.  So not only does having all your exterior lights working improve your vehicle's safety, it may keep you from getting a ticket.

Many newer vehicles have a light on the instrument panel that will go on if on-board computers detect voltage problems in any of your vehicle's bulb circuits.  Sometimes it can be hard to figure out which light may be not be working since there are so many. Sometimes it's simply a matter of replacing a bulb, but it may be an electrical problem causing the problem.  Stay legal and safe by having your service repair facility diagnose and fix a non-working light, a really bright idea, don't you think?

McLearen Shell
3043 Centreville Road
Herndon, VA 20171
(703) 318-7744
http://www.mclearenshell.com