Checking Your Tires & Oil

Now that the cold days of winter have given into the warmer weather of spring and summer, you can count on more daylight hours of fun. You’ll be using your vehicle for outdoor picnics, watching summer sporting events, and taking vacation road trips. The hotter times can take a toll on your vehicle unless you take preventative measures. At House Chevrolet in Owatonna, we want to show you how to check your tires and oil during these warmer seasons.

Checking Your Tires

Properly inflated tires give you more control and improved handling by distributing the weight of your vehicle evenly. You get better mileage and can avoid going to the gas station more often. Traction is spread more appropriately to allow for more tenacious road grip and a safer ride.

If a tire is under-inflated, its tread gets more wear and it does not maintain correct traction on the road. This increases the braking distance, potential blowouts, and the possibility of accidents.

An over-inflated tire also causes unusual wear and poor handling and increases the risk of damage from hazards on the road.

Making it easy to determine inflation levels in many Chevrolet models is the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. It automatically warns you if the pressure in one or more tires is 25 percent or more under the manufacturer’s recommended pressure.

If you have Chevy Connected Access, you can receive notifications via text or email about low tire pressure.

If you have Dealer Maintenance Notification, our service center receives notice of needed service, so we can contact you to schedule your next maintenance visit.

If you do not have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, you should manually check the pressure yourself at least once a month as recommended in your owner’s manual. You should check the pressure when the tires are cold, which could take three hours or more in the summer after you last drove your vehicle. Look for the Tire Information Label inside your door frame to determine the correct pressure.

Then use a high-quality gauge that you can buy at any auto store. You simply place the gauge on your tire valve stem and press down hard until the hissing stops. The gauge then shows the reading. Be sure to check all four tires and the spare as well. You can fill your tire with needed air at any gas station.

Dealing with Oil

The hotter an engine gets, particularly in the summer, then the more lubrication it needs, especially from oil. Older Chevrolet models manufactured before the Oil Life Monitoring System demanded oil changes every 3,000 miles. Modern vehicles can go far longer between oil changes even during the summer. Consult your owner’s manual for the recommended oil changes.

As a bonus for any new model that you buy from us, you get your first required maintenance within the first 12 months for free, courtesy of Chevrolet Complete Care. This service visit includes a Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection, tire rotation, and oil change. Corvettes get two maintenance visits in that period.

Most Chevy vehicles come with engine Oil Life System (OLS) that continuously monitors your operating conditions. It can then determine when you need an oil change depending on climate conditions and personal driving habits. When the OLS light illuminates on your dashboard, you can take your car in for servicing.

Despite these advances, you should periodically check your oil level to ensure that you have enough. For more accuracy, your vehicle must on level ground and the oil must be at normal operating temperature. Check the oil about ten minutes or so after you’ve stopped the vehicle. This gives the fluid time to settle into the pan. Be careful about touching parts of the engine, which may still be hot, especially on a summer day.

You’ll need to consult your owner’s manual to determine where the oil dipstick is located and how to use it for your particular model to check the oil. You’ll also need a paper towel to wipe off any spills. If the level is low, you can add oil yourself but opening the oil fill cap, putting a funnel in the hole, and pouring the oil into the funnel.

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