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Oil is an essential part of your car. It allows metal parts of the engine to move with minimal wear. To do that, it has to be thick enough to coat the parts but thin enough to move through the engine. That thickness, or resistance to flowing, is called viscosity. Viscosity is measured by how well oil flows at a set temperature and is graded from 0 to 50. Viscosity changes with temperature, getting thicker as it gets colder. A 5 weight oil works best at low temperatures. A 50 weight oil works best higher temperatures.

Replacing your tire with a spare when you have a flat is critical. Once you notice that there is a problem, be sure to pull off to the side of the road and put your hazard lights on. Then, put your car in park, complete with the parking brake.

Locate your spare tire along with the wrench and jack in the back of the car. In most instances, it is in the trunk. Remove the wheel cap on the wheel and then loosen the lug nuts with the wrench. From there, place the jack under the car and raise it…

Imagine this: Your car recently had a flat tire and can’t be fixed, which means you need a new tire. What size do you need? Can you buy just one tire? These are all questions car owners face at one time or another. Our qualified technicians at Grand Valley Auto Lakewood will advise you on what kind of tires best suit your car as well as what size you need.

Auto manufacturers recommend you not purchase just one tire unless the other three still have most of the original tread, or you may get an uneven ride. The size…

It can be easy to overlook your vehicle's tires and tire pressure when it comes to all of the things you need to pay attention to and maintain on your vehicle. Your car may have alerted you that your tire pressure is low, and we recommend that you get some air into your tires as soon as you can to protect their integrity. Also, if you notice that your tires are beginning to wear down a bit, start thinking about whether it's time to buy new tires in the coming months. This is a big safety concern and…

The Grand Valley Auto Lakewood service team would like to remind you that you no longer have to heed the rule of changing your oil every 3,000 miles in order to maintain your vehicle. Do you still practice this with your newer car? If you do, then you may be throwing good money away.

Most cars today can go way farther than 3,000 miles on an oil change. The average minimum for cars that have been produced in the past twenty years is 5,000 miles, and some models can go a staggering 10,000 between oil changes…

Running out of windshield wiper fluid during the cold winter months can be a serious problem for the health of your vehicle. The reason is that the vehicle's wiper system is very important. Without fully functioning wipers, your vehicle won't be able to clear any mud or dirt from the surface of your windshield.

Unfortunately, many people choose to fill up their wiper fluid well with actual water. What happens in many cases with these vehicles is that damage can occur to the system that pumps the windshield washer fluid. 

Kitty litter can be used to gain traction for your vehicle in situations in which your tires are stuck in mud or snow. Simply pour the kitty litter beneath your tires and help them gain traction, causing your vehicle – at least that’s what will happen in most scenarios – to move where you want it to go, rather than getting stuck. What are some additional tips from the Grand Valley Auto Lakewood team?

In addition or to replace the kitty litter solution, you can also use sand to dig snow away from your tires, helping them gain traction and cause…

There are many reasons why it is just better to get your car serviced at a dealership rather than at a private mechanic. A dealership is more likely to have the parts for your vehicle so you will not have to wait for them to get ordered. If you need your vehicle back right away, then this is a big plus.

Come see us at Grand Valley Auto Lakewood today to get your vehicle back on the road.

The right time to get your tires rotated on the vehicle is every 6,000 miles or every other oil change. Here are a few reasons you may want to pay closer attention to the condition of your tires:

1. When the tires don't get rotated, the tread wears unevenly and could result in you experiencing a strong vibration when you are driving on the highway.