1. Keep Your Tires Inflated

Check your owner’s manual for the recommended PSI and be sure that your tires are inflated to the correct pressure. If your tires are over-inflated, your vehicle will be difficult to handle and the ride will be rough. If your tires are underinflated, they’ll wear out sooner, and will wear unevenly.

2. Check Your Treads

It’s risky to drive with tires that have lost even half their tread. Take a quarter and stick it into one of the grooves in your tread with Washington facing down. If the tread doesn’t cover the top of Washington’s head, it’s time for new tires. You should also look for uneven wear, which could be a sign of alignment problems.

3. Don’t Forget To Rotate

When you go get your oil changed, rotate your tires at the same time. Your vehicle’s weight isn’t distributed evenly, so your tires will wear at different rates. Rotating your tires keeps the tread from wearing unevenly.

4. Avoid Streets Near Construction Sites

If it’s at all possible, stay off of streets and surfaces near construction sites where your tires can pick up sharp objects such as nails, screws, glass, etc. It’s also a good idea to avoid driving on the shoulder of the highway – there’s lots of sharp debris there too.

5. Use Caution When Driving on Your Spare Tire

If you do get a flat tire and need to use your spare tire, avoid driving on it for extended distances. The maximum safe driving speed for a spare tire is 50 mph.

6. Don’t Overload Your Vehicle

Check your sidewall on your tire – it will list the maximum load rating. The more weight your car or truck carries, the more heat and friction the tires will have to endure. If you exceed your maximum weight limit, your tires are much more likely to fail.

If you have any other questions about basic tire maintenance or vehicle maintenance in general, please call us at 972-612-2323. We’re here to help in any way we can!

Keeping your car in great shape is actually very simple. Not only will your car run longer and be worth more when you finally sell it, you’ll save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in expensive repair work. Here are the five most important car maintenance tips you can follow to keep your car or truck in great condition for years to come:

1) Change your oil regularly. The most often-ignored tip is also the most important. Your engine is the heart of your car or truck, so you should make sure it’s always in tip-top shape. Check your owner’s manual for the suggested oil change interval and stick to it.

2) Check your fluids. Don’t forget about your cooling system – it keeps your engine from overheating. You should check your coolant level on a regular basis, along with your oil.

3) Listen to your car. Nobody knows your car or truck better than you do. If you hear something strange, check it out immediately. If something feels different, check it out and see what’s wrong. Small issues can become big problems quickly – so pay attention and diagnose anything out of the ordinary.

4) Follow the suggested maintenance schedule. Read your owner’s manual and follow the maintenance schedule. It’s not just a random suggestion, it’s the manufacturer’s instructions for keeping your car running in the best possible condition.

5) Don’t drive rough. The harder you make your engine work, the more likely you are to wear it out. Avoid jackrabbit starts and fast stops. Don’t push your engine too hard on hills or inclines.

Follow these tips and you’ll keep your car or truck running in top condition for years to come. If you have any other maintenance questions, please call us at 972-612-2323 – we’re here to help you get the most out of your investment!

Most customers were completely mislead by the ads… the dealers were actually rolling any negative equity (where the loan balance was greater than the value of the car) into the new vehicle loan. When this happens, you’re not getting any sort of deal – you’re actually making the deal on your new purchase even worse!  If you owe $10,000 on a car with a trade-in value of $7,500, then you’d end up inflating the loan on your new purchase by $2,500…

Even though the FTC has hit those car dealers with orders to stop, many other dealers continue to use this deceptive advertising tactic – beware of any dealer promising to pay off your current auto loan.

Lone Star Cars would never use any misleading tactic like this. We’re always completely straightforward and transparent with every single customer who we do business with. We’re absolutely dedicated to “doing things right” and taking care of our customers – we’re straight shooters, and we’re going to be open an honest about every car that we sell and every auto loan that we arrange.

If you have any questions about auto loans or the buying process, don’t hesitate to call our financing department at 972-612-2323. We’re here to help you understand everything fully – we’ll walk you through the entire process and make sure that you get the best deal possible.

Car batteries are expensive and always seem to die at the most inconvenient time possible. With proper care and maintenance, you can help your car battery last much longer, saving you money and the inconvenience of calling your friend who has a set a jumper cables. Follow these 6 easy tips and you’ll squeeze as much life out of your car battery as possible.

1. Park in your garage

An insulated garage will keep your battery warm in the cold winter months.

2. Insulate your battery

If you can’t park in a garage, you can insulate your battery instead. The few bucks you’ll have to spend will be worth it to have a protected battery.

3. Keep your battery clean

You should regularly remove the clams and clean any grease, grime, or oxidation. If the connection is dirty, the charge will be weakened.

4. Use solar power to recharge

Buy a solar charger for your car battery – they’re cheap and easy to use.

5. Add distilled water

If you’re trying to stretch the life of a traditional batter, you might have to add distilled water. Here’s how.

6. Keep your battery secured

If your battery is loose, it could tip over – and a loose battery banging against your engine parts is a bad situation. Battery acid all over your engine is even worse. Make sure it’s properly secured.

Follow these simple steps and you’ll be able to make your battery last as long as possible. If your battery does die, make sure you know how to jump your car. If you’ve got any other questions about your car battery or car maintenance in general, please call us at 972-612-2323. We’ve got the best selection of used cars in Dallas, and we’re here to help all of our customers and friends to get the most out of their car or truck.

1. Change your oil every 3,000 miles or 3 months – whichever is first

For most modern cars, this is completely untrue. The myth of the 3,000 mile oil change still hangs around because quick oil change shops want to get you in their service bays as often as possible. Check your owners manual and follow the schedule listed – you’ll go much longer between changes.

2. All cars should be serviced under the “severe” maintenance schedule

Again, the quick change oil industry uses this myth to convince drivers to change their oil more often.  The “severe” schedule applies to vehicles that pull heavy trailers, cars that race on closed tracks, or cars that idle for long periods like taxis. Standard every-day driving does not equal severe use.

3. Change your oil before a road trip

While it’s important to check out your car before you leave on a trip, you don’t need to worry about an oil change before leaving unless your scheduled interval would end during your trip.

4. After buying a new car, change the oil at 3,000 miles to remove metal particles from breaking in the engine

Experts at Blackstone Laboratories have analyzed oil samples from engines running their first 3000 miles, and results showed that there were elevated “wear in” metal levels. BUT, according to Ryan Stark, Blackstone president, “It doesn’t make much difference because if the filings are big enough to cause damage, they’ll be taken out by the oil filter.”

5. If you check your oil and the oil on the dipstick is black, change it

Oil is supposed to get dark – that means it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. Darker oil still has plenty of life left in it – you’re still safe if you stick to the oil change schedule in your owners manual.

6. If you use synthetic oil, you have to keep using it

As long as the oil you use meets the viscosity and service requirements in your owner’s manual, it doesn’t matter. You can switch oil types as often as you’d like.

7. Synthetic oil is better for your engine and provides better gas mileage

Ryan Stark from Blackstone Laboratories said “There is a school of thought that says the synthetic oils are slipperier and allow the engine to spin easier – I don’t know that I believe that.” Many researchers have stated that they can’t prove any difference, so they’re not sure it’s worth the extra cost.

Hopefully this blog post cleared up some misconceptions and helped you learn a bit about oil changes. If you have any other questions about oil changes or vehicle maintenance, don’t hesitate to call us at 972-612-2323. We’re here to answer any of your questions and help you get the most out of your car.

That’s the reason we try so hard to make sure that every customer is completely satisfied. Whether you’re looking for used cars in Plano or Dallas, we’ve got the best used cars in town.  We’ve worked hard to form close relationships with several local and national lenders so that we’re able to offer the most flexible financing options in town. Whether you’ve got perfect credit or you’ve had a few bumps in the road, we’re able to help!  We also offer excellent extended warranty coverage to help protect your investment.

Unlike many other dealers in the area, we don’t just sell you a car and then forget about you. We’ve been using social media for quite a while now to stay in touch with our customers, and so that potential customers can get to know us before they buy from us. Check out Lone Star Cars on Facebook and Lone Star Cars on Twitter – we post to both places daily, and we’d love to hear from you! You can also follow us on this blog, where we post important news and updates, along with helpful how-to tips that will help you keep your car or truck in tip-top shape for years to come.

If you have any questions for us, please don’t hesitate to call us at 972-612-2323 – we’re here to help with any question, no matter how big or small. You can also leave us a comment below, or shoot us a message on Facebook or Twitter. We look forward to doing business with you in the future!

Anyone who’s at least 30 years old probably knows about the Pinto’s exploding gas tank… but have you ever heard of the Peel Trident or the Bricklin SV-1? What about the Corvair from the early 60′s?

Click the image for the high-res version:

Preventive maintenance is the key to keeping your car running for hundreds of thousands of miles. Unfortunately, many drivers ignore their regular maintenance schedule. You go to the doctor every year for a physical – you should do the same thing for your car.

Check through our blog for important car maintenance tips to follow and stick to a regular schedule! Not only will you keep your car in top shape, you’ll avoid expensive repair costs from bigger issues resulting from neglected problems.

Here are a few more tips to follow to keep your car in great shape:

• Check your transmission fluid at least 2 times a year. If your transmission fluid level is low, you could end up with transmission damage.
• If you’re driving on a slippery road, don’t use cruise control.
• If you notice a significant difference in the way your vehicle drives, check your fuel injector. Many times, a clogged fuel injector can cause driveability issues.

Remember to treat your car to a checkup for Valentine’s Day this year. If you want to surprise your special someone with a new car for Valentine’s Day, we’ve got some amazing deals on quality used cars – head over to our website and check out our inventory.

An interesting fact:

The average American spends $1,560 a year on car insurance.

This one will blow you away:

The average American adult spends about $80,000
for car insurance in their lifetime!

Click on the graphic below to pull up the full-sized version:

Your engine oil lubricates your car’s engine, allowing it to run with less friction and a lower temperature. If your oil level drops, you could end up with serious engine problems, so it’s important that you know how to check your oil in between your scheduled oil changes. Just follow these easy steps and you’ll be an oil-checking pro in no time!

Make sure your vehicle is parked on a level surface. Put your car in park, and give the engine about 10 minutes to allow the oil to drain down into the oil pan. Locate your dipstick and pull it out (if you don’t know where it is, check your owner’s manual).

Use a cloth or paper towel to wipe the oil off of the dipstick. Carefully insert it back into the engine. Pull the dipstick out again and check your oil level.

There are 2 marks on your dipstick – one for low, and one for full. The oil level should fall somewhere between the two marks.

It’s important to examine the condition of your oil. If it’s black and grimy, then it’s time to change your oil. If your oil appears to be brown, yet still transparent, then your quality is still OK. If you notice a color similar to coffee with milk in it, then your coolant is mixing with your oil, which is a sign of an internal engine problem. You should get your car checked out immediately.

If your level is low, just top off your oil with the recommended oil type. Check your owner’s manual or the oil cap on your engine.

Pour a small amount into the engine, wait a minute for the oil to drain down, and then check your oil level again. If it’s still low, add a little bit more. Don’t over-fill your oil.

Remember – your engine’s oil lubricating system is a closed system, so if you’re consistently low, you probably have a leak. If that’s the case, give us a call and bring your car in to Lone Star Cars – we’ll check it out and fix any problem you might have. If you have any questions about checking your oil or car maintenance in general, please call us at 972-612-2323.