The entire crew here at Lithia Subaru of Oregon City wanted to inform drivers of the unique benefits of both all-weather floor mats and carpeting in their vehicle. You'll appreciate the all-weather floor mats when you are in a region where the rain and snow cause you to drag in dirt and mud into the vehicle all the time. With a quick hose down, you can place the mats back in the vehicle and they look as good as new again. This is also helpful if you or the kids ever spill anything inside the vehicle. 

In order to jump-start a car with a dead battery, you will need to drive another vehicle as close to the nose of your car as possible so the battery compartments are close enough for the jumper cables to reach. Unravel your jumper cables, turn off the car engine, and open the hoods of both cars.

The battery will be marked with a plus and minus sign on each terminal. The red jumper cable goes to the plus on the good battery first. The other red then goes to the plus on the dead battery. The black cable will go…

A tire pressure sensor is directly inserted into all tires installed on vehicles made after September 2007. If the tire gets below a certain threshold, the sensor light will appear on the dashboard. In some vehicles, an indirect system measures the rotation of the tires and goes off if it determines one tire isn't performing like it should.

Tires could be underinflated because it was cold overnight or because they haven't been inflated in the last few months. Underinflated tires can reduce gas mileage and result in excess wear on the product itself. 

The engine and cabin air filters in your vehicle are essential in maintaining the proper airflow for maximum performance. The cabin filter is crucial for you and your passengers, while engine air filters keep your vehicle's engine running at its peak performance.

Cabin Air Filter Function and Replacement

The cabin air filter removes the particles and pollutants that can reach the interior of the vehicle. Driving in dry, dusty conditions can quickly affect the performance of the filter. A dirty, clogged filter will need replacing. 

The terrifying feeling of your car starting to slide across the slippery, wet roadway as you hydroplane helplessly towards the opposite lane is one embedded in us all. Regaining control in these types of scenarios can be quite difficult, so a safe driver should be far more focused on how to prevent hydroplaning in the first place. Here are some helpful tips to keep you safe during intense downpours.

Reducing your speed when it starts to rain even lightly is incredibly important. When approaching turns or low-lying areas you should reduce your speed below the suggested limit. 

There is no better way to enjoy life with the family on the road than with a trailer hitched onto the back of your truck or SUV. What is the safest way to haul, though? Here are two things to consider before you bring the family trailer along on your next trip.

1. Balance both sides of the trailer

It is important that you seek to balance the weight of your trailer as it relates to your vehicle. Placing bulky items on both sides of the carrier, instead of just on one end of the spectrum, is the best way…

Your vehicle’s exhaust system consists of pipes that sends the harmful exhaust gases into the atmosphere rather than the engine. If you have a leaking exhaust, your muffler will be loud, but there can be other warnings as well. Stop by our car repair shop in Oregon City, and we’ll inspect your vehicle and advise you of your options. Your exhaust system may still be running quietly even if it has a leak. Here are some signs that your exhaust may have a leak:

• Popping or hissing sound from the tailpipe
• You can visually see a leak 

The temperature created by a running engine easily reaches 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. The cooling system is designed to offset the heat in order to prevent engine damage. The radiator, radiator cap, hoses, water pump and thermostat work together to monitor engine heat and minimize the temperature by circulating water and antifreeze through the system. However, if any of these components fail, or if there is an insufficient amount of antifreeze installed, the engine overheats.

Drivers are often alerted to the problem when the dashboard gauge registers hotter than normal. 

Vehicle batteries don't require a lot of maintenance because the housing protects the main cells that hold energy. However, in order to maintain an efficient electrical system, you'll have to replace a weak battery whenever the most common replacements signs are detected.

When a battery is weak, your headlights will begin to illuminate the environment inefficiently. A lighting problem that's caused by a weak battery dramatically affects the intensity of the beams. If your car has this issue, the battery will generate dim light shortly after you crank the engine. 

We here at Lithia Subaru of Oregon City want to make sure that you are prepared this winter. You should have all the information you need to stay safe while you are on the road but also so that you can take good care of your vehicle while the weather is a bit trickier than normal.

The summer months don't necessarily put a lot of wear and tear on your vehicle but the winter is quite brutal. In addition to routine maintenance and oil changes, you will want to make sure you are doing a few other things, like…