Oil Change information. What else do they check besides the oil?

How to jump start your vehicle from the Rapid Chevy Service Department

Brakes Information from Rapid Chevrolet Cadillac Service Department

Tire Rotation Information from Rapid Chevy Service Department

So, what is the difference between 4WD and AWD?

We get this question all of the time as well as what does real time 4 wheel drive, part time 4 wheel drive and manual 4 wheel drive mean? What is the most simple way you would explain it to a customer?

Are you guilty of riding your brakes?

This is the top of our list for vehicle maintenance. Your brake system is complicated and the most important part as far as safety is concerned.

• It's always better to slow down with moderate pressure and the releasing the brake to cool, than "riding" them and getting them overheated. Don't confuse this with pumping your brakes.
• People are nervous about this and many don't even know but when you are on steep grades, it is better to downshift your vehicle than ride the brakes. What this does is let your engine do some of the braking instead of your brakes. Take caution with this as it is only a safe solution on dry roads. Doing this on slick roads can cause your vehicle to slip and slide around.
• Last, keeping your brakes clean. All brakes work better when kept clean the temperature down. Use a good wheel cleaner that you know is safe for your wheel finish. How often you clean your brakes, there really isn't a standard. People who drive gravel roads will obviously have to clean their more than people driving primarily on pavement.

Signs of Trouble

No more brake pad left. There are two ways to tell if you are running out of brake pad.

1. You have to remove the wheel, sorry. This way you can see the forward end of the caliper. If it is down 1/4 to 1/8 of the pad, you better get them replaced.

2. You don't feel like taking your wheel off and wait until the day you are driving along and, whoops, push your brakes and nothing happens. We would recommend option 1.

Brake Maintenance

Why do I have to rotate my tires?

In short, rotating your tires will extend the life of your vehicle tires.

No matter how well the alignment is, it will never be perfect because of the forces from turning and if your vehicle is front or rear wheel drive.

Not all vehicles require the same rotation sequence. You will have to look in the owners manual to learn the best pattern for your specific vehicle. Another thing to keep in mind is if your tires are directional, meaning that they are designed to run on the road in one direction only, there are additional challenges in rotating so your cost will be more.

So when should you rotate your tires? Again you will have to refer to your owners manual but when in doubt just plan to do it every time you have your oil changed. The most critical time is during the first 10,000 miles on the car.

Rapid Chevrolet Cadillac Service List