Last-Minute Road Trips

It’s back-to-school time, and everyone’s social media feeds are clogged with pictures of their kids headed back to school. How is it that summer is already over? There is always that huge sense of loss whenever you start shuffling those kids off to their first days of school. But even with school back in session, there is still one good weekend left where you might be able to squeeze in a last hoorah with a great road trip that isn’t too far out of the way.

Before heading out on any road trip, however, you need to consider what your vehicle might need to take your family there. With the service departments at our Murray, Sandy, and Provo locations, you can get the checkup your vehicle needs to take your family there.

BEAR LAKE

Looking to get in at least one good camping trip with some time at the lake? The best destination for any family has to be Bear Lake in northern Utah. Your drive will take you on a scenic drive to Cache Valley and charming small college town of Logan, Utah. Here you will be able to stop off for some cheese at Gossner Foods. Trust us, the cheese curds are the best road trip snack. And you will need a great snack as you make the last leg of your trip through Logan Canyon. While Bear Lake is a popular place for late-in-the summer family reunions and getaways, you might still be able to find accommodations. If not there, are for sure options in Logan you will want to check out.

CEDAR BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Not sure if a long weekend at the lake is for you? Well, then how about another college town, but in southern Utah? Just a three-hour drive south of Salt Lake, you will get to Cedar City, which sits at the base of Cedar Breaks National Monument. This natural red rock coliseum is an incredible place to come visit and get those last-minute hiking jitters out of your system. You’ll be able to capture a few pictures to break up the monotony of the back-to-school woes with cool pics of your family standing at the overlook. But don’t think you just have to hike. There are mountain biking trails and ATV trails in the vicinity. Plus, there are all the quaint shops and restaurants in Cedar City to indulge in and enjoy. It is Utah’s Festival City after all!

PARK CITY

Not sure if a big, long road trip is the right thing for your family over Labor Day weekend? Then why not take the short drive to Park City. Whether you visit frequently or haven’t been in a while, there is always something to do in Park City. Even if it’s just for a drive up to have dinner on Main Street and to poke around the galleries, it could be the perfect destination for your family.

MOAB

If you have adventure in your soul and can’t imagine going out without a bang, then maybe you’ll want to load up your SUV and take the trip down to Moab where you are minutes from two of The Mighty 5 National Parks in southern Utah. From here, you will be able to map out any adventure that fits your fancy to get out of your system before returning to the full-time grind.

Don’t let that grind of getting back to school get you down. Make the most of what time you have left. But don’t get left in the lurch either. Make sure your road trip vehicle is in the best condition to take you to whatever destination your choose!

How Essential Is This? Car Parts You Didn’t Know You Needed

Not everyone who comes through our door is an expert about cars. Honestly, we don’t expect them to be. In fact, there are a lot of things we hope our customers will come to us about before causing damage to their vehicle. Now that it is October, a month when pranks and wackiness ensue, we thought we’d share a few of the more well-known car parts that are, well, fictional. Parts that are completely made up to bumfuzzle consumers.

                                                                                         

If you have been taken for a ride by another service shop with one of these made-up parts, we offer our sincerest apologies, and hope that you will come see us next time before you are taken to the cleaners because your “tri-shaft exhaust flange” needs to be replaced.

Blinker Fluid. Probably the oldest one in the book is the claim that you need to replace your blinker fluid. Aside from the fact that your blinker is powered by the electric systems in your car, there are a few other factors that should indicate that this is not a thing. First of all, we invite you to pop the hood of your car and find the valve where you would insert this so-called blinker fluid. We assume that it would be located close to the windshield wiper fluid (which is a real fluid you need) or maybe by the coolant. Try as you might, you are never going to find a place to put this mysterious fluid.

Even more mysterious, is if you go to the automotive aisle and try to find blinker fluid. You’re not going to find any. An internet search will yield some promising results, however. But you are more than likely going to just get a jug of colored water.

We do see a pretty good potential prank in the making here.

Piston Return Spring. This one took a little digging to try to find the origin of, but we think that we have pieced together an idea of what this fake part might be meant to do. In most engines, the piston moves up and down against the liquid gas used for combustion in the engine. Essentially, this makes the car go. With that in mind there really isn’t any need for a spring to return the piston anywhere. As it moves in a cyclical pattern, the piston’s movement is determined by the gas in your vehicle, not the tension of a spring.

So, if you find your having trouble getting your engine to go, it might be time to get some gas. Just a suggestion.

Horn Volume Knob. Not standard in too many vehicles on the road these days, horn volume knobs really can be considered obsolete because they have never really existed. We actually think this might be a good feature to add, but we’re not sure of its practicality. In most cases if you are having trouble with the volume of your car horn it might not be the person you are honking at as much as it is the one honking the horn.

The only other suggestion we have? Press harder on the horn. That should make things louder.

Wiper Sharpeners. We don’t know about you, but this “as seen on TV” car accessory might be a little misleading. Granted they are called windshield wiper blades, but that doesn’t mean that they need to be sharpened. In fact, the sturdier the blade, the better they are going to clean debris off your windshield.

But we do advise using a scraper to get the ice and snow off. You will tear up your wipers if you try to just use them to remove the snow and ice.

With these parts in mind, you should be able to avoid any embarrassing trips to the service counter. But don’t be afraid to try to come in and convince us that your “fuel injector bearing” has come loose. We promise you will get a pretty good laugh, or at least a quizzical look.  

What Type of Oil Should You Be Using?

When it comes to oil changes, everyone seems to have their own method of getting it done. Your oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle, and needs to be changed regularly. At Larry H. Miller Used Car Supermarkets, we are offering to have the oil in your car changed in 30 minutes or less or it is on us. Although a challenge for us, this is something that we are more than capable of doing to make sure that you are getting excellent service done quickly.

With such a great service available, we have many customers who come in with questions about the different types of oil and how to tell what kind is best for their vehicle. We would like to offer a few facts that will give you better confidence the next time you come in to get your oil changed.

As mentioned before, there are many different types of oil. Each one contains different additives that help keep your engine, cool, calm, and collected. Much like taking a vitamin, the additives in your oil will help to keep your vehicle’s systems corrosion free.

Automobile oil is also rated based on its viscosity. This is the based on the oil density and ability to flow through your engine. There are two types of oil on the market: single-viscosity oil and multi-viscosity oil. Most cars are designed to run on multi-viscosity oil. The rating is given in two numbers, like 10W-40. The 10W refers to the rate at which the oil will flow in cold temperatures. The 40 is the rate in high temperatures. As a general rule of thumb, the lower the number, the better it flows. Pay particular attention to the first number before the “W.” In Utah, where we experience drastic changes in temperature, the lower this number is, the better your engine will perform throughout the year.

In a lot of older vehicles, single-viscosity oil is used. As single-viscosity oil does not have a detergent in it, there may be a lot of sludge built up in the engine, which means you may want to have it cleaned out. If your vehicle has only ever run on that type of oil, it is not a good idea to change to a multi-viscosity oil. Although it will break up the sludge, it will also move it to other parts of the engine, which could lead to serious problems.

The last thing you need to know for picking out oil is the Oil Classification Number. This is located in a starburst symbol on the oil container itself. It basically implies that the oil that you are using meets certain standards that are agreed to by U.S. and Japanese car manufacturers.

There are a few things you should watch out for when you are looking for an oil change. First, you’ll want to know if your vehicle is under warranty or not. That is information that you should receive when you purchase the vehicle. In some cases, if you do not use the recommended oil in your vehicle, it will invalidate the warranty on your vehicle. Be sure to check your owner’s manual for more details, or your service writer when you bring your vehicle in.

Many ask about the difference between synthetic versus non-synthetic oils. Synthetic oil is said to last longer, meaning you don’t have to have your oil changed as often. This has yet to be proven, but it is always good to check if there are benefits for using one or the other in your particular vehicle. But all vehicles will run on both.

With these few facts in mind, you can go into your next appointment with confidence knowing what the oil is doing to help your engine. Here at Larry H. Miller Used Car Supermarket, our trained service professionals are happy to answer any questions you may have about what’s best for your vehicle. We are always willing to help you find the perfect oil for your car, so make your appointment today so we can help keep you on the road.