Preventative Care

In our nation's healthcare debate, one of the big issues being discussed is the idea of getting health coverage for better preventative care.

Preventative care is basically just taking good care of yourself every day, and going to a general care physician frequently to make sure everything's in proper working condition, instead of just waiting to get sick. It could save people thousands of dollars down the road if diseases are caught early or prevented altogether.

Makes sense, right? Well, in truth, we also must do that for our cars. Any major investment one makes in life, whether it be one's house, car, or health, must be taken care of.

However, too many people don't take their cars in for check ups, or wait until something breaks to bring it in. This results in huge service bills that could have been avoided, or could have at least been evenly spread over time. It just makes sense to take precautions on the vehicle now, so you won't have to deal with major malfunctions later.

One of Payne's new services is a great example of preventative care: Nitrogen Tire Inflation.

Traditionally, your tires are filled with oxygen. As many of you out there know, as your tires deflate and lose pressure, not only is the overall performance of the car affected, but so is the gas mileage.

A fill up of Nitrogen reduces the chance of tire failure by reducing oxidation in tires, making them last much longer. It improves fuel economy by keeping a more consistant pressure level, even in all different temperatures.

In short: it keeps your tires, and your whole vehicle, healthier for longer.

Payne is using the NitroFill service to inflate tires with nitrogen. Using NitroFill doesn't mean that you have to buy new tires, you just have to bring your car with your current tires in and, 20 minutes later, you'll have Nitrogen-filled tires. If you want to go to NitroFill's website, you can check out an estimate of how much money you would save in gas with your current vehicle, to see if it is worth your money: http://www.nitrofill.com/

But even if you're not sure about Nitrogen-inflated tires, you should still be taking regular care of your car. Maybe just bring it into the service department for a check up? Your car will thank you, and you will return the thanks when it lasts you an extra five years than you thought it would.

Take care of you body, and your car. You'll want both to be around for awhile.


P.S. If you do want the NitroFill, mention that you saw this blog online and you'll get a discount at Payne!! Also, NitroFill offers a Triple A-like service to customers, so ask about it when you come in.

The Check Engine Light

There is nothing in the world more discouraging than the check engine light.

Usually it comes on for no apparant reason to the driver. In that moment in which that unfortunate orange light blinks on, nothing seems to be different about the car except for the fact that the driver now feels the four steps of panic, irritation, dread, and finally acceptance.

The first stage is OH GOD THE LIGHT'S ON MY ENGINE IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE. This lasts only briefly since, as mentioned before, he or she realizes that not a thing seems to have changed.

The second stage is the face-reddening irritation of trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Why did this happen again? Why did it have to happen the day after I took the ol' gal to the car wash for a nice bath and an interior vacuuming? The day I was most proud to ride around in her?

Next, it's the cold, hard realization that this just might cost some money to fix. Jeez, doesn't this hunk of junk know we're in a recession? (Cable news told me it was the Great Depression Part 2!! Hmm, maybe my car only watches Sportscenter.) Sometimes, maybe the gas cap has just been screwed on wrong. And then other times, there's 600 bucks of repairs necessary.

Finally, there's acceptance. A lot of people out there "have a Guy." The Guy is the one you always turn to for auto repairs, and you know he won't try to screw you over. At this point in the Check Engine Light Saga, these people are able to take a deep breath, get the car home without crashing into that pink Celebrity that's driving too slowly in the next lane, and know that they can call The Guy tomorrow.

Usually, those without a Guy reach acceptance only after they decide that maybe I won't pay the cable bill on time this month, because I'm going to have to take it to some place I've never been and ultimately pay for a lot of crap I don't need because they know that I know nothing about cars.

If you are in the situation described above, without trying to sound too much like a blatant advertisement for our services, we've got a great service department here at Payne. Know that in these times a lot of the reliable dealerships are focusing on heightening their customer service even more, so to better establish consumer confidence in the auto industry. The long and short of it: your trusted GM dealer is not trying to screw you. (And you should definitely pay your cable bill on time, because Comcast is not so forgiving. Say goodbye to the "Cash Cab" marathons you love so much.)

And if you are considering letting Payne Chevrolet handle your repairs, stop by, say hi, and let us be your "Guy."

(...THAT RHYMES. AWESOME.)