Blog

If you are looking forward to some travel this summer, it's important to spend some time this spring getting your car ready. Start by reviewing your owner's manual to see if any maintenance is on schedule. Take out the heavy boots, shovel and gloves, storing them until the next winter.

Clean both the interior and exterior of your car so that the road treatments are no longer stuck to your vehicle. Get your car ready for your trip by giving it a good overhaul, cleaning it inside and out. Look over your tires and have the oil changed…

If you want to improve your fuel economy while driving, one of the first things you need to do is ensure that your tires are properly inflated. Tires that don't have enough air in them won't make smooth contact with the road, which means that you're going to use more fuel to navigate curves and turns.

Another tip would be to drive as efficiently as possible. This means that you should avoid speeding while on the road. Maintain your car as well so that it's in the best shape mechanically. When everything works as it should…

Every driver has experienced the annoyance of bright sunshine in their eyes obscuring the road ahead. Maybe it's only the occasional occurrence or maybe you encounter it daily on your commute. There are ways to cope and keep yourself safe while driving into the sun.

If you absolutely can't see the road ahead, use the markings on the asphalt to get your bearings and pull over until you can clean your windshield or find a pair of sunglasses. You can also a wait a few minutes until the sun is at a better angle if you have no…

If you had a flat tire, would you know how to replace it with the spare tire? If no, then this information is for you! Kia of Laurel is committed to keeping everyone in our town informed with as much information as possible to stay safe.

First, you should know that replacing a flat tire is relatively easy. Before raising the vehicle, by using the jack supplied from the manufacturer, you need to loosen the lug nuts. There are five lug nuts. Using the lug nut wrench, loosen, and then remove them one by one. Then, remove the flat tire…

Safety is paramount when you're a driver. It's paramount to Kia of Laurel too, and we want you to be safe while driving. Are you starting to see more bicyclists as the weather is getting warmer? Now is a good time to remember the safe way to respond when encountering bicyclists!

Remember to keep your driving speed within the legal limit. Most of the bicyclists you encounter are going to be aware of their surroundings to react accordingly, but if your speed is above the limit, the reaction time is reduced significantly.  

It’s important to reduce distracted driving. Everywhere you look, drivers are distracted by one thing or another. At Kia of Laurel, we have a few tips to prevent distractions.

Limit the amount of technology that you have access to. If there’s a smartphone or tablet, keep it in a bag or on the backseat. You should only be using technology in an emergency situation. Hands-free devices can cause you to miss important audio and visual cues.  

Tire and wheel cleaning is an important task that car owners should take seriously. Dirt, grime and brake dust can all build up on your wheels, degrading their performance as well as being unsightly. However, before you start scrubbing away, pay attention to the material that you are cleaning and the specialty detergents available.

Wheels made from roughcast aluminum and chrome are able to tolerate strong detergents. However, painted, coated, or anodized wheels require a more gentle soap.  

Have you ever seen a mouse or rat in your garage? You might think that it's not that big of a deal as long as they stay out of the house, but rodents can cause a lot of damage if they get under the roof of your car. Rodents love the shelter and ample chewing material that's near your engine, but they can do serious damage to your wiring. Here are a few ways that you can discourage or even eliminate the pests.

Put peanut butter in humane traps around your garage. Mice and rats love peanut butter…

At Kia of Laurel, we want you to be safe when driving on winter roads. If you are ever stranded, having an emergency kit could be the thing that saves your life. It is important that you have a blanket or some other means of staying warm while stuck in winter weather.

If you do have to run the vehicle, be sure to keep the window open a crack to avoid carbon monoxide buildup. It is also important to have a flashlight, water and nonperishable food available.  

There are many available vehicle safety features today. Our team at Kia of Laurel wants you to know as much as you can about all of them so all your driving experiences can be as safe as possible.

Bright headlights in your rearview mirror can impact your vision and reaction time for as long as 1.4 seconds. Auto-dimming rearview mirrors can restrict the amount of light from following vehicles to cut down on such blinding incidents.

Fighting intense glare by darkening themselves, these rearview mirrors use a process called electrochromism.