Why OEM Parts Are Crucial for Your Ford's Performance

Summer is the ideal time to pack your vehicle and explore the open road. From heading to the lake to crossing state lines, proper preparation ensures a smooth journey. Preparing your vehicle prevents small issues from becoming major headaches far from home. For personalized assistance and to guarantee your vehicle is ready, reach out to the experts at Auffenberg Ford North in O'Fallon. more Check Your Ford's Fluid Levels Before You Leave A thorough fluid check is vital for summer road trips. Ensure your engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and windshield washer fluid sit at proper levels before leaving. Summer heat stresses your engine and cooling system. Low coolant causes overheating during long highway stretches. If you drive a model with a 2.0L or 3.5L engine, clean oil remains especially critical. Complete any due oil changes prior to departure. Inspect Your Tires for Summer Driving Conditions Tires act as your primary defense on the road. Hot pavement causes underinflated tires to wear unevenly or blow out. Check the pressure on all four tires and the spare before leaving. The tire placard inside the driver's door lists the correct pressure rating for your specific Ford model. Inspect the tread depth to ensure it remains above 2/32" for safe driving. Have a professional review any worn or cracked tires. Make the Most of Ford's Technology Features on the Road Modern Ford vehicles feature technology designed to ease long drives. Driver-assist features maintain your alertness during extended highway travel. Systems like Apple CarPlay© and Android Auto© keep you connected and entertained. The Ford Connectivity Package provides a Wi-Fi hotspot, navigation, and media streaming. These integrated tools transform a basic drive into an exceptional trip. Pack Smart and Load Your Ford the Right Way Vehicle loading significantly impacts handling, braking, and fuel efficiency. Avoid overloading your Ford beyond its payload capacity. Consult your owner's manual for exact weight limits. Place heavy items low and centered in the cargo area. Pack a compact roadside emergency kit containing a first aid kit, jumper cables, a flashlight, and basic tools to handle unexpected situations efficiently. Schedule a Pre-Trip Service Visit A pre-trip service appointment provides ultimate peace of mind. Ford Mobile Service handles many routine maintenance tasks at your home or workplace. A quick multi-point inspection confirms your brakes, belts, and filters remain ready for the miles ahead. Proper preparation guarantees safe and enjoyable summer travels. Stop by Auffenberg Ford North in O'Fallon, IL to let our expert team prepare your vehicle for your next adventure.

Skids and blowouts are an ever-present threat for all drivers. If your tires lose traction with the road, even for a moment, a catastrophic accident may ensue. Healthy tires are in many ways the first line of defense in your vehicle’s safety systems. Learn some tips, tricks, and signs that you may need new tires, as well as what to do, to determine if you need new tires if you experience any of the following issues. more Worn-Out Tread Depths To maintain proper traction, the treads of your tires should always remain deeper than 2/32 of an inch. Whenever you check your tire air pressure, also take note of the tread depths. If any of your tires are nearing 2/32 of an inch in depth, it's time for a new set of tires. Bulging Tire Rubber Internal damage to tires can cause outer bulges and blisters. These kinds of internal ruptures can be caused by impacts with curbs, parking stanchions, or potholes. A tire with an external bulge or blister will usually need to be replaced. Cracked Tire Sidewalls As your tires age and gradually dry out, the sidewalls are likely to develop cracks. When these cracks grow noticeably long and deep, they might weaken the tire; it's best to have a technician take a look. Deep Cuts or Gashes All kinds of objects on the road can cut or gash tire rubber. Very small cuts in the thickest portion of tire treads might be harmless, but deeper cuts in thinner areas like the sidewalls or inside the tread voids can sometimes spell the end for the tire unless a repair is possible. Embedded Objects If you find an embedded nail, screw, metal fragment, piece of glass, or other object in one of your tires, remove it to see if the tire is seriously punctured. You might be able to have a minor puncture repaired, but it could also mean the tire is no longer safe to drive on. Diminishing Air Pressure Any tire that consistently loses air is hazardous to use. Ask a technician to diagnose the source of mysteriously falling air pressure, which might be a hidden puncture or a dented wheel rim. Strange Road Vibrations When tires become uneven, damaged, or excessively worn, you might notice an increase in vibrations and road noise. This is likely to become more apparent when driving at high speeds. Reduced Traction on Water If you sense a monetary loss of traction when traversing a wet road surface, you might have a serious problem with your tires. Even if you can't detect a tire fault, consider having your tires replaced; all drivers should feel absolute confidence in their tires at all times. Need New Tires? Visit Your Local Ford Dealer Have your tires repaired or replaced today at Auffenberg Ford North in O'Fallon, IL. We offer an impressive lineup of new and pre-owned vehicles along with courteous, personalized customer service, whatever your car-related needs might be.

Your Ford dealer offers a lot of services that will be beneficial to you and your car. You can, of course, buy a new car and trade in your old one at the dealership, and we also offer car financing to help with your purchase. On top of that, we can also provide Ford service to keep your car in fantastic shape and prevent breakdowns. Check out four important services offered by your Ford Dealer that you may not find at a neighborhood garage. more 1. Regular Routine Maintenance We provide every service your Ford needs to stay in great shape, including the important regular routine maintenance that keeps your car running like new for many years. You need a full scheduled maintenance service at least once a year, during which we'll check on all the components of your vehicle, change your oil, replace the oil filter, and top off any low fluid levels. Then, roughly every two years, you should consider a major service, where we'll perform all the checks and replacements involved in a full-service as well as additional checks and replacements. Components that may need to be replaced during a major service include the fuel filter and spark plugs. Your owner’s manual or dealer service department can help you get on the proper schedule. 2. General Automotive Repair Your dealership can offer everything from a basic tune-up to swapping out your whole engine. Well-maintained cars typically run smoothly, but they can still have issues from time to time. If your car is having problems, you should head straight to your local dealer to get the problem diagnosed and get the car repaired. We perform general automotive repairs on any aspect of your car, from replacing your spark plugs to rebuilding a transmission. So, if your engine is making weird noises, if your brakes are less responsive than usual, or if you're having trouble shifting gears, then we can take on that repair. We'll run an engine diagnostic to figure out what the problem is, if necessary, and then get to work on fixing the issue. 3. Headlight Checks Car headlights tend to last a very long time, but eventually, they will need to be replaced. In fact, all of the exterior and interior lights in your vehicle may need to be replaced at some point. We can test your headlights to see if they're working at full capacity and replace them if they're too dim to safely illuminate the road. 4. Battery Replacements We can check your car battery to see if it should be replaced now or in the near future. If your car is slow to turn over or even worse, if you can't get your car started without jumping it, then it may be the battery. If it is, we can replace your battery with a brand-new one that gets your car working as it should again. Get in touch with Auffenberg Ford North in O'Fallon, IL for routine maintenance or any other service you might need for your car. Our technicians can take care of any job, no matter how large or small, and get you back on the road and running like new in no time at all.