Blog

Do you know how many different types of fluid there are in your vehicle? Do you know how to change any of those fluids? Do you ever work on your car on your own? Are you really saving money by working on your car instead of the dealer working on the car?

If you do not know about the different types of fluid in your car, you will be surprised to learn that your vehicle has four main types of fluid. You will need to check these fluids to make sure they are at the right levels to avoid your…

There are several important gaskets in your vehicle. These gaskets help to keep fluids in your vehicle from improperly mixing together, and they keep oil, coolant and other fluids from leaking out of your vehicle. Major gaskets include the head gasket, intake manifold gasket and the exhaust manifold gasket. When a gasket fails, it can cause severe damage to your vehicle, and repairs may be expensive.

It's important to protect your vehicle's gaskets from malfunction as much as possible. The best way to protect your vehicle from gasket failure is to have your vehicle serviced regularly. 

When it comes to car maintenance, one of the most important things to keep in check is how much your tire tread depth measures. Replacing your tires when necessary can help prevent accidents and help you drive your vehicle smoothly.

Researchers conducted a study in which they stopped a vehicle that ran 60 mph. During the study trial, they experimented with cars that had either a 10/32 inch tread, 4/32 inch tread and 2/32 inch tread. This test concluded that the car with the 2/32 inch tread took longer to stop than the car with the…

It's that time of year again where you're lucky if the temperature gets above freezing for more than a day or two in a row. That is why we here at Courtesy Volvo Cars of Chico want to remind you to always keep your fuel tank full in the coldest months of the year. When you allow your tank to get extremely low there is a great deal of air and moisture in the tank. If temperature get too low this moisture could freeze in the fuel lines and your vehicle won't start. This could leave you…

Here at Courtesy Volvo Cars of Chico, we strive to provide the best service at all times along with the most reliable parts. Sometimes the subject comes up in regard to the costs of parts. Yes, it is true that parts can be purchased more cheaply at discount parts stores, but the question comes up in regard to quality.

You have to keep in mind that aftermarket parts are not always manufactured the same. When you stop and think that the original parts that came with the car were engineered for that particular vehicle, but the cheaper parts from the…

When explaining to someone the power of a vehicle, the term horsepower is often used. But this term is loosely thrown around for other meanings as well. What is the true definition of horsepower?

 

For one reason or the other, everybody at some time has had to be in the market shopping for tires for their car or truck. On most occasions, the issue is not if you can afford tires, but which is the right type of the many that are available in the market.

Getting winter wiper blades makes sense in so many ways. Not only will you save money by not having to replace those "regular" wiper blades all the time but you will have wipers that actually work in the winter.

 

If you are going to be driving somewhere this holiday season with holiday treats in tow, you may want to think about how you are going to get your items where they need to be without spilling all over your vehicle. We here at Courtesy Volvo Cars of Chico want to provide you with some tips to keep things safe:

?In Chico, winters are chilly, but rarely freezing. This can leave a big question mark for how to best prepare your car for the upcoming season. Do you need to do anything?

Tires

As we've previously discussed, there are several types of winter tires you can put on your Volvo if you expect to encounter snow (such as on a ski trip). Most of us won't bother to change over to a different set of tires, but winter preparation is the perfect time to have your all-season tires rotated and inspected.

Battery

As the temperatures outside fall, so…