Archive for April 2022It Wears on You (Tire Rotation)Posted April 24, 2022 11:22 AMIf someone told you there was a fairly inexpensive way to improve your vehicle's handling, fuel economy and extend the life of your tires, you'd probably ask, "What do I have to do?" The answer is to rotate your tires. But you have to do it regularly. A lot of drivers think skipping tire rotation is a way to save money. But when you don't rotate your tires, they will almost certainly wear unevenly. That's because when your tires touch the surface of the road, the friction and traction causes miniscule parts of the rubber to come off. And that process isn't exactly the same on each corner of your vehicle. Some vehicles have the drive wheels in the front, some in the rear and some on all wheels. Rotating your tires at regular intervals minimizes the differences in the way the tires wear. The amount and pattern will be spread out equally if your tires spend time at all different positions. The more even the wear, the more consistent traction, handling and braking will be. All four tires will last longer this way, and when it is time to replace your tires, they'll all be worn out the same so you can replace all four with the same model tire. Some people who choose not to rotate their tires find that one or two will wear much faster than the others, and often they'll replace just the worn ones. While you can find similar tires, they won't all be the same and will certainly not have the same amount of wear. There are different tire rotation patterns depending on several factors: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, directional tires/wheels, different sized wheels/tires on front and rear axles. Also keep in mind that when your tires are new, some tire manufacturers require you to rotate them or else they won't honor the warranty. Your manufacturer recommends intervals for tire rotation, so it's best to follow their suggestion. Your vehicle service facility can advise you when you need to get your tires rotated. And many facilities include free tire rotation for as long as they're on your vehicle if you buy your tires at their shop. Hans Imports That Squeal is Telling You Something (What Causes Squealing While Steering)Posted April 17, 2022 11:03 AMIf you hear a squealing noise when you turn your vehicle, it's trying to tell you something is wrong. After all, it never made that noise before, right? The sound you hear may becoming from a few sources. Let's take a look (or a listen) to some of the possibilities. First, you almost certainly have power steering in your vehicle. Without power steering, you practically have to have arms like Arnold Schwarzenegger to turn, so automakers have technology to assist your steering, either mechanically or electrically. For a long time, the most common power steering has been hydraulic, using a belt to supply power from the engine that turns a power steering pump full of a fluid that helps you steer. Sometimes that fluid gets low because of a leak or some other problem. The belt could wear out and start squeaking, and you might feel the steering start to become harder. Your service repair facility can figure out the problem and offer some solutions. Another cause could be in your suspension. Some components may not be getting lubricated like they should. Or you may be hearing your tires squealing when you are turning. Properly working steering is a huge safety factor for your vehicle's operation. Your steering affects handling, vital to your well-being as well as that of drivers around you. So take your vehicle over to your repair facility and have it checked out. You'll be doing everyone on the road—including yourself—a big favor by listening to your vehicle. When it comes to steering, silence really is golden. Get that squealing repaired and get back to safe driving. Hans Imports Commitment to Make Your vehicle Last at Hans ImportsPosted April 10, 2022 11:39 AMThese days many people in the North Kingstown area are really committed to making their cars last a long time. First thing: you've got to start with what you've got. It'd be ideal if people started with a brand new car, never missed a scheduled service item, paid attention to the severe service maintenance schedule and had regular inspections. But if you've had the vehicle for a while or bought it used, its maintenance history is what it is; and that's where you start. For advice on how to make your vehicle last longer, visit us at Hans Imports.
Higher Mileage Service Intervals for North KingstownPosted April 3, 2022 11:19 AM
Studies have even shown that using high mileage fluids early will actually prevent some of the problems of high mileage vehicles. So once you hit around 50,000 mi/80,000 km, consider stepping up to high mileage formulations. The fluids cost a bit more than standard fluids in North Kingstown because of the additional additives, but they can be worth their weight in gold in terms of preventing repair costs down the road. It does cost more for vehicle owner's to properly maintain a higher mileage vehicle in North Kingstown - but it's much cheaper than a new car payment! Hans Imports | ||
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What our clients are saying about us
We have established longterm and stable partnerships with various clients thanks to our excellence in solving their automotive needs!
Very impressed with Han's Imports. Did a nice job with maintenance on my BMW and my wife's Benz. I also appreciate the thorough check of the rest of the car as part of their 1st look at the cars. I'll be back.
Anyone who dumps on this auto repair shop should literally start driving a horse and carriage. What people don't understand is that when you bring in older import vehicles from the north east United States they are prone to rust deterioration do to climatic factors. As a result, many parts are harder to replace, many need to be fabricated and even more common is the rarity of older European models (which drives the price of parts up as well as renders low availability). I've been an automotive repair technician (ASE certification, various big name certifications and even fabricated parts whilst working in small shops) for quite some time. As well, I've even taught Automotive Repair as a core coarse at the secondary level. All of that said, I'm quite certain my opinion holds merit. Thus, I can honestly say that Omar is an absolute genius. I run a small shop in a rural area and seek advice from the owner of Hans Imports (Omar). This goes beyond the scope of older European models. I often probe Omar for repair strategies, knowledge and diagnostic information on newer Imports. For what its worth, you're in good hands with Hans Imports in North Kingstown. Any of the negative cockamamie complaints are clearly the result of someone thinking they are above the knowledge, experience as well as expertise of the working man!