Grand Prix Performance - Costa Mesa, CA

Grand Prix Performance wants you and your family to stay safe on the roads this winter. Many of you might be heading up to the mountains for some fun. By following these tips and advice, you’ll be ready for the winter driving.

 

1. Prepare Yourself: 

• Knowledge:  Before leaving home, find out about the driving conditions.  Safe drivers know the weather, and their limits.  If the weather is bad remember, Ice and Snow, Take it Slow, or just don’t go.
• Clear:  Remove any snow on your vehicle’s windows, lights, brake lights and signals.  Make sure you can see and be seen.
• Inspect:  Check your vehicle’s tires, wiper blades, fluids, lights, belts and hoses.  A breakdown is bad on a good day and dangerous on a bad-weather day.
• Time:  Leave plenty of time to reach your destination safely.  It’s not worth putting yourself and others in a dangerous situation just to be on time.

2. When You See Snow:

When driving in winter weather, watch out!  Mother Nature has some tricks up her sleeve in the winter.  Here are some to be on the look out for:

• First Snow or Ice:  Drivers often aren’t prepared for winter driving and forget to take it slow.  Remember to drive well below the posted speed limit and leave plenty of room between cars.
• Black Ice:  Roads that seem dry may actually be slippery – and dangerous.  Take it slow when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shady areas – all are hot spots for black ice.  Remember, Ice and Snow, Take it Slow.
• Limited Visibility: Stay attentive and reduce speed.  Know what’s going on around you.
• Four-Wheel Drive:  On snow and ice, go slowly, no matter what type of vehicle you drive.  Even if you have an SUV with four-wheel drive you may not be able to stop any faster, or maintain control any better, once you lose traction.  Four-wheel drive may get you going faster, but it won’t help you stop sooner.

Car batteries are an essential component to the overall performance of your car. The next time you bring your car in for maintenance, ask us to perform a battery test. If there is a problem, we will be able to suggest a new battery that will best fit your automobile and driving conditions.
Chances are good that you will experience a battery problem at some point. This is why it is always good to keep a pair of jumper cables in the car. Remember to connect the positive terminals first in both cars and to avoid touching the leads to any other surface. Negative leads may be connected to the car’s chassis or the negative terminal on the battery. Make sure the car with the charged battery is running before starting the car with the drained battery.
After you’ve successfully started your vehicle, be sure to drive it on the road to ensure a good charge. If you have any doubts about your battery’s condition at all, be sure to check its condition or obtain a replacement right away.

With the fall season in full force and the winter season creeping in, it is important that we remember to pay attention to our wiper blades. Many wiper blades are causing drivers more harm than good by smearing when used or making a screeching noise that can sound like nails on a chalkboard. The problem is that many people overlook replacing their wiper blades, or go for the cheap version assuming they are all the same. Wiper blades are one of the easiest installations and least expensive.
However, not all blades are created equal, and you truly do get what you pay for. This is a component on your car that you should spend the extra dollar on to ensure a quality product. It isn’t much more expensive to go for the higher quality wiper blades and it will provide you with the peace of mind that your visibility won’t be hindered.
At the annual checkup held by the Car Care Council, almost 15% of vehicles on the road had wiper blades that required replacement. Is your vehicle one of those?  Bring your car into Grand Prix Performance and we’ll make sure you’re in good shape and won’t have any wiper blade troubles.

Not many people are aware that fuel injectors are extremely critical components that keep your car running smoothly. It is important that you keep them clean so that your fuel ignites easier and burns more evenly and efficiently. Not only does this save you money by improving your gas mileage, but it increases your horsepower. Vehicle fuel systems are generally very clean because today’s gasoline is designed for fuel injection and there are filters in the system that trap a bulk on unwanted dirt. However, it is still common for dirt to get past the filters and form a gummy residue. Symptoms that could indicate you have dirty fuel injectors include hard starting, rough idle, poor overall performance, and decreased gas mileage. These symptoms can be quickly resolved with proper fuel injector maintenance. It is recommended that injectors get cleaned at least every 30,000 miles or 24 months. Consider a tune up for your fuel system because it will dramatically improve your fuel efficiency and increase your horsepower.

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2. Avoid idling. While idling, your car gets exactly 0 mile per gallon while starting the car uses the same amount as idling for 6 seconds. Park your car and go into the restaurant rather than idling in the drive-through. Idling with the air conditioning on also uses extra fuel. Also, avoid going so fast that you have to brake for someone. Whenever you brake, you waste the gas it took to get going that fast.

It’s a simple philosophy: when customers come first, they come back. At Grand Prix Performance, we consider our customers to be an extended part of the family. Providing superior service is our specialty, but our real passion is people.

From economy cars to luxury vehicles, we know what matters most is the people who ride in them every day, which is why we’re honored that you entrust us with servicing your vehicle—it’s a responsibility that we hold dear.

Our founder Jerry says it best, “We take care of people; they appreciate it; they come back.” Let us take care of your automotive needs and prove that Grand Prix Performance is the best place in Costa Mesa to be a customer.

If you put just a little bit of time and energy into caring for your tires, they can keep you safe, save you money and make driving smoother.  If you don’t take care of your tires, you could be at risk for problems to occur.

Rotating your tires

-Makes them wear evenly since front and rear tires react to the road differently

-Have us check the balance and alignment 

-We will give you a clean bill of health or recommend adjustments

Check your tire pressure

-Proper tire pressure requirements are shown on the side wall of your tires

-Best thing to do is bring your car in for a tire check-up and inflation

Road hazards

-In a busy place like Orange County, debris in the road can damage your tires

-Drive carefully and avoid objects on the road

-If you hit something, have your tires checked for damage

-Chunks of tread, damaged tread or sidewalls can suddenly blow out the tire if you do not take -proper care of them

Don’t ever plug your tires

-You would be amazed at how many people think a $20 plug keeps them safe

-High-speed, freeway driving is a plug’s worst enemy.  We recommend getting a new tire -instead of a plug.

-Never get a tire plug in a sidewall.

When to replace your tires

-Most states have a tread depth minimum for getting your car inspected

-Since 1968, Federal law has required a built-in 2/32 inch bar to show you the minimum

-The time it takes to stop on a wet road can double when your tires have this minimum tread depth

-Consumer report recommends 4/32 inch

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Keep your tires rotated routinely. Rotating your tires can have many benefits, including good gas mileage and improved overall performance of your car. You can improve the life of your tires by getting them rotated. Not rotating your tires can wear the tread unevenly, and you could be in our shop sooner than expected, not that we don't love to see you... It is recommended that you rotate your tires at least every 5,000 miles or so.  We offer free rotation to our customers!

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Avoid traveling back roads and dirt roads unless you really have to. This often leads to tire puncture and expedited tire wear. If you have to travel a back or dirt road often, it is recommended that you get a better tire for your travel or keep your tires rotated frequently in order to even out the wear of such travel. Off-road travel and mud riding should be avoided; this activity is harsh on tires.

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Maintain the required tire pressure. Maintaining your recommended tire pressure can really improve your gas mileage and maintain overall vehicle performance. Not maintaining recommended tire pressure can lead to poor tire wear and may possibly cause a blow-out, especially with tires that have experienced excessive wear.

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Consult your owner's manual about recommended tire pressure, and ask us to check your tire pressure when you get your oil changed. 

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Follow the recommendations on tire inflation for your car, which you'll find in your owner's manual, on the inside of the driver's door or on the glove-compartment lid. (Never fill the tire to the maximum inflation rate listed on the tire itself.)

Nothing's a big deal in the summer. You break down? So what? It's a nice night out. Look at all those stars! But break down when it's minus jaw-freezing outside, and that's a different story. Since bad hoses, belts, water pumps and spark plug wires can leave you stranded in the winter, it's better to bite the bullet and fix them. It's better than spending the same amount of money after you've been sitting in your stalled car for three hours waiting for AAA. (Just kidding, Triple A! No one has ever had to wait three hours for one of your tow trucks, have they?)

Here's one service item that's often forgotten: tire pressure. Ask your mechanic to check it, or do it as soon as winter arrives. Why? Because tire pressure drops by about one pound per ten degrees of temperature. So, if it's -10 now, and the last time you checked your tire pressure was back during that sweltering heat wave in July, your tires will be dangerously low and will jeopardize your car's handling.

Many newer vehicles have tire pressure monitors, which alert you to dangerous changes in tire pressure. In fact, as 2008, tire pressure monitors are required on all new vehicles. But older cars don't have them and the pressure needs to be checked manually.

Place your car at the level spot. Stop the engine. Wait for a while to let the engine oil to pour down to the oil pan. Pull the engine oil dipstick. If you don't know where is the engine oil dipstick, check your owner's manual, usually it has a bright handle saying "engine oil".

Wipe it off with a clean rag or tissue. Then insert it back all the way down into its place.

Now, pull the dipstick again and check the oil level. Normally it should be at "FULL" mark. For example, here you can see that it's a bit lower. It's not a big problem yet, but it's better to top it up. Check the oil condition: If it's way too black, it's definitely time to change it. If it's slightly-brown, it's O.K. If it's dark-brown, but still transparent, it's admissible but it's better to change it soon.  If it's white (coffee with milk color) it means the engine coolant mixes with the engine oil because of some internal engine problem, for example, blown head gasket - have your car inspected.

How to top up the engine oil:  It would be better to add the same type and brand of the engine oil as you already have in the engine. Add a little amount of the oil as it's shown in the image. Wait for a minute to let the oil to pour down. Check the oil level again with the dipstick. If it's still low, add some more. But don't overfill it. Don't forget to install the dipstick back and close the oil filler cap when you finished.