Changing Tires with the Seasons

Wellsville is in the midst of a challenging winter, leaving us to make the proper adjustments: heaters are cranked up, sidewalk salt is spread, and cold weather clothing has taken up their seasonal residency in your wardrobe. In the meantime, perhaps you've noticed your Chevy Bolt EUV isn't quite as spry as it was during the summer and fall. Though you should be commended for making the switch to electric, becoming an EV owner comes with its own, unique set of challenges. Given that conventional car batteries already face challenges in cold weather, it's not surprising that electric vehicles require some additional attention during the winter months. Your EV's range and performance may see a slight decrease until the temperature rises, but by following these helpful suggestions, you can confidently weather the season until it changes. Don’t Let Your Battery Dip Below 20% During the winter, EV owners may experience a 20-30% reduction in range due to lower battery performance and increased energy consumption. This is completely normal, as the lithium ions in electric batteries tend to slow down in colder temperatures. Ultimately, EV batteries aren't that different form the human body: they prefer warmer weather, with optimal temperatures of 59-95 degrees Fahrenheit. When winter arrives, it's important to take certain precautions. One of these is to always ensure that your battery doesn't fall below a 20% charge. Cold weather can significantly impact battery performance, making it risky to let the charge drop that low. Just like you would charge your phone or any other electronic device, remember to plug in your electric vehicle when it's not in use. Park Indoors When Possible If you've got a garage or storage unit, you should park your car inside during wintertime. But if you're stuck with street parking, try firing up the engine at least once daily instead of leaving it parked for extended periods. And when circumstances force you to leave it idle, ensure the battery has at least a 70% charge to prevent any degradation. It's also important to steer clear of rapid (or DC) charging. While it may not be the most convenient option, charging at slower speeds during colder weather proves more advantageous for the battery's well-being. Opting for Level 1 charging, known for being the slowest alternative, is actually the recommended choice when facing chilly temperatures. Moreover, if you're operating a hybrid or plug-in vehicle, remember to activate ECO mode for optimal efficiency. Monitor Heat Levels When preparing to go out for work or errands, heat up your electric vehicle beforehand. By gradually increasing the temperature, you can minimize the strain on the battery when you begin driving. If possible, continue to charge your car while heating it, as the heater will absorb power from the charger instead of the battery, maximizing your daily range. After warming up your car, it's important to be mindful of the heat consumption. Rather than relying solely on the heater, consider utilizing the heated seat to stay warm. Keep in mind that excessive use of the heat can impact your car's range. Striking a balance between your comfort and not overusing the heater is key. Just remember - your heater isn't fond of winter any more than you are. Remember That We're Always Here to Help If your vehicle is still succumbing to the effects of winter, make a trip to Bokman of Wellsville today. From battery replacements to oil changes, our team of service technicians is here to get you to the spring. Remember that your tires also play a huge factor in extending your range, so make sure you have your EV equipped with a proper set of winter tires. Visit us today and explore the most cutting-edge EVs, including the all-new Hummer EV. After all, the future is bright; reserve your spot in it today.

Everyone knows that buying a used car is a great way to save money. However, the real key to frugal car ownership is performing your own maintenance at home. You can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars simply by performing your own routine maintenance on your vehicle. When it comes to owning a car, there is no better way to ensure it has a long lifespan than with routine maintenance. However, not everyone is a trained mechanic — that’s why we put together this list of five valuable car maintenance tips that make your life easier. Whether you’re an expert mechanic or new to wrenching, you’re sure to find a useful tip on this list. Keep Cardboard Boxes While most people look at empty cardboard boxes as trash, us DIY mechanics look at them like they’re gold — and they kind of are. Cardboard boxes are perfect for repurposing in the garage since you can use them for a variety of jobs. Don’t want to lay on a cold concrete floor? Put down a flattened cardboard box. Doing an oil change and don’t want oil on your garage floor? Easy solution: put down a flattened cardboard box. See where we’re going with this? When you use cardboard boxes in your garage — you’re not just being savvy — you’re making a positive impact on the environment too. Why not save the environment while also saving your back from the cold concrete floor? Get a Magnetic Dish Staying organized is one of the most important parts of working on your car at home, that’s why this is one of our favorite tips to share. If you want to keep track of those pesky nuts and bolts that want to roll away on you, there is no better way to do it than with a magnetic dish. A magnetic dish is exactly what it sounds like, a dish that is magnetized so you can easily store objects within it. You can attach the dish to your car so it is always within reach while you’re working, helping you keep track of things with ease. If you’re looking for a magnetic dish, you can find them at your local hardware stores like Home Depot or Harbor Freight. Magnetic dishes are fairly inexpensive and their use will far outweigh any money you spend on it, so get one today! A Little Light Goes a Long Way Another great way to make life easier in the garage is to have a great light source. When you’re working on your car, things can get tough to see, especially when they’re covered in motor oil and dirt. That’s why we suggest having at least one good source of light handy in your garage at all times. We recommend a headlamp as it's a hands-free way to get light in the exact places you need it. However, if you don’t want to look like an angler fish, there are plenty of great shop lights out there to choose from. There are magnetic lights that you can attach to the car, old school “trouble” lights and fancy LED strip lights — all of which work great in the shop. Don’t work on your car blind, stop by your local Harbor Freight and pick up a shop light today. No matter which light you choose, you’ll be glad you did it! Take Pictures as You Go Cars are complex pieces of machinery and while anyone can work on them, there are some best practices you should follow. This tip is an absolute must for any mechanic, be it experienced or not. If you want to make performing your own vehicle maintenance simple, taking pictures with each step is the best way to do it. While you’re working on your car, keep your smartphone handy and snap pictures as you go. Chances are you’ll need to reference the pictures at some point during your repair, so it’s best to have them than not. If you’re ever unsure about how something goes back together, having a picture on hand really comes in handy. Another bonus of taking pictures is being able to reference them down the line during other repairs. Need to take that manifold off again but can’t remember how? Just reference your tear-down photos from the last time and you’re off to the races. This simple tip will save you hours in the shop and endless frustration — so don’t forget it! Replace Things in Pairs Whenever you’re replacing an item your vehicle has more than one of, always replace all of them at once. There is no bigger annoyance than replacing an item on your car, only to have to do it all over again just a few short days or weeks later. That’s why we recommend always replacing things in pairs if they come in them. Whether its brake pads, headlights, tires or anything else on a car — replacing both or all at once saves you time and frustration. The best part of this method is that you’ll never have to play the “when was that last replaced” guessing game! When In Doubt, Visit Bokman Chevrolet Still unsure about your ability to work on your car? That’s okay, simply bring it to our service center here at Bokman Chevrolet and our expert technicians will handle the rest. Whether you just need an oil change or a full engine rebuild, the expert technicians here at Bokman Chevrolet can do it all. If your car needs maintenance and you don’t want to do it at home, come on down to Bokman Chevrolet and we’ll take care of it for you. At Bokman Chevrolet, we make servicing your car a breeze. Simply stop by our service center or schedule an appointment ahead of time on our website — it’s really that easy.

Some may say that the engine is the most important part of your vehicle, but the truth is, it isn’t the engine itself, but what runs through it that is the most important part of your vehicle. Engine oil is the most important part of your vehicle, as it protects vital components of your engine that keep your car running right. Through short trips, weekend joy rides, and long cruises, the oil in your engine heats up and cools off multiple times, and must not degrade during this process as that could cause engine wear and tear, and eventual failure. To keep engine oil from degrading quickly, oil manufacturers turned to synthetic oil blends which degrade at a slower rate and even provide improved protection to the engine. Synthetic oil is far more refined than traditional oil, resulting in less engine friction, reduced sludge buildup, and even better engine performance. If you’re located in Wellsville or the surrounding areas and wondering when you should change your oil, you’ll want to read the rest of this blog! What is Synthetic Oil? Synthetic oil is an artificial lubricant that was designed to reduce friction and wear of internal combustion engines, as well as replace traditional motor oil. Developed from chemically modified petroleum instead of crude oil, synthetic oil provides better performance by reducing friction and wear of your engine, far better than a traditional motor oil can. Synthetic oil tends to degrade at a slower rate than traditional motor oil, making it an attractive choice to auto manufacturers attempting to keep their vehicle maintenance costs low. One of the best benefits of synthetic oil that often goes overlooked is it’s reduced impact on the environment. With synthetic oil usage on the rise, the world’s reliance on crude oil has decreased, thus reducing the environmental impact that oil has. If you want to reduce your vehicle maintenance costs, wear and tear, and environmental impact, using synthetic oil in your car is the way to go! Why Should I Use Synthetic Oil? The use of synthetic oil isn’t just about reducing your environmental impact or stopping the use of crude oil throughout the world, its best trick is increasing the performance of your engine! Synthetic oil is great to use in your engine, as it can withstand a wider range of temperatures, is more stable, and causes less engine sludge. Using synthetic oil also means your internal engine parts will stay better lubricated, meaning less wear and tear on your engine and better performance too. With a longer lifecycle, synthetic oil allows you to stretch the time between changes, as they last anywhere from 7,500 to 15,000 miles. This longer lifecycle means you can save money and not worry about your engine’s performance degrading or being at risk. If you own a newer car with a turbocharged or hybrid engine, using synthetic oil is a must as these engines have higher compression ratios which cause extreme wear and tear. How Often Should I Change My Oil? Each vehicle and engine has different requirements for oil change intervals, but its been a general rule of thumb to change your oil every three months or 3,000 miles. These days, however, oil change intervals seem to be growing, with most manufacturers making the switch to synthetic or fully synthetic oil. Since synthetic oil takes far longer to degrade and can withstand higher temperatures, you should be able to stretch out the time you take between oil changes. With most synthetic oil manufacturers claiming to get tens of thousands of miles between each oil change, it’s easy to get confused about when you should be swapping out your oil. The best way to know when to get an oil change is to read your car’s owner’s manual, as it will list all the various service intervals needed to maintain your car properly. If you’re unsure of when to change your oil, simply call up the parts and service experts here at Bokman of Wellsville, we’ll be happy to provide you with that information. Where Can I Get Synthetic Oil? You can purchase synthetic oil from your local auto supply store, or you could stop in here at Bokman of Wellsville as we stock the widest variety of synthetic oils around. Not only will we have the exact synthetic oil and filter you’re looking for in stock, but we’ll have it at the best price as well. Is it time to change your oil? Have it changed here at Bokman of Wellsville, as we have the best team of expert mechanics and the lowest prices in the Wellsville area. Don’t waste your precious weekend beneath your vehicle, let our certified mechanics here at Bokman of Wellsville Service Center, located in Wellsville, NY.