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At some point, while owning a vehicle, a driver may experience the unfortunate experience of having a flat tire. Changing the tire is not difficult. However, precautions must be used. First, find a place to pull off the road. Turn off the engine and apply the parking brake. Turn on the flashing warning lights. Remove the spare tire, jack and lug wrench.

Loosen the lug nuts on the tire before using the jack. Insert the jack beneath the vehicle in a location recommended by the manufacturer. Remove the lug nuts and put them together somewhere safe to prevent any loss…

It’s easy for your vehicle to get a smell that you can’t seem to get rid of. When you’re driving around, you shouldn’t have to deal with odors. At Perkins Motor Plex, we have a few tips for you to follow.

There are a few things you can use to get rid of smoke. This includes leaving freshly cut citrus in your car or placing coffee grounds in a cup to set in your cup holder. You can also wipe down seats with a dryer sheet to help with the deodorization process. 

Want to clean your tires so that they shine? Here are a few tips to get you started:

For one, you want to use a couple buckets if you are doing the bucket method. One of these is for the special professional tire cleaner that you’ll use, and the other is for rinsing off the tires. If you’re using a garden hose or water source, then you’ll just need to make sure you spray the tires first to remove any grime.

The first thing you should clean on your car is the wheels because that’s where…

Different tires are recommended based on the area you live in. If you live in an area that has a lot of snow and covered roads, then you might want to choose from among the winter tires that are available. The whole point of winter and snow tires is so that you can have traction on the road.

If you live in an area that does not have a lot of snow but still gets cold, you are still going to need winter tires. However, you might have to choose some that are more performance based. The performance winter tires…

There are a ton of things that a properly inflated tire can protect against. For one thing, the road is not always going to be consistent and friendly to the vehicle. There are a lot of obstacles that can get in the way of the vehicle and even cause damages.

One example of an obstacle that drivers may come across is a pothole. If the tire is not properly inflated, then this might impact the wheel in a way that can knock it out of alignment in an easier way. However, a properly inflated tire can protect against that. A…

Cleaning your vehicle doesn't have to be a chore when you don't have time. Here are a few ways to clean the entire vehicle in under ten minutes.

Use the hose to soak the vehicle so all that dirt and debris is washed away. Soak a cloth with polish, and run it over the exterior quickly, including the tires. Drive the car around the block to keep from water droplets from leaving stains on the paint surface.

Take the floor mats and bang each one on the ground to remove any dirt. Wet a clean cloth with glass…

Along with checking your vehicle's transmission fluid, oil and coolant and other items like hoses, belts, tires and similar components, it is also important to change out the differential fluid on a regular basis. Why is that? Well, the differential fluid can deteriorate or become contaminated over time and cause the differential to not function properly.

The differential is the gearbox that is between the drive wheels of the vehicle. In four-wheel drives, there will be a differential in the front and one in the back of the vehicle. 

When you are ready to wash your vehicle, the tires are probably not at the forefront of important parts that need special attention during the process. However, the tires actually need as much care as the rest of the vehicle, due to the collection of corrosive brake dust that can accumulate on the wheels.

The Perkins Motor Plex team can help. First, pick the correct cleaner for your vehicle, as marked on the cleaner container. For tough jobs, pick a tough but non-caustic cleaner. Use separate brushes for the wheels and the tires and wash the tires before washing the…

Testing the car battery with the voltmeter is easy when you prepare with a few safety tips. Always wear safety eye-wear around the car battery and put on a pair of good heavy-duty gloves. The car ignition and lights have to be turned off to get an accurate reading, too.

The voltmeter has a pair of cables that are color-coded, red for positive and black is negative. The red cable goes on your positive battery side first. Now attach the black cable to the battery negative terminal. 

Taking the time to make your own roadside emergency kit could make all the difference in keeping you safe and getting you back on your way quickly. Keep a small box of tools in the emergency kit. In addition to the tools, a roll of duct tape is one of those things that can be used to make numerous small repairs.

Always keep a flashlight and batteries in your kit because you never know when you might get stranded in the dark and need to flag help or make small repairs.