Reno Kia BLOG

When buying a used vehicle, it’s important to gather as many facts as possible in order to make an informed decision. A vehicle history report can contain a wealth of information about a car’s past, and every prospective buyer should have one in hand before going ahead with a purchase.

A vehicle history report includes the name, location and period of ownership for all previous owners of the vehicle as well as odometer readings that can indicate the number of miles per year that the vehicle was driven. 

If you've been looking for ways to take better care of your car, you have plenty of options. Regular maintenance checks, oil changes, and tire rotations are essential to making sure your car lasts for a long time, but did you know that waxing is important, too?

Wax acts as a protective barrier for your car. It ensures that your paint isn't damaged because of air pollution, dirt, dust, or pollen. If you live in an area with high exposure to UV rays, you may also find that wax helps further protect your paint. 

Most automobiles on the market today will offer some type of infotainment system. If you are not familiar with infotainment systems, we can help. Many consumers often base part of their decision about which vehicle to choose on what features the infotainment system has to offer. Read further to learn more about infotainment systems.

An infotainment system refers to a communications system in a vehicle that offers entertainment and data. For example, an infotainment system may be equipped to provide you with music streaming capability, navigation, and other information. 

Life, and the unexpected, can come at you fast. That's why the Kia service professionals at our Reno, NV dealership recommend that you keep a roadside emergency kit handy as you navigate the streets. Here are just a few of the items you'll want to pack inside your car's roadside emergency kit.

Jumper cables are essential for your kit and can make getting the battery jump-started a breeze. Now just about any driver willing to connect to their battery can get you back on the road. Flashlights are something you'll need in your kit to help…

A tire blowout is more than just an inconvenience. A blowout can cause you to be in an accident. This is especially true if you are driving fast. You want to avoid a blowout if at all possible. Here are a few tips on how to avoid blowouts from our Kia service team.

Always make sure that your tires are inflated to the proper level. Both over-inflated and under-inflated tires can cause the tread to wear, and this leads to blowouts. Make sure that your wheels are properly aligned. Wheels out of alignment wear unevenly leading to blowouts. 

If you notice the lights dimming while you're driving at night or your vehicle getting harder to start, then you might have battery issues. One way that you can test your battery is to bring it to Dolan Kia in Reno so that someone can use an electrical gauge specifically designed to test the voltage.

Another option is to look at the battery to see if there is any corrosion. If there is, then you can try cleaning the ends of the cables to see if a cleaner connection will make a difference. Turn components on inside the vehicle…

A car's starter is an electric motor that cranks the engine using electricity from the battery when you turn the ignition. There are several common ways starters can fail, but they usually give you warning signs before it happens.

A warning sign that you will notice sometimes before a starter fails completely is called freewheeling. This is when the starter's gear slips and doesn't engage the flywheel that cranks the engine. If you start to hear a high-pitched whine before the engine starts, you should have the starter inspected soon. 

Gaskets may be small in size but they're big in importance because they hold many components together by preventing gases and liquids from escaping. It can be beneficial to have gaskets checked as part of your car's maintenance routine. At Dolan Kia, we carry a full line of gaskets for sale in our auto parts shop as well as all your other automotive needs.

Signs you gaskets may be failing include white smoke from tailpipe, foaming from radiator, low cylinder pressure, and oil in the coolant. Although everything goes with time, you may be able to prevent gasket…

If the tire pressure lights illuminate on the dashboard, it might be signs of trouble. To find out what the issue, see if any of these conditions are present.

The most common cause for the tire pressure lights to turn on is a severe change in temperature. When the outside temps are freezing, the pressure can drop in the tires, but will return to normal as the temperature warms. If there is an obstruction in one of the tires, it could cause a slow leak and trigger the pressure indicators to the trouble. Never remove the obstruction on your own…

While transmission problems can occur at any time, most transmissions will go for close to 100,000 miles without having a problem. If you notice a leak below your transmission, you may be losing transmission fluid. This can cause transmission issues that will be harder to fix if you wait.

Come in to Dolan Kia if you are trying to drive your car and there are problems getting your car into gear. Any time your car doesn't run smoothly, it is beneficial to get your car checked out to see what is wrong.