7 Benefits of Getting Preventative Maintenance at Your Kia Dealer in Maryland

It doesn't matter how powerful the engine or responsive the handling: a car that won't reliably start is going to cause you inconvenience and stress. Here are some of the signs that it might be time to contact your Kia dealer to get your starter motor checked. 5 Signs That It's Time for Your Kia Dealer to Replace a Faulty Starter Motor 1. Difficulty Starting It might sound obvious, but one of the key signs that your starting mechanisms are failing is that your car has trouble when it comes to igniting the engine. If the problem is intermittent and occurs on the first attempt but is resolved on the next, then it might be a problem with the starter relay. If it malfunctions when sending the electrical current to the starter, then the system won't work. A damaged relay may make a clicking sound when the ignition is engaged. more Problems with the ignition are often down to a weak battery. If the engine is failing to crank or turn over when you use the ignition, you might be able to solve the problem temporarily with jump leads or a starter pack. 2. Grinding Noises Grinding noises are generally never good news when you drive, but if you hear them when you turn the ignition on, it's probably down to your starting mechanisms. It could be the result of a worn starter drive gear that isn't engaging properly, or it could be coming from within the motor itself. Allowing this to continue could mean damage to the engine flywheel, so schedule a checkup as soon as you can. 3. Whining Noises You might find that the engine starts "freewheeling" when you turn the key or press the ignition button. If the engine makes a whining noise but doesn't crank, it usually means that the starter and the flywheel aren't engaging with each other. It could be that the gears have been stripped of their teeth or have become dislocated from the flywheel. This can mean that the whole starter needs replacing, so it's an urgent sign that maintenance is required. 4. Burning and Smoke If there's a blown fuse or a fault in the ignition switch, the starter might fail to switch off even once the engine has fired up. This can lead to overheating of the motor owing to an excessive amount of power being delivered to the starter gear. If this happens, you might detect smoke or a smell of burning coming from the engine. It's another serious problem that needs immediate attention. 5. Dimming Lights You might notice that your interior lights and dashboard start to dim when you switch on the ignition. This means the wiring in the starting mechanism has a problem and is draining power from other systems. Need to Get a Starter Motor Replacement in Lanham, MD? You need to know that you can rely on your car to get you to your destination on time, so contact us at DARCARS Lanham Kia to get top-notch maintenance care and ensure that your car is firing on all cylinders. If you need a starter motor replacement, you can count on our Kia dealership in Lanham, MD!

The only part of your car that's in contact with the ground is your tires. This contact, whether on gravel, sand, or the highway, leads to friction and damage. Modern tires are far stronger than those of just 30 years ago, but they will still wear out. A blowout could leave you stranded, or even worse, it could cause a serious accident. If you need new tires in Maryland, as your old ones are showing signs of wear, your Kia dealer in Lanham can help. The Penny Trick Your tire tread is the raised section of your tires, and its purpose is to allow for a better grip on the surface as you drive. This is important to maintain good control and handling and is even more important in wet or snowy conditions. As your tires move, they gradually wear due to surface contact. The tread thickness will start to thin out, and the thinner the tread, the less grip your tires have. An old trick to test tread thickness is to put an upside-down penny into the thinnest part of the tread. If you can see only part of Lincoln's face, that's great as your tire tread is fine. Seeing Lincoln's hairline means that your tire tread is thin, and it's time to plan for replacement. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, the tread is very worn, and they need to be replaced immediately. more Uneven Wear Depending on whether your car is an FWD, RWD, or AWD, your car's tires will suffer different degrees of wear. Your rear tires will generally wear less than the front ones as approximately 60% of the weight of your car is in the front. We advise that your car's tires should be regularly rotated to spread the wear and allow for a more standard tread thickness between tires. If your tires are not rotated regularly, you'll find that driving becomes bumpier. Any worn tires will wear out faster and need to be replaced. The worn tires will also affect your car's balance. Damaged Sidewalls The sidewalls of your tires are made of a softer rubber than the tread of your tires. This makes them more prone to damage. Small scrapes or nicks in the sidewall aren't normally a problem, as they don't penetrate deep into the tire. Any cut or gouge in the sidewall, however, can grow in size and cause a leak. Any sharp object that sticks into the sidewall also can’t be fixed, as the softer rubber prevents applying a patch. Bulging or blistering in the sidewall can be caused by age as the rubber weakens through time, or due to persistent hot conditions. If you have a bulge in the sidewall, the tire will need to be replaced ASAP as it can burst at any time. Need New Tires in Lanham, MD? Get Tires and Expert Installation Here For safe driving, good tires are essential. Call our Service Department at DARCARS Lanham Kia. We have the perfect tires available for your car.

Your Kia needs several forms of maintenance from your local Kia dealership. Some forms of maintenance need to be done every few years, while others need to be done every few months. A tire rotation is typically done multiple times a year, and it's vital that you never skip this essential form of maintenance. What Is a Tire Rotation? When you visit the dealership to have your tires rotated, the technicians will remove your tires and put them back in different positions on your car. This is to make sure the tread wears down evenly, as it never wears down evenly when all of your tires remain in the same position throughout their lifespan. For example, if you have a front-wheel-drive car, then the front tires experience more friction than the back ones when you're turning, braking, and accelerating. This can lead to uneven tread wear, making it essential to rotate your tires on time and often. more How Often Should You Get Your Tires Rotated At Your Local Kia Dealership? It is important to follow your car’s maintenance schedule. After your first rotation, how often you rotate the tires depends on what type of car you drive. Typically cars need to have their tires rotated every 5,000 to 7,500 miles, though this can vary depending on what model you drive. Your owner's manual has more exact information relating to how often your Kia model needs a rotation. If you have an all-wheel-drive model, then you may need to have your tires rotated more frequently. What Are the Benefits of Getting Your Tires Rotated? When you don't have your tires rotated, some areas of the tread will likely wear down completely while other areas remain intact. This means your tires aren't safe to drive on. Driving with less tread than what is recommended is unsafe, so you'll need to replace your tires when any area of the tread gets too shallow. By spreading out the wear, it should help take longer for your tread to wear down. That means you have to replace regularly-rotated tires less frequently than never-rotated ones. Plus, when your tread is unevenly worn down, rides are bumpier, and your car is harder to handle. Rotating your tires regularly helps fix these problems. Schedule a Tire Rotation in Lanham, MD Today! You can get your tires rotated at your local dealership. Visit DARCARS Kia of Lanham in MD for this service today.