The Scariest Car Issues You'll Want to Avoid this Halloween

OKEMOS, Mich.,–– There's nothing scarier than having your car break down out on the road. Repair costs, towing expenses, and having to pay for a rental car can be a nightmare for your wallet. With proper vehicle care and routine maintenance, however, you can keep your vehicle and your bank account safe from a potential scare this October. Make sure you know what to do if you encounter any of the scariest car issues you'll want to avoid this Halloween. Following our advice will prevent your trick-or-treating from taking a turn for the worse!

Dead Battery

Problem: Your vehicle won't start! If you don't hear any noise when you start up your vehicle, it could mean that your battery is out of energy and may need to be jumpstarted back to life. (Think Frankenstein's monster, but in battery form.)

Solution: If you're having difficulty getting your vehicle going, phone a friend or ask a nearby driver to help you jumpstart your vehicle. Follow these steps to avoid the scary experience of a dead battery:

1. Get the other vehicle as close to yours as possible (front to front) and put both vehicles in park. Shut them off and set the parking brakes.
2. Next, open both vehicle's hoods and locate the batteries in each car. Make sure to identify the positive and negative terminals (typically, red means +, and black means - ).
3. Using a pair of jumper cables, attach your red, positive clamp to the positive terminal to the vehicle with the good battery. After that, attach the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
4. Next, attach the black, negative clamp to the negative terminal of the good battery. After that, attach the remaining black clamp to an unpainted metal part of your vehicle away from the battery  (this is extremely important, and ensure a safe jump.)
5. Start the vehicle with the working battery and let it run for a couple minutes. After that, start the car with the dead battery and allow it to run.
6. Remove the cables in reverse order (negatives first, positive after) and thank the person that helped you. Congrats! You've restarted your battery!

Preventative Measures: If your vehicle is having difficulty starting itself, bring it into our Service Center! We can test the strength of your battery to determine whether or not it needs replacing so you can get back to trick-or-treating in no time!

Brake Wear

Problem: If you can hear screeching, squealing, or grinding when you try to slow down your vehicle, it isn't a monster - it's your brakes! Over time, your brake pads wear down through to the metal caliper and cause it to make contact with the disc/rotor. This metal on metal contact will cause grinding to occur and do serious damage to your brake system.

Solution: If you experience any of these symptoms, don't be scared! You may need to have your brakes repaired or your brake pads replaced. Have our service team inspect your brakes to determine whether or not they require maintenance, then take advantage of our brake specials to receive a discount with your next service!

Preventative Measures: Follow our 5 tips to increase the life of your brakes to ensure that these integral safety components are kept intact throughout the year.

Low Oil Level

Problem: If your vehicle's "check engine" light illuminates, or if your engine is much louder than normal, it could mean that your oil needs to be replaced. Since your engine's oil is used to lubricate and cool your engine, a low oil level can cause your engine's components to grind and push against one another, creating friction, increasing the heat in your engine. This can cause it to overheat and can create serious problems and warping in your engine!

Solution: Typically, you should have your oil changed every 3,000-5,000 miles, or whenever your vehicle owner's manual tells you to do so. Having your oil regularly serviced will prevent damage to your vehicle and save you from the nightmares of overheating!

Preventative Measures: If you aren't sure when you last changed your oil, check it from home to determine whether or not you need an oil replacement. You can also keep a service log to maintain a record of services performed on your vehicle. That way, you'll be able to estimate when you need an oil change!

Overheating Engine

Problem: If you notice smoke coming from your engine or if this symbol appears on your dashboard, pull over immediately. Your engine is overheating!

Solution: If your engine overheats, fear not! At Graff Okemos, we offer free pickup and delivery. Give us a call and we'll pick you up right away to get you and your vehicle to safety. We're here to help you avoid any unnecessary scares this Halloween.

Preventative Measures: An overheating engine can be caused by a variety of factors. The most common, however, are low coolant and low oil levels. You should have your coolant replaced every 30,000 miles, or whenever your vehicle owner's manual tells you to do so. Not sure when you last had it looked at? You can check it at home with these three simple steps:

1. After turning off your car, pop your engine's hood.
2. Locate your coolant reservoir. Typically, your coolant reservoir is located on the right side of your engine, but if you aren't sure what it looks like, look for the "coolant" or "antifreeze" labels on the cap of the large plastic container.
3. Using the dotted lines on the side of the reservoir, you can determine whether or not you need to replace your coolant by the "FULL" and "EMPTY" indicators.

Dead Headlight or Taillight

Problem: If you're having difficulty seeing at night while driving, your headlights may need to be replaced. Without properly working headlights, you may encounter reduced or obstructed vision, making the road an unsafe and scary place for you and other trick-or-treaters.

Solution: When dawn breaks again, make your way to our Graff Okemos Service Center. We'll inspect and service your lights right away to ensure that you're able to take on the night once again. Whether you're vampire hunting or just enjoying a night out, make sure your lights are in good working condition this October to keep you and all the trick-or-treaters safe!

Preventative Measures: Luckily, your vehicle has built-in measures to remind you when it requires replacement lights. Besides the reduced visibility on the road, you may notice that your turn signals blink at a much faster rate than normal. This a signal to indicate that you'll need to have your turn signal light replaced as soon as possible! We can also check your lights for you at our Service Center and answer any questions you may have about them.

You might be in store for a scare or two this Halloween, but they certainly shouldn't have to do with your vehicle. Use our preventative measures and tips to fight off the scariest car issues you'll want to avoid this Halloween. While you're at it, take advantage of our Fall Car Care guide to ensure your vehicle can take on the changing temperatures. If you happen to run into a scare this Halloween, call us and schedule service to take on the new weather. Plus, you can utilize our coupons to save some money that you can spend on cool costumes or unique decorations. Enjoy Halloween this year and avoid the scares of a breakdown while you're on the road!

Located conveniently just outside of Lansing, Hank Graff Chevrolet Okemos is here to help you with your car buying and servicing needs. Our goal is to create a transparent experience and a comfortable environment for all of our valuable customers. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, reach us at (517) 349-8300, or stop by the dealership at 1748 W. Grand River in Okemos, MI 48864

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