Monday, August 11, 2014

Preventative Maintenance...a love story!

There are few things in life other than people that we fall in love with.  For many people, their car is one of them.  We see one, we LOVE it immediately, so we buy it.  We wash it, we vacuum it, and we always have the oil changed right when we should!  For some, that might seem like enough.  You only drive it to work and back and mainly in town, so there isn't a lot of other things that would need done right?   WRONG!   Just like any relationship, it requires communication and a little work here and there!  Keeping your car maintained is about finding problems before they become expensive and dangerous, as your car will try and hurt you if something goes wrong, no matter how much you love it.

This is where preventative maintenance comes in.  You don't wait until your brake rotors are sliced and diced by metal from worn pads do you?  NO!  You replace the pads when they get low so you don't incur that extra cost, thereby extending the life of your brakes! 
We take certain things for granted way too much in our cars.  You see, the most dangerous things in your car are the ones designed to save you.  Brakes & tires are arguably one of the most important, if not THE most important thing you can keep maintained on your car.  If they fail, it is not just a problem, but a deadly one.  Bad or no brakes can be the difference between stopping behind the guy that just stopped for that bunny in the road, or a very nasty wreck. 


I found this out firsthand this weekend.  I drive a late 90's import, and everything looked ok to me, but there is a spot that is not in view without having the car in the air and the line ruptured underneath that cover.  I was extremely lucky as it was a small leak, and the pedal went to the floor while sitting at a traffic light.  Had it been the day before, when I was going 65mph on Rt. 15 and someone stopped short in front of me, I might not have been able to be here this morning writing this. 

Taking your vehicle to a reputable service station is one of the best things you can do for your continued relationship with it!  When you bring your car to us, we also perform a FREE 23 point vehicle inspection with your service.  This will keep you aware of any possible problems like I had well ahead of time to get it repaired without issue. 

If you love your car, or even just its ability to move you from one place to another, treat it right, get it checked out, replace what it needs when it needs it, and you'll be in a long term, stable relationship as long as you keep it! 

(If you do trade it in, don't worry, they don't mind!) 

Be safe out there!

Monday, February 10, 2014

Fitzgerald has gone to the dogs!



Click here to see more pictures from the event!

 This last weekend, WARL and Fitzgerald teamed up in Frederick, MD to have a big pet adoption event!  You can see the flyer on the left.  It was a great day, filled with donations, fun, fur, and adoptions! 

     This event was the most successful the shelter has ever had, with 6 of 7 dogs finding homes THAT DAY!   It's always amazing how much people pour their heart into helping these wonderful homeless animals!  
      
     For animals like this, the best thing that can happen to them is to find a loving home. It's so great to see them get a home because of the great people involved in making these events happen!

     Please keep in touch with us for more events like this in the future!