Close Maintenance Tips for Your Unused Vehicle in Highland Park, IL
Don’t turn a blind eye to your car’s health just because you don’t drive it regularly. Doing so can lead to a wide array of long term problems that are entirely preventable with a few basic steps. It doesn’t take long to learn the basics of how to maintain an unused vehicle, so read through this short guide of tips provided by our McGrath Kia of Highland Park team!
Oil Changes
While you may think that oil only needs to be changed when it’s low, that’s actually only one scenario where such is the case. Engine oil can also go bad with age after a certain period of time passes, and this is often what occurs with vehicles that are rarely driven. Because the liquid only gets used up when the motor is running, it’ll expire before it actually runs out, but getting an oil change is the end result of both scenarios. With that in mind, you should keep track of how long it’s been since your vehicle’s last oil change, as that’ll inform you of how soon it’ll need service to remain road ready.
Protecting Your Vehicle From the Elements
Most car owners don’t consider the consequences of leaving a vehicle exposed to outside weather conditions for extended periods of time. It won’t do any real harm to your car if it sits outside all day long, but you want to avoid having that be the case for several days. For example, if you’ve got a summer trip planned that will take you away from Highland Park for more than a week, then you should keep your car parked indoors where it won’t be under the sun day in and day out. The ultraviolet rays can damage the exterior of the vehicle, so it’s best to protect your vehicle from them. Similarly, a car that’s left outside during the winter and never driven will have its battery drained by the cold temperatures, and potentially be unable to start the next time you want to take it for a drive along Route 41. In the event that your vehicle's exterior ever needs to be worked on, then our Body Shop is where you'll want to go for service.
Driving Your Unused Car
The easiest way to limit the likelihood of your Kia Carnival, Sportage, or K5 in good condition is to take it for regular trips around town when you can. We recommend driving the vehicle at least once per week as a general rule of thumb. This can help prevent certain components from rusting, and it’ll give you a chance to regularly check up on all the car’s internal systems to ensure nothing is behaving abnormally. Of course, in the event that you find something amiss, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Service Department at your earliest convenience to schedule a maintenance appointment with our talented team!
Does Engine Oil Expire?
- Yes, regardless of the type, engine oil will eventually become old and corroded. This will directly affect the performance of your vehicle and you'll need to seek out an oil change to resolve the issue.
Dealership Information
Testimonials
“ Dan was down to earth, knowledgeable and understanding of my needs. I felt that he knew a great deal of the mechanical aspects having worked in the service department previously. ”
“ Daniel and the entire team at Kia of Highland Park were amazing. The coordination and cooperation between all the parties was really smooth. The General Manager of the dealership Jason Press was totally invested in the process and made sure his team was focused on delivering a flawless customer experience. My experience was great and I was in and out of the dealership with my new vehicle in just a few hours. The best vehicle leasing experience i have had in a long time!!! Thanks!! ”
“ Danny at McGrath Kia of Highland Park is amazing!! 10/10 service, expertise and care. Went above and beyond! ”
“ Great experience! We were able to get the model/trim we were looking for and everything was handled smoothly and professionally. Danny was very friendly and patient! Would definitely recommend ”
“ This is our second Kia, both from Charlie. Highly recommended!!! Charlie is very knowledgeable about what he is doing, professional and friendly ”
“ Jared was awesome! overall great experience ”
“ Danny C was awesome. Very knowledgeable and what he didn't he found out very quickly. ”
“ Kia McGrath made the car buying process stress free and easy. They worked diligently with us to make a deal work within our budget and went above and beyond to see it through to the finish line. Working with Danny was great and I highly recommend stopping by and asking for him when looking at a new or pre owned vehicle. It was a great experience working with the McGrath team and we are so happy with our new Telluride! ”
“ Wayne Ricks was amazing to work with. He made the whole buying process smooth and easy, and provided great knowledge and guidance around the different options of the car we were looking for. He was extremely helpful in walking us through the different payment options. I would recommend Wayne to anyone looking for a car. ”
“ Staff was efficient, friendly and helpful. No more pressure for extras than reasonable ”
“ I had a great experience at McGrath Kia of Highland Park since the first contact with my husband until the final deal. I highly recommend! ”
“ Danny was absolutely the best. Got us in and out without all the Bs of going back and forth with numbers..Highly recommend seeking out Danny for all your helps and needs . ”
“ Don’t walk, run and see Danny.. Hassle free and very knowledgeable.. Thank you Danny for helping us get our 1st car. ”
“ I just leased my second Kia from McGrath Kia of Highland Park and had another great experience. I walked in and, two hours later, walked out with a new Sportage that fit perfectly within my budget. Huge thanks to Pejman, my salesperson, and Paul in finance for making the whole process feel easy and straightforward. They worked hard to put a deal together that made sense for me, and I really appreciated their transparency and efficiency. Grateful to have a dealership I can trust. I’ll definitely be back again. ”
“ Very nice experience at McGrath Kia in Highland Park. Everyone was very nice and there was never any pressure put on me to purchase the vehicle. Highly recommended!! ”
“ I’ve been eyeing the Kia Carnival Hybrid for a while now. With one child already and a second on the way, I definitely need a larger vehicle. I came across Charlie’s post on social media and reached out to him. He was incredibly patient, answering all my questions about specs and financing. I decided to meet him the next day to discuss things in person and take the car for a test drive."As we spoke, I realized he is a genuinely great person—polite and incredibly patient. He walked me through all the features and explained exactly how everything worked. I felt I could truly trust him, so I let him handle the process. He offered a price I simply couldn't refuse, and the interest rate was well within my budget. I highly recommend that everyone go to Charlie for their next car. Thank you for the excellent service today!" ”
“ Jason Press, Pejman, Pawel, everyone at McGrath Kia is fantastic. You cant go wrong at this spot. New, used, trade ins, service - all fantastic!!!! ”
Pejman and the entire team was fantastic to work with.
“ Pejman and the entire team was fantastic to work with. Jason Press runs a fantastic shop and I couldn't be happier with my new car! ”
“ It was the most pleasant experience with Pejman , just nice and easy, he answered all the questions and I never felt pushed , I will wholeheartedly recommend to get a car from him !! ”
“ Mack was an incredibly attentive salesman & he never left me questioning what was happening in the process. He’s a wonderful salesman that I will absolutely refer friends & family to. ”
“ Had a great experience working with Pejman, he did a fantastic job helping me find the car I wanted and following up with some requests after the car was purchased. Really nice salesman, and very helpful. ”
“ Nicolas Vazquez worked to find the right car for us and get it to us in a short time frame. He was available via text when we left to work things out and matched a deal from competitor. Showed me the whole facility so it's easy when I come back for service. Clean showroom. A little small now but it's getting an addition of both showroom and service space. Friendly, easy to work with. I filled out my credit application before going in, which shortened the transaction process but I was still there 2 hours. Lots of time spent with finance person offering packages we frankly didn't want. She was friendly throughout. I'm excited about the new car-- it's super safe and fun to drive. Good experience all around. ”
“ Great dealership. Great people. Highly recommend. ”
“ We chose McGrath because they had the used vehicle we were interested. Nicolas was our salesperson that greeted us. He was professional, knowledgeable and a joy to work with without a lot of high pressure tactics. ”
“ My partner and I had a great experience buying our new kia k4. Jared was great explaining all the extras and giving his own opinion on them, trying to ensure we stayed within our budget. Paul was also very helpful explaining the warranty when we were meeting with the finance department. Shoutout also to Tracy for speaking with my partner on the phone yesterday and helping him out. I'm sure that we will love our new kia and I'm grateful to the staff for being patient with our little guy. ”
“ Highland park Kia is a legit place to go. I had a great experience, i unfortunately had a transmission issue and got towed to world Kia Joliet. I picked up my car from world Kia Joliet when they told me it was repaired. When I picked up the car from world Kia Joliet, the car was making noises so I took it to highland park Kia. Highland park Kia, showed me the faulty work that world Kia Joliet did and sent me a video on the issues. This was very helpful and helped me out. In my experience, McGrath Kia of Highland Park is a business of integrity, and puts their customers first. I would recommend McGrath to anyone for their service needs. ”
“ Walked in and was met by Casey. The whole experience was great. He helped us find exactly what we wanted and was very professional. ”