Archive for the ‘Portland Used Trucks’ Category

Often, what starts out as a $25 oil change can quickly become a $225, all-day “fix this, replace that, flush that other thing” marathon. If you know the recommended intervals for changing the various fluids and filters in your vehicle, you may be able to save some money by doing those tasks yourself. Here’s what you should know before embarking on at-home vehicle maintenance.

Be Familiar with Your Vehicle Get the Chilton or Haines manual for your vehicle’s make and model. Open the hood and study what you see, compared to the book. Know the names of those parts, what they do, and how they interact. Peruse the troubleshooting section to get an idea of possible scenarios. That clanging noise could have three sources, all different from a clunking noise, which are different from a chug-chug-chug. Some of those problems are easy to fix, others require a professional’s expertise.

Check Your Rental Agreement or HOA Contract Many landlords and homeowners or neighborhood associations forbid doing any sort of car repair or maintenance in the driveway or garage of the residence. Check the legal paperwork you’ve signed, because that oil change may not be allowed unless you’ve parked in the street (and check city codes, too; on-street car repair may not be allowed in your municipality, either).

Are You Physically Able to Perform the Work? You may know, intellectually, how to change a tire or replace an air filter or install a new car battery. But if you can’t lift a tire or turn a wrench hard enough to loosen nuts and bolts, all the know-how in the world won’t fix the car. If you can’t get underneath the vehicle for whatever reason, changing your oil won’t be possible. Know your limits.

Looking for your own reliable new or pre-owned Suzuki? Browse our new inventory, pre-owned inventory, and internet specials 24/7 at gladstonesuzuki.com.

The hosts of NPR’s Car Talk have a great time getting call-in guests to describe the sounds their malfunctioning vehicles are making, but when it’s your car doing the clanking, it’s not so funny. Here are four common sounds a vehicle makes when it needs professional attention, and the most common causes for those sounds. If the bottom line is “take the car in for maintenance,” don’t be afraid to get a second or third opinion.

Clicking when you try to start it, with no turnover from the engine indicates a dead battery. You may not need a new battery; if you left the lights on overnight, or the door slightly ajar, it could simply be drained. Jump start the car and take it to a shop that will test the battery for you.

Squealing from the engine as you drive is usually coming from the drive belt. The cause can range from something as innocuous as getting wet while going through a puddle or as dangerous as a cracked belt that needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Other reasons include A/C components going bad, pulleys or ball bearings that need to be replaced, or the harmonic balancer being out of whack. In any case, it boils down to “take the car to the shop.”

Does your car sound more like an airplane than a car, especially at speeds above 25 miles per hour? The most likely reason is you have a wheel bearing that’s about to go bad. This isn’t an expensive fix, but it’s an urgent one. Bearings that stop spinning means wheels that stop spinning, and wheels that don’t spin mean accidents, potentially fatal ones.

Clunking or squeaking around turns is the result of problems with the front end. Each individual sound is associated with a specific piece of the front end, from the ball joints to the tie-rod ends to the control arms and the end links and the steering rack. A good mechanic will diagnose the specific problem after taking the vehicle for a test drive.

Looking for your own Suzuki Grand Vitara or other quality new or pre-owned vehicle? Browse our new inventory, pre-owned inventory, and internet specials 24/7 at gladstonesuzuki.com.

Searching for a heavy-duty pickup to power through the winter? Now is a great time to take a test drive at Gladstone Suzuki! This 2003 Ford F-350 is not only powerful, but it is also loaded with convenient features and offers versatility for the whole family.

Under the hood is a 6.8-liter V10 engine, providing plenty of power to conquer virtually any terrain. The exterior is fully equipped with custom wheels, a bed liner, fog lights, and much more. The body style includes a crew cab so you can comfortably use the truck as a family vehicle as well – overcoming the main downfall of pickups.

You might assume that because this truck is ultra-powerful and versatile that they skipped out on interior features. Not the case. Notable features include leather seats, overdrive, cruise control, rear slider window, and plenty of leg room for back seat passengers to remain comfortable, too.

Best of all, this truck comes in at a very affordable $16,900 – a tremendous value and great investment. If you’d like to take a pressure-free test drive, we would love to show it to you. Give us a call at 877-630-8711 to set an appointment today!

Looking for your own Suzuki Grand Vitara or other quality new or pre-owned vehicle? Browse our new inventory, pre-owned inventory, and internet specials 24/7 at gladstonesuzuki.com.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced a recall of 73 2011 and 2012 Suzuki Equator pickup trucks.

“Some of the bolts that connect the engine oil cooler and the engine oil filter to the engine in these vehicles may have been manufactured to below specification strength,” said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem. “As a result, the bolt may break at the oil filter attachment point and can cause an engine oil leak. If there is an engine oil leak, the engine oil pressure would drop and the engine could seize, increasing the risk of a crash.”

An identical problem with the Nissan Frontier—because the Frontier and Equator are identical vehicles under the hood—was identified by the NHTSA earlier this month.

Suzuki dealers will replace the connector bolts. The recall is expected to begin on January 19. Owners can contact Suzuki at (714) 996-7040.

Need to bring your truck in for bolt replacement? Looking for your own Suzuki vehicle? Browse our new inventory, pre-owned vehicles, and internet specials 24/7 at gladstonesuzuki.com.

Winter weather and holiday travels are among us, and now is a great time to purchase an award-winning pickup from Gladstone Suzuki! With dozens of top-rated models in stock with low miles and a no-pressure sales process, we would love to help find the perfect fit for you.

2000 Toyota Tacoma $13,999

2005 Dodge Ram 2500 $21,999

2005 Ford F250 XLT $24,999

2003 GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE $20,065

2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LS Z71 $21,999

Looking for your own innovative vehicle? Browse our new inventory, pre-owned vehicles, and internet specials 24/7 at gladstonesuzuki.com.