Here in South Georgia and North Florida, we don’t get the nasty winters like many do up north! But North or South your foreign auto’s are still going to be out during the cold or colder winter weather. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, predicts a harsh winter this year, complicated by longer periods of freezing temperatures. It’s hard to believe with the 77 degree December days we have been seeing, but look out it will be getting cold as the Holidays begin and January arrives. By the way if your heading up North for the Holidays these tips are even more important! Even in the South, you need to be prepared. Here are several things you can do to be prepared for driving in winter weather: Flush the radiator. Eliminating any building up and replacing old antifreeze with a proper mixture of coolant and water will improve foreign engine performance and help your heater work better. Replace wiper blades. When it’s dry, you might not think about this. But turn on your wipers when rain or snow are really coming down, and you’ll want fresh wiper blades that work to help you see the road. Keep your windshield washer fluid reservoir topped off too.  Check your foreign car battery. Now is a good time to get your battery tested. If it’s old, or not performing properly, getting the battery replaced will reduce your risk of being stranded on cold southern morning. Measure tire pressure and tread. Cold air causes tires to lose pressure. Add air if you need to. Proper tire pressure improves fuel efficiency and helps your car handle better on wet or even icy southern roads. Check the tread on your tires too. Worn or slick tires can be very dangerous, even on dry roads. Keep your tank full. There’s been more than one section of I-75 closed in Georgia during the winter because of a major accident and pile up or severe conditions. Keep your tank full. You’ll be able to stay warm if you get stranded. It’s also a good way to help keep moisture from freezing in the fuel lines. Get a tune up. At Pete’s Otto Shop we obverse manufacturer recommendations, it is a good plan for getting regular tune-ups to keep your foreign or performance cars running smoothly. If you haven’t been vigilant about routine maintenance, now is an even better time to get an inspection and take care of any problems before a winter storm arrives. Carry a safety kit. It doesn’t have to be complicated. A few simple things like a flashlight, flares, first aid kit, jump cables and basic tools, a blanket, and some extra food and water, can be helpful in an emergency. An ice scraper (yes even in South Georgia), extra washer fluid, and salt or kitty litter to help with traction in icy conditions can help too.

Even in South Georgia the days are getting shorter and the nights longer. Make sure before you head out in your foreign or performance car, that you check your headlights. Headlights will sometimes dim over time, but often is just a matter of cleaning them off. Greasy residue from southern roads (or any roads) can deposit on them sometimes and that dirt can reduce the light they’re putting out. Also when heading into cooler / cold weather a dimming headlight could be a sign on the next cold night it will go out. Bring your foreign auto’s over to Pete’s Otto Shop, for all your foreigner and performance car needs. Pete’s Otto Shop is located on 401 East Ann Street, Valdosta, GA 31601 or call us at 229.247.6886

Bridgestone teamed up with BMW on development of an all new unique tire, designed exclusively for the BWM i3. The i3 is the only vehicle on the market with the new tire size of 155/70R19. We Know that this is nothing new, car and tire manufacturers have worked together numerous times in the past to create tires for specific vehicles. But, what BMW and Bridgestone came up with was a tire size and compound like nothing else fitted to a car before. Most tire manufactures produce rubber compounds for high performance sports cars. Usually, the compound is just super rubber with increases grip and there’s basically no tread. This way they can producce time faster than their competitors, even though that tire is useless in light rain or wet roads. Well that just wasn’t going to work for BMW designers. The BMW i3 tire requirements were very specific: It needed to be narrow It needed to have superior grip It needed to have a low rolling resistance, minimizing wasted energy, improving vehicle fuel efficiency, AKA Eco-Friendly! But narrow and eco-friendly tires are terrible for both grip and comfort. So Bridgestone had to invent some new methods to make the tires both eco-friendly, while maintaining superior grip, as well as comfortable for the BMW owners. It was an incredulous task but that’s exactly what they did. The key lies in the tires size. The BMW i3 is the only car on the market with this tire size of 155/70R19. The 155 is in reference to the width of the tire, which is 155 mm. The 70 is the aspect ratio of the tire which, long story short, means how large of a contact patch the tire has with the ground. And the 19 is the size of the wheel, in inches. At 155 mm wide, the i3’s tires are far narrower than anything else on the road. The are basically motorcycle tire thin. But because they are so tall, sitting on 19s, and have a large contact patch length-wise rather than width-wise, it allows the i3 to grip the road with a similar grip as a much wider tire. Though Bridgestone developed the stock tire for the i3, other tire manufactures are beginning to produce them as well. Nokian Tyres new winter tire for the i3, which is the same size of 155/70R19, has reported excellent results, even in the snow of Finland. So it goes to show that it’s not just Bridgestone’s tire compound, but the size, that aids the i3 so much. Another benefit of having such skinny, lightweight tires on skinny, lightweight rims, is the lack of unsprung rotating mass. I Know what does that nerd speak mean? Unsprung mass is any mass that isn’t carried by the chassis of the vehicle, but attached to the outside of it. So brakes, wheels and tires are unsprung rotating mass. So reducing this helps the car grip better, ride better, and even handle better. It’s amazing how far BMW has gone to insure that every detail about the i3 is as optimized as currently possible. With something as simple as wheels and tires, BMW decided to go through the trouble of reinventing the wheel (yes, yes pun intended) to make the BMW i3 ride and handle in the manner a BMW’s is supposed to. It’s just another reason, atop the myriad of reasons, why the BMW i3 is the most innovative car on the road. The BMW i3 will save owners money due to it’s eco-friendly tires and a very reasonable / low cost maintenance schedule (as compared to similar vehicles): Service due at 15,000 Miles

Pete’s Foreign Otto Shop is your independent BMW service center, in Valdosta, GA. Pete’s Otto Deals with many different Foreign and Import auto manufactures, and BMW is on the Top of that list.

Car repair and basic servicing procedures for high-end luxury vehicles from Europe, will require factory unique parts that will not be effortlessly accessible to a regular neighborhood garage or services center. Even larger regional or national chain service centers may not carry the appropriate elements for luxury European car repair or employ technicians with an Automotive Services Excellence (ASE) certification in foreign car repair.  Because BMWs and Mercedes are extremely popular foreign luxury cars, dealerships for these vehicles could have service centers on site. It is far more likely that you will need to have a service center that focuses on foreign car repair, specifically European cars. European car repair centers are usually capable of handling servicing and repair function for all kinds of European luxury cars including German designs, Italian Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s, British Jaguars, Japanese Land Rovers and Range Rovers and other makes and models. Whether you live in Valdosta, South Georgia region or are traveling down I-75, Pete’s Otto is the spot for all your Foreign, European and Luxury vehicle needs and repairs.

1. Is your engine tuned up? Fixing a car that is out of tune (or has failed an emissions test) will boost gas mileage, so be sure to give your car regular tune-ups. You’ll also want to watch out for worn spark plugs. A misfiring spark plug can dramatically reduce a car’s fuel efficiency. 2. Is your body in good shape? Inspect suspension and chassis parts for misalignment. Bent wheels, axles, bad shocks, broken springs, et cetera create engine drag and are unsafe at high traveling speeds. 3. Is your air filter clean?  When the engine air filter clogs with dirt, dust and bugs, it causes your engine to work harder and your car becomes less fuel-efficient. Replacing a clogged air filter could improve your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. It’s a good idea to have your engine air filter checked at each oil change.

When it’s time to have your foreign vehicle’s battery replaced here is a tip: Ask for copy of the failed battery test. Most repair shops have a print out with test summary results. Also, make sure your invoice states the warranty details since most batteries are pro-rated after the first year. Lastly, the electronics on most cars (foreign, European, luxury, and domestic) are active even when the car is shut off so it’s important to drive the vehicle at least every 2-3 days to prevent extreme lows in battery charge condition.  If your in the Valdosta area and think your specialty vehicle is having battery issues, then call Pete’s Otto at 229-247-6886 and arrange to stop by and have your Battery and electrical systems checked. Our expert mechanics are happy to help you with your battery replacement needs.

Brakes are vital to our driver safety. If you have been driving your automobile for several months without a brake inspection, it may be time to bring it in for servicing. After regular use, your vehicle’s brake pads will wear down. If they are not properly replaced at the right time, you will likely begin to hear a metal-on-metal screeching sound which indicates the brake pads are no longer working correctly to stop your vehicle. Other signs you need to bring your vehicle into Pete’s Otto Shop is when your vehicle starts pulling to one side of the road when applying your brakes. This can be especially dangerous if you end up losing control of your car when trying to stop, such as in an emergency situation. You can end up losing your braking power and not be able to stop in time. If you apply your brakes and they feel very soft or produce a pulsing sensation, this may be a sign your brakes need professional attention. If you neglect replacing your brake pads in a timely manner, you may need to foot the bill for a rotor replacement too. It is far better to have your brake pads replaced every few months as recommended by our service specialists. They can analyze your driving habits and how much you drive then recommend the proper maintenance schedule in addition to your brakes.  Regular tune ups and engine servicing should also be done to ensure not only your brakes are working properly but also that your entire vehicle is running efficiently and safely. This will help you save a lot of money on major repairs as routine maintenance can catch minor problems before they become major mechanical issues.