Welcome to Des Moines Mitsubishi and Saab of Des Moines'

Vehicle Tips Page

We at Des Moines Mitsubishi and Saab of Des Moines  would like to take this opportunity to help out anyone who has a vehicle or may be driving a vehicle soon by offering some tips that maybe you haven't considered or weren't aware of.

As you may already know, owning a vehicle is a huge responsibility, financially, and otherwise.  We would like to offer you a few tips that may help extend the life of your vehicle and your happiness with the vehicle in the months and years to come.

Remember to have your oil and filter changed by a trained technician every 3000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first.  Living in Iowa, with it's drastic changes in weather and stop and go traffic, your vehicle needs proper oil change maintenance.  Afer a vehicle loses lubrication it can cause oil to break down which in turn will decrease your miles to the gallon, and clog up other mechanisms important to the maintenance of your vehicle. 

Remember that driving the speed limit will also increase your fuel economy.  It's true, speeding may get you somewhere faster, but you'll be paying for it in the long run. 

Have your battery checked at each servicing so you are familiar with how your battery is performing so you can avoid a dead battery incident.  Your servicing facility can tell you how the life of your battery is doing.  All Mitsubishi's come standard with an IOD connector that will allow you to temporarily disconnect a portion of your vehicle's battery to prevent battery drain.  The IOD will disconnect such things as your radio, dome light, and headlights, so if you are going to be away from your vehicle for an extended period of time, this may prevent any problems with lights accidentally left on. 

Extended Warranty Contracts are a wonderful addition to your vechicle's value.  Remember if you purchased an Extended Warranty Contact at the time of your vechicle purchase, keep a copy of that contract in your glove compartment for easy access.  If your servicing facility needs to make a claim using your Extended Warranty Contract, it moves much quicker if they have that information handy.  If you don't already have an Exteded Warranty Contract, remember that you can purchase one with Kelly Cappel, our business manager.

Having your vehicle professionaly detailed is beneficial in more ways than one.  Keeping your vehicle detailed and looking like new will help you in every day life and when you are ready to trade your vehicle in for that new one.  Remember a clean vehicle will have a better value.  The detail department at Des Moines Mitsubishi and Saab can help you make that dirty car look like new again.

Total Vehicle Protection Packages are always available for your vehicle and is highly recommended.  TVP will help protect your vehicle from interior stains, exterior fading, and damage caused by salt and brine used on the roads during inclement weather.  Vehicles with the Total Vehicle Protection packages will in turn bring more value to your vehicle at time of trade.

Driving your convertible through the automatic car wash may sound like a quick way to make it sparkle and shine, but is not recommended.  Only wash your convertible by hand, and never use soap on your convertible top.  Water and a nylon brush is the only thing that should touch the top of your convertible.  This will help to prevent  future problems with your convertible top, including leaks. 

Always make sure you have all tools needed to change your vehicle's tire if you needed to make an emergency stop.  Make sure you have a working jack, and a lug wrench to remove the lug nuts.  Or if your vehicle is still covered under the road side assistance warranty, they will do this for you.  For Mitsubishis dial 1-800-999-7007.  For Saabs dial 1-800-852-9001.

Make sure your spare tire is at proper pressure.  This pressure can be checked just like your other four tires are checked.  It is recommended you have your tires rotated at every other oil change, ask your servicing station to check your spare tire's pressure at this time.   This is also a good time to have your tires' condition assessed to prevent blow outs or flat tire problems. 

Recommended tire pressure can vary from vehicle to vehicle.  You can locate your vehicle's recommended tire pressure on the drivers side door jam.  It may be different from the front to the back tires, if so, adjust your spare to be somewhere in between.