Vassallo: How To Extend The Life Of Your Car Considerably

For the past three years, Jarrett Broyles, assistant service manager over Quick Lube and service writer for Cannon Motors of Mississippi on North Thacker Loop, has been serving my vehicle. Each time I take the car in for servicing, I learn something new from Jarrett that has been of great benefit to the welfare of the vehicle. I recently spoke with Jarrett when he had a few minutes away from his daily schedule.

HottyToddy.com: Jarrett, what all falls under your realm of duties?
Jarrett Broyles: We take care of oil changes, tires, brakes, rotations, balancing, wiper blades, filters, batteries and other quick maintenance matters.
HottyToddy.com: How long have you been involved with cars?
Jarrett Broyles: Since age 12, I have been working on cars. I started with Cannon five years ago as a result of going to the dealership with a friend who was putting in an application for a position.
HottyToddy.com: What are some good tips and advice we can adopt that will lengthen our vehicle’s life?
Jarrett Broyles: Changing the oil within the miles provided or the life of the oil, which shows on the screen for some vehicles, is very important. Performing regular maintenance, such as air filters (45,000 to 50,000 miles), A/C filters (every 15-20,000 miles for certain makes and models) and keeping the tire pressure within a pound of the recommended number are all wise preventive measures.
HottyToddy.com: A lot of my friends seem to not get as many miles out of their tires by neglecting rotations, etc.
Jarrett Broyles: Every other oil change (or every oil change), the tires should be rotated. The reason this is so important is because the front two tires are always turning causing excess wear. And if the tire pressure is off, your car will react while driving. For example, if the front right has 32 lbs. of air while the front left has 36, the car will pull to the lower weight. By keeping the pressure even and correct, the tires will ride at their optimum performance.
HottyToddy.com: Have you seen some recent examples of an owner who performs regular maintenance extending the life of the vehicle?
Jarrett Broyles: Yes, and I have one in particular. A regular customer of ours has a 2005 Malibu with 276,000 miles. I believe the vehicle is only on its second battery and third set of tires.
HottyToddy.com: What an example! Speaking of batteries, what can you share with us?
Jarrett Broyles: Batteries are charged by the alternator and are checked by us every time the vehicle comes in for service. The normal life varies between three to five years.
HottyToddy.com: I have observed from the customer perspective that your servicing of the vehicle is not only thorough, but fast!
Jarrett Broyles: Our average time is 45 minutes and in that period, we change the oil and filter, rotate the tires, perform a car wash and do our 27-point inspection. It only takes slightly longer if we have to obtain a part that is not in stock.
HottyToddy.com: Impressive! Are there any makes or models you do not service?
Jarrett Broyles: Not at all. We can accommodate all models including foreign-made.
HottyToddy.com: Returning to tires, how do we know when our tires are in need of replacing?
Jarrett Broyles: Most new tires have an “8” or higher which means they are 8/32 of tread remaining. Typically this runs between 8 and 11. Once the tread wears down between the 7 and 4 level, we classify this in the “yellow” zone to begin keeping a close watch. Once the tires enter the red zone, 3/32 to zero, they need to be replaced.
HottyToddy.com: Interesting. How can we check this ourselves?
Jarrett Broyles: A tire tread gauge can be acquired at any parts store. It’s simple to use and takes seconds to check the tread level.
HottyToddy.com: Concerning safety, are there items we should always keep in our car?
Jarrett Broyles: I would recommend in addition to the tire tread gauge, the following items: an air gauge, jumper cables, one to two quarts of oil, a gallon of straight coolant and an air pump that can be plugged into the cigarette lighter.
HottyToddy.com: What are your hours?
Jarrett Broyles: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. -5 p.m. We recommend making an appointment by calling 662-234-2311.
HottyToddy.com: Did we leave anything out?
Jarrett Broyles: Nobody beats a Cannon deal, nobody! Come see us at Cannon. My customers are my family!

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.
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