Check Out King Kia’s Tips For Your DIY Oil Change! | Gaithersburg, MD

This week, we’re sharing a list of emergency supplies that you should always have in your vehicle. It’s important to be prepared (why do you think it’s the Boy Scout motto?) and we’re all about that kind of life. So, take a look at our list and make sure you’ve got these items on hand, just in case you need them. Just when you think you don’t, well, that’s always when you do. 1. Charged cell phone. Although this item will probably be on your person, it may make the difference between getting help fast and maybe not getting help at all. 2. First-aid kit with an assortment of Band-Aids, adhesive tape, gauze pads, aspirin, antiseptic wipes, antiseptic cream or ointment, and anything particular to you or your family, like extra medication or other necessities, like Lactaid or similar. 3. Fire extinguisher, rated for Class B and Class C fires by the National Fire Protection Association or NFPA. The NFPA says Class B fires are those that involve flammable or combustible liquids, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and kerosene. Class C fires involve energized electrical equipment such as switches, panel boxes, and batteries. These are both dangers in a vehicle! 4. Three reflective warning triangles. While many prepackaged emergency kits contain one warning triangle, you should have three that are placed 50 feet apart to warn oncoming traffic. In a pinch, though, one will do. 5. Tire gauge. You should use the tire gauge in their car emergency kit to periodically check the air pressure in their spare tire. 6. Foam tire sealant is a quick, inexpensive way to repair many flats without changing the tire. 7. Jumper cables that are at least 10 feet in length and coated with at least 8-gauge rubber. 8. Flashlight and extra batteries. The flashlight should be waterproof. 9. Gloves 10. Rags 11. Duct tape, the universal fix-it solution. You should carry at least 10 feet of it. 12. Tow strap or tow rope that is strong enough to tow 6,000 pounds. 13. Multipurpose utility tool, like a Leatherman or a Swiss Army knife. 14. Rain poncho. Even an inexpensive plastic poncho is better than nothing when changing a tire in the pouring rain. 15. Drinking water. 16. Non-perishable snacks. Protein bars are a good choice. We’ve Got You Covered For Service!

Have you ever slid into the driver's seat of your car and immediately sneezed, or gotten a whiff of something really foul? That is a pretty good indication that you might have to clean out your air vents - or even your whole air system, if you're really feeling ambitious. This might sound like a difficult task, but it's actually really simple and can refresh your whole car for a long time with just a little bit of elbow grease! So first you should grab a vacuum, especially one with a long hose. Vacuum out the air vents of your car - all of them! Not only the ones that are directly facing the front seats, but the ones in the footwells, the ones for the back seats, and ESPECIALLY the defroster vent up next to the windshield. This one is often forgotten and can really collect a lot of dust. When this comes on, it'll just blow all that dust into the air, which then goes right into your face. Not fun. After you've vacuumed, get some cotton swabs dipped in a cleaning solution like Windex, or even white vinegar if you're living the non-toxic lifestyle. Water will do as well. You'll definitely need a few swabs, because you're going to really go into your vents with them and get off anything that didn't come up when you vacuumed. This can be caked on stuff like dust and pollen, which can not only make you sneeze but also smell kind of bad, especially if there's any mildew in the vents from moisture. If your car still smells kind of bad, you should check your cabin air filter. You can take your car into a dealership (I'm going to suggest King Kia, of course!) to have them take a look, or if you're more of a DIY-er, you can find tutorials on the internet and do it yourself. If your cabin air filter looks gross, replace it! It's a cheap fix and really really helps. If there is STILL a smell, and it's kind of musty, that might mean that there's mildew in your AC evaporator. Drive a little ways out from your home and run the air (no AC, just air) on as high as possible for a few minutes. This will circulate air through the evaporator and dry up any moisture that's causing mildew. The final steps are just to Febreeze or get an air freshener and voilà! You're all set! Air vents are easy to take care of, so make sure you maintain them and they'll keep your car smelling fresh and feeling cool for a long time to come. King Kia Keeps It Fresh

Buying and leasing can put you behind the wheel of the exact same Kia, but what happens afterward can look completely different. One driver might want to buy a Kia Sportage, make payments toward ownership, and keep it well beyond the end of the loan. Someone else might lease a Kia K4 because they like changing vehicles every few years and want the flexibility to explore something new when the lease ends. The right choice depends on how much you drive, how long you typically keep a vehicle, your budget, and what you want the next few years of ownership to look like. At King Kia in Gaithersburg, we help drivers throughout Rockville, Bethesda, Germantown, Silver Spring, and the surrounding Maryland communities compare both options. You can start by browsing our New Kia Inventory, checking our New Vehicle Specials and current lease offers, or using our Online Payment Calculator to start putting real numbers behind your decision. Buying a Kia Makes Sense When You Want to Keep It Buying is usually the easier option to picture because the end goal is straightforward: ownership. You finance your Kia, make payments according to your loan agreement, and once the vehicle is paid off, it's yours. Ownership also removes the mileage considerations associated with a lease. If your commute changes, you start taking more road trips, or suddenly find yourself driving into D.C. several times a week, you aren't working within a predetermined lease mileage allowance. You also have more freedom to personalize your vehicle and decide when you're ready to sell or trade it. Already own a vehicle? King Kia 's Value Your Trade tool can help you estimate what it could contribute toward your next Kia. If you'd rather sell without buying another vehicle at the same time, explore our We Buy Cars program instead. Leasing a Kia Gives You a Different Kind of Flexibility Keeping the same vehicle for the better part of a decade isn't everyone's goal. Leasing can make sense if you enjoy driving newer vehicles and like the idea of reconsidering your options every few years. Instead of financing a vehicle toward eventual ownership, you're typically paying for its use during a defined lease term, subject to the terms of your agreement. That can be especially interesting as the Kia lineup continues to expand. King Kia offers gas, hybrid, and electric Kia models, giving you several different ways to approach your next vehicle. The Kia that makes sense for your life today may be different from what you'll want a few years from now, and leasing gives you a natural point to reconsider those needs at the end of your term. Our Current Kia Lease Offers are a useful place to compare available opportunities as you decide whether leasing fits your plans. How Much You Drive Matters Take a look at your odometer. If you're regularly putting significant mileage on your vehicle traveling around Gaithersburg and the DMV, taking frequent road trips, or simply don't want to think about annual mileage limits, buying may give you more freedom. Lease agreements generally establish mileage allowances, and exceeding the mileage specified in your agreement can mean additional charges when the vehicle is returned. Drivers with relatively predictable commutes and annual mileage may find those limits easy to plan around. Checking how many miles you've added to your current vehicle over the last year or two can give you a useful real-world number to bring into the decision. Don't Make the Decision on Monthly Payment Alone Your monthly payment matters, but buying and leasing aren't two versions of the same financial arrangement. Loan and lease agreements can differ in their terms, upfront costs, mileage considerations, payment structures, and what happens at the end. Comparing the monthly numbers without considering those differences doesn't give you the whole picture. Use King Kia 's Online Payment Calculator to experiment with potential purchase scenarios based on factors like vehicle price, down payment, interest rate, and loan term. Our Finance Department can then help you compare available financing and leasing options in greater detail. King Kia works with manufacturer programs along with local and national lenders, and we assist customers across a wide range of credit backgrounds. When you're ready to move forward, you can complete our Online Finance Application before your visit. Buying or Leasing Can Start Online Once you have an idea of which direction makes sense, you don't have to wait until you're sitting inside the dealership to start shopping. Our How to Buy Online page can walk you through the digital shopping process, while the King Kia Express Store gives you another convenient way to move your purchase forward from home. Browse available Kia models, compare your options, estimate the value of your current vehicle, and complete more of the shopping process on your own schedule. Start with the part that's more fun: finding the Kia you actually want. Explore our gas, hybrid, and electric models and then decide how you want to put one in your driveway. Buy or Lease Your Next Kia at King Kia in Gaithersburg If you'd like to finish making payments and have a Kia that belongs to you, buying may align naturally with your plans. If you'd rather have a built-in opportunity to reconsider what you drive every few years, leasing may be worth exploring. Your mileage, budget, driving habits, and long-term plans can help narrow down the answer. Our job is to give you the information and available options so you can decide which one makes the most sense for you. Browse the New Kia Inventory, compare our New Vehicle Specials and Current Lease Offers, use Value Your Trade, or visit our Express Store to start exploring from home. You can also visit King Kia at 953 N Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20879 to compare your options with our finance team. We proudly serve drivers throughout Gaithersburg, Rockville, Bethesda, Germantown, Silver Spring, and the surrounding Maryland communities.