We all know that the elements take a toll on the sheen and appearance of our cars paint. Unfortunately, those same outside elements slowly degrade the plastic parts on our cars as well. This includes trim, taillights, and headlights.

Headlights that are foggy, yellow, and oxidized not only look bad, they can drastically reduce your nighttime visibility. The good news is, you can easily restore the clarity of your vehicle's headlights in just a few steps. 

Don't let spring sneak up on you! This year, make the most of spring with a fantastic and thorough car cleaning and maintenance check-up. In additional to oil changes performed at regular intervals, you should also have your car maintained by your local maintenance team.

Your car care check-up should include a number of treatments. In addition to an oil change, make sure to ask about having your belts tightened and your hoses examined.

If your car's tires and wheels look dirty, the time has come to clean them. Looks aren't the only reason why a good cleaning makes sense. Brake dust could be collecting on the wheels, which can eat into the metal. And a good cleaning involves more than just washing things off with a hose.

Visit an auto supply retail shop and buy a quality wheel cleaning spray. 

Your car's fuel pump is what gets fuel from your gas tank to your engine. With a damaged fuel pump, your car's performance will suffer. By knowing the signs of a failing fuel system, you can get to Deland Kia for service before it's too late.

A bad fuel pump won't deliver a steady stream of gas to the engine, so your engine might sputter or surge forward suddenly. 

These are a few roadside emergency preparation tips to keep you safer in the event you run into trouble.

• Always call 911 when the car is disabled. If anyone offers to help, tell them the police have been notified and are on the way, to scare them away if they have other intentions.

The brake pedal plays an important part of your car's mechanism. When you touch the brake pedal, it makes your car stop. If the brake pedal isn't doing its job, it's time to have the car serviced. Stop at Deland Kia and have our service technicians perform a brake inspection.

It's very important to have your brakes checked at the first sign of trouble to prevent a small problem from becoming a big problem, which can become dangerous.

Your car's exhaust system is responsible for monitoring and cleansing the products of combustion. The gases that are released by the combustion process include toxic substances that could harm you or the environment if the system develops a leak. One of the first signs you might notice is fumes in your car.

Every vehicle has an electrical system involved. At the heart of this system is your automotive battery. But like any battery, it will discharge without a steady stream of current to keep its levels at the appropriate level.

That is where your alternator comes in. Your alternator is basically a small generator that works in tandem with your engine to not only recharge your car battery, 

Air, as funny as it may sound, is a key element to having a good driving experience. Both you and your car require clean air to function as you should. Luckily, your vehicle is engine and cabin air filters to ensure the best possible air quality.

The cabin and engine air filters in your car basically perform the same function. 

Your tires are constantly in contact with the road in the Deland area. Proper inflation and sufficient tire tread are necessary not only for safety but also good gas mileage. Tires that are underinflated can lead to blowouts as well as uneven wear. When tires are overinflated, the weight of your vehicle is concentrated on a thin area in the center of each tire, which also leads to uneven wear.