We at Volvo Cars Charlotte are dedicated to answering any questions you may have about how to load cargo in your vehicle for a safe trip. Not all vehicles are the same, and loading cargo correctly can help keep a vehicle safely on the road.

Checking your tires is the first step to staying safe on a long trip with a lot of cargo. The heaviest items should be flat in the cargo area and on the bottom or closest to the floor. 

The ignition system in your vehicle is much more than just a battery and a key. The ignition system is similar to the nervous system in your body. It sends pulses to the individual cylinders at precise intervals allowing the fuel and air to combust and power the vehicle. Without this vital spark, your engine is dead in the water.

Diagnosing ignition problems is not always easy, but there are a few key things to look for when you suspect you may be having a problem. 

Testing the car battery in your vehicle using a voltmeter is easy if you know how. Before doing any type of work near the car battery, be sure that you wearing some heavy-duty gloves and protective eye-wear.

Don't do any testing around the car battery until the engine and lights are all off.

Headlights are an important component of your vehicle, especially when you’re driving at might. If they’re not functioning as they should, you won’t be able to see clearly in low-light situations. Stop at Volvo Cars Charlotte and let us take a look at your headlights.

If you’re having difficulty seeing at night, your vehicle may be in need of headlight maintenance, which may include one of the following.

There's lots of well-meaning advice about motor oil that no longer holds up. For example, back in the 1970s, synthetic oils were new technology. At the time, they could sometimes cause leakage. Today, this is no longer an issue, but many older people are still wary of synthetics.

Another myth about your car's oil is that it must be changed every 3,000 miles, like clockwork. Instead of following that arbitrary guideline, follow the guideline set by your car's manufacturer. Some cars don't need an oil change until they're around the 7,000-mile mark.

To quickly get a car jump-started, you'll need to have some jumper cables and some safety glasses. Be sure to bring the front of both cars as close to one another as possible. Turn off the car lights and engine, open the hood and unravel your jumper cables.

Start with the red clamps, one to the positive terminal on your good battery, the other end will go to the positive terminal on the dead battery. The clamp on the black cable now goes to the negative side of the good battery. The remaining black clamp is going to be…

Will your warranty cover the repair bill? Understanding the coverage on your vehicle can help you save time when you need to bring your car in. What is the difference between the two warranties?

Powertrain warranties generally cover parts of your vehicle that power the various systems. This includes your engine, transmission, and the related parts. Some powertrain warranties can also include your driveshaft and velocity joints as well.

One category that this warranty doesn’t typically cover are components that are intended to wear out over time.

It can be difficult to control your vehicle in wet weather. If you are driving too fast, or you try to brake quickly, you may discover that your car slides on the road. Losing grip on the road is caused by a number of problems, one of the biggest is tires that are worn down and need to be replaced.

Sometimes all you need to do is add air to your tires, and you are safe to drive. Bring your car into our service center at Volvo Cars Charlotte, and we check to see that your tires are in good…

One of the tasks our experienced technicians regularly perform when you bring your vehicle into the service department at Volvo Cars Charlotte is tire rotation per your vehicle's recommended service intervals. Moving tires on a regular basis from front to rear axles and vice versa provides benefits that extend the life of your car or truck while also keeping maintenance costs down.

Rotating your tire allows more even wear, resulting in longer lasting tread depth and traction. It also helps maintain the warranty for your tires as some manufacturers may refuse to honor the warranty...

Have you ever wondered how your car knows that the outer wheels need to turn faster than the inner wheels when you're making a turn in your vehicle? There's a very important gearbox that is responsible for this, and if for some reason it isn't working, your wheels won't move at all. You, maybe, have heard of it. It's called the differential.

Your differential is responsible for transferring the power from your engine to the wheels that need to turn. If the gears inside the differential are not properly lubricated and become worn, that can…