Preparing Cars for a Summer Road Trip Now that summer is here, many people are finalizing their plans for a vacation.  Whether it be a trip to a beach, mountains, campsite or visiting family, people are planning a getaway from the cabin fever that has gripped the country. Even as much of America has “re-opened,” travelers are wise to exercise a high level of care and safety. You may be wary of air travel and opt instead to drive to your destination. Even absent a pandemic, being in the confined space of an airplane with many people emitting many different germs and viruses is an easy way to catch something unpleasant at best and dangerous at worst. It Just Makes Sense If you are opting to drive, you’re not alone. A recent survey by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), r ... read more

What Happens If I Don’t Drive My Car? If you haven’t been driving your car as much recently, you’re not alone. A large majority of Americans have been under “stay at home” restrictions for several weeks, and a majority support the orders continuing for the near future to fight the spread of COVID-19. While people are staying at home, the “need” to drive a vehicle has evaporated for more people who aren’t employees of an essential business. However, just because you’re supposed to stay home, doesn’t mean that your vehicle should be left in your garage or driveway for days, if not weeks, without moving. Driving your car for several miles is a great way to keep it healthy and running well. A short drive will wake up all aspects of your vehicle, including the engine, brakes ... read more

Don’t Put Off Regular Maintenance Most of us have been guilty of at least one of the following while driving a vehicle: Driving past your recommended allotted mileage between tire rotations or oil changes. Having an indicator light illuminate your dashboard, hoping that it just goes away. Maybe there are unfamiliar sounds coming from your car or it doesn’t just feel right.  You feel you can hold off on any repairs when you get back out on the road more often or some of the current stay-at-home restrictions are lifted.  We get it. You will eventually get around to it because, relatively speaking, it doesn’t seem as important right now. While fewer people are on the roads these days, that may feel like another excuse to put off routine maintenance to your vehicle. You shouldn’t be waiting until “things get back to normal” in order to service your vehicle. By putting those things off, you a ... read more

Juggling Franchises and Family – Celebrating a Mother Who Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way Family comes first for Serina Daniel, but that doesn’t mean the family business suffers. It means she’s become an expert at running two Milex locations and a household by taking advantage of the flexibility of franchise ownership. Serina and her husband Albert own the Milex location in Frederick, Maryland and the Milex/Alta Mere location in nearby Boonsboro. Their son, Joshua, is 15-years old and was just a toddler when the couple opened their first store in 2007. Serina admits the balance between business owner, mother, homemaker, and wife is not always divided equally.  “Although it’s frustrating at times, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Serina. “I think it’s safe to say that I share this sentim ... read more

Helping Our Customers Through COVID-19 Like the rest of the world, Moran Family of Brands is currently dealing with an unprecedented time, due to the global pandemic associated with COVID-19.  Being in the auto repair industry, our Mr. Transmission and Milex Complete Auto Care stores have been designated as essential businesses and are currently open and serving our customers. In these uncertain times, Moran Family of Brands is committed to continuing to provide customers with the outstanding service that they have come to expect at our stores. Here are some ways that we’re ensuring that our customers have a safe and complete auto service during their visits. Keeping Customers Aware Stores across the country are altering their hours and policies in order to adapt to the fluidity of customer demand and government recommendations for social d ... read more

Performing an Essential Service In today’s society, there is a lot of discussion as to what constitutes an “essential” vs. “non-essential” business. Barber shops, gyms, and retail stores make up a portion of the latest closures around the country, while grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations remain open. As more and more businesses around the country are temporarily shuttered due to COVID-19 concerns, all Mr. Transmission and Milex Complete Auto Care stores remain open for business to serve our customers in need. On March 19, The Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum to state and local governments to include the vehicle service and repair industry in the definition of essential services for the purposes of emergency ... read more

Warning Signs that Your Car Needs Service By safely driving your vehicle and performing routine maintenance on it, you may feel that you it could drive forever. But do you really know how healthy your vehicle is at any given time? Are you financially prepared for the costs of repairs that aren’t covered by insurance? If you experience any of these warning signs, it is important to contact the mechanics at your local Milex Complete Auto Care and get them inspected. Otherwise, you might be in for some unexpected surprises. Bad Vibrations If you’re driving and start to feel vibrations, that is an immediate reason for concern. Vibrations can signify multiple issues with your vehicle, including unbalanced or flat tires, worn brake bads, a failing engine joint, or a lack of oil, resulting in metal engine components scraping against one another. The vibrations might only be felt in the steering co ... read more

What You Should Know About Gasoline Each day in America, 360 million gallons of gasoline are used. A majority of vehicles on the road today need gasoline to run, but when you’re filling up at the pump, do you really know about the liquid you’re putting in your vehicle that makes it “go?” The Different “Levels” of Gasoline When you arrive at a gas pump, you’re often greeted by several gasoline options to fuel your vehicle. There’s “regular” gasoline, which will be the cheapest, the most-expensive “premium” gasoline, often with a “middle” option, both in rating and price, in between. Above these fuel types, there is a corresponding number, typically 87 for regular, 89 for the middle level, and 91 or 93 for premium. These numbers represent octane ratings. Octane ratings refer to the fuel’s type’s res ... read more

Caring for A Car Battery One of the most integral features of an automobile’s anatomy is the car battery. Simply put, without a battery, your car will not start, so it is important to keep your battery as healthy as possible. But you might have some questions about the battery inside your vehicle. What is the Lifespan of a Car Battery? While the lifespan of a battery truly varies from vehicle to vehicle, and is dependent on many outside factors, the average life of a car battery is approximately four years. The two main factors that cause excessive wear on a battery are volatile weather and poor driving habits. Excessive heat can cause the mixture of water and acid inside a vehicle battery to evaporate and cause harm to a battery’s internal components. This will result in a shorter lifespan for the battery. While you might not ... read more

What You Need to Know About Spark Plugs If you’ve ever spent any time around automobiles, you’ve likely heard the phrase “spark plug,” mentioned. No, this isn’t referring to a person with a fiesty attitude, it is actually a very integral piece of an automobile’s internal combustion system, that helps your vehicle start – and without one, it won’t start at all. While that is the most basic function of a spark plug, there is actually much more to know about how it works, its life span and when you know it is time for a replacement. What is a Spark Plug? A spark plug dates back to the mid 1800s, and has been credited to several inventors who created various versions of “spark ignition” in an internal combustion engine. At its mos ... read more