Summer 2020 was a boom time for road trips. Many drivers were eager to hit the road, and according to the Expedia® 2020 Summer Travel Report published in July 2020, 85% of U.S. travelers reported that they would be likely to take a road trip. This road trip renaissance is slated to continue into spring and summer of 2021.

According to a Harvest Hosts survey, 69% of Americans felt unsafe getting on a plane as of January 2021. This travel membership group also reported that 76% of respondents plan to travel more than they did in 2020. Combine this discomfort of planes and a desire to travel, and the roads are likely to be full once again in 2021.

Providing pre and post drive maintenance to road trippers is an important service. After all, a reliable vehicle is a non-negotiable on a long drive. Customers put their trust in you every time they roll into the shop, but road trip maintenance is a special ask that requires additional attention beyond a standard oil change. Changing out fluids and filters is vital, but ignition systems are another area that could use your expert touch.

Sell Your Customers on Consistent Starts

Misfires and failed ignition threaten to hurt fuel efficiency and even put vehicles out of commission. If a customer is preparing for a long drive, or just hasn’t had the ignition system looked at in a while, make sure to provide guidance on why regular checks are a must. Here’s what customers should know, and what might convince them that this service is worthwhile:

• Ignition wires and coils need to be inspected for loose connections, insulation breakdown and general wear, all of which could compromise starts.
• Inspecting and cleaning spark plug threads is key in preventing misfires, and this practice can assist in finding fouled spark plugs and diagnosing engine wear (oil fouling) or a rich air-fuel mixture (carbon fouling).
• The distributor cap, which connects the internal rotor to the ignition wires, may need to be tightened or put back into place – a loose cap can completely prevent a vehicle from starting.

Talking to customers about the prevalent causes of a potential misfire or failed ignition is a great start, and the next step in providing top-notch ignition service is to pick a premium replacement spark plug. The fuel economy and long-lasting performance of iridium is a reliable way to drive customer satisfaction.

Autolite Iridium Ultra® Spark Plugs provide the precision and reliability of an engineered OE replacement spark plug. The highest performance offering from Autolite®, Iridium Ultra®, features a laser-welded 0.5 mm iridium finewire center electrode for optimal fuel efficiency, acceleration and focused ignitability. Iridium XP offers a tested blend of iridium, platinum and tungsten to precisely focus spark energy at the optimum ignition point to deliver high power, long life and exceptional value.

Autolite® has been focused on developing spark plugs since 1935. We have done the research and put in the hours to enhance the performance, durability, and ignitability of plugs for domestic and import engines. Our latest advances in technology are our Iridium Ultra® and Iridium XP spark plugs. Explore the benefits of our iridium spark plugs at autolite.com.

This article was sponsored by Autolite. For more information, please visit autolite.com.