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Meter with engine light On

Why You Shouldn’t Panic When Your Check Engine Light Comes On

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Posted in Godwin Service Center

You’re driving on the highway and your check engine light comes on and you panic. The first thing that might come to mind is, am I going to make it to where I’m going? Next, price of the possible repair and lastly, I can’t afford this right now. Remain calm, and try to stop the urge to panic. There are many reasons why your check engine light may have came on and most are fairly simple fixes.

More than likely, it’s not that serious

There are many different reasons why your check engine light may have came on and it’s mostly very inexpensive to fix. According to CarMD, the five most common check engine repairs are:

  • O2 sensor (part of the emissions system, monitoring and helping adjust the air-fuel mixture)
  • Loose gas cap (which will cost you nothing to fix)
  • Mass air flow sensor (monitoring the amount of air mixed in the fuel injection system)
  • Ignition Coil Packs (which are a little more expensive to replace)
  • Catalytic converter

You may not know what any of these things are, but that’s why you should visit a well trusted service department like Godwin Service, Godwin Motors’ in-house full-service center. You can easily set an appointment to check your engine light at http://www.godwinmotors.com/schedule-car-maintenance-or-auto-repair-columbia-sc.

Easily Diagnosed

Technology makes it easier to diagnose these types of issues. Today, most cars are equipped with an onboard computer system that is responsible for controlling things like the fuel injectors, spark plugs, the steering system and more. Godwin Service can easily tell you what the problem is with a diagnostic computer system. You can either call Godwin Service (803.252.8774) or set up an appointment online at www.godwinmotors.com to get your diagnostic as soon as possible.

Next time your engine light comes on, don’t panic. More than likely, it’s just a easy fix and most importantly inexpensive.

Meter with engine light On

2018 4th of July Fireworks and Events in Columbia SC

What’s there to do this 4th?

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Posted in Community

2018 4th of July Fireworks and Events in Columbia SC

It’s here! America’s birthday is always a fun time to celebrate with friends and family as we honor our country’s history and quest for independence. Lighting off fireworks is a tradition that hasn’t ceased to impress, and we’re excited to see what comes of them heading into Independence Day 2018. Take a look at some of the 2018 4th of July fireworks and events happening in Columbia SC! Read the rest of this entry >>

hand holding a green gas pump handle to fill car

Save More Fuel!

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Posted in Tips and Tricks

Tips for Increasing Fuel Economy

We’re always looking for different ways to save money, and this might be the easiest one yet. Drivers are trending toward vehicles with higher fuel efficiency and automakers are answering the call. If you’re stuck with a car that doesn’t get as good of MPGs as you’d like, there are some measures you can take to change that. Check out these tips for increasing fuel economy! Read the rest of this entry >>

Sales Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax Increase in South Carolina on July 1, 2017

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Posted in Godwin Motors

A notice to Godwin Motors customers:

South Carolina currently charges a vehicle sales tax of 5% with a maximum of $300 on the sale or lease of motor vehicles, boats, aircraft, and motorcycles. This SC sales tax cap of $300 has been in place since 1984. Both Georgia and North Carolina have since removed this cap. Georgia charges the sales tax on vehicles, which is 7 percent in most counties, while North Carolina charges a 3 percent highway use tax.

South Carolina will change this cap to $500 on July 1, 2017 costing you an additional $200 to purchase a vehicle. This can be as much as $9 per month if you are financing your purchase.

The time to act is now! If you purchase a vehicle before July 1 you will enjoy up to a $200 savings.

Have you purchased from Godwin Motors in the past? Did you know about Godwin Motors loyalty program? We lower your interest rate by 3% with each consecutive purchase. That is on average a savings of $600 when financing with us. What does all this mean to you? Purchase a new to you vehicle from Godwin Motors before July 1, 2017 and save up to $800.

View our inventory on the web at www.godwinmotors.com, give us a call at 803.252.8774 or stop by our West Beltline Blvd. lot. Let us help you.

Sources:
http://www.scnow.com/news/state/article_9462e73e-8732-5b7e-9aff-25b2d2a9b2f2.html
https://dor.sc.gov/tax/max-tax

It’s a popsicle party!

IT’S A POPSICLE PARTY AT GODWIN MOTORS IN COLUMBIA Celebrating the dealership’s 35 years in business

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Posted in Godwin Motors

Godwin Motors of Columbia will celebrate 35 years in business by serving up 350 hand-made popsicles to families on Thursday, October 1st from 4:00 – 5:30pm at their dealership, 4032 West Beltline Blvd Columbia, SC 29204.

Families can drive up and choose a strawberry or oreo pre-packaged, hand-made popsicle, per person, handed to them in their vehicle. La Paletta Bar, a local small business also owned by a former employee of Godwin Motors, will be providing the popsicles. Popsicles will be provided first come, first serve until they are gone.


“We wanted to celebrate with the families who have supported us throughout the past 35 years, but also be good stewards of the socially distant times right now,” said Luke Godwin, General Manager and Owner of Godwin Motors. “Our dealership and service center would not be here today if it wasn’t for our customers who put their trust in our company for their car buying and service experiences.” 

Godwin Motors will also donate two vehicles to The Cooperative Ministries’ Auto Program as part of their 35 year celebration this fall. To date, Godwin Motors has donated eight vehicles over the past two years.

To contact Godwin Motors for a statement, please call (803) 252-8774 and ask for Luke Godwin.  www.godwinmotors.com

2016 Toyota Sequoia vs 16 chevy suburban

Compare the Toyota Sequoia vs. Chevrolet Suburban

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Posted in Godwin Motors

Compare the Toyota Sequoia vs. Chevrolet Suburban

Are you looking for a full-size SUV, but you don’t know what make or model to purchase? Love the Tahoe, but it’s a bit too pricey. You may want to look at a few other models like a Chevrolet Suburban or a Toyota Sequoia. Each provide exceptional power and interior capacity, as well as impressive styling and tech. Here I will provide you with some information and thoughts from professionals on their take on the vehicle.

Safety and Warranty
The Suburban and Sequoia are matched when it comes to basic safety amenities. Both include features like full airbag systems, traction and electronic stability control, available blind spot warning systems, and daytime running lights. The Suburban comes with OnStar connectivity. The Suburban also has available safety features that the Sequoia doesn’t offer. These include crash imminent braking, full-time four wheel drive, collision warning, hill descent control, and cross-path warning. The Sequoia Limited has six airbags, but the Suburban 1500 LT is missing the driver’s lower airbag. Both have the usual brakes and child door locks that comes standard. The Sequoia has rollover resistance which is 1.7 times safer than the Suburban.

Fuel Efficiency and Cost
Whether you choose the two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive option for your new large SUV vehicle, the Suburban has the edge when it comes to fuel economy and range. The Suburban offer a fuel economy of 13 city mpg /17 highway mpg, while the Sequoia achieves up to 16 city mpg/23 highway mpg. You’ll also be able to go longer between fill ups with the Suburbans larger fuel tank capacity, which holds 4.6 additional gallons. The 2017 Suburban 1500 LT has a reasonable price ($45,795), while the 2017 Sequoia Limited is more expensive ($55,240.)

Power and Payload
If your goal is to tow and haul cargo, the Suburban has a clear edge. The Suburban’s maximum trailer towing rating exceeds the Sequoia by 900 pounds. The Suburban’s standard and maximum payload capacities are both 1796 pounds. The Sequoia is rated at 1250 pounds standard and 1350 pounds maximum. The Sequoia Limited is fairly powerful with a 381 Horsepower at 5,600 RPM, while a suburban has a 321 HP 5,400 RPM.

Passenger and Cargo Capacity
The Suburban offers optional seating for nine passengers, whereas the Sequoia is limited to eight seats.
The Sequoia Limited’s standard folding rear seat will get you extra cargo room; not available on the Suburban 1500 LT.

Both SVU’s give drivers access to the power, performance, and interior capacity they want. Your needs determine which one is the better choice for you. If you need seating for up to nine and the towing capacity to haul a small house, the Suburban might be a good choice for you. If you still want plenty of room for eight and additional horsepower to the rear wheels, the Sequoia might be the right choice. Which one would you choose?

Loan approved

Convenient Used Car Shopping in Columbia, SC

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Posted in Godwin Service Center

Convenient used car shopping is closer than you think.

At Godwin Motors in Columbia, SC, we are the Midlands oldest buy here pay here car dealership. That means you do not have to wait hours to get approved. With proper documentation, which includes two recent check stubs, your South Carolina driver’s license, and bill of residency, we can have you approved within minutes. And, let you know your down payment and monthly payments up front.

Compared to other corporate car dealerships it can take hours or maybe even days to get approval. This process includes the dealership sending your private information to multiple lenders to see if you qualify. This can consists of the company running your credit multiple times which can affect your credit negatively. At Godwin Motors, if we finance in-house, we do not have to run your credit if you do not want us to do so. We would use the information that you would provide to us such as your monthly net income, length of time at your job and residency to determine your approval. Fast approval is one of our primary goals at Godwin Motors. Most importantly, we finance you, not your credit.

Can’t make it into the dealership and want to know if you can get approved for financing? Godwin Motors has our application online if you aren’t able to come in-house to fill one out (www.godwinmotors.com/financing-made-easy-in-columbia-sc). We are a one-stop shop where we provide car sales, financing, rentals, and even a full-service center.

Godwin Motors makes shopping for your next vehicle very convenient.

On our website, www.godwinmotors.com, you have access to over 40 pictures to view the exterior and interior of our vehicles for sale, as well as the option to look over the CarFax before you step foot into the dealership. Godwin Motors is a CarFax Advantage Dealer, which means you can access the CarFax directly on our website for free.

Along with buying a house, buying your next car can be a stressful event. And, finding a dealership you are comfortable with to purchase your next vehicle may seem impossible. So, don’t take our word for it, listen to our customers. We have over 150 5-star reviews on Google and Facebook with a 4.8 score or higher. Come see how we can help you!

History of Buy Here Pay Here Car Financing

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Posted in Buy Here Pay Here, Godwin Motors

History of Buy Here Pay Here Car Financing

Are you in the market to purchase a car? You have the money, a steady paying job, but not the credit. So you ask a friend for some advice about buying a car. According to your situation, they recommend you to purchase and finance your vehicle from a buy-here-pay-here (BHPH) car dealership, but you have no idea what that is.

BHPH is a method that car dealerships use for people who have little, no or even bad credit. It’s a one-stop shop process where the dealership is also the finance company. BHPH originated in the early 1970s during the savings and loan crisis. Unemployment was escalating and the economy was still in transition from a production based economy to a service based economy. As the prices of vehicles began to increase in relation to income, vehicles became unaffordable. In result, the start of the buy-here-pay-here dealerships were born.

So what does that mean to you? What are your possible benefits?

Godwin Motors has been a BHPH independent dealership since 1985 and is now the oldest buy-here-pay-here in Columbia, SC. Our motto since 1985 has been to provide a quality vehicle with unparalleled customer service. That means, we treat every customer like family. Godwin Motors has always gone the extra mile for their customers helping them out along the way. Our customers come into the dealership to either make payments, get oil changes or new brakes, look at new vehicles, or even rent a car for a weekend trip to a family reunion in the Lowcountry. It is not uncommon to have a client come to purchase their third vehicle, or for a second or third generation buyer to purchase their first car. Here are a list of benefits of buy-here-pay-here dealership, but especially Godwin Motors.

  • Finance approval
  • Test drive and paperwork can be done in as little as one hour
  • Payments made with Godwin Motors
  • Not a large out of town corporation
  • Godwin Motors reports to Equifax to help build client’s credit when payments are made on time.
  • Large selection of quality vehicles types:
    • Sedans
    • Coupes
    • Trucks
    • Crossovers
    • Vans and SUVs
  • Financing for bad or no credit with steady jobs and income
  • Current bankruptcy (with court approval)
  • Past bankruptcy and repossessions can be financed

history of BHPH, you should be ready to start looking for your vehicle. Godwin Motors has new inventory weekly and has a quick and easy purchasing process. So if you’re worried about your credit or that repo you may have had 5 years ago, don’t forget at Godwin Motors, We Finance You, Not Your Credit.

Man inspecting car

Recommended Regular Used Car Maintenance Schedule

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Posted in Godwin Service Center

Recommended Regular Used Car Maintenance Schedule

Looking to understand what is a recommended regular used car maintenance schedule on a vehicle? Why does it need to be performed? We purchase a vehicle, but don’t always learn how to maintain them to keep them in good working condition, which is very unfortunate.

If your vehicle doesn’t have a proper regular maintenance schedule, it can break down and…well, die. Having a regular maintenance schedule will help prolong the car’s life span. A car is a constant moving machine just like you and me. And, a mechanic to a car is just like a doctor to his patient. So here is a regular maintenance schedule to abide by:

  • Get your oil changed every 3,000 to 5,000 miles
  • Have your tires rotated (usually comes with the oil change)
  • Have your air filter and cabin filter replaced
  • Check the level of all fluids (At Godwin Service, this comes with our oil change)
  • Replace wiper blades
  • Check engine coolant and cooling system for leaks
  • Inspect brake wear, belts and hoses
  • Check pressure in all tires and exhaust systems & lights

Note that different types of vehicles have different types of maintenance needs. And, depending on the driver and how much the vehicle is driven, your needs might be more or less. Godwin Service, Godwin Motors in-house full service center, provides a courtesy check on your battery and maintenance needs. Godwin Service summer or winter maintenance check includes the above items that retail for $119 separately, for only $79. Keep your vehicle running longer. Visit us at www.godwinmotors.com or call to set up an appointment at 803.252.8774.