Third Generation Monken

Laura Holthaus grew up in Bartelso, Illinois. She received an associate degree at Sanford Brown College in business administration. She has two kids, her son being a mechanic at Monken Toyota in Mt.Vernon. Previously, she worked in the loan department at a bank, but was contacted by her sister, Michelle Beer, about a temporary position at Monken Chrysler Nissan. The job started as a fill in for a maternity leave, but now she’s celebrating her 10 year anniversary! Laura is known as the voice of Monken Chrysler Nissan because she’s likely the voice you hear when you call the dealership. She is the front desk Administrative Assistant at the Chrysler Nissan dealership in Centralia. She loves tracking inventory, keeping books, driving cars for customers, bank runs, and so much more. Laura loves the atmosphere at the dealership. She thoroughly enjoys working with all the customers and employees. Every day is a new adventure, which is what makes her job so exciting. You can catch Laura in her 2018 Nissan Altima or recommending a Nissan Armada to any family looking for a nice SUV. Then at lunch you can expect her with chicken tenders and mac’n’cheese from the local Casey’s. Her fellow employees described her as dependable, helpful, and consistent. They said she is the voice of Monken Chrysler Nissan and always has a smile!

Winter is here, but is your car ready? Prepping your car for winter is a great way to help your car live its full life span. Here are 7 simple tips to prepare your car for winter. Wash it We all know this is something we should do more often, but doesn’t always get done. It’s important to get it done before the winter because build up on your car from salt and snow will happen in several states. Washing your car before winter can really help your car's exterior. Check your tires and breaks Make sure your tires have tread and your breaks function properly so if the roads are icy your car can function as it should. Some would even recommend having winter tires put on your car, but this isn’t always necessary in all parts of the USA. Get your oil changed Your car needs lots of juice to function well in cold weather, so an oil change is a must. Make sure your oil is up to date and check your manual to see if your car needs a lighter oil to run better in the winter. Check the battery and tire pressure When you’re getting your oil changed be sure to ask them to test the battery and check your tires. Being stranded in the cold because of an old battery or flat tire  is a nightmare, so get it checked before the cold hits. Fill fluids This is another simple thing to have done when you have your oil changed. Just ask them to top them off, especially your wiper fluid. Replace the wiper blades Most people don’t realize you should change your wipers based on the weather, so check out https://www.monkenchrysler.com/blogs/4264/index.php/2020/04/20/best-wiper-blades-for-your-vehicle/ for details. This can help if you’re driving in winter weather! Prepare an emergency kit This might sound silly, but you can’t prepare for every situation to keep your car from having issues, so it’s smart to have a car emergency kit. Put all you could need in a bag and toss it in the trunk with a blanket.

If you get so annoyed by your windshield fogging, but don’t know how to fix it, then we’re here to help! First, you need to know whether it’s hot or cold outside, and then follow these steps. If it’s hot outside (the moisture is on the outside of the car): Turn your air down Turn your wipers on to wipe the fog off Roll your windows down and then up to remove the fog from the windows Lastly, turn off the recirculating air button so you can pull air from outside If it’s cold outside (the moisture is inside the car): Start by cranking your heat and defrosters on, this will help short-term Now turn on the air conditioner to help remove the moisture Then open your windows to help let the humidity out Lastly, turn off the recirculating air button so you can pull air from outside You can also buy a defogger to put on your windshield or just roll your windows down frequently to match the temperature outside. That’s all you have to do in the moment, plus add a little patience because it might take a minute for the temperature to change.