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Summer Vehicle Battery Maintenance

Summer Vehicle Battery Maintenance

We all love summer. You can finally embark on that cross-country road trip or a summer vacation you have been planning for months. Unfortunately, your car batteries might not share the same sentiments. The immense summer heat can quickly take a toll on your battery, leaving you stranded miles away from home, spoiling all the fun. But this does not need to happen. With a bit of care and maintenance, your car battery will be healthy and ready to go every time you turn on the ignition. Here are some brilliant maintenance tips to help you prepare your vehicle battery for the hot summer weather: Clean Your Battery Terminals Sometimes, dirt and corrosion might accumulate around your car battery terminals, dramatically reducing its performance. Corrosion is a poor heat conductor, preventing a free flow of current and, in worse scenarios, stopping it altogether. Dirt, on the other hand, will act as a conductor, quickly draining your battery current much quickly. Fortunately, a few minute ... read more

How Often Do I Need A Timing Belt Replacement?

How Often Do I Need A Timing Belt Replacement?

When you own a vehicle, it is essential to keep up with the routine maintenance on it. Therefore, you should know when and how to keep up with these components of the car. If you own an automobile, you need to know a bit about the timing belt and when to change it. What is a Timing Belt and Why is it Used? There are many purposes of a timing belt. Some include keeping the crankshaft and cam rotating. It also is charged with keeping the valves of the engine opening and closing. This will allow fuel to come into and go out of the engine. The main purpose of the timing belt is to coordinate the engine's functions. When You Should Replace Your Car's Timing Belt Typically, there are no warning signs that the vehicle's timing belt is becoming worn. It is, however, an essential part of the maintenance to keep the car running at its prime, to replace this belt as needed. You do not want to wait for the timing belt to just break before you replace it. That could leave you strand ... read more

My Check Engine Light Just Came On - Now What?

My Check Engine Light Just Came On - Now What?

When you see the check engine light, many things will run through your mind. Although the light notifies you of a possible engine malfunction, it is often difficult to determine the extent of damage the defect may cause. Why You Should Never Ignore Your Check Engine Light illuminated on our dashboards is often the main channel to interact with your vehicle engine systems. This intuitive feature sends you a warning once the car's onboard computer detects a deviation from normal function. The monitoring system may send car engine check light signal for the following reasons; however, the list is not limited to the listed malfunctions. When the Check Engine Light Comes On The check engine light remains among the most misunderstood symbols on the car dashboard. It may signal a wide array of malfunctions; therefore, it is critical to visit your mechanic to determine its causes and potentially prevent further damage or losses. The check engine light comes on for the following reasons ... read more

5 Signs It’s Time for a Wheel Alignment

5 Signs It’s Time for a Wheel Alignment

Sometimes circumstances force you to take a bad road and avoiding potholes and bumps becomes a challenge. When driving on these rough roads, it is important to remember that they may interfere with your car's wheel alignment. A proper wheel alignment can be the first thing that saves your life if you need to make a quick turn or dodge something. Below are some 5 signs to watch out for in misaligned wheels. Steering Wheel Vibration Poor alignment causes the steering wheel to vibrate or rock horizontally. It happens repeatedly and can sometimes be so bad to the extent that the entire car shakes as it runs on the road. That happens because two tires are trying to pull against each other. It becomes difficult to understand which direction the car is heading. Irregular Tire Wear It is critical to check whether the front tires have an even wear pattern. If so, that's an indication that the wheels are in line. Do the same for the rear wheels. If you notice that the tires have unev ... read more

This is How Often you Need to Change Your Brake Fluid

This is How Often you Need to Change Your Brake Fluid

Brake fluid operates under extremely high temperatures and high pressure. Without the proper amount of clean brake fluid, your vehicle would not stop when you push the brake. So, your car must get the right type and amount of brake fluid. And it must be clean. There are no set times or millage limits to change your vehicles' brake fluid. You will find that the timing varies by type of car, driving conditions you typically encounter, and the manufacturer's recommendations. A nice rule of thumb is to check with your car manufacturers' suggested maintenance schedule and check in with your repair shot during regular oil changes; the expected change duration is somewhere between four to five years. But if something seems a little off, it could be time to change your brake fluid. Here are a few telling signs that it just might be time to consider heading over to your trusted repair shop to check your brake fluid. One of the surest ways to know that your brake fluid needs a cha ... read more

5 car noises that require immediate attention

5 car noises that require immediate attention

There are many different noises that beg your attention when you hear them coming out of your car. If you don't address them quickly, your car may be permanently damaged or even destroyed. The following are five of these noises. Grinding or Squealing Brakes If this happens, your brake pads or shoes might be wearing down. There may be insufficient thickness in your brake pads to stop the metal components from coming into contact with one another. If you intervene early on, it may only be necessary to replace the pads. However, if you let it go for longer, this can lead to brake failure, which can be very unsafe. Chirping or Hissing Engine If your engine is making these sounds, the engine could be overheated, engine fluid could be leaking, or the catalytic converter or exhaust system could be plugged. Hissing could also mean a leaking vacuum. Chirping could indicate damage in the timing or serpentine belt in the engine. These are issues that need to be addressed right away if you ... read more

How to Prepare Your Vehicle for the Winter

How to Prepare Your Vehicle for the Winter

Driving in the winter weather needs good preparation. The season brings a variety of weather extremes such as heavy snow, fog, and freezing temperatures, which make it the most challenging season to be on the road. For a better driving experience, it's vital that you prepare your car in advance. Below are 5 basic things you can do: Check Your Tire Tread Tire tread grips the road to keep the car from sliding/ slipping, and for this reason, they need to be deep enough. Shallow tread grooves make it hard for you to control the vehicle because it will keep losing traction. For safe driving, have the treads checked regularly, particularly before winter, because the road conditions are worse then. Replace the Wiper Blades It's good that you get fresh wiper blades to take you through winter. It is never enough that they are still in good working condition. One thing you should know is that the wiper blades will start degrading as soon as the ice a ... read more

Why Windshield Wipers are Important in the Winter

Why Windshield Wipers are Important in the Winter

A clear windshield contributes to safe driving, especially during the cold, snowy winter months. However, windshield wiper blades are often overlooked by many drivers. Not until they find themselves in unpleasant situations on the road, caused by harsh weather, do they think of their windshield wipers. Only then do they realize that they need properly-working windshield wipers and enough washer fluid to go on with their journey. Overlooked wipers and let you down at the time you need them most. That’s why you should regularly inspect your wipers in search of faults and have them repaired quickly. From the effects of harsh weather, windshield wipers tend to deteriorate. The Sun causes the rubber that encloses the wiper blades to crack over time. This leads to a rough wipe that won’t work properly.  Remember, always look for cracks and wear, making sure your wipers are working properly and if they are unable to move over the windscreen smoothly, replace them. When you ... read more

Do I Need to Maintain My Tires?

Do I Need to Maintain My Tires?

Your tires are a critical safety feature when it comes to your vehicle. They are the only things between your car and the road and help to ensure that you are able to accelerate, stop, and turn when you need to. Bad quality tires can cause a number of different issues, ranging from poor handling to tire blowouts. Good tire maintenance keeps you safer on the road and also allows you to save money on new tires throughout the years.  One regularly overlooked tire maintenance item is checking that your tires are filled up to the proper air pressure. When your tires are low in pressure, excessive tire wear can occur, and blowouts can happen. It isn’t safe to drive with low tire pressure, so checking it regularly and having it taken care of as soon as you notice that they are underinflated or overinflated can save you money. You can usually do this yourself at your local gas station that provides free air or we can help you here at our shop! Another tire main ... read more

What are the Symptoms of Bad Brakes?

What are the Symptoms of Bad Brakes?

You rely on your vehicle's brakes to slow or stop your car when you press down on the brake pedal. Over time, you get to know how your vehicle runs and you'll understand how much time you need to come to a complete stop according to how much pressure you apply to the brake pedal. However, if you begin to notice that your vehicle starts taking longer to brake, or that there is an annoying squealing sound when braking, these are symptoms not to ignore.  Finding yourself on the road without working brakes can be scary, and is definitely not a situation that most ever think they'll have to experience - and we don't want you to, either! The best way to keep your brakes healthy is with regular maintenance and inspections. There are a number of brake system components that will wear down over time that will need to be replaced, and getting them taken care of before they cause you any major issues will keep you safe on the road.  It's also important to get to kn ... read more

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