Posted on 10/27/2024
Your vehicle's engine is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a power plant. But it has another power source that is vital as well: the alternator. The alternator is what puts out the electricity that powers such things as your lights, power windows, sound system, and navigation. Maybe you've started seeing those electrical components behaving in strange ways. Maybe your power windows are going up and down a little bit more slowly than they used to. Or perhaps your engine doesn't start as easily or is misfiring. Other signs of a failing alternator are headlights that are either brighter or dimmer than usual. If your battery keeps going dead, it could be that the alternator isn't recharging it. The alternator has to get its power from somewhere, and in vehicles with internal combustion engines, that power comes from a drive belt powered by the engine. Sometimes that belt can fail. If you hear a whining soun ... read more
Posted on 10/20/2024
It's safe to say that most drivers take their brakes for granted. You press on the brake pedal and the vehicle slows down or stops. It's easy to see why it is so important for your vehicle's brakes to be working correctly. Brakes are an important safety feature of any vehicle. When it comes to your brakes working correctly, maintaining them regularly will ensure that you will always be able to slow or stop your vehicle in any situation, whether on a sunny day on dry pavement or a bad weather day on slippery surfaces. And that is why regular brake service is such a sound investment for all drivers. The combo of brakes" and "surprises" doesn't usually end well. You might already know about some of the parts of your braking system. Terms familiar to you might be pads, rotors, and calipers. In short, the calipers press the pads, which in turn contact the rotors. The resulting friction slows your vehicle. Another type of brake uses a drum and brake ... read more
Posted on 10/13/2024
A driver called in to the shop the other day saying his European sports sedan had an odd problem. He was driving when his car started to slow down. Applying more throttle didn't help. He pulled over to the side of the road, shut the engine off and waited a few minutes before starting it up again. It ran fine… for a couple of minutes. Then the same thing happened. He was able to finally get home by stopping and restarting, and he was calling to see if we could take a look at it. Turned out it was one of his car's fuel filters that choked up with debris so badly that enough fuel couldn't get through it. When he stopped the car, enough fuel could flow through the unpressurized fuel line to supply enough fuel for a couple of minutes when he restarted his car. But then the pressure would cause things to clog again. There are other symptoms that point to a failing fuel filter. Perhaps your engine misfires, your vehicle is hard to ... read more
Posted on 10/6/2024
Engine air filters may not seem like a big deal, but when they’re clogged up with dirt, dust, and insects, your engine could wind up choking for air and not delivering you the power and performance it was designed to give. There are actually a couple of air filters in your vehicle. One filters the air going into the cabin (the cabin air filter), and the other filters air going into the engine. That engine filter is the one we’re talking about. After several months and long distances traveled, your engine air filter accumulates the junk it’s preventing from getting into your engine. You may notice your engine misfiring, your acceleration may not be what it used to be, it may make strange noises, and the Check Engine light may come on. When you notice any of those signs, it’s time to bring in your vehicle to have us figure out what’s going on. We’ll visually inspect your air filter. Keep in mind that your vehicle’s manufacturer ... read more
Posted on 9/29/2024
No, ERG isn’t the sound a pirate makes. It’s a part in your vehicle that recirculates exhaust gas to reduce certain gases and pollutants in the atmosphere. In fact, ERG stands for “Exhaust Gas Recirculation.” One gas our vehicles may make when they burn fuel is nitric oxide, which can play a big role in creating smog and acid rain. It’s better for our planet if our vehicles aren’t spewing that into the air. One inventive way of reducing it is by taking the exhaust and channeling it back to the vehicle’s air intake system. When it travels through the engine again, its composition is changed, and it comes out cleaner. It also helps the engine be more efficient. The EGR valve can fail after a while, and some signs you may notice are the engine is miss firing, it may suddenly lose power or your Check Engine light may come on. You may also see your fuel economy decrease or hear your engine knock. A bad EGR valve ... read more
Posted on 9/22/2024
Few of us ever drive somewhere without encountering some pretty rough roads, and it's amazing how well our vehicles are able to smooth out the ride. Thank your shocks and struts. The two parts are similar. Some cars have shocks in the rear, and struts in the front. Others have struts all around. A shock absorber uses a cylinder filled with gas or liquid that's connected to your vehicle's frame and axle. When your vehicle encounters an imperfection in the road, the shock dampens the motion. A strut is essentially a shock absorber mounted inside a spring and can support more weight than a shock by itself. Shocks and struts take a lot of punishment and wear out. When they do, your tires are not contacting the road as much as they should, and that can result in a bumpy, unstable ride. Worn-out shocks and struts also transfer the impacts of road imperfections directly to your vehicle's body which can cause further damage to other parts. You can tell when ... read more
Posted on 9/15/2024
As you know, today’s vehicles rely on a lot of computers in them to keep them running clean and efficiently. Those computers depend on information delivered by several sensors throughout the engine and exhaust system. And one of the most important is the oxygen sensor. Known as the O2 sensor for short, it looks for too much unburned oxygen that has made it into the exhaust. That signals something isn’t right with the engine’s air-fuel mixture. The sensor sends signals to the engine’s computers, which can then make adjustments to make sure the engine is running as it was designed to. Some vehicles can have several O2 sensors, and since they can measure oxygen at various points in the combustion/exhaust process, the computers can pinpoint where the problems lie. For example, an O2 sensor can detect how much oxygen is coming out of the engine’s combustion chamber, and another one can measure oxygen coming out of the catalytic co ... read more
Posted on 9/8/2024
See if any of these are happening to your vehicle. You feel it vibrating excessively underneath when it’s running, or you hear strange clunking, grating, or grinding sounds coming from beneath. Maybe it’s hard to turn your vehicle, or you can hear squeaking when you’re going slow. Perhaps you feel a shudder when you step on the throttle. Any of those could be signs that your vehicle’s driveshaft might need lubricating, and it’s important to have one of our technicians check it out. Your vehicle’s engine puts out a lot of twisting power. That force is called torque, and the driveshaft is the part that handles the job of transferring all that torque from your engine to the wheels. If it’s a four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle, it will have driveshafts front and rear. Some driveshafts have different segments which are connected by couplings called U-Joints. So that everything can glide along fine ... read more
Posted on 9/1/2024
If your vehicle’s power goes to the rear wheels, then you have something called U-joints in the drivetrain. U-joints are connectors that allow the rotating power from your vehicle’s engine to deliver its power through a driveshaft to make the rear wheels rotate. You need U-joints because the surfaces you drive on aren’t perfectly flat, and the driveshaft has to allow for some flexibility when you are traveling over uneven surfaces. As you can imagine, the U-joints have to move and flex a lot as your vehicle is going down the road. They have bearings in them to allow that flexibility, and those bearings are lubricated when your vehicle is made. Some U-joints have lifetime lubrication and are not designed to be serviced. When they fail, they have to be replaced. Others have grease fittings on them that need periodic lubricating by a technician at intervals recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer. There are signs you can look ... read more
Posted on 8/25/2024
There's something you can do that helps your tires last longer, wear more evenly and your vehicle handle better. "Sign me up," you say! Wondering what that is? It's aligning your wheels, and it will literally point you in the right direction when it comes to a better and safer driving experience. When your vehicle was designed, the engineers made sure your tires were all pointing the same way by designing the suspension to make optimal contact with the road. That way the ride is smooth, you don't feel vibrations or shimmying and your vehicle travels in a straight line, without pulling to one side or the other. Unfortunately, your vehicle is not brand new; time and distance take their toll. After hitting countless bumps, potholes, or the occasional curb, your suspension gets knocked a little out of kilter. Those precise angles the engineers planned on for your vehicle? They get out of whack Uneven or premature tire wear is one of the first signs your alignment may be o ... read more