Archive for May 2021A Door No One Can Step Through (Fuel Door Repair and Maintenance)Posted May 23, 2021 10:08 AMYour vehicle has lots of doors including that one usually near the back on the vehicle's side. That's the fuel door, something you use every time you gas up. These endure hundreds of open-and-close cycles, usually without any problems. But when they act up, it can be a major inconvenience for you. When they stick in the "open" position, it can present real dilemma. You can still pump your gas, but do you just drive around with that flap sticking out the side? What happens if someone steals the gas cap or it gets damaged? What happens if it rains? Yep, it's decision time. A fuel door that sticks open can be due to a number of factors. The hinge on the door may have broken, possibly from corrosion or it may have been hit sometime. Some vehicles have a cable that operates the door and it could be loose. The latch that holds the door shut could have broken or it, too, could be bent from something hitting it. You probably want to take care of this sometime soon since your gas cap is wide open and unprotected when the door doesn't shut. Plus, it's possible that the door could be torn off completely. Often a stuck open fuel door can be fixed fairly inexpensively and quickly depending on the type of mechanism your vehicle has. Looks like it's an open and shut case. Auto Authority LLC The Daily Grind (Grinding Noise)Posted May 16, 2021 9:18 AMIf your vehicle makes a grinding sound when you turn the steering wheel, it's speaking to you. No, really, it is. So listen to what it's saying and you could avoid a much more costly repair down the road. A grinding sound coming from the front of your vehicle when you are turning can offer some very informative clues as to what's going on. One cause could be that there's a problem with the mechanical linkage that enables you to turn the wheels. Another is that the hydraulic system that makes turning the steering wheel easier may have its own problems. Think of it. Hydraulic power steering has many components that need to work in tandem. The power steering fluid may be too old and contaminated. Or its level may be low. That may be caused by a leak somewhere in the system. A technician can check things over to find out exactly what's happening. Other causes of grinding while turning can be problems with the suspension in the front. You may have a failing CV (constant velocity) joint. It could be your brakes are partially engaging while you are turning. That metal-on-metal sound is never a sign that things are working just the way they're supposed to. To a technician looking to pinpoint the problem with your vehicle, it's not a daily grind at all. Experience and training will help her or him zero in on what's causing the noise and get you back on the road. Maybe you can enjoy your sound system more after that distracting background noise has disappeared! Auto Authority LLC I NEED All Wheel Drive (Pros and Cons of AWD)Posted May 9, 2021 10:20 AMSo winter has arrived and you don't feel confident in how your 2-wheel drive vehicle does in the snow and ice. You envy all those people with all-wheel-drive (AWD) and 4-wheel-drive (4WD) cars, trucks and SUVs. You start thinking, "I need one of those. I'll be able to go anywhere without any worries." The truth is there might be another option for you that you might not have thought of. Sure, you've seen the ads that tout the advantages of AWD and 4WD, and some of the videos make it look like they can handle everything Mother Nature can throw their way. The truth, though, is that vehicles with drive wheels at all four corners can't stop any more quickly than those with 2-wheel-drive. Yes, AWD and 4WD vehicle have advantages when it comes to acceleration, but when it comes to stopping and handling, they generally don't. If you buy a new AWD or 4WD vehicle, you are going to spend thousands of dollars. Maintenance and upkeep costs are higher due to the vehicle's increased complexity and weight, and you're likely to take a hit in fuel economy. So, what's the option we mentioned above? It's simple. Winter tires. If you have a front-wheel-drive (FWD) vehicle with winter tires, you'll notice a tremendous difference in your winter traction and stopping than the all-season tires that are on most vehicles. One tire company, Michelin, wanted to find out which was better in the snow: an AWD car with all-season tires or a FWD car with winter tires. And they found while the AWD car could get going a little more easily, in most of the other comparisons, the FWD car with winter tires handled equally or better and stopped in a shorter distance. The optimal combination would be, of course, AWD or 4WD with winter tires. But one major consumer testing magazine found that only about 12 percent of their subscribers who drove AWD or 4WD vehicle in the snow for more than 6 days in the previous winter even used winter tires! So a set of winter tires may give you the handling and stopping you're looking for and for a lot less cash than a new AWD vehicle. Consult your service advisor for some recommendations. You may be pleasantly surprised at how you can handle winter roads without having to handle a new, big, fat monthly payment for a new vehicle. Auto Authority LLC I Had No Idea! (Four Things You Didn't Know About Vehicles)Posted May 2, 2021 10:24 AMBet you didn't know: Some of the earliest rearview mirrors were marketed as "Cop Spotters" so drivers would know when police were following them. Who wants a ticket, anyway? According to eBay Motors, Elmer Berger first patented a rearview mirror that was mounted on the front fenders, on the spare tire secured to the side of the car of at the top of the driver's door frame. About 80 percent of your vehicle is recyclable. So says The Balance. That means four-fifths of most vehicles can be recycled. Much of that recycling is done by automotive aftermarket recyclers. Between the U.S and Canada, they reclaim enough steel to produce 13 million new vehicles. The man who invented the first modern cruise control couldn't even drive a car because he was blind! His name, says Smithsonian.com, was Ralph Teetor. Blinded at a young age by a knife accident, Teetor was inspired to create a speed control by a couple of things. One, the U.S. imposed a mandatory 35 mph/55 kph during World War II to conserve fuel and tire rubber, and Teetor wanted drivers to go a safe and steady speed. Plus, a chauffeur who drove him around used to randomly slow down and speed up which irritated Teetor. So he invented a speed control to encourage drivers to drive at a more constant and safer speed. The first grooved tires were invented in 1904 by Continental. But that was a big improvement over the very first "tires" which were actually metal hoops that made riding in the first cars a pretty rough experience. The first rubber tires were solid rubber, not inflatable like today's tires. Things have come a long way. Modern tires are made with sophisticated rubber compounds that can deal with heat and cold. Plus their tread patterns help drivers get better traction on wet roads when it storms. Still, it's important to make sure yours have enough tread and are properly inflated for maximum safety and performance. Quite frankly, there's a lot we don't understand about the vehicles we drive. They're much more complicated than the old horse and buggy that preceded them. Leave your vehicle's maintenance and service to highly trained technicians who DO understand how to maintain, diagnose and repair today's modern, sophisticated vehicles. Auto Authority LLC Sounds Like a Hot Rod (Noisy Exhaust System)Posted April 25, 2021 7:50 AMDriving along, your exhaust system's rumbling so loud that people turn and stare at you pass by. You're wondering when the police are going to pull you over for illegal noise. Your mind immediately thinks, aha! A broken muffler. Well, your exhaust system is composed of many more parts than just a muffler. Your engine makes power because of thousands of tiny explosions from detonating fuel. Those explosions make a racket, so engineers came up with a system that acoustically dampens that sound in addition to getting rid of harmful exhaust. In the engine is the exhaust manifold that looks like several pipes that join up into one pipe. It directs exhaust to the catalytic converter. The catalytic converter converts harmful gases into less harmful gases using certain chemical reactions. Then comes the muffler that has baffles inside to quiet the sounds of your engine noise. Finally: the tailpipe. All of those pipes and parts are joined together by clamps and held up by brackets, and they ride over some pretty bumpy roads. They are also exposed to the elements, like salt, water, rocks and grit. Chances are that one of those clamps or brackets has been weakened by corrosion. When you hit a bump, bingo! The crack widens into a gap and there's a spot for the engine noise to come roaring out instead of being directed into the muffler's quieting chambers. You might be surprised to know that the exhaust system can rust from inside out. How? Moisture is one component of exhaust, and moisture on the inside can do the same kind of damage as moisture from the outside. It's a good idea to have your exhaust system looked at regularly by a technician. He or she can evaluate the condition of the metal and recommend when it might be time to replace parts before they break. Then you'll have a decision to make. Newer exhaust systems are made out of stainless steel that is much less prone to corrosion issues. Others are made of aluminized steel that also fights rust. You've probably already guessed that they can cost more, but the extra price up front may give you an exhaust system that will last much longer. Sure, with a repaired exhaust system, you won't have quite the head-turning vehicle you once had. You'll just have to live with all the quiet.
The Sign of the Shield (Heat Shield Repair and Replacement)Posted April 18, 2021 9:21 AMEven in the months where temperatures are cooler, heat is still an enemy of your vehicle. When your engine runs, it creates heat, so there are numerous heat shields that protect other parts from those higher temperatures. Heat shields are installed around several areas of the exhaust system. Others prevent heat from reaching parts of the vehicle. Still others prevent heat from reaching the ground (or maybe grass underneath) and starting a fire. If you remember your space travel history, you'll know how important a heat shield can be. John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth, but during that maiden orbital flight, a sensor on board was indicating the heat shield on his capsule, Friendship 7, was loose. If it had come off, his spacecraft could have burned up upon re-entry. Fortunately, the heat shield stayed on, and Glenn made history. Unfortunately, the heat shields on your vehicle don't have warning systems like the space vehicles did. So you have to maintain them. Heat shields are constantly exposed to elements like water, salt, sand and dirt. That makes them prone to rusting and corroding. Here's one unfortunate fact: Materials that make them good at preventing heat transmission also are soft and vulnerable, often aluminum or special fabric. One sign a heat shield will give you that it's loose is noise; you'll sometimes hear it rattling underneath your vehicle when it's running. One way to locate it? Put your vehicle in park, leave the engine running and take a listen outside. It's usually pretty easy to pinpoint the location. Make a note of the noise when you are talking with your service advisor. It's important to have those heat shields working correctly so the heat is kept away from your other vehicle systems and combustibles on the ground. The good news is that heat shields can frequently be inexpensively repaired or re-attached. In other cases, they should be replaced. Missing or loose heat shields? Let's just say they're not cool. Auto Authority LLC Fears and Gears (Signs of Automatic Transmission Problems)Posted April 11, 2021 11:00 AMAutomatic transmissions rule. The old days of shifting your own gears are a thing of the past for most drivers. But automatic transmission trouble can be a big inconvenience for any driver if it comes at the wrong time in the wrong place. Here are some signs to look out for that may mean you are having transmission issues. When you are driving, your vehicle seems to slip in an out of gear without you touching anything. That's what some call, not surprisingly, a "slipping transmission." When your vehicle shifts from one gear to the next, you hear a loud "clunk." Transmissions are supposed to be nearly silent when they shift, so that noise is telling you something is wrong. If you notice there's a puddle of some fluid under your vehicle, your transmission could be leaking fluid. Try to figure out what color it is (try putting a piece of cardboard underneath to capture some of the fluid). If it is red or brown, that's a sign it could be transmission fluid. Sometimes you may smell the transmission fluid, too; it has what some consider a "sweet" odor. You may have a warning light that goes on when your transmission fluid is low (it could be a special transmission symbol or simply the Check Engine light). That light could also mean the fluid is too hot or has low pressure. If you shift your vehicle into D (for Drive) and it doesn't move or slowly engages after some delay, you may be seeing the start of a serious problem. Of course, you don't want a malfunctioning transmission to strand you at some inopportune time. So if your vehicle is showing any of these signs, arrange a time for a technician to check it out. Not only are broken transmissions an inconvenience, they can be a safety hazard, too. Auto Authority LLC Out with the Old (Vehicle Parts that Wear Out)Posted April 4, 2021 10:11 AMSome drivers don't pay any attention to their vehicles until something breaks. Others take them into their service repair facility for maintenance even before a problem develops. Still, even if you fit into the second group, there are some parts on a vehicle that will simply wear out over time. Your vehicle has gaskets in several places. They use a flexible material to seal the gaps between metal parts that fit together. After time, that material shrinks or gets brittle and fails. Eventually, after time, you will have to get gaskets replaced. Same goes for belts. Your engine has belts that help take the mechanical energy of the engine to drive other parts such as the generator and air conditioner. Heat and age will eventually cause these belts to wear out or break, so you'll need new ones at some point. You'll also find yourself buying brake pads. As much as you may try to go easy on them, brake pads work by wearing off a little bit of them each time they help you stop your vehicle. Do a lot of stop-and-go driving and you'll hasten the process. No battery lasts forever, and your vehicle's battery is no exception. It can only charge and discharge electricity so many times. Count on getting no more than 4 or 5 years out of a battery, fewer if you live in a very hot spot. Other parts that don't age well? Tires. They can have plenty of tread left on them, but rubber gets old and loses its flexibility. Tires have their date of manufacturer stamped on them for a reason. Finally, your muffler is being subject to moisture from inside and out: inside because of moisture-containing exhaust and outside from the elements outdoors. Stainless steel or other alloys will last longer, but after a while, either the moisture or constant pounding from vibrations will take their toll. That's why it's important to maintain every part on your vehicle. You can't wave a magic wand and make everything last forever, but take care of your vehicle and it'll take care of you.
The Third Brake Light (Third Brake Light Service)Posted March 28, 2021 9:16 AMSo you thought you only had two brake lights. Look again and you'll see one in the center at a higher level than the two on either side of the vehicle. They're sometimes in the inside of the vehicle behind the back window, or they could be in the deck lid, on the roof or on the spare wheel carrier, But why is that third brake on your vehicle? Experts say it helps prevent rear end collisions. Tests done by installing the third brake light in taxis and fleet vehicles showed fewer rear end crashes in the ones that had the extra light. The third brake light was mandated in new passenger cars in 1986 in the US and Canada. The requirement was added to new light trucks and vans in 1994. Sometimes it's difficult to know if your third brake light is even working. Many vehicles have bulb warning systems that alert you to non-functional bulbs, but not all do. Your vehicle service facility will often check to see if all your turn signals, taillights and headlights are working during routine maintenance inspections, and they may notice that the third brake light is out. So, do you have to have it replaced? Not necessarily. Many areas only require one brake light to work in the rear of a vehicle. So even though new vehicles have to have the third brake light, you may not get a ticket if it eventually stops working. But you may be missing an opportunity to drive a safer vehicle if you don't get it fixed. In 1995, an insurance institute study found that 1986 model cars were involved in 5 percent fewer rear-end collisions from 1986-1991 than they would have expected without the extra light. Ask your service advisor for advice. Keep in mind that in these days of drivers distracted by everything from texting to putting on makeup while driving, you can reasonably conclude that anything that makes you more visible to the vehicle behind you adds one more—possibly life saving—safety margin.
Greeted by a Screech (Loud Noise when Starting Vehicle)Posted March 21, 2021 10:41 AMNo one likes to be greeted in the morning by having someone screech at you. The same goes for a loud, high-pitched noise your vehicle greets you with every time you start the engine. If you're wondering if that's normal, no, it isn't. And it is worth getting checked out. The good news is that it might be nothing serious. Then again, it may be. The first things to suspect any time you hear a high-pitched sound coming from the engine are belts. They have tension on them and they're trying to turn lots of different pulleys, pumps and other equipment the engine needs to work properly. The noise could come from the belts starting to wear out and dry out. If one of those belts breaks at an inopportune time, not only can it strand you somewhere, the damage to the engine could be very expensive to fix. Other things that will cause a high-pitched sound are the pulleys and tensioners. The tensioners keep the right amount of pressure on the belts and some pulleys contain rubber that dampens engine vibrations. The rubber in the pulleys can crack or deform with age, which prevents them from working correctly and may cause your belts to wear out. A technician will check to see if the belts are worn or cracked. He or she will also check the tension on the belts, the condition of the pulleys and whether all components are aligned the way they should be. Sometimes, the noise is nothing major to worry about, but it's still worthwhile to rule out any problems that have cropped up now or may appear in the future. You'll have a properly running vehicle that sounds like its engineers intended… quiet and smooth.
| ||
SearchArchiveNovember 2011 (5)December 2011 (4) January 2012 (5) February 2012 (3) March 2012 (5) April 2012 (4) May 2012 (4) June 2012 (5) July 2012 (5) August 2012 (4) September 2012 (4) October 2012 (4) November 2012 (5) December 2012 (4) January 2013 (4) February 2013 (5) March 2013 (4) April 2013 (4) May 2013 (4) June 2013 (4) July 2013 (5) August 2013 (4) September 2013 (4) October 2013 (4) November 2013 (4) December 2013 (5) January 2014 (4) February 2014 (4) March 2014 (4) April 2014 (4) May 2014 (5) June 2014 (4) July 2014 (5) August 2014 (4) September 2014 (5) October 2014 (4) November 2014 (4) December 2014 (5) January 2015 (4) February 2015 (4) March 2015 (4) April 2015 (5) May 2015 (2) June 2015 (6) July 2015 (4) August 2015 (4) September 2015 (4) October 2015 (5) November 2015 (4) December 2015 (3) February 2016 (2) March 2016 (4) April 2016 (4) May 2016 (5) June 2016 (4) July 2016 (5) August 2016 (4) September 2016 (4) October 2016 (5) November 2016 (4) December 2016 (4) January 2017 (5) February 2017 (4) March 2017 (4) April 2017 (4) May 2017 (4) June 2017 (4) July 2017 (4) August 2017 (5) September 2017 (3) October 2017 (5) November 2017 (4) December 2017 (3) January 2018 (5) February 2018 (3) March 2018 (4) April 2018 (5) May 2018 (3) June 2018 (4) July 2018 (5) August 2018 (4) September 2018 (5) October 2018 (4) November 2018 (4) December 2018 (1) March 2019 (3) April 2019 (33) May 2019 (4) June 2019 (5) July 2019 (4) August 2019 (4) September 2019 (5) October 2019 (4) November 2019 (4) December 2019 (5) January 2020 (5) February 2020 (4) March 2020 (5) April 2020 (2) May 2020 (2) July 2020 (1) August 2020 (5) September 2020 (4) October 2020 (4) November 2020 (5) December 2020 (4) January 2021 (6) February 2021 (4) March 2021 (4) April 2021 (4) May 2021 (5) June 2021 (4) July 2021 (4) August 2021 (4) September 2021 (4) October 2021 (5) November 2021 (3) December 2021 (5) January 2022 (6) February 2022 (4) March 2022 (4) April 2022 (4) May 2022 (5) June 2022 (4) July 2022 (5) September 2022 (4) October 2022 (5) November 2022 (4) December 2022 (4) January 2023 (5) February 2023 (4) March 2023 (4) April 2023 (5) May 2023 (4) June 2023 (4) July 2023 (5) August 2023 (4) September 2023 (3) October 2023 (1) January 2024 (1) February 2024 (4) April 2024 (1) May 2024 (4) June 2024 (5) July 2024 (4) August 2024 (4) September 2024 (5) October 2024 (4) November 2024 (4) December 2024 (4) September 2025 (2) October 2025 (6) November 2025 (5) December 2025 (4) January 2026 (4) February 2026 (4) March 2026 (3) | CategoriesFluids (11)Tires and Wheels (6)Parts (1)Maintenance (17)Automotive News (5)Shocks & Struts (5)Service Standards (4)Fuel System (8)Tire Pressure Monitoring System (1)Air Conditioning (11)Headlamps (7)Safety (3)Diesel Maintenance (1)Inspection (5)Battery (14)Fuel Economy (8)Alignment (8)Brakes (18)Keys to a long lasting vehicle (2)Service Intervals (1)Battery Replacement (1)Exhaust (11)Timing Belt (5)Auto Safety (5)Transmission (6)Fuel Saving Tip: Slow Down (2)What Customers Should Know (87)Alternator (7)Check Engine Light (4)Steering (12)Dashboard (1)Windshield Wipers (4)Cooling System (9)Tire Rotation and Balancing (3)Drive Train (4)Oil Change (9)Wheel Bearings (1)Customer Detective Work (1)Older Vehicles (1)Winter Prep (2)Safe Driving (1)Spark Plugs (2)Suspension (3)Tires (11)Winter Tires (1)Water Pump (3)TPMS (3)Differential Service (3)Trip Inspection (2)Serpentine Belt (2)Cabin Air Filter (2)Fuel Pump (1)Brake Service (9)PCV Valve (2)Transfer Case Service (1)Engine Air Filter (4)Fuel Filter (2)Shocks and Struts (2) | |
Partners
What our clients are saying about us
We have established longterm and stable partnerships with various clients thanks to our excellence in solving their automotive needs!
Absolutely the best mechanic I have ever been to in my 40 years on this planet. Honest, trustworthy, and reliable. I will definitely be back.
These Guys (and Gals!) are great. Love them. Trust them. If you are looking for a REPUTABLE mechanic for your car or truck, look no more. Just go there and see what I mean.