Posted on 10/27/2024
When you are pointing your vehicle straight down the street, it should go straight. That’s pretty straightforward, right? Sometimes, though, you may notice you have to keep adjusting the steering wheel to keep going straight. While that could be caused by many different issues, one possibility is that you have a failing or bent control arm. Another sign is that when you brake, your vehicle pulls to one side or the other. Sometimes your suspension may sound noisy, especially when you’re traveling on rough surfaces. A damaged control arm may also make it almost impossible for you to get a good wheel alignment. The control arms are part of your suspension, and some vehicles have upper control arms and lower control arms. Not all have the same number of control arms, but one thing is important: If you have worn bushings on your control arms or a worn-out ball joint, the control arm on the other side should also be replaced. The rubber b ... read more
Posted on 10/20/2024
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 10/13/2024
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 10/6/2024
There’s an important part in your vehicle that shields your timing belt, timing chain or cam belt from the debris and gunk that can be kicked up from the road. It’s called the timing cover. It’s important because the timing belt or chain is what coordinates parts of your engine called the camshafts and crankshaft. When they’re in sync, all runs smoothly. When they’re not, it can cause some serious engine problems. If your vehicle has a timing belt, without the protection of the timing cover, that belt can come loose from the timing gears or break. If your vehicle has a timing chain, the cover keeps engine oil circulating around it which lubricates it. When that starts to leak because of a bad gasket, the chain may not be getting adequate lubrication. If your vehicle has a timing cover problem, you may notice engine oil leaking if a gasket is not sealing tightly. You may hear a strange metallic sound coming f ... read more
Posted on 9/29/2024
While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there's one that isn't complicated but still important. It's your engine air filter. (And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn't to be confused with the cabin air filter. The cabin air filter cleans air that goes into the passenger compartment while the engine air filter cleans air that goes into the engine itself.) Why does your engine need a filter? Think of all the stuff–dirt, dust, and debris in the air¬–that gets kicked up on the road. If that were to go unfiltered into your engine, it could damage other components. There are many different materials used in an engine air filter, including paper, cloth (frequently cotton), and other synthetic fabrics. The material is usually folded tightly to maximize the filtering capability over a relatively small surface. Before computers were employed to determine the proper mix of ... read more
Posted on 9/22/2024
Steering a vehicle these days doesn't take much effort, but if you got behind the wheel back before power steering was invented, you'd need to practically have the strength of Hercules to turn the wheel. The first power steering systems widely available changed everything. Chrysler introduced its Hydraguide power system in 1951. The "hydra" was for a hydraulic pump. It pressurized fluid that multiplied the force applied to the steering wheel so it was easier to turn the wheels on the ground. That pump got power from a belt attached to the engine, but unfortunately it wasted a lot of energy in the process. Plus, the system of hoses and pumps required a fair amount of maintenance and repair. Some say this system provides the most "natural" steering experience of power systems. Recently, automakers have turned to electric power steering. It gets its power from the car's electrical battery and charging system and uses an electric motor to turn the wheels. Sin ... read more
Posted on 9/15/2024
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 9/8/2024
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
You climb inside your vehicle, start the ignition, and reach for the fan control for the heating or air conditioning. But when you try to crank it up, no air comes out of the vents. It can make for a very uncomfortable trip, whether it’s hot or cold outside. It’s important for the comfort of you and your passengers to regulate the temperature in your vehicle’s cabin. Not having air coming through the vents can also be a safety issue when you’re trying to defrost the windshield and front windows when they fog up and your visibility is affected. There can be many reasons why the air isn’t blowing through your vents. The blower motor may have failed or the switch that controls it wore out. It could be as simple as a blown fuse, or perhaps an electrical component that regulates the fan speed may have stopped working. One of the ducts that direct the air from the outside to the cabin may have broken. Or the air intake where ... read more
Posted on 8/25/2024
Tires are so reliable these days that few drivers pay much attention to them. But tires wear out. They have a tough job since they are the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road. They have to get your vehicle going from a stop, keep it going, make sure it is headed in the direction you want it to go, and –importantly – slow and stop it. The only time many drivers think about their tires is when there's a problem, such as a flat. Or, they may lose control when they find their vehicle isn't stopping or steering like it used to. One major safety organization estimates that 1 out of every 11 crashes is related to a tire issue. Many of those problems are caused by tire tread wearing out. The rubber is worn off by friction after hours and hours on roads. The sidewalls can also be damaged by your tires hitting curbs, potholes, or other debris. Plus, rubber ages as time passes. We recommend you let us in ... read more