Maumee Auto Repair

Modern cars and trucks in and around Holland run on 12 volt electrical systems. 12 volts is enough to get the job done without having so much power that there is danger of electrocution. But today's vehicles have more electrical components and do-dads than ever before. This really strains your electrical system, making it hard for the battery to keep up. Think about it: electric seats, seat heaters, power locks, windows and sun roofs. And then we have all the power outlets for our cell phones, computers, and DVD players. We also have navigation systems and powerful stereos. Plus there are all the engine and transmission computers, traction control, stability control, anti-lock brakes, sensors and on and on. Even the security system is running off the battery while the car is turned off. Fortunately, battery technology has given us resilient batteries that are able to meet these strenuous requirements. But the fact is, ba ... read more

All modern vehicles come with fuel injection systems, so it’s a topic we all need to know something about. All new cars and trucks sold in Maumee, OH over the last 30 years or so have come with fuel injection systems. The fuel injector is a valve that delivers the gas or diesel fuel to the right place, in the right amount, at the right time; to be mixed with air and burned in the engine. So how many fuel injectors does your car have? There’s one for each cylinder. So four, six or eight for most folks in Maumee, OH. Some vehicles have 10 or 12 cylinders. The engine control computer makes adjustments to the fuel injector as it monitors the engine and other sensors. Fuel injectors are a pretty sophisticated part. Lange's Auto Care, Inc. can help you with a fuel injector cleaning service ... read more

Most people in the Maumee area are aware that automotive manufacturers have recommended service intervals. Following recommended service intervals is very important. The engineers that design our vehicles have tested the various systems and components to meet durability and safety standards. Some of these standards are self-imposed and others, like those for emissions components, are government mandated for areas in OH.The maintenance schedules are designed to achieve the standards. Think of the benefits of following recommended intervals as falling into three general categories: Protection, Efficiency and Safety.Protection. Let's start with motor oil. First of all, the engineers recommend a particular weight and type of motor oil for your vehicle. All of their oil change recommendations assume using the proper motor oil. Motor oil contains detergents and other additives that clean the engine and provide corrosion resistance. Over time ... read more

Every Maumee car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when the filter should be replaced. Now, most air filters purchased in Maumee don't cost a lot to replace. It's just that OH people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at Lange`s Auto Care, Inc. can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in Maumee. Think about a dirty furnace filter in your Maumee home. When it's all clogged up, enough clean air can't get through. In your vehicle, that means that your engine can't get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around Maumee roads. Your vehicle actually needs about 12,000 times more air t ... read more

Warm weather or cold, Maumee drivers still need to think about their vehicle's air conditioning. Most Maumee people don't service their air conditioning until after it fails. At Lange`s Auto Care, Inc., we can advise you on your vehicle manufacturers preventive maintenance schedules for air conditioning service, just as we do for transmission service, oil changes and so on. Maintaining your air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the vehicle's air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can't cool the air as well. We see that a lot at Lange`s Auto Care, Inc. in Maumee.The refrigerant also contains oil that lubricates air conditioning components and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and all Maumee vehicle owners know that air conditioning repairs can ... read more

Let's talk about deciphering the auto service menu board. Maumee, OH, service centers like Lange`s Auto Care, Inc. have a board that lists the routine services they provide. But some people don't know what these services really are unless they ask. Let's go down a typical list, in alphabetical order, starting with air conditioning service. Feel free at any time to give Lange`s Auto Care, Inc. a call at 419-897-9988 to learn of the many services we offer, or stop by our Maumee, OH auto center at 825 Ford St Suite A, 43537. First remember that all of these services are recommended by vehicle manufacturers. They set how often or at how many miles/kilometers the service should be done.Air conditioning service involves purging the old refrigerant and capturing it for proper disposal. Then fresh refrigerant is installed. The fresh refrigerant will lubricate the system and will also help it ... read more

Today we want to talk about a system in our vehicles – the cooling system. It's one of those things that Maumee auto owners don't give much thought to until it fails and then they're stranded by the side of a road in OH.Cooling systems fail more often than any other mechanical system – usually because of neglect. Don't you hate it when something breaks and you could have done something to prevent it?The good news is that if Maumee drivers take care of their cooling systems, they can keep working for the life of their car.Here at Lange`s Auto Care, Inc. in Maumee, we emphasize preventive maintenance services like replacing your coolant according to the factory schedule. But the various parts that make up the cooling system need attention too. The major components of the cooling system are the water pump, freeze plugs, the thermostat, radiator, cooling fans, the heater core, the pressure cap, the overflow tank and the hoses.It ... read more

High gas prices in Maumee increase the cost of living for OH drivers. You've probably budgeted a certain amount for vehicle related expenses. Increased fuel costs now consume a larger portion of our incomes, causing some Maumee vehicle owners to skimp in other areas – like scheduled maintenance.According to OH news reports and automotive industry studies, this is becoming increasingly more common. In fact, nine out of ten personal vehicles on the road have at least one maintenance or repair item that hasn't been done. Some of these items pose serious safety risks. Others are just more likely to make it more expensive to drive. In this area, we can take a lesson from professional Maumee vehicle owners. I'm talking about fleet owners and operators. You know, Maumee folks like the trucking companies and delivery services. Because their livelihood depends on it, they have gotten scheduled maint ... read more

What type of technology do you use? Do you prefer an 8-track tape or an iPod? When it comes to winter tires, much of Maumee driver's perception dates back to when 8-track was the best way to listen to the Bee Gees.Twenty years ago in OH, winter tires differed from highway tires only in their tread design. OH drivers called them snow tires back then, and they had big, knobby lugs that were designed to give good traction in deep snow. They had the same rubber compound as regular tires and they weren't very good on ice, packed snow or wet OH roads. They were not even very good on dry roads. They really helped in deep or loose snow, but they did a poor job the rest of the time. They were loud and rode hard. People couldn't wait to get them off in the spring.Then all-season tires started to appear in Maumee tire shops. All-season tires are really a compromise between summer and winter performance. They have acceptable hot weather ride and tread life and can get OH drivers through mild winte ... read more

A lot of Maumee drivers have asked whether or not they should use their severe service maintenance schedule, which is listed in their vehicle's  owner's  manual. It can be somewhat confusing, so we decided to consult an expert. Cricket Killingsworth is from QMI/Heartland, a manufacturer of automotive products and fluids. She's been in the automotive business for over 30 years and is a speaker, a trainer and a writer. Cricket says there's so much confusion on this topic because, "Most owner's manuals actually have two maintenance schedules. Sometimes these are called 'regular service' and 'severe service.' Sometimes they're simply called Schedule 1 and Schedule 2. A severe service schedule recommends that things like an oil change, air filter replacement and transmission service be done more often: either in fewer miles or in less time." Foreign and domestic vehicle manufacturers create a specific schedule for each vehicle they manufacture. So ... read more