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Education & Tips
Articles:
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
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
Maybe your vehicle feels like Breaking Bad. In other words, when you brake, things are bad. You may find it takes you a longer distance to stop, you feel a vibration, or it’s pulsating when you depress the brake pedal, or perhaps your vehicle pulls to one side. Those can be symptoms of failing brake drums. While a lot more vehicles these days have disc brakes, many vehicles still have brake drums, almost always in the rear wheels. The drum is a cast iron shallow cylinder that surrounds the other parts, including curved brake shoes that press pads against the drum to slow you down or stop the vehicle. Any time you have things going wrong with your brakes, you should get them fixed soon. Safely operating any vehicle depends on having the brakes be able to slow and stop you dependably. It can make the difference between avoiding a collision and having one. When you bring your vehicle in, a technician will inspect your braking system. Depending on ... read more
We all want to breathe clean air and keep our planet green. One of the ways to do that is by requiring all vehicles with internal combustion engines to pass an emissions test. That’s because these vehicles can be big polluters. Everyone wants their car to pass the test so they can continue their day-to-day driving routine. But then comes that one day when they tell you your vehicle has failed. Why does that happen? One of the most common reasons is that your gas cap is leaking or loose (or maybe you don’t even have one on your vehicle!). The gas cap is supposed to seal in vapors, but sometimes its seals or gaskets dry out or crack. Replace it, and you’re good to go. Another common reason your vehicle failed the test is that your catalytic converter isn’t doing its job. It is supposed to convert toxic gases from your engine into ones that don’t pollute the air. There are many reasons the catalytic converter may not ... read more
When you start your vehicle’s engine, there’s another motor that makes that whole process possible. It’s called the starter, and it’s a small electric motor that gets your vehicle running. As you can imagine, it’s quite a chore for a little electric motor to turn over the big engine that powers your vehicle. And after hundreds of successful starting missions, after a while, it will start to give out. You’ll know the starter is starting to give up the ghost when it turns too slowly or sometimes doesn’t do anything when you turn on the ignition. Maybe it makes funny noises like grinding when you try to start your vehicle or maybe there’s just a click. Those are all reasons to get your vehicle over to us so we can see what’s going on. A technician will make sure the problem is the starter and not in the battery, a switch, or other electrical component or connections. If all of those are ruled out, y ... read more
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
You may have heard about an important part of your vehicle's engine called a timing belt, and many know that if that belt breaks, it can cause some very serious engine problems. Not all vehicles have them, and the ones that do generally have smaller engines. The timing belt keeps the engine synchronized so that every time a spark plug fires, the crankshaft, camshaft, pistons, and valves are all working together. Timing belts will eventually have to be replaced, and most vehicle manufacturers recommend when that should be. Typically, it's around every 60,000-100,000 miles, or 100,000-160,000 km. It's a good idea to stick to your vehicle's schedule or be alert for signs that the timing belt may be failing prematurely. Some of those symptoms? Maybe your engine won't even turn over when you try firing it up. You might hear a ticking or banging sound under the hood. Perhaps you spot an oil leak or notice the engine misfiring. If any of those are happenin ... read more
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
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
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
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
You’ve probably already heard that regular oil changes are extremely important for the health of your vehicle’s engine. That’s sound advice. But what you might not know is when it comes to motor oil, the real thing may not be the best thing for your engine. There are different types of motor oil:
• Conventional oil, extracted from the ground and refined.
• Synthetic oil, manufactured from high-quality base oils and artificially-made chemical compounds.
• Synthetic oil blend, a mixture of conventional and synthetic oils. The first thing you need to know is that most new engines require synthetic oil. If synthetic oil is recommended for your car – you MUST use it. For the rest, there are many advantages to using synthetic oil over conventional oil. • Synthetic oil provides better protection for your engine while helping it to perform better
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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
What's the dif? To an automotive technician, it's the differential, a part of your vehicle that helps direct power from the engine to the wheels. The differential is a gearbox that enables the drive wheels to turn at different speeds (they do that when you turn). Inside the differential is a fluid that makes sure those gears and other parts are lubricated since there are a lot of metal moving parts in there. (Your vehicle may have more than one differential in it depending on the drivetrain.) As you can imagine, it's important that the lubricant in those differentials do its job. Otherwise, the gears may be damaged by heat and friction. The more you drive your vehicle, the more likely it is for that lubricating fluid to break down. So, it's important to have the differential fluid exchanged every so often. Your vehicle's manufacturer recommends how often your model should have that done, but a common interval is every 30,000-60,000 miles/50,000 km ... read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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