Blog Archives - 2016

Often times I get phone calls from customers wondering if the light on their dash is a serious problem. Some have told me the light started flashing and their vehicle immediately started chugging or running rough. Some have told me the light has been on for months and it's been running fine. Some have even "fixed the problem themselves with a piece of electrical tape." Regardless....there are many answers to this now age old question. The most important piece of advice I can give in this little blog is..... If the light is flashing and the vehicle is running poorly get somewhere as soon as possible and have the vehicle's computer scanned.

Why do my brakes squeak? Often time we get a call like this and we bring the vehicle into the shop for a brake inspection. Some of the times the squeal noise is coming from the warning clips on the brake pads alerting the driver that "Hey, it's time for that brake job!" Sometimes they are squeaking because the brake shoes on the rear are out of adjustment. A simple clean and adjust of the rear brake shoes could help eliminate that nails on a chalk board noise. Also, sometimes humidity and moisture cause that crazy noise.

"Stop and smell the Roses" Recently a few customers have come in with complaints of a "weird smell or foul odor when their vehicle is warmed up." Sometimes a foul smell can be a big deal and sometimes not. After inspecting the vehicles we found 2 different issues. In picture above a gentleman ran over a plastic grocery bag and in time it will burn completely off. In most cases this is not a big deal. The picture below shows a bad axle in which the seal and boot has blown out and it (literally) puked the grease onto the hot exhaust.

Recently we had a gentleman come into our shop because he could not get his cell phone charger to work. "It just stopped working and I even tried a new cell phone charger." After a 'professional inspection' of the power outlet, ie try my own charger from my own cell phone, we determined the customer is absolutely right, it's not the charger cable. After a little more testing we determined that the fuse was good but still no power to the outlet. After a little head scratching and more conversation with the customer we learned earlier in the day he jump started his tractor and maybe ever since then it stopped working?

Often times we have customers that assume or were told they need to go back to the dealership have their vehicle repaired because they have a warranty. Some customers are confused between an aftermarket and factory warranty. To clarify, a factory warranty is the warranty most manufacturers offer when you purchase a new vehicle. For instance, GM may give a 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty when you purchase that new Impala. An 'after market warranty' is an extra warranty to cover repairs when the factory warranty expires. For example, you may be offered to purchase an additional warranty on that same Impala when the odometer hits 36,001 miles.

Often times we are asked "do you think it's worth fixing?" When customers run into high repair costs on high mileage vehicles sometimes they are in for a tough decision. For the most part, every decision is unique to its own situation. We understand when you're tired of pouring money into your aging machine. Here are a couple of tips to aid your decision whether or not to trade in 'Ole Sweetie.' 1) A newer used car may not mean you will visit us less. Do your homework on the vehicle you wish to purchase. Road test a few different models.

Before you hit the road in the family Truckster here are a couple of quick tips to make she is ready for the road: 1) Checking tire pressure (especially in the summer) is very important- make sure all (5) tires are set to the pressure recommended on the drivers jam door sticker. Yep, I said 5 tires, make sure to check that spare tire in the trunk or on the underside of your vehicle. It's no fun finding out the hard way that your spare tire is low...

Today I went on a road test with a great customer because he was hearing an "intermittent weird noise while turning left" in the front of his SUV. Since he stated the noise does not occur all the time, I thought it would be best to go on a quick road test with him before we inspect further. Right away I thought I heard it, there was a clanging noise coming from the rear end. "Nope, that's not it. My wife left a frying pan with a lid on it in the back seat," he said.

For many people allergy season is no fun! Although we have no cure for your allergies, we can help make sure your car is ready for the season. Replacing your cabin air filter at least once per year can help alleviate those sneezing and wheezing symptoms. Sometimes leaves, bugs and debris can flow into the intake vents and clog the cabin air filter. Here are a few other reasons why it is important to replace your cabin air filter: When this filter becomes restricted it can reduce the efficiency and flow of your vehicles air conditioner.

Often times we are asked, "why do I have to flush my cooling system? How often should I flush my cooling system? Is it best to flush before winter or summer?, How do I figure out which antifreeze my vehicle takes?" Here are a couple of simple thoughts about vehicle cooling systems: Coolant, also referred to as antifreeze, is the fluid that absorbs the heat from your engine and disperses it out through the radiator. When mixed properly is has a higher boiling point and lower freezing point than water allowing the engine to run at higher and lower temperatures.

The timing belt is important because makes the internal components of the engine work together. I could get real technical and tell you how the timing belt keeps the flux capacitor inline with the rotary girder but I won't bore you with the details. Basically, what you need to know is the timing belt is a rubber belt that controls how the valves and pistons move inside of the motor. Because the belt is rubber, it is subject to shredding, breaking or slipping which can cause all kinds of horrible engine damage.

Because of the ever changing technology, training never ends! Even the most basic systems such as brakes and suspension can get pretty technical. With electronic parking brake systems, air ride height control and steering angle sensors we even run into problems or issues at times. Especially because we repair all different makes and models there is so much to learn about with each car manufacturer. It was nice of Napa to come into our shop with their Brake and Suspension Rep for a dinner and learn the other night.

"Why does my A/C blow warm air" you ask? Well unlike the A/C system in your home, your vehicles system gets jostled around while driving through the streets of Davenport. And over time the fittings and A/C components get worn out and tired which causes freon to leak out. Since freon is a gas, it seeps into the atmosphere rather than drips down like engine oil or antifreeze making it tougher to find when there is a leak. In order to find the leak, we generally need to remove all old freon and air that is inside of the A/C system with a machine (Recover).

My 3 girls love unicorns! When they see a unicorn in a movie or in a book they fall in love. However, it is heartbreaking when dad has to bring them back to reality and teach them.......well....unicorns are just not real. What does this have to do with the brakes on your vehicle? A cheap brake job does not exist. If for some reason you are driving thru the forest and you come across what appears to be a cheap brake job, I would suggest you do the same thing as if you see a unicorn. Slap yourself across the face and wake up! At best it could be a bait a switch.

Not much is worse than running late for work. If you are like me, it usually starts out something like this: First you snooze through your alarm 7 times. Next you fly out of bed and jump into the shower. Then in an attempt to brush your teeth while putting your shirt on you somehow become a contortionist and pull a back muscle. After that muscle spasm, while putting your shoes on you spill your coffee down the front of your shirt. Finally when you get to your car and buckle in, you realize your wallet is next to the coffee pot on the kitchen counter.