What are Tune-ups and When are They Needed?

The tune-up has been a very important component of regular car maintenance for a good reason. This procedure is vital to making sure that you have sufficient power to your engine. During the winter, you should make sure that your car is in its best running condition to avoid being stranded in inclement weather. It can be done in conjunction with other services such as oil changes, tire rotation, tire pressure checks, and fluid checks. If you are unsure about the process, you should make sure that you gain some basic knowledge and have a discussion with your mechanic so that you can make the best choices when it comes to your car. 

What is a Tune-up?

Once used to describe the process of making adjustments to improve performance, the term “tune-up” has been coined to describe the process of changing the spark plugs, spark plug wires, and air filter. This process is usually included when performing winter safety inspections and in general maintenance. Technology has increased capacity and durability of spark plugs so that a tune-up may only be required every 100,000 miles or two years. It should be done regularly so that performance and fuel economy do not suffer. Your mechanic can give you a complete explanation of the procedure and can show you what each part looks like and what significance it has to the total performance of your car. 

Why Are They Needed?

You will know when you need a tune-up when you notice a decrease in performance from the engine. You will experience a loss in power, especially during acceleration. An engine needing a tune-up will use more gas because the engine is working harder to keep the sparks firing. As a result, your gas mileage will decrease. This extra work done by the engine will mean that the engine needs more gas to keep the car running. The engine will also run roughly and knock when accelerating. This knocking will continue even after the engine has been shut off. If the spark plugs are damaged or worn enough, they can cause your car to stall and shut off when you idle at a stop light or train crossing. This occurs because the engine is using more gas, but the spark plugs are not able to keep the firing process going in order to produce the tiny explosions that are needed to power the car.

When Are They Needed?

Before the extensive use of computers in cars, it was recommended that a tune-up should be performed regularly in specific time intervals. However, the computer system in newer cars monitors the condition of the spark plugs, filters, and sensors. If the computer detects a problem, the alert system will notify you. You can now go for a very long time between tune-ups due to the advanced spark plugs and computer systems. The length of time between tune-ups would also depend upon the make and model of the car, your driving habits, and weather conditions. Your ASE master technicians can check your spark plugs, wires, and filters during your winter safety inspection. This inspection can include general car maintenance tasks such as oil changes, brake inspections, and windshield wiper replacement; and it can include bumper-to-bumper inspections that will cover every system on your car for maximum security while driving during the winter months. 

Rotating Your Tires for Winter Safety

While many people ready their cars for winter, they may pay close attention to what is going
on under the hood, but may fail to address issues that can arise from underneath the car. The
tires of a car are the only points of contact your car has with the pavement. If they are not in
good condition, you may find yourself stranded on the side of the road waiting for AAA to
come to your rescue. If you want to avoid that scenario, you should make sure to maintain
your tires by having them rotated, balanced, and checked for correct tire pressure.

Why Should Tire Rotation Be Done?

The ultimate goal of tire rotation is to maintain balanced handling and traction by evening
out the wear on the tires. This can be done during oil changes even when you do not see any
noticeable tire wear. Most manufacturers recommend that you rotate your tires every 3,000
to 5,000 miles. Since each tire presents a different wear pattern depending on how the tire is
contacting and interacting with the driving surface, you should rotate all four tires at the
same time. Doing this will help you to have better control of your car and the tires will
respond quicker to your input. It will help with handling and traction.

How is it Done?

There are three types of tire rotation that can be done: rearward cross, forward cross, and the
X-pattern. The rearward cross method switches the rear tires to the front axles and the front
tires are crossed and then installed on the rear axles. In other words, the rear tires are
brought up to the front axles, the left front tire is installed on the right rear axle, and the
right front tire is installed on the left rear axle. The process is reversed for the forward cross
method, with the rear tires being crossed before being installed on the front axles. The X-
pattern crosses both the front tires and rear tires before being installed on their opposite
axles.

Tips for Buying Winter Tires

When replacing your tires, you should be sure to know the size that you need for your car.
You can locate this information by looking on the doorjamb of the driver side door. You may
find a manufacturer sticker that denotes the size and recommended inflation level of the
tires. You can also consult your driver’s manual or ask your mechanic to find the right size
for you. Winter tires will provide additional traction when driving over snow and ice. These
tires have a pronounced tread and are constructed from heavy-duty rubber. Although the
rubber is soft, it provides additional contact with the road, increasing traction. They perform
well on wet surfaces, but they will affect the performance of your car during the summer.
The soft rubber causes the car to feel like you are not connected with the pavement and will
affect your braking and handling during the warm months. Most people purchase winter
tires for installation for winter driving and then remove them after the winter season. If you
live in an area that does not experience much snow and ice, you can also use all-weather
tires. These tires offer the deep tread of the winter tire but the firmness of regular tires.

Check Engine Soon Light

It might present itself as a “Check Engine”, “Check Power Train”, “Service Engine Soon”, or just a little engine symbol – but whichever way your car presents the check engine light, it is important not to ignore it.  If a check engine light is ignored for a long period of time, there could be extensive damage done to your car.

Why Was the Check Engine Soon Light Invented?

The check engine soon light is part of your vehicle’s emissions system and it was designed to alert you about emissions problems monitored by the car’s computer.  It became standard on cars in the 1980’s.  Federal law actually mandates that all new cars sold in the United States have a check engine light.  In addition to turning on the check engine light in your car, the car’s computer also stores a code that identifies the source of the problem that allows the problem to later be identified by one of our technicians using a scanner.  This same computer also controls and monitors vehicle performance, fuel mixture, ignition timing, regulates engine speed (RPM), and in some cars it even tells the automatic transmission when to shift.  

What Causes the Check Engine Light to Come On?

There are some common things that cause your check engine soon to come on.  These things include a loose gas cap, faulty oxygen sensor, bad battery, alternator, baseline parts, and hose & wires.  Sometimes the cause of a check engine soon light is as simple as a gas cap that has not been properly secured. In this case, it is a simple fix to make the check engine soon light turn off.  A second cause might be a faulty oxygen sensor.  While a faulty oxygen sensor may be over diagnosed, it is still a common cause of the check engine soon light coming on in your car.  The main purpose of an oxygen sensor is to examine the amount of oxygen in your car’s exhaust system as compared to the oxygen outside of the system.   The third possible cause of the check engine soon light coming on is a bad car battery.  Our technicians can use an automotive computer to make sure that your battery isn’t causing problems with your car’s electrical system and electronic parts.   A forth cause of the check engine soon light coming on might be your car’s alternator.  Our technicians can test your alternator and diodes.   Your car’s alternator converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) though a series of diodes.  If these diodes fail to complete the conversion, then the AC current can pass into your car’s electrical system confusing your car’s computer and turning on the car’s check engine soon light.  The fifth possible cause of your check engine soon light coming on can be your car’s hoses and wires.  Thus, it is important to get your car’s hoses and wires inspected by our technicians.  If a bad battery and alternator are ruled out as the cause for your check engine light coming on, our technicians may do a visual inspection of your hoses and wires.  During a visual inspection we look for oil soaked wires and vacuum hoses.  We also keep an eye out for frayed wire and anything else that looks out of the ordinary.  Lastly, our technicians may check that your car’s baseline parts are properly controlling fuel delivery and producing high voltage to fire up your car’s spark plugs.  

Reduce Your Auto Repair Bills with General Car Maintenance

The condition of the economy has made many people look for ways to cut costs in their housing, heating, food, and auto repair in the winter. Even though money may be tight, you should not skimp on general car maintenance. Establishing a regular schedule of maintaining your car is the best way to ward off high auto repair bills and improve fuel efficiency. If you are not sure when you should be performing maintenance, you can consult your owner’s manual or your local trusted mechanic to help you set up a regular schedule that you can post in an area where you are sure to see it frequently. Since you will see it often, the subject of car maintenance will be more likely to make a leap up your list of priorities.

Watch Your Fluid Levels

One of the most important things you can do for your car is to routinely check your fluid levels. Some people only check the brake fluid and oil and consider their work done, but it is more to it than that. Make sure that all your fluids are clean. Flush out your radiator and change the oil. When you change the oil, do not forget to change the oil and air filters. Regular fluid checks can reveal any leaks or other problems that may be developing. If you notice that your oil level is getting lower in a short amount of time, you could have a leak or some other engine issue. Your car should not be consuming brake fluid. If you notice that your brake fluid level is getting lower, you have a leak somewhere and you need to take it to a mechanic so it can be repaired immediately. Loss of brake fluid can result in a complete loss of stopping ability. Top off your windshield washer fluid and check your transmission fluid levels.

Have a Bumper-to-Bumper Inspection Before the Winter

A bumper-to-bumper inspection is not just to assure a car buyer that the car of interest is in good running condition. A complete inspection would include all of the systems on your car, including the heating and cooling systems, steering and suspension systems, and braking and transmission systems. It would also include a tire inspection and you can add other options such as wheel alignment and inspecting wires. Your engine will be checked for potential problems and your mechanic will inform you of any problems he sees and give you an estimate of the repairs needed. If you have your car checked before the winter, you can be assured that your car will run during the winter with minimal issues. 

Take Care of the Tires

A tire inspection will help you to determine if you have the proper amount of air in your tires. It is best to invest in a good set of snow tires for the winter. Although all-season tires are available and popular, car manufacturers are making tires wider and with a low profile, which means that your car is actually lower to the ground. Low-profile tires are not conducive to driving on snow and the efforts to control fuel consumption by optimizing air pressure are minimal at best. Checking your tires will help you discover any slow leaks or other possible tire problems. If you catch problems early enough and faithfully perform general car maintenance in the present, you can avoid a huge repair bill in the future. 

General Car Maintenance Tips for the Beginner

While you are forgiven if you head to the mechanic for most car and engine repairs, you must ensure you carry out basic maintenance and checks on your own. Car maintenance checks are much more than checking and topping off your fluids, checking your tire pressure, and make sure all your lights work. In order to enhance the shelf life of your car, you will need to carry out the following basic maintenance operations on your car.

Make Sure Your Brakes Are Efficient

Brakes and brake pads in a car are very important for you to efficiently maneuver the vehicle. You must never ignore the condition of your brakes, as brake failure can be the most dangerous car break downs that can be life shattering, second only to tire failure. In order to make sure you never have to bear the brunt of a brake failure in your life, check the fluid levels periodically and ensure that your brake pads are in top working order. Failure in the brake components must be immediately taken care of by a mechanic before it leaves you stranded on the freeway or worse. You must ideally, look to replace your brakes once you notice that your stopping power has greatly diminished or your brake pedal isn’t as stiff as it once was.

Regular Tire Inspections Are A Must

The tires on your car are the victims of rash driving, incessant speed changes, bad and bumpy roads, and constant braking. Nonetheless, they tend to wear away sooner than the eight year shelf life they’re sold with. You must keep an eye on the tire alignment, tire pressure and other tire safety parameters. When you notice even a slight problem with your tires, make sure you immediately visit a mechanic and get your car inspected. Tires are hugely responsible for safety in the car and you must never let faulty tires put you and your car in risk at all. One way you can ensure long lasting tires is by using a tread depth gauge to check for optimum thickness regularly. However, during summers and winters, proper tire inspections at a garage are necessary, though the readings on the tread depth gauge might reveal no problems.

Proper Coolant Checks Are Important

The coolant in your engine is in charge of several tasks and thus, requires constant checking. It not only keeps your radiator from overheating but also is a good antifreeze component, and keeps corrosion levels low in the internal hardware of your car. Treating your coolant with the recognition it deserves is an important general car maintenance task. You must not only check the coolant levels regularly, but also make sure that cleanliness and effectiveness is at an even keel. If there is a slight disconnect in the efficiency of your coolant, you must strive to replace it as soon as possible. Though you must look at your car manual for more details on the specific coolant replacement times recommended, we suggest replacing the coolant either after 24,000 miles or every two years. Apart from fuel inspections, you also have to check engine belts, head, brake and turn signal lights, and fuel efficiency for a comfortable shelf life.

Pre-Winter Checklist For Your Car

The moment fall is over; you will need to set up an appointment to have your car inspected for winter driving by one of our ASE Certified mechanics. It is important to ensure that the serviceable parts in your car are maintained to function superbly in the chilly temperatures too. Apart from the general car maintenance guidelines that every car owner must follow, we’ve compiled a list of winterizing techniques that include tire inspections, maintenance of electrical systems in your car to avoid start up problems in the cold mornings, windshield wiper replacements to avoid collisions and enhance road visibility, and a proper fuel delivery system. 

Make Sure to Have Regular Oil Changes

An important checklist as you begin winterizing your car is to have a proper oil change done for your vehicle. Oil behaves differently in summer and winter, and this might cause problems with the overall operation of the engine in below freezing point temperatures. It comes down to basic physics; the colder the temperature and higher viscosity of the liquid, the “thicker” that liquid becomes.  Most vehicles use a 10-weight oil, which is perfect for the summer time, but during the winter months, it makes your engine work harder in order to start on those cold mornings.  Depending on the vehicle, it’s best to have a lower weight oil put into your engine.  With a lower weight oil, it won’t become so “thick” in the overnight hours when the winter temperatures really dip into the freezing temperatures.  This is will make your car start easier in the morning.

Carry Out Tire Inspections Before Winter Begins

Although the AAA and the ASE recommend tire inspections and replacements of components at least twice a month, you will need to completely overhaul your tires before winter. Thanks to the salt deposits on the road, the low temperatures, and the need of traversing on slippery snow and frost, tires wear down very quickly in winters. Thus, if your tire is old and more than two years old, we suggest changing it immediately. You could also attach snow tires if your city is under a lot of snow in the winter. Tread gauges are also important to check the allowable distance between the tire and the tread tool. You also want to check tire pressure and see if your vehicle is pulling to one side of the road.  If you feel anything requires any type of professional attention, get your vehicle into our shop so that we may further diagnose the problem.

Flush Your Coolant Systems and Radiators For Better Performance

Throughout the heat and humidity of the summer, you’ve relied on your coolants and radiators to dissipate heat externally and get rid of overheating prospects in your car. In winter, coolant systems and radiators are also components with a demanding workload, though now, their duties would be to ensure that the chillness outside does not intrude the hardware and that the heat remains in the car always. Thus, flushing your cooling systems and radiators and ensuring that the coolant, the antifreeze and other fluids are at the required levels are a must before winter hits. 

Your Vehicle Guide to Winter Safety

The snow and the ice are on their way, and what better way to prepare for them than to learn a bit more than you already know about winter safety. Winter safety is regarded as one of the most important topics for new vehicle owners, but it is just as important for those who have been driving for quite some time. If you want to stay extra safe this winter, and ensure your car performs well, read on and find out how for more information. 

The Winter Fluid Edition

Just because it is cold outside, and you have to don a pair of gloves, a hat and a coat, it does not mean that general car maintenance is not necessary. In fact, people tend to have more problems with their cars in the winter than in any other season, including the fall. Winter safety begins with a car that is well taken care of. Do not stop checking your oil just because the weather dropped; it can and will still need to be changed on occasion, and topped off. The cold does not stop it from being used. The same goes for fluid checks across the board. Windshield wiper fluid is used just as much in the winter, due to dirt getting mixed with snow and ending up on your windshield. Be sure to check all of your fluids just as regularly during the winter as you do during the summer or spring. 

Listen to Your Breaks

Your brakes are even more important in the winter than they are in the summer or spring. And seeing as they are considered one of, if not the most important aspect of your vehicle already, that is no small sentiment. Thus it is imperative that you “listen” to your brakes during the winter. This does not mean attempting to diagnose any issues yourself; it means accepting or recognizing issues you are having. Does it take you longer to brake than usual? Are your brakes vibrating, or making strange sounds? In the winter a lot of factors can make brakes behave strangely, but none of them should be ignored or assumed to be “normal.” If you notice anything strange about your brakes, or if your vehicle is handling different than usual, then you should bring it in to a shop immediately, or as soon as possible. This is a big part of winter safety; just as your body aches or pains to tell you things, your car will certainly have its ways of telling you things as well. And while you may not know what those things are, or be able to diagnose them, you can listen to them.

More Winter Safety Tips

Winter safety does not stop with a good car in working order; it comes down to you as a driver. Aggressive driving can be fatal in the winter, and a break down can be dangerous.

The Fall Vehicle Safety Maintenance Check List

This fall, if you have a family, a job or other prior engagements, you are going to be using your vehicle fairly often. Whether you put on ten miles a day or one hundred miles a day, the necessity for safety remains the same. Thus, maintaining your vehicle well during this season is crucial. With the possibility of high winds, heavy rains and colder weather, a lot can happen to your vehicle. The following check list is detailed to give you the scoop on what you need to do in order to maintain your vehicle this fall, all by yourself. 

Oil Changes and Oil Checks

The weather may have cooled, but your vehicle will still be running the same as it always does. This means that you still need to check your engine oil frequently, and change it when it is dark. 

Wind Shield Wiper Replacements

Winter is close by, and thus if your wind shield wipers can not get the job down now, they will not be able to get it done in the following months. If you are not satisfied with your wind shield wipers, or want to try to get better performance from them, your best bet will be to replace them. 

Tire Pressure

Slick roads are made far worse by swathes of damp leaves. The fall is beautiful, but if your tires are too low on air, you will find yourself in an ugly side of it. Check your tires frequently and fill them up as needed.

Antifreeze

You may think the colder weather negates the need for temperature regulation in your vehicle, but that can not be any further from the truth; cold or not, antifreeze is still a necessity. Check your levels whenever you check your oil, and top off as needed.

Check the Tread on Your Tires

Having enough air in your tires will not give you all the traction you need; if your tires are bald, they will slip easily on the fall leaves, causing any number of problems. Prevent this by checking your tread before the fall season to ensure that your tires have sufficient tread. If they do not, consider purchasing a new set of tires—ones that will be of as much use in the fall as the winter. 

Brakes

You want to pay attention to your brakes at all times, but especially in the fall. During this season, your brakes will be used nearly twice as much as in the summer or spring seasons. This is due to the slippery conditions that the road will be in as the leaves fall from the trees. If you find that your brakes are making sounds that you do not recognize, or they are vibrating your vehicle, or they are simply taking more pressure or time than usual to kick in, it is imperative that you bring your vehicle in to get looked at. The winter season will not be any kinder to it, and thus the problem should be addressed before the next season, as the roads will only continue to get worse. 

Estimating the Costs for Getting Your Brakes Fixed

The brakes on your car are perhaps the most important aspect of the vehicle. Brakes help you to stop, slow down and, in all senses, avoid collisions of any kind. If your brakes are starting to go—making strange sounds, taking too long to catch—then you may very well be considering getting your brakes fixed. But how do you go about this, and are brakes expensive to have fixed? Well, this all depends on a few things.

How Are Your Brake Lights?

Do your brake lights work? It is important to know this before you get your brakes fixed, because if they aren’t, you will definitely need to get them fixed. But why are brake lights so important? Consider a world without them. People would be stopping their vehicles, or slowing down, and no one else on the road would have any notion of it until they ram in to the back of the other vehicle! Brakes lights are all about caution, and awareness. A brake light lets everyone in the vicinity know that the person in the vehicle is going to be (a) stopping suddenly or (b) slowing down to either stop, or change lanes. This is important in preventing collisions, and so you should check your brake lights before going to get your brakes fixed. This will ensure that you get all of your brake related problems fixed at the same time, saving you any future worry. 

Knowing That Your Brake Pads Are Wearing Down

It is not safe to try and diagnose your brake problems by yourself. This is because brake issues are all very similar; a squeaky stop, or a groan or whining sound, can mean a number of things. Brake technicians are trained to diagnose these problems. Without training, it is very easy to mistakenly choose the wrong issue, resulting in expensive repairs in the wrong area of your vehicle. One thing that certainly means your brake pads are worn down, though, and is of no danger diagnosing on your own, is if it takes your vehicle longer than usual to come to a complete stop. This is because there is not enough of the pad left to properly grip the wheel, resulting in more pressure being necessary in order to bring your vehicle to a complete and utter stop.  Thus, if you notice this issue, bring your car in and ask to have your brake pads inspected, which should be free of charge, and if needed, fixed. 

Calculating the costs of your Brake repair

Depending upon the make and model of your car, brake repair costs will vary drastically. There is no way to really and truly guess the cost of your break repair, however you can bring your vehicle in for a brake check. This is a test, completely free of charge at most mechanic shops, where your vehicle is tested for various brake issues. Once the test is complete, the mechanic will be able to tell you what the brake issue is, and give you an estimate of how much it will cost to have the problem fixed.

Common Brake Problems Faced Today

There are few things more terrifying as a driver than to press down on the brake pedal and have absolutely nothing happen. Fortunately this doesn’t happen very often, but a little knowledge can stop a lot of panic attacks down the road.  Having well maintained brakes and brake pads is a part of car ownership that will keep a driver and all passengers in a car safe. Practicing safe driving techniques can also contribute to reducing the wear and tear on your brakes. When a driver listens to every sound and pays attention to the feeling of the brakes and how they react, a driver will be able to avoid many problems. 

Brake Pad Troubles

When the brake pads have worn through you will know it because it will cause a noticeable scraping and grinding sound, because there is metal rubbing against metal. Clearly the maintenance of this vehicle has been put off far too long.  A failure to fix this immediately is going to leave to more costly repairs than just the brakes.  Having bad brake pads and brake shoes is just a part of general car maintenance. 

Brake Lights on the Dashboard Come On

If the brake lights on the dashboard light up, they are trying to tell a vehicle operator something important.  You should cease driving immediately because brake failure could be eminent. Have the brake system checked out completely because this is often an indication that there is a leaking of brake fluid occurring.  If you have any leaks in the system they should be repaired immediately so that the vehicle will be safe.  The brake light could mean that the emergency brake is still on.  Fixing this is much easier as all you will have to do is release the emergency brake. 

When the Brakes Are Shaking

Sometimes a driver will experience that feeling that the brake pedal is shaking or vibrating. This is a sign that the brake rotors of a vehicle are probably not evenly worn. When brake rotors don’t make consistent contact evenly with the brake pads then the result is a shaking in the brakes.  The problem should be addressed, by either resurfacing the rotors or by replacing them all together. Once the repairs are done the brake shaking will cease. 

Brake Pedal Pushes in Too Far

When a brake pedal is pressed a driver should feel a little resistance to the foot. If the resistance is not as great as it should be, the brake pedal will have to be depressed to a level that is not normal. This is caused most often by worn brake pads or brake shoes or that there is air in the lines. Get your brakes checked as soon as possible to fix any long term problems. However in the short term pumping the brakes or depressing them several times quickly will help the brake system compensate for this problem. 

Common brake problems happen all the time in vehicles of all kinds. Pay attention to the performance of your vehicle and address any uncommon sounds that occur when you press the brakes, or any feeling that is different in the way they react.