Frequently Asked Questions

Expand all Collapse all

• How Does An Automobile Run?

  An automobile is a machine designed for transportation. It takes organic material and burns it to produce energy, just like the human body eats food and burns it to produce energy. Energy is produced when an object is moved by force. Many objects inside an automobile are moved by energy therefore a car loses much of it's potential power by having to move things such as the water pump, alternator, power steering pump, a/c compressor, etc

• What Causes Friction And Is It Good Or Bad?

  When an object is moved by force there is another force that is over come by that energy which is called friction. Friction is both good and bad depending on the action that is to be accomplished. in the power process it is a bad thing that must be over come but in the stopping process it is the very thing we rely on to help us accomplish our task.

• What Causes Wear On Vehicles?

  Anytime friction is used for something or is over come to produce energy, we have the a nasty element call wear. Wear is something that we need to watch and control to the best of our ability. Maintenance and services will help you and your car or truck control wear and you will get longer life, better mileage, and peak performance from your vehicle.

• What is a brake fluid flush and do I need one?

  A brake fluid flush is a process that removes and replaces the old brake fluid from your car or trucks brake system. A special high pressure machine is hooked up to the master cylinder of the vehicle, it pushes new fluid in, with the system being sealed and pressurized. The mechanic/technician will open the bleeder screw on each of the brakes hydraulic systems components and the old dirty fluid will flush out. He will continue to do this until the fluid comes out clean and clear.

  If your brake fluid is dirty or has a lot of moisture in it you need one. Ask you technician next time you have your car in for service to check for you if you are not sure.

  The benefit from a brake fluid flush may or may not be noticeable while driving. If the system has a considerable amount of moisture in it you will notice a stronger firmer brake pedal. With anti-lock brakes {ABS} being installed in almost all every newer car/light truck, it helps keep the system maintained and helps prevent future problems from occurring.

   

• Fuel Filters – When and Why They Should be Replaced?

  Fuel filters are much larger than in years past, and most people think that because they are larger they will last a lot longer than the older smaller ones. The truth is that the fuel injectors on the newer cars are less tolerant of any kind of dirt or debris. So today’s fuel filters are larger because they must contain more filtering material. They are also designed to filter out even microscopic contaminants. As a result of filtering such small particles, they get clogged up much faster than most people think.

  I personally recommend that fuel filters get changed about every thirty thousand miles. The benefit of this service far outweighs the cost. Your car will perform better and get better gas mileage, and Lord knows we all need to get every mile we can out of our gas now-a-days.

  After all this is said, the greatest benefit of changing the fuel filter is that it reduces the wear and tear on the fuel pump. Fuel injected cars and trucks have an electrical fuel pump that is usually located inside the gas tank. This small pump needs to deliver anywhere from 32-85 psi of fuel pressure to the fuel injectors. The more restricted the fuel filter is, the harder the pump has to work to do its job. The harder it works, the greater the likelihood you will have to replace it before its time. Fuel pumps are typically very expensive to replace. When weighed against this expense, the cost of the filter change looks better all the time.

• What are Check Engine Lights? What do they mean, Are they important?

   What are they?

   They are the little yellow lights that will sometimes pop up on your dash board. The process of this little light coming on is a very tough decision for your auto’s computer system. They could say check engine, they could have a little picture of an engine on them, Or they could say service engine soon.

  What do they mean ?

  They are there to tell you that your computer operating system found something out of range.[ That is out of it’s normal operating parameters.] In plain English it saw something that it did not like and thought it should make you the driver aware of the situation. Your owners manual may say that it is an emissions related problem and it very well may be, but it is not limited to that system.

  They are Important.

  They should not ever be ignored for long periods of time.

  Although it is okay to drive and get to where you are going. Then as soon as you can set up and appointment and get it in the shop to have it diagnosed. The computer should have a code in it’s memory, that your mechanic can retrieve. It will almost always lead the mechanic in the direction of your problem or at least determine what system it pertains to. After this has been determined the problem will either be diagnosed or you the customer will be notified of the next step and cost of the diagnostic process.

  The light will remain on if not repaired. This means that if the computer sets another code it will not be able to notify you of the problem because the light is already on. This is why it is always important to keep your car in tip top running condition and fix it right.