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Preparing Your Car For Winter: Essential Maintenance Tips

As winter approaches, ensuring your vehicle is ready to tackle the challenges of cold, snowy, and icy conditions is of utmost importance. Proper winter car maintenance is essential for your safety and the longevity of your car. In this blog, we’ll emphasize why entrusting your car to a trusted service center is the best choice for preparing your vehicle for winter. Tires: You can rely on our skilled technicians at our service center to check tire pressure, inspect tread depth, and recommend winter tires or snow chains tailored to your specific […]

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Water Pump Replacement

The water pump is the heart of your engines cooling system. It is turned by a belt (either the exterior serpentine belt, or internal timing belt) and circulates the coolant through the engine, heater, and radiator. The pump usually has a pulley on a shaft, which rides on a bearing with a seal to prevent leakage. Inside is a wheel with angled vanes that forces coolant to flow in a particular direction. All of these components are exposed to the near-boiling temperatures of the coolant. Maintenance Water pumps are designed to last […]

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Tune Ups

Engine tuning is the adjustment, modification or design of internal combustion engines to yield optimal performance, to increase an engine’s power output, economy, or durability. It has a long history, almost as long as the development of the car in general, originating with the development of early racing cars, and later, with the post-war hot-rod movement. Tuning can describe a wide variety of adjustments and modifications, from the routine adjustment of the carburetor and ignition system to significant engine overhauls. At the other end of the scale, performance tuning of an engine […]

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Timing Belt

A timing belt is an internal engine belt or chain that tells the valvetrain of your engine what to do based upon the events of the crankshaft and pistons. It controls the intake and exhaust valves, creating just the right amount of gases in the cylinder for each engine stroke. Sometimes, it is this belt that also turns an internal water pump, depending on engine design. The proper operation of this belt is critical to engine operation, as a broken timing chain or belt can result in a loss of cooling, or even complete […]

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Shocks and Struts

Shocks and struts are pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders that dampen ride motions and keep your tires firmly in contact with the road. They are critical to the safe operation of your vehicle, as they control the up and down motions you experience while driving down the road. We’ve all seen a car “bouncing” over slight bumps that we don’t even feel…that vehicle has completely worn out shocks, and is unsafe on the road due to a lack of steering control! Ride and handling Different vehicles will use different shocks or […]

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Powertrain Systems

The powertrain of your vehicle consists of the engine, transmission or transaxle, and rear differential if you have rear-wheel drive. If you have a gas/electric hybrid, an electric motor or two may also be involved, as would the battery pack. And if your vehicle is all-electric, your powertrain would be the electric motor and the battery pack. This system is what moves your car. The engine uses fuel to generate power; that power is either multiplied or distributed through the transmission, and then it reaches the drive wheels via a differential or transaxle. Drivetrain issues […]

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Oil Changes

An oil change is like a transfusion of new life into your vehicle. Over time, oil can lose some of its chemical properties that are designed to reduce corrosion and increase the lubrication in your engine. In some environments, dust and dirt can also find their way into your crankcase, so a regular change of your oil and filter are paramount to the long service life of your car or truck. Maintenance schedule The manufacturer of your vehicle sets the maintenance schedule based upon average use in average conditions. We can help you to stay […]

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Hard Starting

There are many systems required for a car to start properly, so regular maintenance is necessary to keep your vehicle starting reliably. First, there are many electrical components needed to start successfully. A well-charged battery is necessary to turn the starter. The battery will also provide voltage to the ignition coil(s), as well as provide power to the fuel pump and fuel injection system. Spark plugs need to be clean and have a proper “gap” to allow the fuel in the cylinder to ignite. As you can see, the electrical system, the fuel system and other sub-systems […]

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Fuel and Engine Management

Engine operation management requires the input of a few systems working together. The filtered air of the inductions system, the fuel delivered to each cylinder, and the emissions system all feed information to the ECM (or PCM) and the computer calculates the proper amount of fuel for each running condition. Being a computer, it can measure and correct parameters like the air/fuel ratio thousands of times per minute! It also takes input from the electrical system in determining load and how much timing advance the engine requires for optimum operation. Regular maintenance This is […]

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Filters

Your vehicle has a variety of filters to keep small particles of dirt from circulating in the operating systems, causing damage and eventually failure of moving parts. Cabin Filter The cabin filter works just like the filter for your air conditioner at home. It filters dust and dirt from the outside air prior to being treated by the climate control system. Keeping this filter serviced at proper intervals will ensure fresh, fast moving air is always available inside your vehicle. Oil Filter The oil filter traps contaminants in your engine oil. Even […]

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