AUTO MAINTENANCE
I am often asked by customers just what is a tune-up. In the old days (pre-1980) many cars on the road still used a standard ignition system and carburetors. The use of electronic ignition systems came into use in the early 70's. Today's cars are fuel injected (no carbs) and most utilize a distributorless ignition system (DIS). So as cars have changed so have tune-ups.
A few weeks ago a young man in his late teens comes into my shop and asked if we could install some parts he had bought through the internet on his late model Honda Civic. Since he was the son of a good customer I said OK and asked what he had. There stuffed in the trunk and backseat were boxes with new suspension lowering parts, an air induction system and big wheels with short tires. This kid had been bitten by the bug and wanted to make his common ride look different, just like his buddies cars.
We've all seen them driving the streets of our neighborhoods. Those machines that used to resemble normal cars and trucks, but now sit unbelievably close tot the ground and are usually accompanied by an annoying, window shaking "thump-thump" noise eminating from their stereo speakers. They usually have exhaust modifications that make the 4 cylinder sewing machines under the hood sound like a full blown engine. They are known as "slammers" and their the in thing with young drivers these days.
Last week Ford announced another sweeping tire recall for their light trucks & SUV's including the popular Exolorer. Conjuring up memories from last summer's recall, this round comes under the shadow of Firestone's announcement the previous week that they would no longer supply tires to Ford. So where does this leave the consumer?
This years recall differs slightly from that of last year in that last summer's round of recall involved only the Firestone AT tires made in a certain plant and mounted on vehicles in mostly Southern (hotter) states. The current recall covers the entire Firestone Wilderness line on vehicles across the country. Drivers have the option of either returning to their local Ford dealer to have their tires replaced at no charge or may purchase tires from another source. If they opt to buy tires from a tire dealer the vehicle owner must take the old tires and a receipt to their local Ford dealer and will be reimbursed up to $110 per tire. If last summer's recall is any indication of how the new round of recalls will go these tires will become scarce very quickly so I would advise consumers to take care of this matter ASAP.
Here we are once again. The grass is growing, the trees are green and it's HOT! Here in Texas we have a saying that the best thing about summer is that it only comes once a year. So let's take a look at what it takes to keep you and your car running cool this summer.
I never thought I'd see the day when we would be looking at gas prices getting close to two dollars a gallon and people feeling sorry that they bought a big gas guzzling domestic vehicle. But, as the great Yogi Berra once said: "It's deja vu all over again." Some of you may be too young to remember the 70's and 80's when gas prices jumped over a dollar a gallon and gas stations actually sold out of gas in a matter of hours and lines for stations that did have gas stretched for blocks. It looks like those days may be back. Even if you drive an SUV that gets worse gas mileage than a Sherman tank there are some steps you can take to help stretch those miles per gallon.
One of the most annoying things a professional service writer or technician can hear from a customer is: "My car is making this funny noise. What do you think it is?" It's annoying because these small little noises or big rattles are usually impossible to pinpoint quickly. Also, the noise that is bothering the customer may not even be audible to the tech. Many times a tech hears and repairs something totally different from what the customer wants. Then we hear the second most annoying thing: "It's still doing the same thing." So, before you seek professional help for that perturbing clunk or squeak do a little detective work yourself and you may save yourself a little money and both you and a service tech a lot of frustration and wasted time.
Spring is finally here! Warm days, mild nights, gentle breezes. The perfect time to get the family car ready for the summer ahead. Taking a little time now can save some big headaches later.
Servicing your car's transmission is easy and inexpensive. The transmission fluid and filter are often overlooked or forgotten because they do not need to be changed as often as other fluids or filters. The average interval for replacement of transmission fluid and filter as specified by the manufacturer is generally around 50,000 miles. If you are experiencing problems with the transmission it is a good idea to have a specialist take a look at it. . If you have a few basic tools and a basic knowledge of mechanics you should have no problem changing your own filter and fluid.
In my last article I said that the next installement would continue with cooling system maintenance. Well, that topic will have to wait a few days. Instead this article is about the passing of a champion, the final act of a legend, the death of a man who had many nicknames and whose name was synonymous with stock car racing--Dale Earnhardt.
Winter is almost over, at least here in Texas anyway, and pretty soon we're going to need to get our cars and trucks ready for the spring and summer ahead. One of the most important things to pay attention to is the cars cooling system. Cooling system does not mean the air conditioner, it is referring to the engine cooling system and the components that keep the engine running at normal operating temperatures.
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