AUTOMOTIVE KNOWLEDGE |
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The following is some basic car information and tips.
This is for your knowledge and anything that requires more specific information should be directed to us from our contact page or by calling one of our locations.
We have tried to inform you about things most readily faced by most drivers today. Click on the specific question of interest below and you will be linked to the answer.
We hope this information helps you. |
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(1) When should I bring my car in for an oil change?
(2) If I go longer between oil change intervals, do I need to have my oil filter changed more frequently or do I need a special filter?
(3) What should I do if I notice that my temperature indicator is pointing in the red?
(4) What are the most common causes of engine overheating?
(5) What are some tips for better gas mileage?
(6) I tried to start my car, but there is no electricity going to the instruments or the starter?
(7) What's the difference between a fully synthetic and a synthetic blend motor oil?
(8) If my wipers seem to streaking do I need to replace the blade or the entire wiper?
(9) I feel a vibration in my brake pedal when I stop. What could be the problem?
(10) My brake pedal slowly sinks to the floor when I hold foot on it. Why does this happen?
(11) The brake pedal is low when I step on it but comes up when I pump. Do I need new brakes?
(12) Is it necessary to rotate the tires every so often?
(13) My front-wheel drive makes a clicking noise when turning. Is there a problem?
(14) How often should I have my radiator fluid changed?
(15) How often should the automatic transmission fluid be changed?
(16) When I try to start my engine, I hear the starter spinning but the engine isn't cranking. What gives?
(17) My engine starts but dies after a couple of minutes and won't restart. What's wrong?
(18) My power steering feels stiff when I first start my car, but then feels normal after I've driven the car awhile. How come?
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(1) When should I bring my car in for an oil change? A good rule to follow is to have your oil and filter changed every 3000 miles or 3 months; check your oil every gas fill up - if you have bubbles, a milky look or a strong smell of gas have your car serviced a our local Lube Express as soon as possible. |
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(2) If I go longer between oil change intervals, do I need to have my oil filter changed more frequently or do I need a special filter? If I go longer between oil change intervals, do I need to change my oil filter more frequently? Or do I need a special filter?
Continue to change your oil filter when you change your engine oil. Special filters or more frequent oil filter changes are not required.
Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil Filters provide outstanding performance during longer oil change intervals. Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil Filters are designed to offer excellent efficiency (remove more engine oil impurities) and high capacity (60 percent greater capacity than conventional oil filters), which make them ideal candidates for longer oil change intervals. |
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(3) What should I do if I notice that my temperature indicator is pointing in the red? The fastest thing you can do is turn off your A/C and turn on your heater to high; this will draw heat away from the engine and cool your car, but you should still pull over to the side of the road and wait until the car cools down completely. |
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(4) What are the most common causes of engine overheating? Thermostat Stuck Shut- the thermostat fails to open, which can happen due to mechanical failure or if a steam pocket forms under the thermostat due to incomplete filling of the COOLING SYSTEM or coolant loss, no coolant will circulate between the engine and radiator, and the engine will quickly overheat.
Defective Fan Clutch - The clutch allows the fan to slip at high speed, which reduces the parasitic horsepower drag on the engine. If the clutch slips too much, however, the fan may not turn fast enough to keep the engine cool.
Inoperative Fan Motor - If the temperature switch or coolant sensor (or the relay that routes power to the fan motor is bad), the fan won’t come on when it is needed and the engine will overheat.
External Coolant Leaks -
Leaks in radiator or heater hoses, the water pump, radiator, heater core or engine freeze plugs can allow coolant to escape. No engine can tolerate the loss of coolant for very long, so it usually overheats as soon as a leak develops.
Weak or Leaky Radiator Cap - If the spring inside the cap is weak (or the cap is the wrong one for the application), the engine will lose coolant out the overflow tube every time it gets hot.
Internal Coolant Leak -
If there are no visible coolant leaks, but the engine is using coolant, there may be a crack in the cylinder head or block, or a leaky head gasket that is allowing coolant to escape into the combustion chamber or crankcase.
Bad Water Pump - In a high mileage engine, the impeller that pumps the coolant through the engine inside the water pump may be so badly corroded that the blades are loose or eaten away. If such is the case, the pump must be replaced. |
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(5) What are some tips for better gas mileage? Use the A/C only when necessary, keep air filters clean, keep OIL CHANGEd at regular intervals, keep tires inflated properly. |
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(6) I tried to start my car, but there is no electricity going to the instruments or the starter? Check your battery cables; this problem with the electricity is usually due to corrosion on the battery terminals - a quick fix would be to put a small amount of baking soda and water mix around the terminals. |
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(7) What's the difference between a fully synthetic and a synthetic blend motor oil? All motor oils are made up of base oils and additives. In general, fully synthetic motor oils contain non-conventional, high-performance fluids. Semi-synthetic oils (also called "blends") usually use a small percentage of non-conventional, high-performance fluids in combination with conventional base oil. |
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(8) If my wipers seem to streaking do I need to replace the blade or the entire wiper? As a general rule wiper blade replacement should be all that is needed; in some circumstances the entire wiper may need to be replaced. |
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(9) I feel a vibration in my brake pedal when I stop. What could be the problem? A pulsating brake pedal, which may be accompanied by a shuddering or jerky stop during normal braking, usually means a warped rotor or an out-of-round drum -- although it can sometimes be caused by loose wheel bearings, a bent axle shaft or loose brake parts. Resurfacing the rotor by a professional to restore the faces will usually eliminate the pulsation. |
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(10) My brake pedal slowly sinks to the floor when I hold foot on it. Why does this happen? You either have a fluid leak in your brake system or your master cylinder is defective. Either way, your brakes need immediate attention. |
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(11) The brake pedal is low when I step on it but comes up when I pump. Do I need new brakes? A low brake pedal that has to be pumped repeatedly to bring a vehicle to a stop may be due to a low fluid level, drum brakes that need adjustment or air in the lines. It usually has nothing to do with the condition of the brakes and certainly isn’t grounds for a brake job. |
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(12) Is it necessary to rotate the tires every so often? Rotating the tires, which is recommended by all tire manufacturers, involves changing their position on the vehicle from one wheel location to another. This helps to even out tire wear between all the tires so the tires last longer and do not develop abnormal wear patterns. This may be recommended every 8,000 to 15,000 miles. |
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(13) My front-wheel drive makes a clicking noise when turning. Is there a problem? Yes. A clicking sound when turning is one of the classic symptoms of a worn or damaged "constant velocity" (CV) joint. Your car has four such joints on the two front axles: two inboard joints and two outboard joints. The outboard joints are the ones that make a clicking sound when they go bad. WARNING: A CV joint failure can cause loss of steering control under certain circumstances. If the joint locks up, it can prevent the wheels from being turned. |
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(14) How often should I have my radiator fluid changed? For "ordinary" antifreeze, the vehicle manufacturers generally recommend coolant changes every two to three years or 30,000 miles. Others say it’s not a bad idea to change the coolant every year for maximum corrosion protection -- especially in vehicles that have aluminum heads, blocks or radiators. |
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(15) How often should the automatic transmission fluid be changed? For optimum protection, change the fluid and filter every 30,000 miles (unless you have a new vehicle that is filled with Dexron III ATF which is supposed to be good for 100,000 miles). |
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(16) When I try to start my engine, I hear the starter spinning but the engine isn't cranking. What gives? You have one of two problems: Either the starter drive on your starter is defective and is not engaging the flywheel to crank the engine, or the flywheel has some broken or damaged teeth that are preventing the starter from engaging. |
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(17) My engine starts but dies after a couple of minutes and won't restart. What's wrong? It sounds like the classic symptom of an exhaust blockage, probably due to a clogged catalytic converter. The converter can overheat and be damaged if excessive amounts of unburned fuel enter the exhaust system. This can happen if the engine has one or more fouled spark plugs or leaky exhaust valves. When this unburned fuel hits the converter, it sends temperatures soaring. The ceramic substrate or pellets that support the catalyst can melt and partially or completely block the flow of exhaust through the converter. |
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(18) My power steering feels stiff when I first start my car, but then feels normal after I've driven the car awhile. How come? This is called "morning sickness" and has nothing to do with being pregnant. The condition is caused by wear in the spool valve housing on certain power steering racks -- notably GM front-wheel drive cars. |
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