Posted on 12/8/2024
It’s just common sense that your vehicle will drive better if all the wheels are lined up with each other and the road the way the engineers intended. When they’re not, that is called being out of alignment. Here are some signs that your alignment has problems. Your steering wheel isn’t straight when your vehicle goes straight down a straight road. This one’s pretty easy to notice. If your vehicle’s logo on the wheel is tilted, that’s probably not the way designers wanted it to be. Bring it in and have us check it out. Your steering wheel is vibrating on a smooth road or when you are accelerating. While this could be caused by several different things, one possibility is misalignment. If your steering wheel is shaking, it should be examined by a trained technician. Your vehicle is pulling to one side without you wanting it to. Sometimes the configuration of the road will cause it to pull slightly left or rig ... read more
Posted on 12/1/2024
Your vehicle is loaded with electrical devices. Computerized components are everywhere, so good electrical connections are important. Those begin with your vehicle's battery, so it's important that its connections are in top shape. Ever had a flashlight that didn't work, took out the old batteries to replace them and noticed the old batteries were all corroded? The same thing can happen to your vehicle's battery. The battery type used in most vehicles is a lead-acid, which can be very corrosive. Corrosion can build up around your battery's terminals that can prevent the electrical connection from being as solid as it needs to be. You may have even seen discoloration around your battery's terminals if you look under the hood, a sign of corrosion. Or you might notice visible signs of fraying or loose battery cables. All of your vehicle's components are affected by vibrations from the engine and road surface imperfections, and the battery cables take a lot of jostl ... read more
Posted on 11/24/2024
Stop! It's one of those things your vehicle has to do consistently and reliably. That's why brake maintenance is vitally important, worthwhile for you to make sure stays up to date. A brake system has many components. If your vehicle has disc brakes, they have pads that make contact with the rotors (the metal discs). Those pads usually have a metal back, and the part that presses against the discs is made of a material which provides friction to stop the vehicle. Because of that friction, the pads are expected to wear down and eventually the rotors will, too. But the pads usually are the part that will need to be replaced more often. But how do you know when it's time? There are several signs, one of which is when your brakes squeak or make a high-pitched sound when you step on the brake pedal. Many newer vehicles also have sensors on the brake pads. When the pads get worn down to a certain point, the sensor will tell the vehicle's computer to turn on a li ... read more
Posted on 11/17/2024
If you notice that your headlights are flickering at night, that's something to pay attention to. While there could be many different things that could cause that problem, one possibility is your vehicle's alternator. The alternator takes mechanical energy from the engine and turns it into electricity, in essence a generator. The current it makes charges the battery and supplies power to the vehicle's electrical systems. An alternator is made up of several different parts: a pulley, magnets, coil wires, brushes and a voltage regulator. While your vehicle is running, these parts get a good workout and, after time, they begin to wear out. Other symptoms of a failing alternator include your vehicle's lights dimming, the power windows going up and down more slowly than they used to, your power seats not moving quite as fast as before. Another sign of a worn out alternator is engine stalling. Vehicles with fuel injection require a certain amount of power, and w ... read more
Posted on 11/10/2024
We all want to breathe clean air and keep our planet green. One of the ways to do that is by requiring all vehicles with internal combustion engines to pass an emissions test. That’s because these vehicles can be big polluters. Everyone wants their car to pass the test so they can continue their day-to-day driving routine. But then comes that one day when they tell you your vehicle has failed. Why does that happen? One of the most common reasons is that your gas cap is leaking or loose (or maybe you don’t even have one on your vehicle!). The gas cap is supposed to seal in vapors, but sometimes its seals or gaskets dry out or crack. Replace it, and you’re good to go. Another common reason your vehicle failed the test is that your catalytic converter isn’t doing its job. It is supposed to convert toxic gases from your engine into ones that don’t pollute the air. There are many reasons the catalytic converter may not ... read more
Posted on 11/3/2024
Shopping for tires in San Diego can be bewildering because there are many choices. Let's simplify. There are four main classifications of tires, each designed for different purposes.First off, there are summer tires. Those who buy summer tires in San Diego are looking for maximum summertime performance. The rubber is a little softer to help stick to the road on fast corners on CA roads. The tread has wide blocks at the shoulder to stiffen the tire in turns. The tread design can handle rain but really isn't set up for snow and ice. Next comes winter tires. San Diego people buy winter tires because they still like performance driving when it's cold and slippery on CA roads, so they need a tread design that'll really bite into ice and snow. The rubber compound is formulated to stay pliable when temperatures drop below 45 degrees F/7 degrees C so they get great traction even on dry roads. On the other end of the winter tire spectrum are tires designe ... read more
Posted on 10/27/2024
Ever wonder how your vehicle’s engine is able to take the 12-volts from its battery and ramp that up to as high as the tens of thousands of volts it takes to fire its spark plugs? The secret is something called an ignition coil. Most newer vehicles have an ignition coil at each cylinder, but older ones have a coil that serves all of the spark plugs. There are telltale signs that you have an ignition coil problem. As you might expect, one symptom is it’s hard to start your engine or it won’t start at all. If your engine is misfiring or not running smoothly or you see the Check Engine light come on, those all could point to an ignition coil failure. Several things can contribute to ignition coil trouble in addition to normal wear and tear. Moisture and dirt may have gotten inside the coil, plus the heat and vibration of your engine over time can contribute to them going bad. Bad spark plugs or plug wires can also be a cause. While ig ... read more
Posted on 10/20/2024
We've all heard that expression, "That's a non starter." When it comes to your vehicle, that's not music to a driver's ears. That sickening sound when you start the ignition and instead of hearing the engine crank, you hear it slowly turn over and your dash lights go dim. There can be many reasons a vehicle won't start, so here's a little history of how the starter came to be an important component of modern vehicles. You have to move the engine's components to start it. The first cars had a crank that the driver would insert into the front, then start turning things over by hand. When the engine started, you had to release that crank immediately or risk a broken arm. Yes, it happened many times. So, they came up with a better idea: an electric starter, which was a big advance in automotive technology. With this system, an electric motor rotated a series of gears that turned the gasoline engine's crankshaft so its pistons and parts moved and the engine drew in a ... read more
Posted on 10/13/2024
Ever wonder how your vehicle’s transmission is connected to your wheels? After all, when you hit a pothole or some other uneven part of a road’s surface, there has to be something that can maintain the connection between the transmission and the wheel yet keep everything moving at the same speed. That very cool device is called a CV joint, a kind of driveshaft running to each wheel. The CV stands for constant velocity because it keeps the drive wheels moving at a constant speed (velocity). They’re used mostly on front-wheel drive vehicles but also in rear-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles. The joints move up and down and adjust to bumpy surfaces. Plus, they are covered in a rubber boot which protects them from road debris and also holds lubrication in. There’s a CV joint and boot on the transmission side and one on the wheel side. Unfortunately, the spot that usually fails first is that rubber protective cover (the boot).&nbs ... read more
Posted on 10/6/2024
Most drivers love how easy it is to turn their vehicles, and they have power steering to thank. Engineers have figured out a way to take some of your engine's power to help you turn. Without it, steering can be quite a chore. New power systems are electric, but there are still plenty of the older hydraulic power steering systems out there, and it's wise to keep them working the way they should so you don't find yourself stranded without power steering. Those hydraulic power systems use a fluid under pressure that is pumped to a device that helps you turn your wheels more easily. It's that pressure that presents the challenge. After your vehicle's seen a few years on the road, you may find your steering isn't quite as easy as it was. You may hear a groaning or humming sound when you turn. One component that can fail is the pressure hose that carries that fluid from the power steering pump to that turning assist mechanism. The hose is made of rub ... read more