Power Failure (Broken Power Seat)
July 27, 2025
Know anyone who doesn't love a power seat in an SUV, a car, truck or van? They're convenient and precise in their adjustments. But when they break, oh, what a pain. Not only is it inconvenient, it may leave your seat position too close to the steering wheel or too far from the pedals. This is ... More
Not-So-Common Sense (Sensor Failures)
July 14, 2025
So your vehicle won't start. What's the first thing that comes to mind? Battery dead? Starter motor worn out? Out of gas? Well, those are all reasons that make sense. But your vehicle may be refusing to start because one of its computers is being warned that to do so might damage it. Here's ... More
Cold Weather Vehicle No-Nos (Items to Avoid Storing in a Freezing Vehicle)
May 4, 2025
It's always easier to leave a few things in your vehicle so you'll have them on hand. But in cold weather, while it's a good idea to carry items such as a phone charger, blanket and shovel, there are some things you shouldn't store in your vehicle. Medicines and drugs. Cold temperatures can af... More
How Much Does It Cost? (Variations in Vehicle Repair Costs)
April 20, 2025
Ever wonder why it costs so much more to fix a similar problem in two different vehicles? Let's say you now own an SUV and before that, you owned a car. Your SUV's air conditioning system needs a new evaporator, but the cost for the new one is way more than you remember it was for your car. How... More
Start Me Up (Ignition Systems)
January 26, 2025
When you start up your gasoline engine car, you may not know that it's using the same ignition principles as it has for decades. You have spark plugs that require enough power so a spark can jump across a gap at its tip. Years ago, a vehicle's 12-volt system had to produce 15,000-25,000 volts t... More
Steering You Right (Tie Rod End Replacement)
January 5, 2025
For drivers, S stands for safety. And there are three other words that start with S that are all equally important: starting, stopping and steering. For your vehicle to be at its safest, all three functions must be in top shape. Steering is one of those things we take for granted. After all, y... More
Greeted by a Screech (Loud Noise when Starting Vehicle)
December 29, 2024
No one likes to be greeted in the morning by having someone screech at you. The same goes for a loud, high-pitched noise your vehicle greets you with every time you start the engine. If you're wondering if that's normal, no, it isn't. And it is worth getting checked out. The good news is that... More
Going (Lug) Nuts (Lug Nut Replacement)
October 6, 2024
Here's a part of your vehicle you probably don't think about much: lug nuts. They're what fasten your wheels onto your axles. Pretty important, right? In order to take the wheels off your vehicle to service the brakes, rotate the tires, etc., the lug nuts have to be in good shape so a wrench wi... More
DOG FOOD IN YOUR ENGINE (Keeping Rodents out of your Engine)
August 18, 2024
A technician was telling us the other day that he was servicing an engine and spotted something he'd never seen before: A collection of dry dog food siting on a horizontal metal ledge near the base of the engine. It was neatly stashed and was in a spot where the food pellets couldn't have simply... More
Alleviate the Creaks and Squeaks (Chassis Lubrication)
August 11, 2024
If your vehicle creaks and squeaks when you drive down the road, it may mean that some of the metal parts are rubbing against each other and need to be lubricated. Those could be parts of the suspension, steering system and the drivetrain. Years ago, most vehicles had to have their chassis (wha... More