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How Often Should Belts and Hoses Be Replaced? |
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Most hose manufacturers recommend replacing hoses every
four years. V-belts should be replaced every three years or 36,000
miles. The incidence of failure rises sharply after the fourth year
of service for hoses and third year for belts.
The hard part is convincing customers to change belts and hoses as
preventative maintenance BEFORE they fail. Few people do, yet they
could save themselves a lot of unnecessary grief and expense if they
would. |
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Why Timing Belts Need Replacement. |
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Timing belts have replaced timing chains on many of today's engines.
Both belts and chains ensure that crankshaft, pistons and valves operate
together in proper sequence. Belts are lighter, quieter and more efficient
than chains.
Like other components, timing belts wear out. Proper maintenance requires
belt replacement at regular intervals - before they break. When a
timing belt breaks, the engine stops. Replace belts before this occurs.
Most manufacturers provide a suggested service life and replacement
schedule for this critical component.
How do I know if
my car has one and where are the belts located? Your vehicle manual
may tell you, but you should ask your technician - he will know for
sure. Timing belts are on the front of the engine protected by plastic
or metal cover. |
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My Car Just Turned 100,000 Miles.
Should I Do Something to Prepare for the Next 100,000 Miles? |
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Most of us want to get the most for our motoring dollar. One of
the best ways to do this is extending the life of your current vehicle.
With new car prices in the United States averaging well over $10,000,
money invested in keeping your existing vehicle in good shape could
save you hundreds - even thousands - of dollars a year. When you consider
the true cost of buying a new car (price of the car, sales tax, license
and registration fees, insurance), it is not difficult to justify
investing a few hundred dollars to repair your present vehicle.
If your vehicle has passed the 100,000 mile mark and you want to significantly
prolong its useful life, it is time to have it thoroughly evaluated
by a professional automotive technician who can recommend needed repairs
or service. This facility is equipped to perform this service. We
employ technicians who use factory-level information detailing your
service requirements.
Our high mileage inspection and evaluation goes beyond cursory "once-overs"
and is designed to get to the root of potential problems. Ask your
service advisor or technician to show you exactly what is involved
in this service. He or she will be happy to go over the evaluation
form with you before you okay the inspection and provide you with
a comprehensive estimate for any work recommended as a result of your
vehicle's check-up. They will tell you about repairs that are necessary
today, and also alert you to items that are potential problem areas
you may want to address today for more trouble-free miles tomorrow.
Naturally, you make the decision as to what work is actually performed.
Working together, we can add years to the life of your car or truck. |
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Why South Main Tire & Auto? |
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South Main Tire & Auto has ASE Certified Master Technicians,
the latest computerized diagnostic equipment and a computerized
automotive information system, that provides detailed data for
your vehicles by year, make and model. This insures that your vehicle's
repairs and maintenance are in complete compliance with the manufacturers
warranty. Other information includes lists of 'high-tech' specialty
lubricants required for your particular vehicle, the latest service
procedures, diagnostic information and factory issued Technical Service
Bulletins. The bottom line is efficient, dependable, and cost effective
service for you. |
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Why Preventive Maintenance? |
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Manufacturers know that a properly maintained vehicle will be more
dependable, safer, last longer, and increase your satisfaction with
their product. Car makers and owners also have a responsibility to
make sure emission controls receive regular service and are functioning
properly. Regular maintenance helps accomplish these goals by keeping
your engine running efficiently and eliminating potential problems
that may leave you stranded. |
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What's In It for Me? |
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1. SAVES YOU MONEY!
2. A MORE DEPENDABLE VEHICLE!
3. A vehicle that retains more "NEW VEHICLE FEEL".
4. Less chance of a COSTLY BREAKDOWN.
5. A SAFER VEHICLE for YOU and YOUR FAMILY.
6. Doing your part for CLEANER AIR.
7. A car WORTH MORE at trade in or sale.
8. An INTACT WARRANTY. |
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Manufacturer Maintenance Schedules. |
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The manufacturer creates detailed maintenance schedules outlining
specific operations to be performed on various components and systems;
these services are done at different mileage intervals to ensure proper
operation and prevent premature wear. The manufacturer also indicates
specific services that must be done to maintain the factory warranty
and extended warranty. |
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Why Is a Wheel Alignment Important? |
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Wheel alignments are the specific adjustments made to your vehicle's
suspension to optimize ride, handling and steering characteristics.
Each manufacturer specifies precise settings to achieve the maximum
performance from their vehicle.
Maintaining the factory specified suspension setting will make your
car safer and easier to drive. Steering pull, unsteady or loose steering,
hard steering can be caused by misaligned conditions. A properly aligned
vehicle can save you money! Misalignment conditions can cause greatly
accelerated tire wear, poor fuel economy, and excessive wear on other
suspension parts.
Whenever you impact a curb or pot hole hard, the alignment should
be checked before unusual tire wear is detected, (edge wear, diagonal
wear, cupping wear), which may result in premature tire replacement!
Steering or handling problems such as loose steering, steering wheel
off center, steering changes direction after hitting bumps, should
have alignment checked as a part of the diagnostic procedure. The
installation of new tires or the replacement of worn suspension parts
should always be accompanied by a wheel alignment to help protect
your tire investment. Checking the wheel alignment as a part of routine
annual maintenance can significantly increase suspension parts and
tire life, saving you money! |
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Why Should You Flush Out Your Transmission Fluid? |
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Nearly nine out of ten transmission failures are due to overheating
and fluid contamination, according to the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders
Association. Just like the oil in your car's engine, automatic transmission
fluid (ATF) suffers from heat, friction and electrochemical degradation.
Once this process starts, your transmission's vital parts begin to
clog with sludge and varnish deposits.
Unlike your car's engine where all the oil can be drained out, most
of the transmission fluid doesn't drain into the transmission pan.
Instead it stays in the torque converter, valve body and transmission
cooler lines making a complete fluid drain impossible. In fact, the
typical transmission service only replaced 25% of the contaminated
fluid, leaving behind 75% contaminated fluid to mix with the new ATF.
According to automatic transmission fluid manufacturers, the addition
of new fluid to contaminated fluid can actually cause sludge and varnish
deposits to clog filters and restrict the flow of transmission fluid.
This can result in a serious malfunction, or even complete failure
of an automatic transmission.
Now there is an option. South Main Tire & Auto has purchased a
transmission fluid flush machine to provide you with the latest service
procedure that safely removes varnish and sludge deposits and cleans
all internal transmission components, including the transmission cooler,
valve body and torque converter. This service is also the best way
to remove wear metals that are slowly grinding away on your transmission's
internal components along with most of the old, contaminated ATF.
Your car's transmission is thoroughly cleaned and protected with fresh
ATF and conditioners that revitalize the seals and o-rings in the
transmission.
If your car's transmission is showing any signs of contaminated transmission
fluid, slippage, rough or hard shifting this service is the first
thing you should try before it becomes necessary to perform major
repair work or even the need for a transmission. |
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What Is A Tune-Up? |
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The term TUNE-UP was coined back when Henry Ford was working on
his first prototype for the automobile. The first ignition system
was very simple; one ignition coil for one spark plug, so if there
were four spark plugs there would be four ignition coils. These coils
needed to be adjusted to provide the same spark intensity for better
idle and acceleration. As these coils worked they made a buzzing sound
so when you adjusted them properly they all buzzed the same; therefore
they were in tune and that's how the term tune-up was coined. This
term stuck and was associated with the replacement of spark plugs
and any performance or rough idle problem that could be associated
to engine operation. Once the distributor was developed the term tune-up
had no meaning as to how an engine performed, but to the consumer
who was used to hearing this term around a garage, automatically associated
poor running quality with the need to be tuned.
Today's automobiles do not require tune-ups. Automobile manufacturers
have set forth in their recommended maintenance schedules, intervals
for replacing spark plugs, PCV valves, fuel filters, etc., while recommending
that other items related to engine operation be checked for proper
operation and/or adjustment such as ignition timing, idle speed and
other emission control related devices. When and only when the maintenance
has been performed should a performance problem be addressed to correct
any given set of problems. If an operating or performance problem
is still present after the maintenance has been performed an engine
analysis would then be required. Therefore the term tune-up indicates
the need for routine maintenance and should not be associated with
poor performance. If your vehicle experiences any operating or performance
problems between maintenance intervals, that specific problem should
be addressed by performing an engine analysis to isolate that particular
problem. |
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Why You Should Perform a Fuel Injection Service. |
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Since your car was new, dirt, varnishes, and carbon deposits have
been forming in your vehicle's fuel system on the intake valves and
in the combustion areas. These buildups can rob your car of performance.
Some of the symptoms related to carbon buildup are engine pinging,
hesitation, poor acceleration, lack of power, repeated stalling when
cold, poor performance when cold, rough idle and poor fuel economy.
These buildups, if left untreated may lead to costly engine repairs.
The MotorVac Carbon Cleaning System is a revolutionary new process
that will clean your vehicle's system, including injectors, and harmful
carbon deposits. This system utilizes a unique cleaning solution which
will not damage your vehicle's sophisticated engine components.
After your engine is cleaned by MotorVac Carbon Cleaning System, you
will notice improved performance, acceleration and increased fuel
economy. |
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What Are the Recommendations for Changing Filters? |
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It is best to follow the Severe Service maintenance schedules found
in most new car owner's manuals, with a few exceptions:
Air filters need to be inspected regularly and replaced as often as
needed, regardless of mileage or time. Dirty air filters can increase
fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.
Fuel filters should be replaced yearly and/or at every tune-up, especially
on fuel injected cars. The fuel filter in a vehicle with electronic
fuel injection passes a much larger volume of fuel than its counterpart
in a carbureted application. If the tank is dirty or rusty, constant
fuel recirculation can pick up a lot of debris that ends up in the
filter. If the filter plugs, the engine is starved for fuel or unfiltered
fuel is allowed to bypass the filter. The latter can damage injectors.
Oil filters need to be replaced at every oil change (every six months
or 3,000 miles in most cases) despite the advice in many owner's manuals
to only change the filter at every other oil change. A new filter
is cheap insurance against major engine damage, so why take unnecessary
risks?
Few owner's manuals have suggested change interval for the automatic
transmission fluid (ATF) of fluid filter unless the vehicle is used
for towing. Most transmission specialists say the best preventative
maintenance for prolonging automatic transmission life is to change
fluid and filter every two years or 30,000 miles.
Follow the manufacturer's recommendations on the specific type of
ATF to use. The type of ATF should match the specs required for the
application.
The GMs, most late model Chryslers and many imports use Dexron II.
All 1988 and later Fords require Mercon ATF. Most universal ATF fluids
are acceptable for either of these. Older Fords or imports require
Type F fluid. |
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Why Do the Brakes Squeal? |
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Brake pad squeal is one way to warn other drivers that you and your
car are about to arrive. If you make enough noise, they think they
are about to become intimate with a runaway garbage truck (pedestrians
will yank small children back from the curb). There are several factors
that cause brake squeal. The primary reason is usually the brake pads
themselves. Many of the carbon metallic brake pads are the worst as
far as squealing. Thus, the solution may be as simple as changing
to a different brand of brake pad. Excessive brake pad wear, warped
rotors, misaligned calipers, loose calipers, loose wheel bearings,
incorrectly sized pads, glazed pads or rotors and sticky pistons may
also cause brakes to sing high alto in anvil chorus. In these instances
you should have your technician who is qualified to check the true
problem of these irritating squeals. |
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What Is That Puddle Under My Vehicle? |
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What color is the puddle? Red would indicate that it's transmission
fluid. Green is antifreeze, sweet tasting for your pets but deadly.
This should be cleaned as soon as it's realized. Brown / black is
an oil leak and a water puddle is most likely not to be a problem. |
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