Archive for Uncategorized – Page 4

Brakes are one of the main safety features of any vehicle

Did you know that during a tire rotation, our ASE certified technicians routinely perform an inspection of your brakes? Maintaining your braking system is essential to safe driving and upkeep of your vehicle. We inspect the condition of your brake rotors and note any corrosion. Excessive corrosion limits the amount of contact between pad and rotor. This reduces the stopping power of the vehicle. Tech’s also measure the thickness of the brake pads and verify the wear is even across the length of the pad. Uneven pad wear is indicates a potential problem with the brake caliper. Hoses are visually inspected for worn areas and possible leaks.

When it comes to vehicle safety, the brake system is at the top of the list, so have your brakes checked by an auto service professional at least once a year,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Knowing the key warning signs that your brakes may need maintenance will go a long way toward keeping you and others safe on the road.”

Disc brake rotor

Have one of our technicians perform a thorough brake inspection if you notice any of the following when braking:

  • Hearing noise(s) when applying the brakes
  • Feel a pull to one side while braking
  • Vibrations in the pedal or steering wheel when applying the brakes
  • Brake light is illuminated on the dashboard
  • Brake pedal pushes all the way to the floor

Brakes are designed to be a wear-item, the parts are meant to wear and be replaced. Depending on drive style, road conditions and type of brake materials, the wear may be slow or rapid. Be cautious of anyone who tries to sell you a lifetime warranty. The adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” is applicable when it comes to lifetime warranties on brakes.

After-market Cold Air Intake Kits and Filters – Do they really help?

They look mighty; they make promises of additional horsepower, but are they really worth the money and live up to the hype of performance?

Recently, we had a 2010 Chevrolet 1500 Silverado come in with rough-starting and fuel odors at start-up. Upon opening the hood, the tech is faced with a beefy stainless steel aftermarket air system. From his experience, aftermarket add-on’s are usually a good place to start when diagnosing problems.

Within a few moments of looking over the air system, the tech sees a point of un-metered airflow. See picture  below for location; between the mass airflow sensor and the throttle body. This could be a big part, if not all of the reason for the rough start and fuel odor.

Open and unmetered airflow in this stainless steel tube has created rough-starting problems on this 2010 Chevy Silverado.

Open and unmetered airflow in this stainless steel tube has created rough-starting problems on this 2010 Chevy Silverado.

The tech resolved the rough start issue. He reattached a poor fitting crankcase ventilation fresh air intake hose to the aftermarket air intake system. Even though the problem was resolved, the customer wanted the original equipment components reinstalled.

Why we’re not a fan of high performance Cold Air Intake Kits

Aftermarket re-usable performance air filters are usually coated with oil. As the air passes through the filter, the air collects small amounts of oil. These oil particles attach themselves to the wires inside the Mass Air Flow sensor, making the wires dirty. Dirt particles end up being stuck to the oily wires. When the wires become dirty, the sensor cannot properly detect the amount of incoming air. This ends up causing incorrect information to be sent to the ECM regarding fuel ratio. Incorrect data causes performance problems.

Ironic, isn’t it? The main selling feature of an aftermarket re-usable air system is for increased performance. Yet those systems more times than not, end up causing performance problems. If they really lived up to the promises, don’t you think the manufacturers would be using them?