Gremlins attacking your car?

On July 12, 2010, In Shop Encounters & Stories, By admin

Damaged Vacuum breather on Gas Intake Tube.

It’s true, your engine or vehicle is a great location for critters to find a warm place to sleep. Unfortunately for this customer, they were trying to keep their vehicle parked in the shade under a tree and it was a direct invite for a rat’s nest. We’re not sure how long the vehicle was there but it was long enough for these wonderful critters to cause problems.

It was a 2003 Ford E-350 work-van that had an issue starting. Initially we couldn’t quite locate the damage until we traced down the problem in the electrical system. Once we located the break in the wires, we realized the wires had been chewed.

Upon further inspection of the vehicle, we managed to find a chewed fuel line and a few more damaged wires in the harness. This situation was repaired successfully, but we want to make sure that you don’t have gremlins crawling in your vehicle!

How can you avoid this type of situation? Well we’ve constructed a checklist of items that you can go over to prevent your vehicle from harboring critters that can cause an expensive bill.

Solder any damaged wires and wrap properly to prevent a break in the future.

  1. Don’t park on grassy plains for long periods of time.
  2. Don’t shoo the cat off your warm hood, they can potentially chase off critters for you.
  3. Start your vehicle regularly (every 3-4 days), allow it to run for atleast 20 minutes.

If you find yourself victim to a problem similiar to this, be sure to visit your local repair facility for a professional auto repair. Make sure the shop you’re taking it to is certified to handle anything you can throw at them, not every facility can be a dealership alternative like Expert Car Care.

Not everyone can be as cool as lil John with his new digeridoo

 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Do your filters look like this? Change them regularly to prevent damage.

On November 16, 2009, In Maintenance Tips, Shop Encounters & Stories, By admin
Dirty air filter on the right, clean air filter on the left. Which would you rather?

Dirty air filter on the right, clean air filter on the left. Which would you rather?

Vehicle filters are one of the most neglected maintenance item. Why? Well most of the time the filters are enclosed and thus, ‘out-of-sight-out-of-mind’ comes into play. A good mechanic will inspect all of your filters regularly for you and let you know when they need to be changed.

Why change them & will it make a difference? Most of the time, you will not feel any difference changing the filters. However, if you don’t then you will feel a difference and end up having to replace something other than just a filter.

Each vehicle has the basic 3 filters: Engine Air Filter, Fuel Filter and PCV Valve.

  • Engine air filter protects your motor from dirt and other possible particles that would cause it to choke.
  • Fuel filter protects your engine from contaminates that might be sent through the fuel lines from the gas tank to the motor.
  • PCV Valve allows your engine to release pressure build-up inside the motor called blow-by. This also prevents your oil gaskets from leaking.

Some additional filters include:

  • Cabin air filter is for your air conditioning system. This blocks elements in the air that might cause discomfort or damage from getting into the cabin of the vehicle
  • EGR Canister or Charcoal Canister absorbs gas fumes from the tank as it vents out of the tank during filling. You can read more information on this function at http://www.type2.com/library/fuel/egr.htm.

Now you know what the basic functions of your filters are, it’s time to explain how it helps your engine. Everything in your vehicle works as a chain reaction. The key sends power the the starter, fuel pump and computer. Starter cranks the motor, fuel pump delivers fuel and computer comtrols how the fuel pump regulates the fuel. In that time, the air filter, fuel filter, pcv valve and canister are all being used. If any of those filters are clogged or dirty; it can cause a restriction in the chain.

An example of what type of difference filters make:

  • Fuel filter on average is about $20 for the part; if it gets clogged it can damage your $350 fuel pump.
  • Air filter on average is about $15-25 for the part; if it gets clogged it can damage your $250 throttle body or worse your $3000 engine.
  • PCV Valve on average is about $2-10 for the part; if it gets clogged can cause your Oil Pan ($150), Valve cover ($100) or Timing seals ($300) to leak
  • Cabin air filter on average is about $30; if it gets clogged can cause your evaporator core ($600) to freeze or fail prematurely.

Consult your vehicle maintenance manual or visit your Local Auto Repair Shop to find out if you need your filters changed.

Tagged with: • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Prevent abnormal caliper wear on your brake system, or it could cost you.

On November 16, 2009, In Maintenance Tips, Shop Encounters & Stories, By admin
Displays the wear on rotors, normal and caliper.

Displays the wear on rotors, normal and caliper.

Not many people understand how preventative maintenance can save you a hefty repair bill. Brakes can be a tricky part of the vehicle operation. Vehicles brake systems are made up of a few basic components. It starts with the Master Cylinder, which sends pressure through the rubber brake lines to your calipers. Once the pressure is received by the caliper, it compresses onto the brake pads to create friction on the rotors.

In the picture to the left, you can see what kind of damage a worn or locked caliper will cause. What can you do to prevent this? Well, proper inspection is needed every 3,000-5,000 miles so you can be notified if a technician sees this type of problem developing. Another way to prevent uneven caliper wear is getting your brake fluid maintenanced at the proper intervals. Usually a brake flush is due around 15k – 20k miles, or when the fluid is contaminated. Don’t let this happen to your brake system, make sure you ask your local mechanic to inspect your brakes as soon as you feel something different or wrong.

Tagged with: • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Squealing noise coming from my engine….

On October 20, 2009, In Shop Encounters & Stories, By admin

It was a about 11:00 a.m. when a customer entered our store, Jeremy greeted her with a smile saying “How can I help you?“. The customer proceeded to explain about how there was a squealing noise in her engine for the past couple of days. Jeremy replied “No problem, we’ll be able to take care of that for you. The belts might need to be adjusted“. Not long after Emanuel was driving the car into the bay, he noticed the noise was something he was not familiar with.

After putting the vehicle on a lift, he inspected the brakes, suspension and other components. When he initially looked under the hood, he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Vehicle needed minor maintenance; a power steering flush, brake fluid was contaminated and a few oil leaks. Emanuel decided to look under the vehicle for maybe something stuck in the suspension or something rubbing. Still, nothing out of the ordinary.

Emanuel was almost stumped, he decided to take a closer look at the belts. After he removed one of the plastic covers, he smelled a horrible aroma. As he was lowering the plastic cover, he noticed something odd drop on the ground. It was as small as a lug nut but did not belong in to this motor.

How your engine can work as a Mouse Trap

How your engine can work as a Mouse Trap

Emanuel grabbed his flashlight and looked inside the casing, there was a mouse stuck between the belts! We’re not sure what the little critter was doing, but we assume he was looking for a warm place to hang out. Unfortunately not only did he not live through this mishap, but he caused enough damaged to the belts that they had to be replaced.

There is no easy way to avoid a situation like this. If you are hearing noises coming from your car you should stop in the nearest Expert Car Care for a free inspection.

To find your nearest Expert, click here to visit our website.

Tagged with: • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response
Go To Top »