AUTONET TV

Don?t Skip Out on These! (Vehicle Maintenance Items You Should Never Postpone)

Maybe that little sticker on your windshield is giving you the reminder that it’s time for your vehicle to have an oil change.  You’ve thought, “Aw, I can skip this one and save myself a little money.”  When it comes to things you should never ignore on your vehicle, timely oil changes are number one on the list.  

When the oil stays in your vehicle too long, it can accumulate dirty particles and begin to break down, defeating its lubricating properties.  Skipping or delaying an oil change can lead to far more expensive repairs down the line.

Another is seeing a warning light and doing nothing about it.  Lights that advise you to check your engine or tell you things are running hotter than usual under the hood can be early warning signs to have a technician determine why.  Consider getting the answer earlier rather than later.  It could save you major headaches and money.

Don’t skip having important fluids checked. That includes your engine coolant, brake fluid and power steering fluid.  Big repairs may lie ahead if you ignore them too long.

And don’t put off having other regular maintenance services performed on your vehicle that your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends. Ignoring that recommended interval may void certain warranties, leading you to have to pay for a repair you may not have had to cover yourself.

Regular battery checks are another basic inspection that’s often overlooked.  Batteries can seem like they’re fine until they’re not, and being caught with a dead battery at an inopportune time can cause you unnecessary inconvenience and bills.

Oh, and please don’t skip regular tire inspections, either. A pro should regularly look at the tread, sidewalls and date of manufacture.  A tire failure at high speed can be very dangerous to you and others around you. And if you’re driving with worn tires on slick surfaces, your steering, handling and braking may let you down.

Sure, maintenance costs money and time, but it may save you money in the long run.

AutoChoice Service Center Inc.
2009 S. Yost Ave.
Bloomington, Indiana 47403
812-339-9898

Don?t Blow Your Cool (Water Pump Replacement)

It’s always a good idea to keep your cool, and that’s especially true when it comes to some components of your vehicle.  One is the engine.  It’s hot under that hood thanks to the mini explosions that are occurring in the internal combustion engine when it’s running.  Your vehicle has a cooling system which takes the heat out of the engine by moving a liquid coolant to a spot where the heat can escape (the radiator). 

The part that keeps that coolant moving is the water pump, which could probably be more accurately called the coolant pump since water is only one component of the fluid that does the cooling. If the water pump fails, your engine can overheat quickly, and that can cause significant and expensive damage to your vehicle.  Water pumps can be driven by belts (mechanical) or electricity (electric).

Your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends mileage intervals when you should consider replacing your water pump even if seems to be working fine.  That way   you are less likely to have a water pump break down at an inopportune time. Some manufacturers recommend replacing it every 60,000-100,000 miles/100,000-160,000 km.

Sometimes your water pump will fail before that, of course.  One sign something is wrong with the cooling system is if you notice the engine is overheating.  An illuminated engine temperature warning light on your dash or a temperature gauge that shows above normal are two things to look for.

You may also see steam coming out of the engine compartment, which is another sign of overheating.  Both could mean your water pump needs replacing.  We also recommend that when your vehicle’s timing belt needs to be replaced that you have the water pump replaced at the same time since everything will already be apart.

When your vehicle is already in to have the water pump replaced, it’s a good time for a technician to examine other cooling system components at the same time.  Those will include belts, pulleys, hoses, clamps as well as the radiator, thermostat and heater core.

No Fuel-ing! (Fuel Filter Replacement)

Your vehicle has a few filters you might be somewhat familiar with.  There’s the oil filter that removes impurities from your engine’s oil, and a couple of different kinds of air filters that prevent contaminants from getting into the engine and the cabin. But you may not know that your vehicle also has a fuel filter.

The fuel filter keeps contaminants such as particles and other foreign substances from making their way into the engine.  They can result from using lower quality fuel, driving in dirty or stop-and-go conditions, or simply what happens after many weeks and months of travel. 

At some point, your fuel filter will start to get clogged up and won’t let the fuel get to your engine easily.  You might notice some signs of that: your engine doesn’t have the power it used to, it may misfire when you accelerate, it may be harder to start, or it may stall while you’re driving.  You may notice your vehicle vibrating a lot when you’re idling.  

If you notice any of those symptoms in your vehicle, you should bring it in for us to take a look.  We can run diagnostics such as a fuel pressure test that will let us know if your fuel filter is finished or still has a little more life remaining.

Even better, it’s a good idea to replace the fuel filter BEFORE you start seeing symptoms.  Each vehicle’s manufacturer recommends an interval at which you should change your fuel filter.  Older vehicles may recommend it be changed fairly frequently, such as every 30,000 miles/50,000 km.  Newer vehicles from different manufacturers have much longer intervals, and that’s something we can check so you can stay on schedule with regular maintenance.  

Make sure your fuel filter is doing its job so your engine can keep doing its job. 

AutoChoice Service Center Inc.
2009 S. Yost Ave.
Bloomington, Indiana 47403
812-339-9898

Go with the Flow (MAF Sensor Replacement)

If your vehicle has an internal combustion engine, it depends on two things to make propulsion power for you to be able to motor on down the road: fuel and air.  The engine mixes the two in just the right proportion so that they can be ignited, creating a series of tiny explosions that are coordinated in such a way that your vehicle moves steadily ahead.

One of the key parts to making sure that mixture of air and fuel is correct is a little tube that measures the amount of air that’s coming into the engine.  It’s called a Mass Air Flow sensor, or MAF sensor.  There are two wires in this tube, one of which is heated up with electricity and the other isn’t.  When the air flows over the heated wire, it cools.  When the temperature of the two sensing wires is different, the MAF sensor either increases or decreases the current to the heated wire to try to make it the same as the other wire. That’s sent to a small computer that tells the engine to change the amount of air going into the engine.

Some signs of an MAF sensor problem?  Your vehicle doesn’t have as much power as it used to, or your fuel economy might drop.  Your vehicle may not start,   and the Check Engine light may come on.

If you spot these signs, it’s important to bring your vehicle in so we can check things out.  At the same time a technician looks at the MAF sensor, they’ll also check the connector that runs to the engine’s computer and replace it if necessary. They’ll also inspect other parts of the system, such as hoses, for problems.  

By the way, one way to minimized MAF sensor problems is make sure your vehicle’s engine air filter is regularly changed. That can help you be sure that the air that gets to your vehicle’s engine is clean.

AutoChoice Service Center Inc.
2009 S. Yost Ave.
Bloomington, Indiana 47403
812-339-9898

A Most Important Part (Serpentine Belt Replacement)

Your vehicle’s engine is an engineering work of wonder with many complex parts working in harmony to get you down the road. One of those simple but important components is called a serpentine belt. It is driven by a pulley on the engine and transfers that power to many of your engine’s most important components.  The serpentine belt may drive the alternator, water pump, power steering pump and air conditioning compressor.  

When it’s working like it should, you won’t even notice the serpentine belt.  But when it starts to fail, you may hear a squealing noise coming from under the hood as the belt starts slipping.  Heat and time take their toll on the serpentine belt, causing it to crack or even to start shredding.  When this happens, it may not drive your alternator correctly, and your battery light may come on.  If the water pump isn’t turning, your engine may overheat, causing the heat gauge to show hotter than usual.

When the serpentine belt isn’t doing its job, it’s important to get it serviced very soon.  Letting it go too long can result in many more expensive repairs to multiple parts on your vehicle, especially if the belt breaks.  

Regular vehicle maintenance is important, and an inspection of your serpentine belt should be one of those things you should have one of our technicians do periodically.  While the belts can last for years, it’s important to detect any beginning of wear earlier rather than later.  In addition to the condition of the belt, the technician can also check to make sure pulleys are aligned properly and that the belt is routed correctly.  

Your vehicle’s serpentine belt is one of those components that you won’t even notice when it’s doing its job, and maintaining it will help you avoid surprises at the worst possible time.  

AutoChoice Service Center Inc.
2009 S. Yost Ave.
Bloomington, Indiana 47403
812-339-9898