Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

Answers About Your Engine Air Filter

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Answers About Your Engine Air FilterQuestion:  What’s the harm in putting off replacing my engine air filter a little longer?

Express Car Care Answer:  That’s a fair question we hear from Denver drivers because the harm takes a while to manifest.  Let’s take a small step back and talk about what an engine air filter does.

The air around us contains dust, dirt, pollen, spores, etc.  Some areas and times of the year have more contaminants in the air.  The job of the air filter is to keep that stuff out of your engine.  The benefit to drivers is obvious!

Your engine uses a lot of air – 12,000 liters of air for every liter of fuel – so the engine air filter has a huge job to do.  When the air filter gets full and can’t hold anymore dirt, all that air still has to get to the engine, so the dirt gets forced through the filter too and heads on down to the engine.  The air flows passed the mass air flow (MAF) sensor on its way to the engine.  The MAF sensor tell the engine control computer how much air is coming so the computer can send the proper amount of fuel into the engine to maintain the correct air-to-fuel ratio.

When dirty air is flowing passed the filter, dirt starts to build up on the delicate MAF sensor elements causing incorrect air flow readings.  The computer then sends the wrong amount of fuel to the engine.  This can rob power from the engine, but the most harm comes from fuel that hasn’t been burned passing through the exhaust system and getting caught in the catalytic converter.  This leads to your catalytic converter failing.

A primary cause of catalytic converter failure is improper engine management, often triggered by a dirty MAF sensor which was contaminated because the engine air filter had not been replaced as recommended.  As a driver, you can buy cases of air filters for what it would cost to replace a catalytic converter.  So when it’s time to replace your engine air filter keep in mind the potential long term effects of putting it off.  Talk to your friendly and knowledgeable Express Car Care service adviser and let him help.

Cooling System Service

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Cooling System ServicePeople often ask questions about the cooling system – the system that cools your vehicle’s engine and keeps it at the proper operating temperature.  Let’s examine the topic in two areas:  First, the coolant itself and second, the parts that make up the cooling system.

The coolant is the mixture of water and antifreeze that circulates through the engine to draw off heat.  It’s important to have the proper amount because if you don’t have enough coolant it won’t be able to keep your engine cool.  You also need the right kind of coolant.  Different makes of vehicles require different coolant formulation to protect against corrosion.

Finally, your coolant needs to be fresh.  Over time and miles of driving, the anti-corrosion additives in the coolant are depleted and the coolant can actually start to eat away at the vehicle’s cooling system parts.  Your owner’s manual and Express Car Care adviser can help you with the recommended coolant replacement schedule and make sure you’re getting the right type of coolant.

Now let’s focus on the cooling system components.  These will all eventually wear out and need to be replaced.  Starting with the radiator, we see them coming into our shop with leaks or clogged with deposits.  Depending on the extent of the damage, at Express Car Care, we will clean, repair or replace.  We also see radiator pressure caps that can no longer hold the proper pressure.  We recommend replacing pressure caps when you change your coolant to avoid this problem.  We see leaky water pumps and hoses that need to be replaced.  there’s also a part called the thermostat that opens and closes to regulate the flow of coolant.  Sometimes they stick open or closed and the cooling system won’t work properly.

Engine damage from overheating can be very difficult and costly to fix so it’s important to maintain your cooling system properly with scheduled coolant replacement and periodic cooling system inspections.  Certainly come into Express Car Care if you suspect a leak and have us take a look.

Warning Signs You Need New Brakes

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Warning Signs You Need New BrakesThey may not be something we think about very often, but our vehicle’s brakes are one feature that should always be in top working condition.  Let’s look and see how to spot the warning signs you need new brakes.

Look, listen

There are two ways to check for brake wear on disc brakes:  by looking and listening.  First, check for wear by looking at your brake pads through the spaces between the wheels.  The outside pad will be pressed against a metal rotor.  Generally, there should be at least 1/4 inch of pad.  If you see less than 1/4 inch of pad, you may want to have your brake pads inspected or replaced.

Have you ever heard a high-pitched screeching sound when you applied your brakes?  That’s a small metal shim, called an indicator, which is giving you an audible warning that you need to replace your brake pads.  You should be aware of this sound (which is loud enough to be heard while the windows are up, but not necessarily loud enough to be heard over the radio or air conditioner).  If you hear it regularly, quickly make an appointment with your mechanic.

One exception is if your car has been sitting after being exposed to water, such as from rain or from washing it.  The moisture can cause a thin layer of rust to develop on the brake rotors.  This is normal.  When you first apply the brakes, the pads pressing on the rust-covered rotors may cause a squeal for a few stops until the rust is worn off and then the sound should disappear.

Here are some other signs of brake problems.  If you experience any of these, you should visit your repair shop as soon as possible.

Reduced responsiveness or fading.  If your brakes are not as responsive as they should be or if the pedal “sinks” toward the floor, this could be an indication of a leak in the braking system.  It could be an air leak…in the brake hose…or a brake fluid leak.  One warning sign of a brake fluid leak is the presence of a small puddle of fluid when the car is parked.  Brake fluid looks similar to fresh motor oil, but with a less “slimy” texture.

 Pulling.  If your vehicle “pulls” to one side while braking, it may be a sign that the brake linings are wearing unevenly or that there is foreign matter in the brake fluid.  Your vehicle may need a brake adjustment or to have the fluid drained and replaced.

Grinding or growling.  This loud metallic sound means that you have worn down the pads completely, most likely beyond replacement.  The grinding or growling noise is caused by the two pieces of metal…the disc and the caliper…rubbing together.  This can “score” or scratch your rotors, creating an uneven surface.  If this happens, don’t be surprised if your mechanic tells you that the rotors need to be turned (a process that evens out the rotor surface) or replaced.

Vibration.  A vibration or pulsating brake pedal is often a warning of warped rotors, but can also indicate that your vehicle is out of alignment.  The vibration can feel similar to the feedback in the brake pedal during a panic stop in a vehicle equipped with anti-lock brakes.  It is a sign of warped rotors if the vibration occurs during braking situations when the anti-lock brakes are not engaged.  Warped rotors are caused by severe braking for long periods, like driving down a steep mountain or when towing.  Tremendous amounts of friction are created under these condition, heating up the rotors and causing them to warp.  The vibration is felt because the brake pads are not able to grab the surface evenly.  If you drive in these conditions, make sure to stop periodically to allow your brakes to cool off.

For many owners, maintaining the vehicle’s brakes is something that is often overlooked.  But keeping your brakes properly calibrated and in good working order can prevent costly repairs down the road and more importantly, help you avoid a collision.

 

 

Worn Shocks and Struts

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Worn Shocks and StrutsShocks and struts last a long time and wear out pretty slowly for most vehicles.  But let’s face it, they’re easy to take for granted.  Because your shocks and struts do a very important job we need to make sure we pay attention to them.  They keep your tires on the road; and your tires are what connect your vehicle to the road and allow you to safely handle it through turns, over bumps and every single stop.

When you have worn shocks and struts, your tires bounce excessively over  any bumps that may be in the road that we’re driving on.  Your vehicle will wallow through corners; your front-end will dive when you stop; and the rear-end of your vehicle will squat when you accelerate.  All these hurt your ability to safely control your vehicle.  Plus your ride just isn’t as comfortable.

Worn shocks and struts cause excessive tire wear, so you’ll need to replace your tires sooner than you would if they weren’t worn.  Worn shocks and struts also stresses other suspension and steering parts, causing them to wear prematurely.  Struts are actually a major structural component of the suspension system; there’s a lot riding on them.

Replacing worn shocks and struts saves money in the long run for drivers – and you can’t really put a price on your safety and that of your passengers.  We generally recommend replacing shocks and struts at 50,000 miles.

When it’s time for new shocks or struts, we’ve got you covered.  We can give you back the ride and handling of a new vehicle.  And if you have special needs we can help you there too.  We have premium shocks and struts that will improve performance.  We can even help you with upgraded, heavy-duty shocks that will give you the confidence you need to handle those big towing or hauling jobs.

Experts recommend replacing all four shocks at the same time so that handling is even at each wheel.

If you think you have worn shocks or struts and need new ones, let us help you take care of this important safety service.  You’ll feel better, and also save money on tires and other suspension repairs down the road.

The Myth of Cheap Tires

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The Myth of Cheap Tires New tires are a big ticket item for most drivers.  You’re not only concerned about the price, but you want to know that it’ll be a long time before you need to buy new tires again.

There is also the safety aspect to be concerned about as well.  Tires do a lot of work – they carry the weight of the vehicle, you and your passengers around.  They need to be up to the task.  So don’t buy into the myth of cheap tires doing a good job.  You want to be sure that the tires you choose hold the road and provide good traction.  Drivers who carry heavy loads or tow a trailer need high load tires to be up for the job.

At Express Car Care, we think it’s important that drivers understand the effect of price on a tire’s performance and durability.  Every major tire brand sold has what’s known as Tier 1 tires.  These tires are well-engineered and very high quality.  Comparable tires are usually in the same price range from brand to brand.

Stepping down in price you come to Private Label tires.  Some large tire store chains carry tires with the chain’s own brand.  It’s important to know that most private label tires sold in the area are built by the same Tier 1 brands – so they are a quality product.

The lowest priced tires on the market are Tier 3 tires.  These tend to be imported from other countries and don’t always have the same strict quality standards that Tier 1 and Private Label tires have for them.  Since you get what you pay for, you can’t expect a Tier 3 tire to deliver the same performance and durability as the others.  But  sometimes the budget only allows for a Tier 3 tire, that’s alright, because it’s safer to be driving on new tires rather than pushing your old tires beyond their limits.  But it’s good counsel to buy as much tire as you can afford, because it will be much less expensive in the long run.  Your tires are the only part of your vehicle that touch the road.  You’re only as safe as your tires are well built. Cheap tires are a myth.  Buy value – not price.

Used Vehicle Checklist

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Used Vehicle ChecklistSo you’ve bought a “new” used vehicle.  How do you know what you’re getting?  It is hard to know what you’re getting because drivers sell cars for different reasons.  Think about why you’ve sold vehicles.  Did you just want something new or were there problems that you wanted to run away from?  Maybe it was a little of both.

Used vehicles in the area with 25,000 to 35,000 miles on them are often lease returns, corporate program cars or vehicles that have done duty in rental fleets.  Drivers feel fairly confident because they’re newer and may still be under warranty.  But how well have they been maintained?

If you plan on owning a car for a long time, you’ll keep up on the maintenance so that you can avoid expensive repairs down the road.  But, if you know you’re only going to have the vehicle for two or three years, you may not be so committed to maintenance.  It would be easy to think that skipping an oil change here and there wouldn’t ruin a brand new engine and it won’t be your problem when it comes time to pay for the damage.

It would be very tempting to skip the 30,000 mile service if you knew you’d be turning in your leased vehicle in a couple of months.

If your used vehicle didn’t come with maintenance records, you need to assume the worst.  Most likely the coolant system and transmission have never been serviced.  The cabin air filter has probably not been changed and a fuel system cleaning may be in order.  These should all be included on your used vehicle checklist.

You’ll also want Express Car Care to check the air conditioning, battery, engine air filter, serpentine belt and hoses.  An inspection at Express Car Care is well worth the cost.

If your “new” used vehicle has more miles on it, an inspection is even more important.  Check your owners manual or talk with your service adviser about what should have been done.  Please don’t forget the timing belt – that can be very expensive if it fails.

Your helpful and knowledgeable service adviser will help you with a plan to take care of critical services and get the rest caught up.  If your budget won’t allow you to take care of everything right away, have your service adviser help you prioritize your needs and get it taken care of over the next several months.  Remember to keep your maintenance records, they’ll help you get top dollar when it time for you to sell.

Wiper Blade Design

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Wiper Blade DesignWiper blades may not be the most exciting topic for most residents – but they are pretty important.  Most of us Denver residents have had an experience when a sudden snow or rain storm hits while we’re driving…then when we turn on the wipers…nothing but streaks.  This can be distracting, especially at night when the glare of on-coming headlights distorts your vision.

Simple solution…change your wiper blades before they fail.  Check them out every couple of months just to see how they are working.  Of course, the more you use your wiper blades, the sooner they’ll wear out.  Areas with lots of storms or those who drive a lot where there are bugs and road grime, will use their blades more often.

But even when you’re not using your blades, they are exposed to sunlight, ozone, soap, and extreme hot and cold temperatures, which leads to deterioration.  Your blades can just rot away and fall apart before you need them.  Of course, using your wipers when the blades are torn can lead to scratches in your windshield.  You don’t want to risk windshield replacement over the cost of a couple of wiper blades.

Now let’s talk about wiper blade upgrades.  Drivers can upgrade both the design and the wiper material.  Let’s start with the material.  Traditional black rubber blades do a great job of clearing your windshield when they are new.  Over time all of the conditions mentioned above damage them and degrade their performance.  Silicone blades are far less affected by environmental conditions and will simply perform better for a longer period of time.

There are two elements to the design.  First, the wiper blade itself.   Some have a single wiping edge…others have multiple edges…similar to a multi-blade razor.  The idea is to maximize wiper power during both swipes of the blade.

The other design element is with the wiper frame.  This is the structure that applies pressure on the blade as it passes over the windshield.  A conventional frame has four to six contact points on the blade.  These apply pressure used to clear water and snow.  A beam frame provides uniform pressure along the entire surface of the wiper.  Their shape catches the wind passing over the vehicle to provide additional force to help get a clean swipe.

So which blade should you use?  Well, always use at least the grade and design that came with the vehicle, then you can always upgrade for better performance and longer lasting blades.  The extra cost of premium blades is a good value for this safety system.

Also make sure you have plenty of windshield washer solvent (use a winter formulation when temps drop below freezing) and that your washer nozzles are working properly.  Talk with your helpful Express Car Care service adviser about upgrading your wiper blades.

Brake Job?

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Brake Job?Question:  What are the signs that I need a brake job?

Express Car Care Answer:  Signs that you need a brake job often fall into one of two categories…making noise or a pulsation in the brake pedal.  Let’s begin with the noise.

Most brake pads have an audible brake wear indicator.  This is a small piece of metal that rubs on your brake rotor when the brake pads are worn to the point they should be replaced.  The noise is a chirp or a soft squeal.  This noise gives drivers enough warning to get their brakes serviced while there is still enough brake pad left to enable them to stop safely.

Drivers who ignore the chirp find that the sound changes to a grinding noise.  This is more serious.  Grinding means that the friction material on your brake pad is worn away and the metal parts of the brake are grinding against the rotor when you press on the brakes.  Obviously, this metal-on-metal means that your brakes aren’t stopping very well.  It also means that your rotor is being damaged.  It may need to be resurfaced or even replaced.

Pedal pulsation is the other sign you might need a brake job.  When your rotor is not in perfect alignment, it pushes against the brake pads unevenly as you apply the brakes.  There could be a number of reasons for this problem.  The rotor and wheel hub may not be mating well, causing the rotor to be spinning out of vertical alignment.  This misalignment can be caused by either the rotor, the hub, or a combination of both.  If this persists, the rotor may start to wear unevenly to the point that its thickness varies, causing an even more noticeable pulsation.  This uneven mating of the brake pad and the rotor when braking means less contact and less braking power.

Either unusual brake noise or pedal pulsation are signs for drivers that there are brake problems and you might need a brake job.  If you’re experiencing either of these signs, have your brakes thoroughly inspected at Express Car Care so we can recommend any steps necessary to correct the problem.

 

What About Airbags?

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What About Airbags?After they’ve had an accident, some people wonder why their airbags didn’t go off.  Movies and television lead us to believe that airbags go off with the slightest bump.  The reality is much more complicated.  First, airbags come out with great force and speed.  Although getting hit in the face with an airbag is much better than getting hit in the face with the windshield, if the impact of the accident isn’t hard enough that you might be severely injured, the airbags may not be triggered at all….but that’s a good thing because they could do more harm than good.

So what about airbags?   How does your vehicle know when an accident is likely to result in life threatening injuries that would merit deploying the airbags?  Well, there are sensors all around your vehicle that send information to the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) computer that decides when and which airbags should be deployed.  There are impact sensors that measure the direction and intensity of an impact in the front, rear, and sides of the vehicle.  There are seat sensors that determine if someone is sitting there…as well as how much they weigh.  This way an airbag doesn’t go off when no one is in a particular seat and it can deploy with less force for a smaller person.

The SRS computer takes into account vehicle speed and if there is a rollover.  Built into the computer program are the design specifications of your vehicle as they relate to “crumple” zones in a crash.  As you can imagine, the computer program is pretty sophisticated.

When an airbag actually does go off, there are some things you should know…when the driver side airbag deploys, the steering wheel clock spring is usually damaged and should be replaced.  Also, an “airbag worthy” event triggers all the sensors we’ve talked about…so something as slight as hitting a pothole could cause airbags to deploy.  So after an airbag has actually been deployed, all the SRS sensors should be replaced.

Finally, when you start your engine, you will briefly see the SRS dash light come on and then turn off.  This is a system self-test.  If the SRS light remains illuminated, that means the system has detected a problem that could affect the proper deployment of your airbags.  Although we don’t provide all these services at our shop, we thought these were important tips that can help if you’ve had your airbags deploy in a minor incident.

 

Avoiding Brake Failure

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Avoiding Brake FailureNo matter what our plans might be on any given day, no one wants to have them spoiled because our brakes failed and we ended up spending our day in the repair shop, or even worse than that, we end up having an accident because our brakes didn’t work.

If this hasn’t happened to you yet, be thankful, and keep these things in mind so you can keep avoiding brake failure.  The best way to avoid brake failure is by listening to your vehicle and practicing preventative maintenance.  Brakes will squeak, grind and click at different times, listen for when the noise changes so you can have them checked out.  A squeaking noise can indicate thin or worn brake pads.  Replacing brake pads early can prevent future problems.  If pads wear down to the rotors, it can cause further damage and cost more to repair.

Some people make the mistake of thinking that brakes are only one part of their vehicle, but they’re actually a complex system of parts and components that spread throughout the vehicle.  The brake pedal is connected to the pistons, and the pistons are connected to the brakes.  Each vehicle has two sets of brakes, front and rear, and both sets depend on friction to control and stop the vehicle.  There are a few things that can interfere with the friction needed and then your vehicle will have trouble avoiding brake failure.

Oil leaks can remove the friction inside the braking system.  Oil is needed throughout the vehicle to keep it running smoothly.

Also if the brakes routinely overheat, they can create hot spots in the brake rotors or drums.  These hot spots resist friction and reduce the grabbing mechanism in the brake system. The way we drive can cause these hot spots.   Avoid “riding” your brakes.  Apply moderate pressure and then release the brake which allows them to cool.  Riding the brakes causes them to overheat and create the hot spots.

Pay attention to your vehicle’s messages.  You may start hearing squeaking or grinding noises when you apply the brakes, or feel a pulse in your brake pedal.  It may pull to one side or the other during the braking process.  If you want to continue avoiding brake failure, don’t wait or ignore the problem, get it into your auto repair shop today.

 

Brakes Service

Oil Change

Suspension

Transmision Service

Engine Service

Auto Tips & Tricks