Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

Service Intervals

by

Service IntervalsQuestion:
I’m really confused about auto service intervals for various items on my car.  Help!

Express Car Care Answer:  The simple answer for Denver drivers is to follow the vehicle’s recommended service intervals listed in your owner’s manual or in your service center’s database.  But the team at Express Car Care sympathizes with you because of the confusing intervals for modern vehicles.

The days of simple rules of thumb that applied to most vehicles are long gone.  For example, let’s look at an oil change:  manufacturers’ recommendations run anywhere from every 3,000 miles to 15,000 miles.  This big range comes from engine design and recommended types of oil – so drivers really do need to know and follow the recommendations for their specific vehicle.

Your owner’s service manual will have a schedule for both maintenance services and inspections.

Service items include:  Tire rotation, wheel balancing, oil change, coolant service, transmission service, brake system, power steering system, fuel system, differential service, and transfer case service.

Inspections will include:  Alignment check, air conditioning, brakes, suspension, axles, exhaust, tires, lights, emissions, belts and hoses, and steering.

It’s important to remember there is NO exception that would make it OK to extend an interval.  These intervals already assume the “best case” conditions for a safe margin of error.  However, you may live or drive in conditions that are harsher than average.  Your owner’s manual may have a modified schedule for “severe service” – things like extreme temperatures, towing, hauling heavy loads, short trips, or stop-and-go traffic.

Consult your owner’s manual or with your service adviser about your driving situation and adjust your service intervals accordingly.

 

Viva la Differential

by

Viva la DifferentialWith front-wheel drive being so common these days, the differential is also being taken care of during a transmission service at Express Car Care, so most Denver drivers don’t even have to think about it.  And most rear-wheel drive differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable why it’s not something on the top of drivers minds.  Because of this, it’s not uncommon for people not to know they have a differential, let alone know that it needs service.

To understand better what a differential does, think about a high school track.  There are lanes marked on the track.  For the long distance races, the starting lines are staggered.  The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes.  That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes.  Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts, and those parts need protection.  The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool.  The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down.  Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time.  So follow recommended intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your helpful and knowledgeable pro at Express Car Care will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears.  He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Four wheel drive vehicles need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at different intervals.  Your service adviser can look up the recommended service interval or you can check your owner’s manual.

 

Emergency Items for Your Vehicle

by

Emergency Items for Your VehicleEmergencies you might encounter in your vehicle can range from a flat tire in downtown Denver to being stranded in a snowy ravine for three days.  So you may want to consider a basic car emergency kit to keep in your vehicle at all times and also a travel kit that’s tailored to a specific trip.

Your close-to-home kit should include some basic items to work on your car, plus all the items you would need to change a tire, and also gloves, a couple quarts of oil, some anti-freeze and water.  A can of tire inflator is a good temporary fix for minor flats.  You’ll also want to have jumper cables or a booster box, flares, a flashlight and some basic hand tools.

Now for your comfort and safety:  a first aid kit, drinkable water, high calorie food, ( like energy bars) blankets, toilet paper, cell phone, towel, hat and boots.  Keep some change for a pay phone, emergency cash and a credit card.  If you live in an area in Colorado with frequent severe weather or an area where you might experience extreme conditions, you may want to carry provisions for longer emergencies.

For trips away from Denver, consider the weather and geography as you assemble your emergency items for your vehicle.  You’ll need to have a source of light and heat and will want to provide protection against the elements as well as adequate food and water for every person in your vehicle.  Always tell someone where you are going and have a plan for checking in along the way.  Then if you run into trouble, you can be reported missing as soon as possible and rescuers will be able to narrow the search area.  The key to safe travel is to keep your vehicle properly maintained, plan ahead, and let others know your itinerary.

Gasoline Direct Injection

by

Gasoline Direct InjectionQuestion:  My new car has a “GDI” engine.  What does that mean to me and other drivers with this new type of engine?

 Express Car Care Answer:  GDI stands for Gasoline Direct Injection, it’s a type of fuel injection system that is becoming very popular on modern engines.

Let’s talk about the two most common forms of fuel injection.  Port Fuel Injection has been common in vehicles for the last several decades.  With this type, there is a small port just outside the cylinder on the engine.

  • The fuel injector squirts a bit of gas into this area just before the intake valve opens.
  • When the valve opens, air enters the port and mixes with the gas and then flows passed the valve and into the engine.
  • The gas and air mixture is compressed by the piston.
  • The spark plug fires, igniting the gas which pushes against the piston, thus powering the engine.

With Gasoline Direct Injection the process is a bit different.

  • First, there is no port outside the cylinder.
  • When the intake valve opens, air is drawn into the cylinder.
  • The air is compressed by the piston.
  • At the correct time, the engine management computer signals the fuel injector to spray gasoline directly into the cylinder. Because of this it’s called Gas Direct Injection.
  • The pressurized gas and air are ignited by the spark plug, powering the engine.

So why the move to GDI?  Well, by injecting the gas directly into the engine, the management computer is able to time the injection event more precisely.  Also the gas sprayed directly into the engine cools the compressed air enough to allow for better combustion.  This adds up to more power for an engine.

These two types of fuel delivery systems call for different kinds of fuel injectors.  Port fuel injectors squirt their fuel at 40 to 65 pounds per square inch – that’s like the pressure in a bicycle tire.  GDI injectors operate at over 2,000 pounds per square inch.

Of course it’s always important to keep your fuel injectors clean – but it’s even more necessary for GDI injectors.  When they become contaminated, the performance ends.  Different cleaners and cleaning processes are required for GDI engines.  Intake valves get a fair amount of carbon build-up over time.  With port injection, some gasoline flows over the valve when it opens to let in the gas and air.  This has a cleaning effect – which doesn’t occur with GDI.  So pouring a bottle of fuel system cleaner in your gas tank won’t reach the backside of those intake valves.  A professional fuel system cleaning process needs to be done on the GDI engines in order to get them clean.

So, GDI will continue to become more prevalent in everything from compact cars to pick-up trucks.  Ask your Express Car Care service adviser if your vehicle could benefit from a fuel system cleaning.

Wheel Bearings

by

Wheel BearingsYour wheel bearings may be something that you’ve not given much thought about while you’re driving your car around.  But wheel bearings are what enable your wheels to spin freely.  Since they bear the entire weight of the vehicle, they have to be tough.  Wheel bearings can last well over 60,000 miles or 100,000 kilometers.  They do wear out though and must eventually be replaced.

You might hear a groaning sound from your wheels.  The sound might disappear at some speeds and reappear at others.  Your service technician at Express Car Care can quickly tell if your bearings are bad by raising the vehicle and wiggling the wheel.  When you grasp the top and bottom of the tire, it shouldn’t move along the vertical axis.

Many vehicles these days have wheel bearing assemblies that cannot be serviced at Express Car Care.  When the bearings go bad, we simply replace the entire wheel bearing assembly.

For those vehicles with wheel bearings that can be accessed, we can do some preventive maintenance.  You may have heard the phrase “pack the bearings”.  With this procedure we remove the bearings, carefully clean them and inspect them for any imperfection or wear.  If the bearings can be reused, we reinstall them and pack them with grease.  If not, we put in new bearings.  Check your owner’s manual or ask your service adviser if your bearings can be serviced, and if so, when it should be done.

Taking care of bad bearings is extremely important.  When bearings go bad, they generate tremendous amounts of heat – enough to lock up the wheel.  That’s not a good thing at any speed.  In some cases the wheel can even fall off!  Either of these situations can cause a serious accident.  So have your wheel bearings inspected, especially if you suspect a problem and replace them right away if there is one.  Don’t let yourself be caught off-guard.

Risky Behaviors

by

This article ( written by AAA) is important for all of us to read and take steps to change our behaviors if necessary.

Risky BehaviorsAbout 87 percent of drivers engaged in at least one risky behavior while behind the wheel within the past month, according to research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.  These disturbing results come as nearly 33,000 Americans died in car crashes in 2014, and preliminary estimates project a 9 percent increase in deaths for 2015.

  • “The vast majority of motorists believe they are more careful than others on the road,” said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, “though most of them are not making safe decisions while behind the wheel.”

Common unsafe behaviors include:

  • DISTRACTED DRIVING – More than two in five drivers (42%) admitted to reading a text message or email while driving in the past 30 days, while 12% reported doing this fairly often or regularly.  Nearly one in three drivers (32%) admitted to typing or sending a text or email over the past month, while 8% said they did so fairly often or regularly.  Distracted driving related to 3,000 deaths in 2014 and increased by 9% in 2015.
  • SPEEDING – About 45% of drivers reported going 10 mph over the speed limit on a residential street in the past 30 days, and 11% admitted doing so fairly often or regularly.  Speeding related to 10,000 deaths in 2014.
  • DROWSY DRIVING – Nearly one in three drivers (32%) said they drove when they were so tired they had a hard time keeping their eyes open in the past 30 days.  Drowsy driving related to 6,400 deaths in 2014.
  • RED-LIGHT RUNNING – More than one in three drivers (39%) admitted to having driven through a light that had just turned red when they could have stopped safely during the past 30 days.  Red-light running related to 697 deaths and 127,000 injuries in one year.
  • SEAT BELTS – Nearly one in five drivers (18%) reported driving without a seat belt within the past 30 days.  50% of all vehicle occupants who died in a crash in 2013 were unrestrained at the time of the crash.
  • IMPAIRED DRIVING – More than one in eight motorists ( 13%) reported driving when their alcohol level might have been near or over the legal limit within the past 12 months.  Impaired driving related to 10,000 deaths in 2014

The AAA Foundations annual Traffic Safety Culture Index identifies attitudes and behaviors related to driver safety, the survey data cited here came from a sample of 2,442 licensed drivers ages 16 and older who reported driving in the past 30 days.

Broken Timing Belt

by

Broken Timing BeltQuestion:

My friend had a broken timing belt and it was very expensive to repair his engine.  What can I do to avoid a broken timing belt?

Express Car Care Answer:

Well, a broken timing belt can lead to one of the most expensive engine repairs Denver drivers will ever face.  The good news is that replacing your timing belt on its recommended schedule can help avoid those problems.  Here’s a brief overview of what the timing belt does:  Air is drawn into the cylinder of the engine through the intake valves.  After the air and fuel mixture is burned, it’s pushed out through the exhaust valves.  The timing belt, which is driven by the engine, turns the camshafts, that control when the intake and exhaust valves open and close.  It is the opening and closing of the valves that takes place at exactly the right time for the engine to run properly.

Beyond that, on some vehicle engines, the valves actually extend into the combustion chamber far enough that they can be hit by the piston as it moves up and down in the cylinder.  When everything is timed just right – no problem.  When the timing is off, the piston will slam into the valves and cause big damage for drivers.

The timing belt makes sure everything is timed just right.  However, the belt does have a useful life.  Beyond that it can brake or slip – and that’s when the damage can be done.  If your vehicle has a timing belt (some have metal timing chains) it will have a recommended interval for replacing it.  Be sure to check your owner’s manual or with your Express Car Care service adviser to make sure you know when your timing belt needs to be replaced…there is a lot at stake.

Getting to the timing belt requires a lot of labor, so service costs are higher, but it is certainly less than repairing a damaged engine.  If your timing belt drives your water pump, change them both at the same time to save labor costs.  Ask your Express Car Care service adviser when your timing belt should be changed and get an estimate for what it will cost, so you can budget for this service.

Severe Service Schedule

by

Severe Service ScheduleSome of our customers at Express Car Care are surprised to learn that there are actually two service schedules for their vehicles.  One is the regular schedule and the other is the severe service schedule.

Let’s look at what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions, and let you draw your own conclusions:

  • Most of your trips are less than four miles
  • Most of your trips are less than ten miles and outside temperatures are below freezing
  • The engine is at low speed most of the time – not on the highway
  • You operate your vehicle in dusty areas
  • You regularly tow a trailer, carry heavy loads or a car-top carrier
  • Stop and go driving
  • Driving in very hot or very cold weather

So you can see that a lot has to do with how you drive, but some has to do with where you drive.  Some areas of the country will be more or less severe than it is here in Denver.

For many, normal driving includes elements of severe service driving.  So how do you know?  Picture a line with “regular” on one end and “severe” on the other, and make a judgment on where you fall.

If your regular oil change recommendation is 5,000 miles and the severe service recommendation is 3,000 -when should you change your oil?  For some, it’s closer to 3,000 miles.  For others, it’s closer to 5,000 miles.  Your service adviser will be happy to have this discussion with you and help you sort it out.

If you drive where the air is dusty or polluted, fluids will become contaminated and filters will get dirtier more quickly.

So make an honest evaluation of your driving conditions in and around Denver.  You’ve made the commitment to take care of your vehicles, so it only makes sense to follow the right schedule.

Give us a call for advice for your car based on our local Denver driving conditions.

 

Improve Fuel Economy

by

Improve Fuel EconomyLet’s review some things that Denver residents can do to improve fuel economy.  Bottom line – the better you maintain your vehicle, the less fuel you will use.  It all adds up in a big way.  For example, replacing your dirty engine air filter will pay for itself in fuel savings before your next oil change – and will keep saving you money after that.

A clean, well-maintained fuel system really pays big dividends for budget conscious Denver residents.  A clogged fuel filter wastes gas.  So does a dirty fuel system, grimy fuel injectors and plugged up PCV valves.  A fuel system service decreases the gas you use, and increases the power – so you can’t go wrong.

Some of us might ignore our check engine light.  But fixing the problem that caused the light to come on will usually improve fuel economy as well.

It may simply be time for a tune-up.  Tune-ups should improve your fuel economy as well as keeping your vehicle in good running condition.  Don’t overlook the routine maintenance items, like scheduled oil changes, transmission and cooling system service.  Dirty or low fluids actually use more fuel.  Just look at your recommended service intervals in the owner’s manual, or ask your helpful Express Car Care service adviser for the schedule.

Don’t overlook your tires.  Under-inflated tires waste gas because they don’t roll easily and cause the engine to use more fuel to turn them.

Check your gas cap to make sure it isn’t worn or doesn’t leak.

None of these things are very complicated or expensive and when you maintain your vehicle properly, you will improve fuel economy today and prevent repairs tomorrow.

Alternator Replacement

by

Alternator ReplacementSome drivers have probably noticed a bunch of warning lights on their dash when they start their engine.  They flash on to test the circuits and then go off if everything’s OK.  One of the warning lights looks like a car battery.  Its job is to tell you if your vehicle’s battery isn’t charging properly.

Most motorists probably know that their battery stores electricity – enough to start the engine and get moving.  but that’s about it – you can only get a few miles on battery power alone.  You need an alternator to generate enough electricity to run your vehicle’s engine and power your electrical accessories, like the stereo, power seats, heater fan, on-board computers, and so on.  On top of that, the alternator needs to recharge your battery.  So when your alternator isn’t working, there isn’t going to be enough electricity for all of those things.  When your alternator fails, you aren’t going very far.

So why would your alternator not work?  Usually they’ve simple worn out.  Alternators are driven by your serpentine belt and spin 2 to 3 times faster than the engine – that’s a lot of work.  The bearings wear out, as do the copper wire coils and magnets that generate the electricity.

There’s no sense in hobbling along with an alternator that’s not working properly.  It will fail at some point and leave you stranded, then you’ll be wishing you would’ve had an alternator replacement sooner.  You need to get a bad alternator replaced as soon as you possible.  When you come to Express Car Care for an alternator replacement, someone knowledgeable will install an alternator that meets your specifications.  Some drivers use a lot of additional electrical products in their vehicles, like computers and DVD players.  Others may regularly tow a camping trailer that is putting extra pressure on its battery as they drive.  If that sounds like you, you’ll need to think about upgrading to a more heavy duty alternator.  Come in and let us help you figure it out.

Brakes Service

Oil Change

Suspension

Transmission Service

Engine Service

Auto Tips & Tricks