Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

Maintenance Free Myth

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Myths start with a grain of truth and are then built up and circulated around with a lot of imagination and very elastic logic.  Unfortunately the internet is a breeding ground for automotive myths.  Some car bloggers recall the vehicles of yesteryear and declare their modern descendants to be virtually maintenance free and that anyone who says otherwise is out to rip you off.

Let’s examine a couple of the more popular myths going around and look at the truth behind them.  The first one is that the chassis no longer needs lubrication for suspension, steering and the drive line.  They declare that any service center who has charged you for lubrication is a charlatan.  The truth on which the myth is based is that most vehicles come from the factory with sealed joints and cannot be greased.  However, there are still some grease points on some cars.  A grease fitting may have been installed in conjunction with a repair.  And most trucks and truck based SUVs still require chassis lubrication.  This is because they are more heavy duty, and proper greasing is still required to keep them running.  Talk to us at Express Car Care in Denver.

Another common myth is that modern cars don’t need tune-ups.  Do cars need tune-ups?  That depends on your definition of a tune-up, which has changed as the technology has progressed.  Before engine control computers, electronic ignition and fuel injection, a tune-up meant replacing mechanical parts that wore out.  You’d manually adjust fuel and air mix and timing.  When those adjustments were off, spark plugs would fail and need to be replaced.

That definition doesn’t apply to modern vehicles.  Auto service centers generally consider a tune-up to be the major service visit recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer.

Of course you can’t lubricate a sealed joint, or adjust a carburetor if your car doesn’t have one.  You don’t need to change spark plugs every year if your manufacturer says they can go longer.  What are these car bloggers getting so worked up about?

The danger with these maintenance free myths is that they prevent drivers from taking care of the routine preventative car maintenance that manufacturers DO recommend.  Below is a partial list of things you still need to do to take care of your car.  How many of them are really any different today than they were 20 or 30 years ago?

Oil change, cooling system service, transmission service, tire balancing and rotation, wheel alignment, suspension service, power steering service, brake service, engine air filter, fuel filter, belts, hoses, windshield wipers…

You get the picture. Your car or truck is still a machine that needs to be maintained and your technicians have always adapted to keep pace with automotive technology. Don’t let yourself be fooled by those maintenance free myths.

Differential Service

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When you take a corner in your car, the outside wheels have a little bit longer distance to cover than the inside wheels.  This means that the outside wheels have to turn slightly faster than the inside wheels.  This mechanical magic is made possible by the differential.

The differential is what allows the drive wheels to rotate at different speeds during turns without the wheels sticking or jumping.  If your vehicle is a rear-wheel drive, the differential is located on the rear axle.  If you’ve noticed a bulge in the middle of the axle when you’re driving behind a truck, that’s the differential.

If your vehicle is a front-wheel drive, the function of the differential is handled by the transaxle.  Of course, an all-wheel drive vehicle has a differential on both axles.  They also have a center differential or a transfer case between the front and rear axles to compensate for speed differences between the front and rear.

Because all the power of the engine is transferred through the various differentials, you can imagine how strong they need to be and that they’re built to last a long time.  That’s why it’s so important to keep your differential properly lubricated.  Differential fluid cools and protects the gears.

Your service technician will check the differential fluid level and top it off if necessary.  With low fluid, the differential will run too hot and wear prematurely.  Ask your service adviser for the recommended time to change your differential fluid.  Fresh fluid will extend the life of your differential.  Your service technician will also inspect the u-joints, which connect your driveshaft to the differential and he may recommend service.  Some u-joints can be lubricated as part of a routine lube, oil and filter change as well.

Now , of course, differentials eventually wear out and need to be replaced.  You might notice a strange noise from your axle area as one of the first warning signs.  When the differential shows signs of failing, it’s important to repair it quickly.  If you leave it too long and it freezes up when you’re driving, you could lose control of your vehicle, as well as cause damage to other parts like the axle, driveshaft or transmission.

Multi-Tasking

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When asked, most people think they are good at multi-tasking.  Scientific studies, however reveal that only around 2% of the population can truly demonstrate the capacity to effectively multi-task.  For the rest of us who are not so biologically wired, no amount of practice can increase our effectiveness at multi-tasking.  Turns out, multi-tasking is almost a superpower.  Think of fighter pilots:  capable of maintaining their orientation in three dimensional space and performing specific and highly complicated functions while accessing life threatening situations and coming up with an appropriate response.  Admit it – you can’t do that.

Yet when it comes to driving, we seem to think we are very capable of safely operating a motor vehicle with a myriad of distractions.  Seventy-seven percent of young adults feel somewhat confident that they can safely text and drive while fifty-five percent claim it’s easy to text and drive.  Can they possibly be right?  Let’s look at some statistics.

Nearly 23% of all accidents in the United States involve cell phones.  Every day, 11 people are killed and over 900 are injured in texting related accidents.  In fact, texting while driving is six times more likely to cause an accident than driving intoxicated.  Just think back – have you had your own experiences?  How many “near misses” have you had as a pedestrian or in a vehicle that have involved a driver with a cell phone in their hand?

There are three types of driving distractions:

  • Visual (eyes off the road)
  • Manual (reaching for something or manipulating an object)
  • Cognitive ( mind off the task of driving)

Of course, texting or using a cell phone involves all three.  Eating, applying make-up, arguing and working on-board features like the stereo and navigation system are all very real distractions.  You may be interested to know that hands-free cell calls are not substantially safer than using a hand held phone.  Any time you glance away from the road (like looking at a text or incoming phone call) your eyes are off task for at least 5 seconds.  At 55 miles per hour (88 kilometers per hour), you will cover the length of a football field in that time.  Would you ever consent to strapping on a blindfold and driving off down the road for that distance?

So what do you do?  First, accept the fact that you are not part of the 2% of all the people on the planet who can truly multi-task (if you are one of the lucky one you would know by now because your performance does not degrade no matter how many additional tasks are added).  Next, don’t EVER drive distracted.  Incoming text – it will wait for later.  Juicy hamburger, eat it in the parking lot.  No exceptions, ever.

Advice on Your Cooling System

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Last week I was out running errands and my temperature warning light came on – total panic!  I pulled over and my car was overheating.  After I waited for it to cool down, I went right into my Denver service center to have them take a look.  My service adviser at Express Car Care told me my water pump was leaking and needed to be replaced.  He said water pumps just wear out and that they need to be replaced, because they have the important task of pumping the coolant that cools the engine while it’s running.

He told me they checked out my radiator hoses, serpentine belt and tensioner and that they were fine, but I was overdue for changing my coolant – embarrassingly overdue.  I didn’t realize there was a schedule in my owner’s manual for when to change my coolant.  My Express Car Care service professional said that the coolant actually becomes corrosive over time and could damage my radiator, head gaskets, intake manifold gaskets, heater core, metal cooling pipes, expansion plugs,…the list goes on.  That’s why they recommend changing the fluid on schedule.

So after they replaced the coolant with the kind my owner’s manual recommends and after learning a difficult lesson, I was on my way.  It feels good knowing my cooling system is healthy now and I don’t need to worry about it.  At least until my next scheduled coolant change.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

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All new cars and light trucks in Denver since 2008 have come equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, or TPMS.  The tire pressure monitoring system detects when a tire becomes under-inflated and lights up a warning light on the dashboard.

So what’s the big deal for drivers?  Well, underinflated tires can be a real safety concern.  First of all, they don’t handle properly and that can lead to an accident.  Second, underinflated tires can overheat and cause the tire to come apart, which could also lead to an accident.

Government regulations requiring TPMS systems aim to reduce accidents in Colorado and save lives, a very worthy goal.  There are also positive environmental effects because underinflated tires are fuel wasters – they lose 1 percent of their fuel economy for every 3 pounds of pressure below ideal.  So proper tire inflation can save you a tank of gas a year.  Your tires will also last longer so you won’t have to replace them as often.

There are two kinds of TPMS systems.  So called, direct systems have a battery powered sensor in each wheel that measures tire pressure.  The sensor sends a signal to a receiver that illuminates the warning light if pressure is low on a tire.

Indirect systems use a computer program to detect underinflation by measuring wheel rotation speeds and other data.

Drivers will have to replace TPMS parts as they wear out.  Obviously, the batteries in the sensors will run out someday.  Road salt and grime can damage sensors too.  The system needs to be reset when you rotate or change your tires.

Because the TPMS system is so important to your safety, you should make the repairs when they are needed.  Also remember, a tire pressure monitoring system is no substitute for regularly checking your tire pressure – at least once a month is recommended.

Clean Air For Your Engine

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Every vehicle owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told at one time or another that their engine air filter is dirty.  These are the steps that go into determining when your engine air filter needs to be changed.

First, your vehicle owner’s manual will have a recommendation of when to change the filter.  Second, a visual inspection by your service technician may determine that your filter is visibly dirty and needs to be changed.

So between your vehicle owner’s manual and your technician’s inspection there is very little guesswork involved.

Now, most air filters purchased in the Denver area don’t cost a whole lot to replace, but most of us don’t really enjoy getting caught with an unexpected expense.  On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at Express Car Care can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change.

You can compare it to a dirty furnace filter in your home.  When it’s all clogged up, enough clean air can’t get through and your furnace struggles to heat your home.  In your vehicle, a dirty air filter means that your engine can’t get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently.  So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around on the roads.

Your vehicle actually needs about 12,000 gallons of clean air for every gallon of gas it burns to run efficiently.  So give your vehicle some clean air for your engine and have your air filter changed.  It doesn’t cost a lot initially and saves you money in the long run, while also protecting your engine and giving it better performance.

Serpentine Belt

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Question:  My car repair shop said I need a new serpentine belt, but I don’t see any cracks in it.  Does it really need to be replaced?

Express Car Care Answer:  I appreciate your concern.  Old style neoprene belts would crack with age, making it pretty obvious to drivers when they needed to be replaced.  Nowadays, serpentine belts are made from different material that doesn’t crack or glaze the way neoprene did.

Just to explain, the serpentine belt transfers power from the engine to various accessories, such as the alternator, power steering pump and air conditioning compressor – even the power brakes and water pump on some vehicles.  Modern serpentine belts have several grooves running their length.  These grooves mate with the pulleys on the accessories.  When the belt is within its useful life, it spins the accessories at the designed speed.

Over time, belt material is worn away.  When as little as 5% of the material is lost, the belt can slip and won’t spin the accessories properly, leading to stress and damage.

Using a special tool, your knowledgeable service adviser can measure the material lost in your serpentine belt.  He will indicate if it needs to be replaced.

It’s important for drivers to understand that the serpentine belt is part of the accessory belt drive system, which also includes the serpentine belt tensioner and any idler pulleys.  The belt tensioner has the same service life as the belt itself, so if it is time to replace the belt, you should also replace the tensioner and idler pulleys as well.

A worn belt tensioner can cause the belt to slip and not do the job it’s suppose to do.  Running too long with a worn belt, tensioner or idler pulleys causes excessive heat at the accessory pulleys, resulting in inefficiency, damage and premature replacement.

Express Car Care can perform tests to see if your serpentine belt is worn and should be replaced.  Ask your service adviser if it’s time for a serpentine belt system replacement

Diesel Vehicles?

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Let’s talk about some of the myths out there about diesel powered vehicles.

  1. Diesel Vehicles Burn Dirty – This was true years ago.  Since 2006, however, U.S. diesel vehicles have been required by law to use ultra-low sulfur diesel or USLD.  Modern diesels are soot-free and have a smaller carbon footprint.
  2. Diesels Are Sluggish – Not anymore.  They are as fast off the line as similar gasoline-powered cars.  If your idea of fun is to spend an afternoon test driving new cars, go take a spin in a diesel BMW or Porsche.
  3. Diesel Vehicles Are Loud – Back in the day, you could hear a diesel motor from a mile away.  Today’s diesels run quiet.
  4. Diesels Have a Bad Resale Value – Actually, diesel vehicles have a lower depreciation rate.

Another often overlooked benefit is lower risk of fire.  Diesel fuel is less flammable and won’t explode like gasoline.

Diesel engines require parts that are heavier and stronger.  At Express Car Care, we occasionally service diesel cars and trucks with over 300,000 miles/ 500,000 kilometers.  The heavy duty parts make diesel vehicles a little more expensive new, but due to the extra burliness, diesel engines last a lot longer.  This is one of the reasons Cummins diesels inspire such a loyal following.

Cons?  Cold weather starting.  Diesel engines can be hard to fire up when the temperature drops.  However, an engine block heater can solve this problem.  Talk to your knowledgeable service adviser for more information.

If you are in the market for a new vehicle that’s easy on fuel, you might want to explore your diesel options.  You can save money and may qualify for a tax credit if you buy a clean diesel vehicle.  Of course, diesels require regular maintenance just like any other vehicle and the services are usually a little more costly due to the nature of the engines.  But the extra cost is offset by the better fuel economy and longer engine life.

Bottom line?  The diesel vehicles on Denver roads today are not your grandfather’s diesel.

Car Vent Cleaning

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Do you ever get musky odors coming from your car’s air vents?  It’s a fairly common experience for Denver drivers.  Moisture can accumulate in the air conditioning/heating ventilation system allowing mold, mildew, fungus and bacteria to grow.

Disinfecting and deodorizing is a process.  Depending on how serious the problem, there are a couple of approaches Express Car Care may take to get rid of the unwanted smells.  For mild situations (especially on newer vehicles)  a special deodorizing disinfectant is introduced into the ventilation system.  This may be an aerosol or a mist application.

The treatment kills the offending organisms and deodorizes the system.  Sometimes in older vehicles, a good deal of mildew or other microorganisms can grow on the air conditioning evaporator, which is housed in the heating/air conditioning air blend box behind the dashboard.  In this situation, the blend box is filled with disinfecting foam that can eliminate stubborn organisms and return a fresh, clean scent.  In all of this, don’t forget your cabin air filter.  This is the filter that cleans the air coming into the passenger compartment of your vehicle.

Denver residents can have the cabin air filter replaced to eliminate unpleasant odors.   This is the first line of defense.  Changing the cabin air filter as needed can actually prevent further contamination problems down the road.  If you are experiencing any unusual odors, sounds, or vibrations, talk to your knowledgeable Express Car Care service adviser.  He can recommend the needed steps to discover the problem and what it will take to set it right.

Air Conditioning

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Let’s talk about air conditioning service and repair issues today.  Most of us in Denver don’t give our air conditioning a second thought – just as long as it’s making cold air.  But it’s a complex and expensive system that we should think more about before it starts blowing out hot air.

The refrigerant in the air conditioner contains a special oil that lubricates and cools the A/C parts.  When enough refrigerant leaks out, your air conditioner still makes cold air, but the parts don’t have enough oil to protect them and they wear out faster than they should.  That’s why it’s so important to service the air conditioner as recommended by your service center.

Replacing old refrigerant has another benefit:  refrigerant tends to gather moisture and become corrosive.  That causes leaks in the system which can be expensive to repair.  Fresh refrigerant protects the air conditioning components and keeps the system operating at peak efficiency so it doesn’t have to work as hard to keep you cool.

Even with regular service, A/C parts can just wear out.  Normal wear and tear eventually affects all moving parts.

Addressing early problems can save on more extensive repairs down the road.  For instance, a common failure is the clutch that turns the compressor on and off.  If you can take care of a bad A/C clutch when it first starts having problems, you may be able to save the compressor.  But if you wait too long you’ll have to replace them both.

Check your owner’s manual or ask your service adviser for service recommendations.  And if you are hearing strange sounds when your air conditioning turns on, or if it just isn’t as cold as it used to be, have us give it the once over and see what it will take to keep you cool.

Brakes Service

Oil Change

Suspension

Transmission Service

Engine Service

Auto Tips & Tricks