Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

Fuel Injector Cleaning At Express Car Care in Denver

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Fuel Injector CleaningSomething we hear quite frequently from Denver drivers is that their fuel efficiency is down and their vehicle just doesn’t have the pep that it had before.  When that happens, one of the things we look for is clogged fuel injectors.

The engine management computer tells your fuel injectors exactly when to squirt fuel into your engine.  It is vital that clean fuel injectors spray the right amount of gasoline or diesel fuel in an even, specific spray pattern.  A dirty or clogged injector can’t spray enough fuel and it comes out in an uneven, weak pattern.

When Denver drivers’ fuel injectors are dirty or clogged, the fuel just can’t burn as efficiently, which causes gas mileage to drop and your vehicles engine can’t produce as much power.

Fuel injectors just get dirty over time.  Gas and diesel fuel cause varnish and gum to build up in your fuel injectors, especially if you buy bargain gasoline.  If your fuel injectors get too dirty, they can be damaged and will need to be replaced – which can be pretty costly.

The good news is that a professional fuel injector cleaning at Express Car Care in Denver can get all of that gunk out of your injectors.  They’ll be able to spray the right amount of fuel, at exactly the right time, and in the right spray pattern.  Your gas mileage will be restored along with your engine performance.  Fuel injectors are cleaned as a part of a comprehensive fuel system cleaning service that includes the induction system ( throttle plates, intake manifold, idle air by-pass passages and – if applicable – the mass airflow sensor).

So ask your friendly service tech about a fuel injector cleaning at Express Car Care in Denver to get your engine running like new.  Give us a call @ 303-691-2760 or come in and see us.

What’s A Serpentine Belt?

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What's A Serpentine Belt?All of us in Denver have those days when we’ve got a bunch of errands to run all over town.  Suppose on your day off you need to get gas, pick up some groceries, swing by your local ATM and pick the kids up from school.  Now you could make four separate trips, but that would be a waste of time and money and totally inefficient.  Instead you get organized and hit the ATM first and get some gas next.  Then you go to your Denver supermarket and pick up the kids on your way home.  That’s a much better use of your time.

Now you may wonder what this has to do with a serpentine belt.  Well, back in the day, each of your engine’s accessories, such as the alternator and air conditioner, were powered by separate belts.  A vehicle might have five or six belts.  These days, vehicles have a single belt to run all the accessories.  It’s called the serpentine belt because it snakes around everything, efficiently connecting each accessory.  Just like bundling your errands.

A pulley attached to the engine’s crank provides the power to turn the serpentine belt.  The belt  provides the power for the power steering pump, which makes it easier to steer your vehicle.  Next comes the alternator which generates electricity to run the vehicle’s electrical system and charge the battery.  On to the air conditioning compressor.  This helps make the cold air to keep you comfortable all during the summer here in Denver.

On some vehicles – the water pump, radiator fan and the power brakes are also run by the serpentine belt.  Some even have two serpentine belts.  No matter how your engine is arranged, you won’t get very far without a serpentine belt.  Your auto manufacturer has a recommended interval for inspecting your belt and your Denver service adviser can inspect it for any damage or wear.

Finally, there is the belt tensioner.  Its job is to apply pressure on the belt to keep it tight.  Several years ago, manufacturers started making serpentine belts out of a new material.  It is much more durable, but it’s harder to tell when the belt needs to be replaced.  The old style belts would crack and chunks would fall off so you could easily see when you needed a new one.

On the new style belt, if the ribs wear too deep, it’s time to replace it.  Your service technician uses a simple gauge to tell when the belt is worn and you need a serpentine belt replacement.  A worn belt stresses your engine’s expensive accessories and causes them to wear out prematurely.  So change your serpentine belt and belt tensioner as recommended by your helpful Express Car Care tech and extend the life of your accessories and  prevent future breakdowns.

At Express Car Care in Denver we install quality NAPA replacements parts.  Give us a call @ 303-691-2760.  To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com

Chilling In Denver With Winter Tires

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Chilling In Denver With Winter TiresThere is more to winter tires than Denver drivers may think.  Those days of clunky, tractor-like snow tires are long gone in Colorado.  They have been replaced by high-tech winter tires with special rubber compounds and advanced tread designs.

In Denver winter temperatures, the rubber in summer tires becomes hard and inflexible and they don’t grip the road as well.  In contrast, winter tires use special rubber compounds that are more pliable when the thermometer drops below 45 degrees, giving you better road contact; so even if you don’t get much snow, winter tires will really add to your cold weather safety in Denver.

Winter tires may also use a micro-pore rubber compound that increases surface area so they can bite into ice and packed snow on Denver roads and highways.

The tread on winter tires needs to clear out water, snow and slush as the tire turns so it’s ready to take another bite when it comes back in contact with the road.  But summer tires can actually be dangerous because they get packed with snow, making them very slick, so your vehicle will be hard to control.  Winter tires have a lot of thin slits in the tread which help the tire grab ice and packed snow, providing extra traction.

Many new vehicles in Denver come with all-season tires which are good for a wide range of Denver weather and road conditions, but don’t provide top performance in Colorado snow and ice.  For example, winter tires provide 25 to 50% more traction than all-season tires.  And all-season tires take up to 42% longer to stop than winter tires in slick conditions.  For all these reasons, the tire experts at Express Car Care in Denver recommend you put winter tires on all four wheels because it makes sense to have equal traction and handling at all four corners of your vehicle.  Uneven traction could result in loss of control for Denver motorists.

Your vehicle may be equipped with stability control, anti-lock brakes and traction control – all important safely systems for Colorado auto owners.  But in order to do their job you still need good traction.  Winter tires help you start, stop and corner when things get cold and slippery.

So when temperatures drop below 45 degrees, be sure you have a set of four winter tires for maximum performance in snow, ice and wet Denver roads.  Your Express Car Care professional can help you find the right winter tire for your vehicle and driving needs.  Give us a call @ 303-691-2760 or come in and see us.

Busted in Denver: The Maintenance Free Myth

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Busted in Denver: The Maintenance Free MythQuality surveys report fewer problems with new Denver cars than ever before.  So does that mean that modern vehicles have become maintenance free?  Not really.  Back when cars spent more time in Denver repair shops, drivers were more mindful of routine service.  Now, it is much easier to put it off.

Take tune-ups for example.  In the days of mechanical ignition system, an engine needed to be tuned-up every couple of years.  If your engine was out of tune, you knew it.  It ran poorly and got bad gas mileage driving on Colorado streets and highways.  Now, the ignition system is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer.  Spark plugs rarely get extremely dirty and will last for as much as a 100,000 miles.  So car tune-ups used to force you in for service and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.

So what is the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance at Express Car Care?  Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy.  Those benefits pay for the service as you go along.  the big plus is that major repairs – and the associated breakdowns – are prevented.  And these aren’t just repairs that are a long way off.  Modern engines are far more sophisticated and have many parts that are in critical need of lubrication.  Missing just one oil change at Express Car Care can allow oil sludge to start forming.  Sludge clogs small engine passages, robbing car parts of the lubrication they need.  An expensive failure could easily occur with two or three years.

Taking care of the little things at Express Car Care prevents big problems with your vehicle later.  No Denver motorist wants to be stranded by a breakdown.  Your car still needs to be taken care of – it’s just that some of those points of care have changed with automotive advancements.  The need for proper maintenance at Express Car Care in Denver did not go away.

Give us a call @ 303-691-2760

What Customers Like About Us at Express Car Care in Denver

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What Customers Like About Us at Express Car CareAt Express Car Care in Denver, a big part of the service we provide for our customers is education.  We want you to feel confident with your service decisions and we’re always open to questions.  Even though we try to be proactive in our education, we sometimes get busy fixing cars and need a reminder.  Please, just ask.

We’ve  found our Denver customers like the service reminders.  This is especially true of our returning customers.  They’ve grown to trust that our recommendations are based on the vehicle manufacturer’s published maintenance schedules and that we’re not just pulling them out of the air.

We know that you live a busy life in Denver with a lot more to think about than wondering if it’s time to replace your PCV valve.  Part of our process when you come in to Express Car Care is checking the manufacturer’s schedule to make sure we don’t overlook an important service for your car or truck.

We hope you appreciate your courtesy inspection when you come into Express Car Care for service.  If we find something unexpected, it’s good for you to know and if we don’t find anything wrong,  than you still get a little peace of mind.

You know, customer satisfaction is very important to us at Express Car Care.  We want to run a friendly and professional Denver automotive service operation.  When we do, then you’ll keep coming back, as well as recommend us to your friends and family.

At Express Car Care in Denver, we install quality NAPA replacement parts.  Give us a call at 303-691-2760 and let us know how we can help you.  If you’d like to learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com

Used Car Inspections at Express Car Care

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Used Car Inspections at Express Car Care

It’s natural to be a little anxious when you buy a used car in Denver:  you worry that it has something wrong with it or that it hasn’t been well maintained.  If it’s possible, bring the car or truck into Express Car Care for a used car inspection.  We can tell you if there are current or emerging problems.  Your peace of mind is well worth the price of the inspection service.

It’s also a good idea to get on track with a maintenance schedule at Express Car Care and stay on track.  If you don’t have maintenance records for the vehicle, assume the worst and start out with an oil change.  Then the inspection by a qualified Denver service technician that comes with a full service oil change, will reveal any basic problems.  Be sure to bring up any specific concerns you might have with your Express Car Care service consultant.

A more intense inspection at Express Car Care can find hidden problems such as body damage and sealer in A/C units which can be a major expense down the road.  Purchasing a Carfax report may let you know if the Denver vehicle has been in a major accident and give you a little history.  You can find out if that “71 Barracuda really was owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church in Denver on Sundays.  If you’ve bought well, there’s no reason to believe that with proper maintenance your “new” used vehicle won’t last a long time.

At Express Car Care, we’ve been providing professional quality automotive services(including used car inspections ) for 12 years.  Give us a call.

At Express Car Care in Denver, CO,  80222 we install quality NAPA replacement parts.  Give us a call at 303-691-2760.  To learn more about NAPA Autocare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com

On-Board Diagnostics in Denver

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On-Board Diagnostics in DenverSome people in Denver are confused by charges for diagnostic services for a vehicle repair, even though many other services in life include diagnostic fees- things like computer service and appliance repair in Denver.  Even when we go into the doctor for a medical problem, we’re paying them to diagnose our ailment and of course for the tests that go along with it.  So receiving a diagnostic charge for a tricky automotive problem shouldn’t be a surprise.

Automotive diagnostics can cover quite a range.  If you hear a noise in your brakes, a quick visual check is usually enough to know what needs to be done.  If you’re having an intermittent problem with your engine, diagnosis may be much more involved.

Some think that when the check engine light comes on, the engine computer tells the technician exactly what the problem is.  The reality is much different.  The trouble code just tells your Denver technician what engine parameter is out of range, not what’s causing it.  Your Denver technician at Express Car Care needs to determine the underlying problem that’s causing the symptom.

As you can imagine, some automotive diagnoses are quick and easy.  Other are more involved and difficult.  Of course, we at Express Car Care want to figure out what’s wrong with your vehicle and get you back on the road as quickly as possible.

At Express Car Care in Denver we install quality NAPA replacement parts.  Give use a call at 303-691-2760.  To learn more about NAPA parts, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com

Keeping Your Car Safe With Routine Auto Maintenance

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Are you the type that spends every weekend washing, waxing, and working on your car?  If you are reading this article, you probably aren’t.  If you’re anything like me, your car is simply a means to an end; a way to get quickly from point A to point B.

Keeping Your Car Safe With Routine Auto MaintenanceHowever, I am coming to discover that this tool for transportation has needs too.  So, if I want my car to continue shuttling me safely from one place to another, I need to show it a little love back.

Regularly scheduled maintenance – If the car is running smoothly, this may seem like a waste of time and money.  But, there is actually a good purpose for the regular maintenance they recommend for your car.  At these little checkups, the mechanic can see how well the parts are working and what needs to be attended to.  Replacing parts before they break down tends to be much cheaper than fixing the mess they make when they go.

Tune-Ups – Consider these brief check-ups between your regularly scheduled maintenance.  The mechanic wants to make sure the little pieces are working well together to keep your engine (and your car) working at peak efficiency.

Oil Changes – Without oil, your engine will burn up.  Oil provides the lubrication that keeps your car from overheating as a result of natural friction.  In order for your car to continue running well, this oil needs to be changed periodically.  Clean oil keeps gunk from building up in the working mechanisms of your engine.

Fluid Flushes – If you look under the hood of your car, you will notice several different reservoirs.  These containers hold the different fluids needed to keep your car running.  Every now and then, your car would appreciate a top off or a fresh supply on each of these.

If you give your car a little love along the way, it will serve you much better.  A little TLC will keep you safe and moving in the foreseeable future.

Avoid These Used Cars – They Signal Endless Car Repair Problems

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Wouldn’t it be great to drive away in a brand new car?

Avoid These Used Cars - They Signal Endless Car Repair ProblemsUnfortunately, for many of us, a new car isn’t in our immediate future.

But that doesn’t mean we still don’t need a quality vehicle we can rely on for our day to day needs.

This need leads you to the used car market. While there are millions of used cars available, they are not all created equal. Just because a used car seems like a great deal does not make it the right choice.

When shopping used cars, it is essential that you take your time and use caution to ensure that you buy a quality vehicle that still has plenty of life left in it. Here are some used cars that you should avoid.

  • Cars with salvage titles – these cars were considered a total loss by insurance companies. Just because someone managed to make them look pretty again does not mean they are sound investments.
  • Cars that lack service records – you need to know that the used car you buy was taken care of by the previous owner. This reassurance comes from physical records of oil changes and other maintenance tasks, not from the mere word of the previous owner.
  • Cars with funky paint jobs and mismatched tires – if you can see brushstrokes in the paint, there is a good chance that someone tried to fix the paint themselves. If the tires do not match, this is an indicator that the tires may be wearing out at different rates, which could be a sign of a larger problem.
  • Cars with visible oil stains on the pavement – when you take a used car for a spin, if you notice oil stains underneath as you pull out, pull right back in. The last thing you need are engine problems, such as leaking oil.
  • Cars that were previously rented – no, not all rentals are bad cars, but there is always a chance that various drivers were harder on the car than necessary. After all, it wasn’t their car in the first place, so they didn’t have anything invested in it.

Auto Maintenance – Safety, Reliability and Longevity

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For the average person, an automobile represents a large investment. Next to your house, it’s the one thing that you put out a lot of money for each month, and you rely on every single day of your life. It’s important to have safe, reliable transportation available to you when you need it most, whether its on a hot summer day, or the coldest winter morning on record.

Auto Maintenance - Safety, Reliability and Longevity

Regular maintenance ensures three things:

  • It ensures you have safe transportation for your family – and for your family friends when the are along for the ride.
  • In ensures you have reliable transportation that is there when you need it and doesn’t leave you stranded at the most inopportune times.
  • In ensures the longevity of your car, to make sure you get a superior product for as long as you choose to own your car.

Maintenance schedules can vary depending on the make and age of your car. Older cars will need more extensive maintenance to avoid problems; newer cars need the basics to maintain their efficiency. But in all cases, there are basics that can be handled on a routine basis.

Start at the bottom – your tires are the most important item to help your car run efficiently. Tires should be checked regularly to ensure they are properly filled. Too much or too little air can cause patterns in the tires, making them wear out quicker and potentially putting your safety at risk. Also rotate tires on a regular basis – manufacturers recommend around 5,000 miles – and maintain a pattern in the process. Typically the two front tires will be switched to the back, switching the tires that go to the back from left to right. Maintain this pattern throughout the life of your tires.

Oil changes should occur at the same frequency of tire rotation, or around every 5,000 miles or so. Constant improvements are being made to engine oil technology, making some engines to farther before maintenance is needed. Make sure you check with your vehicle guidelines to determine the best schedule for your car.

Do you have windshield wipers in both the front and back of your vehicle? Sitting out in all kinds of weather – heat and cold – can wear out your windshield wipers quickly. Likewise in our ever-changing road conditions, you may use windshield washer fluid at higher levels as we change from season to season. Keep an extra gallon at hand either in your garage, or in your car itself.

The older your car gets, the more “problems” may show up unexpectedly. Never assume your vehicle is in top shape if you don’t have a reliable mechanic working with you on a regular basis. If you’ll be traveling longer distances than normal – a road trip to see family in another state, or a ski weekend with the girls – bring it in for a checkup first. It can help you avoid unexpected and more costly problems at the least opportune times.

Brakes Service

Oil Change

Suspension

Transmision Service

Engine Service

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