Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

Extend the Life of Your Cooling System in Denver

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Extend the Life of Your Cooling System in DenverOur vehicles  need to operate in a wide range of temperatures.  That’s why vehicle manufacturers use testing grounds from the frozen tundra to the blistering desert.  The engine antifreeze/coolant in your cooling system must be able to perform in these extreme temperatures.

Antifreeze/coolant has to move heat away from the engine to prevent costly damage.  Water does a very good job of holding heat, but it freezes at thirty two degrees.

That’s why we mix anti-freeze with water – it lowers the freezing point of the coolant, and raises the boiling point as well.  A fifty/fifty blend of water and antifreeze/coolant is the usual recommendation for Colorado motorists.

And on top of that, antifreeze/coolant has the job of  protecting the components of your vehicles cooling system from corrosion.  Your manufacturers owners’ manual will tell you what kind of antifreeze/coolant you should be using in your car.  Of course, at Express Car Care, we can advise you on what coolant to put in your vehicle.

Cooling system failure is one of the most common mechanical problems for Denver motorists.  Much of that can be avoided by following factory scheduled service intervals.  Check your owner’s manual or with your Express Car Care service adviser for recommendations.  He can also conduct a cooling system inspection to look for leaks, weak hoses or bad connections.

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Express Car Care   303-691-2760

 

The 411 on Cabin Air Filters

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The 411 on Cabin Air FiltersThe cabin air filter is a filter that is placed in the vehicles ventilation system to remove pollutants from the air before they enter the passenger compartment.  Cabin air filters can also be called pollen or dust filters, interior ventilation filters, ACC filters, or passenger compartment filters.  Since cabin air filters are a fairly recent addition to automobile equipment, this filter can often be overlooked.  The cabin air filter purifies the air as well as protecting the heater and air conditioning components.  If your filter becomes dirty or clogged it can greatly reduce the effectiveness of the vehicle’s air conditioning and heating performance and significantly reduce air flow from the cabin vents.  You might also notice unpleasant odors coming from the cabin vents.  The recommendations for replacing this filter are at least once a year or every 12,000 to 15,000 miles.  It should be replaced more often if your car is driven in areas with heavy pollution or dusty conditions.

There are two types of filters that are offered for replacement, a single stage filter and a multi-stage filter.  Single stage filters trap dust, large soot, and allergens.  Multi-stage filters use activated carbon that reduces toxic gases and odors as well as dust and allergens.  Multi-stage filters are usually recommended more often because of their higher quality.

Since this filter is a relatively new feature, not all vehicles have them.  If your car is a 2000 or newer, it probably has a cabin air filter.  Cars and trucks in the U.S. started using cabin air filters around 1995, so if you aren’t sure whether you have one or not, check your owner’s manual or talk to your repair technician.  Most repair technicians should be able to tell you whether or not your car has one.   The ease or difficulty of replacing the filter depends on the make and model of your vehicle.  There might be some models that would be a lot less trouble to have an auto repair technician replace it , rather than trying to replace the filter on your own.

Top Maintenance Mistakes Denver Drivers Are Making – Are You?

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How old is your car? Is it brand new? Five years old? Ten years old? Twenty years old?

Top Maintenance Mistakes Denver Drivers Are Making – Are You?Cars of today are capable of making it a lot further than they were even just a few short years ago. To keep cars in top running order, regular maintenance is needed. But just like cars have changed and improved over the years, so to has the way we should regularly maintain our cars.

People still think of regular car maintenance in much the same way as we did decades before. Yet that may be where your maintenance mistakes begin. Every car has a supplied maintenance schedule – in the owners manual that came with your car, or in a a separate maintenance log book. A few minutes looking through this guidebook and assessing the requirements needed with your make and model can help you avoid maintenance mistakes that do little to help maintain your car.

Proper tire maintenance

Tires leak – it’s a fact of life. Therefore they need occasional checking to make sure they are still in good working order. Under or overinflated tires wear out sooner and can put you at risk under emergency maneuver situations, so it is important to check. Furthermore tires on the front of your car wear differently than on the back of your car – making tire rotation necessary on a periodic basis. How often? At least twice a year – winter and summer extremes can and do cause havoc on your tires.

Wipers

Colorado gives you all the extremes. Hot dry summers. Cold wet winters. The only way to avoid hitting things is if you can see them – something that can be difficult if your wipers aren’t working properly. And under extremes, wipers dry out and fossilize into noisy and useless tools. To avoid a common maintenance mistake – and give yourself the edge on keeping your car up to date – replace wipers at least once per year.

Tune ups

Remember when tune ups were necessary on every make and model? Well no more. Today’s cars don’t have valves that need adjusting or carburetors to fiddle with. Instead, everything inside your car is controlled and monitored by computer. Sure, belts and other parts will need the occasional adjustment or replacement. But overall, your car will happily carry you from place to place in a much more reliable way.

Oil changes

As long as a car runs on oil, you will need to replace it on occasion. But the old rule of every 3,000 miles may not be true anymore. Today, engine design and lubricants make oil changes something that needs to be performed when the schedule calls for it. Check with your owners manual – some cars can go 10,000 or even 15,000 miles between oil changes.

Brakes

One of the most important parts of your car are your brakes. When they squeak, make noises, sound or feel funny in response, its time to talk to your mechanic. Its never worth putting you or your family at risk to try and squeeze a few more miles out of your brakes.

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.

Car Maintenance To Ensure A Safe Road Trip

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Its that time of year again. School is about to start up, and last minute vacations are close at hand. Before you head out on the open road for a funfilled weekend, make sure your car is in top shape with these maintenance tips.Car Maintenance To Ensure A Safe Road Trip

  1. Service your battery. When is the last time you changed out your battery? Batteries don’t last forever. If yours is three years old or older, you may want to test it or replace it to avoid unexpected trouble. AAA has reported that they assist on average around 1.6 million motorists with dead batteries during the summer months, and replace around 500,000 of them at roadside. Don’t be one of the statistics.
  2. Air conditioning check. While we haven’t had exceptionally hot weather here in weeks, out on the road may be a different story. In a short period of time, you can find yourself in intense heat with the sun beating through the windows – and no coolness coming out of your vents. Air conditioning systems typically don’t require routine maintenance, but if your system isn’t working well to begin with, an intense trip may be the ticket for failure. One of our mechanics can perform an AC inspection to check out your system, including compressor, belts, hoses and the temperature and cooling system.
  3. Tire check. No one anticipates a flat tire. But its even more of a hassle when you’re miles from the nearest exit and you have to pull out luggage to reach the spare. When it comes to checking tires, even newer tires should have a once over before a big trip. Check the pressure of each tire when the tires are cold and the car hasn’t been driven in a while. Make sure the pressure is at the recommended level. Also inspect the tread depth and overall condition of the tires. Yes, that small nail can be a problem – have it checked before you head out.
  4. Are you fully prepared? While preventative measures will help tip the scales in your favor, accidents are called accidents for a reason. There is always opportunity for problems along the way. Make sure you have an emergency roadside kit that is appropriate for the season and the areas you are going to. While you will probably have many mobile phones in the car, make sure you have chargers that work in your vehicle as well. Flashlights, first aid kits, drinking water, snacks and food, booster cables, standard tools such as a wrench, and emergency flares or reflectors should be included in any kit.
  5. Windshield wipers and fluid. Did you know the average windshield wiper lasts anywhere from six to twelve months? While you may experience dry conditions in Colorado, if your trip takes you to other states, you may be faced with a variety of seasonal elements, including rain and dirt. Will your current wipers hold up in extreme situations and provide you with the ability to see clearly? Do you have plenty of washer fluid in case you hit a variety of elements? Carry an extra gallon with you, especially for longer trips.
  6. Inspect belts, hoses and fluids. The older the car, the more potential you’ll have for problems. Belts only last so long before they begin showing signs of wear, cracks, frays, or become brittle or excessively soft. Clamps can lose their tightness over time, allowing leaks and drips to begin. Fluids also begin to flow quicker as a car ages. The older your car, the more maintenance-friendly checks should be made throughout the year to ensure your car is in good working order.
  7. Always plan and prepare. While the idea of a vacation is to get away from it all, don’t disappear without anyone knowing where you are going. Plan out your trip in advance, and map out your routes and patterns. Stick to your schedule as much as possible, and let a family member or friend know of your plans. Check in occasionally, especially for longer trips, so they know you’re okay.

 

Do Hybrids Still Need Car Maintenance?

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So you’re looking for a new car. Do you spend a little extra and go with one of the latest “green” models on the road today? Would an electric or a hybrid car need car maintenance like your old model? Or could you save money on future repairs as well just by buying a hybrid today?

Do Hybrids Still Need Car Maintenance?When it comes down to it, a car is a car. Yes, hybrids operate a little differently than your standard gasoline model. But hybrids still have a regular gas engine along with their electric aspects. Which means they will need routine maintenance just like any other gas vehicle on the road today.

This includes changing out oil and air filters.

This includes oil changes.

This includes brake pads.

However the one thing that will change is the frequency.

With a hybrid, the electric side of the engine operates daily just like the gasoline side. Because the two work together, the electric side takes some of the load off the engine. Which means the car further between oil changes – 5,000 to 10,000 is a good ball park.

For air filters, a hybrid car typically needs to be changed closer to 40,000 miles.

Brake pads will also increase their wear because of the regenerative braking properties associated with hybrid cars.

All other aspects of a hybrid car work in a similar manner to a gasoline car, and as such need approximately the same level of maintenance on the same routine cycle.

How Your Neighborhood Car Repair Shop Can Help You Stay Safe

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You’ve had your car for a few years. Its paid off – why spend the extra right now in today’s economy? But keeping a car that is several years old comes with its own set of problems.

How Your Neighborhood Car Repair Shop Can Help You Stay SafeIn order to make sure your car is in top shape, don’t wait for a problem to occur. Instead, find a neighborhood car repair shop you can trust; one that will help you keep your car in great shape, and one that will give you reliable transportation for many years to come.

When it comes to car repair, you have a lot of choices. Should you go back to the dealer? Should you trust a national chain? Or should stick to your own community and go with your neighborhood car repair shop?

When it comes to developing a relationship that will help you maintain your car over time, the neighborhood shop may be the way to go.

Imagine bringing your car in and always being able to talk with the owner. He knows you, knows your family, and understands your car. Have a problem? Call him up – he’ll be able to provide expert advice at any time. Yes, in many cases you will be on a first name basis – and its easy to trust a friend and ask for advice any time.

Above all, your goal is to keep your car safe, no matter how old it is. By working with your neighborhood car repair shop, you can work together to make sure things are in top shape at all times. And to get you started, here are a few tips to talk over the next time you bring your car in.

  • Have the repair shop take a look at your tires. The tires are a crucial part of your car. If your tires fail in any way, it can lead to serious injury. It is a good idea to have your repair shop check the air pressure to ensure they are properly inflated, as well as the tread to ensure that they are not going bald. Under and over inflation can be dangerous, as well as driving around on bald tires.
  • Give your car’s glass a once-over. Your repair shop technician can make sure your windows, mirrors and even your headlights are free from dirt, dust and grime. You need your windows to see where you are going and what is behind you. You need your mirrors to see what is around you. You need your headlights to see where you are going. Grime, dirt and dust and inhibit your vision, so have all glass cleaned regularly.
  • Don’t forget the belts. The belts under the hood are not made to last a lifetime. They can become worn and cracked. If this happens, they can easily break – even when you are driving down the road. Have your technician examine all of your car’s belts on a regular basis and replace any that show signs of wear and tear.

Car Maintenance for Seniors – Avoiding The Scams

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It’s true, senior citizens are often the targets of scams, fraud and financial crimes. Many seniors have substantial financial assets, own their own home, and have large savings accounts at their disposal. They are often at home, easy to talk with, and in some cases are ready and willing to open up to a friendly face ready to give them some time.

Car Maintenance for Seniors - Avoiding The ScamsUnfortunately, criminals are getting more sophisticated in the way they prey on those that may be disadvantaged in some way. If a 75 year old woman always relied on her husband for maintaining the cars, her new “job” may be completely overwhelming, and she quickly trusts anyone who provides a smile and a simple “I understand”. Which of course may not be in her best interests.

With car maintenance, there are typically two common types of cons designed to trick consumers into giving up more money then is truly necessary.

1. The first is the door to door salesman or cold caller. Someone calls on the phone or knocks on the door, offering a super deal to repair your car. Only after you hand over a substantial amount of money and the person is on their way do you discover the work hasn’t been completed, its of poor quality, wasn’t needed in the first place, or in some cases, the work was never performed at all.

2. The second is a dishonest car repair shop that sees “opportunity” when they discover a gullible consumer has walked into their location. They will be friendly in the beginning, waiting for the chance to pull the car into the garage. And after a short period of time, “problems” began to arise rapidly. The oil change turns into a series of repairs that can range from the hundreds to the thousands of dollars. And of course the car can’t leave the repair shop – its not in good working order.

If you’re nervous about finding a reputable car maintenance shop that you can rely on again and again, keep these two tips in mind.

First, start with a local shop that has been around for years. Go into the garage and talk with the owner. Have them perform a simple service in the beginning to test out the relationship.

Second, ask questions. If you don’t understand, keep pressing for answers you can relate to. You can even follow up and see if the answers stay the same over time.

While it may seem in your best interest to price shop and find the place with the best deal today, you’ll wind up paying more over time. A car repair shop that you can trust, and you know will always steer you in the right direction, is much more valuable than saving a few dollars here and there. Its peace of mind.

Car Maintenance To Make Your Old Car Like New Again

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It is no secret that times are hard. More and more people are watching what they spend and finding ways to save money. One major way people are saving money is by avoiding a new car purchase. Buying a new car means taking out a loan – unless you have the cold, hard cash and most people do not have that kind of money.

Car Maintenance To Make Your Old Car Like New AgainSo, instead of buying new, people are finding ways to take better care of their current car to extend its life. The maintenance is worth the money because more and more cars are staying on the highway well past 100,000 miles. Here are some tips to help you keep your current car rolling down the road.

  • Take care of your muffler, catalytic converter and oxygen sensors. When your check engine light comes on, that is your car’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Pay attention to what it is saying. If it is determined that you need a new oxygen sensor, go ahead and replace it. However, if the same problem keeps happening, it is time to replace the catalytic converter, muffler and the sensors. Your car will run smoother, have more power, and get better gas mileage. Let us check the condition of your car to ensure running longer. Express Car Care of Denver auto repair can help if you do break down.
  • Flush more than just your radiator. Everyone knows that a radiator system should be flushed. However, your power steering fluid and your brake fluid should also be flushed to get rid of any build-up that may have developed over time.
  • Have your air conditioning system cleaned and deodorized. This will help keep your system running efficiently and keep it from having an obnoxious odor (a common problem after several years of use).
  • Replace your ball joints and struts or shocks. Your car may not be exhibiting signs that those items need replaced, but when you start racking up the miles, it pays to prevent a problem, rather than wait for a problem to occur. Not only will you be riding in a safer car, your car will ride much better.
  • Have your wheels (not your tires) aligned or replaced. Over time, your wheels can wear down in spots. Having someone align them and fix all the areas of wear and tear will improve the ride.

Brakes Service

Oil Change

Suspension

Transmision Service

Engine Service

Auto Tips & Tricks