Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

What To Do When Your Car’s Air Conditioner Fails

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It can be quite frustrating to get into your car, ready to hit the open road, only to find out your car’s air conditioner is not working. With the summer months bearing down on us, having a working air conditioner in your car is practically a necessity. In this day and age, there is no reason why you should be miserable from the heat during your travels. So, what do you do when your car’s air conditioner fails? The following tips will help you determine where the problem may lie and what you can do to fix it.

The most common resource for your car’s air conditioner to stop working is a lack of refrigerant. Your system may be losing refrigerant due to a leak. If you suspect a leak, you need to pinpoint it. It may be a cracked hose, a pinhole in the condenser, or a leaky compressor. You can add a special dye to your system to help find the leak.

You can check the clutch of your compressor by turning your air conditioner on and seeing if the clutch engages. If it does not engage, you may have a blown fuse or the clutch may need replaced. If the clutch engages, but does not turn the compressor, you may need to replace the compressor. [Read more…]

Automotive Air Conditioning Service

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What do you smell when you use the air conditioning in your car?  Do you have clean, cool air blowing into your face?  Or are you not using the air conditioner during this hot weather streak because of the foul odor that comes out when you turn it on?  If so, you may want to come in and see us for an automotive air conditioning service. 

Automotive air conditioning systems are made up of a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator,  and several valves, fittings and hoses.  If you have a mold or mildew smell when you use your air conditioner, condensation has probably become trapped within one or several of these areas and mold has begun to grow inside.

One of the key elements of the air conditioning system is the evaporator.  When the air conditioner is running, the evaporator becomes cold, but the temperature and air around the evaporator is hot, so condensation is created.  This condensation isn’t always allowed to drain properly or completely, and it begins to collect in the vents and hoses.  Mold and mildew love condensation and they will thrive in these conditions. When these conditions are present, the air that is blown out of the vents passes over the mold or mildew and you get that  foul odor. But fortunately we offer a service here at Express Care that can get rid of the mold as well as the awful smell that comes with it!  Come in and see us or give us a call at (303) 691-2760 and let us help you today!

For more information on air conditioning check out our blog Spring Cleaning-Air Conditioning Repair Before You Need It.

What Every Car Owner Should Know About Motor Oil

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Whether you are a first-time car owner or you are on your fourth or fifth car, basic maintenance comes with owning a car. And one of the most routine items on your maintenance schedule is changing your motor oil on a regular basis.

Motor oil is essential to the operation of your vehicle. Without it, your car is not going to get very far before the motor locks up – and you are left without transportation. Understanding what motor oil does to protect your motor will help you ensure that you are never left on the side of the highway due to motor oil problems.

Motor oil is a lubricant for your engine. However, it does much more than simply keeping the parts lubricated. Motor oil creates a film on bearing surfaces that helps to separate the parts and keep them from rubbing on each other. This minimizes friction and reduces wear and tear on your engine. Motor oil also cushions the moving parts of your engine. It keeps certain parts of your motor cool and keeps rust and corrosion at a minimum. In short, motor oil serves many purposes within your engine – each one vital to the longevity of your motor. [Read more…]

What Motor Oil Should I Use?

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We all know, or at least we should know, that we need to put motor oil in our vehicles so they can run properly.  The main function of motor oil is to lubricate the moving parts of our cars, but it also cleans, prevents corrosion, and cools the engine by carrying heat away from the moving parts.  Although we might know we have to use motor oil, we don’t always know what motor oil we should use.  There has been an age long battle going on between synthetics, synthetic blends and conventional motor oil.  What motor oil should I use?  Which kind would work best for me and my car?  If you have ever asked these questions, we have some more information for you in Motor Oil Types-How to Choose the Right One for Your Car

Using motor oil is essential in keeping your car on the road but knowing what motor oil works best for your car can greatly extend the life of your car!

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care.  Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

 

Car Air Conditioning System

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Spring has sprung early here in Denver! The trees and flowers are beginning to bloom and the wind has picked up its speed.  And as those gusty winds begin to blow, they cause those “lovely” little pollens that can cause so much trouble, to fly through the air!  If you are among the thousands of us that suffer with allergies, now would be a good time to check out our blog,  Car Air Conditioning and Allergies,  to see what you can do to help create a small haven of clean air in your car!

CV Joint Repair

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Since many of us here in Colorado drive front-wheel drive vehicles, it’s important that we keep an eye on the CV joints to make sure they aren’t in need of repair.  Front-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles transfer the power from the transmission to the wheels through a drive axle assembly.  These drive axles have constant-velocity  (CV)  joints at each end.

A CV joint is a group of bearings and cages that allow the axle to rotate and deliver power at different angles  so that the axle can change its length as it moves up and down.  The CV joints are protected by rubber boots that keep dirt and contaminants out and a protective layer of lubricant in.

Just like everything else in life, these rubber boots can crack or tear over time.  If moisture and dirt get inside a CV joint and the lubricant leaks out, due to normal wear and tear, there is a greater potential for CV joint failure.

The signs of possible CV joint failure are clicking or crackling sounds while turning, clunking sound during accelerating or sudden deceleration.  You might also notice front-end vibrations.

If you haven’t noticed anything unusual you should still have the CV joints checked routinely to keep you ahead of the repairs but if you think your vehicle is showing any of these signs  give us a call at 303-691-2760 or come in and see us before the damage becomes more costly to repair.

 

How to Get Better Gas Mileage

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We are living in a challenging time.  As gas prices continue to rise, ( they are up 11 percent),  it is even more important that we know how to get better gas mileage.  There are several things that can help us increase our gas mileage and  off-set our rising fuel costs.

One of the most important things to remember is don’t be an aggressive driver.  Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking wastes gas.  You can increase your miles-per-gallon by 33% if you allow yourself more than enough time to reach your destinations.  By practicing sensible driving, we’d all be a lot safer and a little bit richer!

Another way to get better gas mileage is to adhere to the speed limit.  Every vehicle has a different range of speeds where their best fuel economy is reached.  But gas mileage can be quickly reduced at speeds above 60 miles per hour. Use your cruise control at speeds above 60 mph, if available, maintaining a steady speed saves gas.  By observing the speed limit you can save as much as 58 cents per gallon of gas.

Maintaining your car’s engine and keeping it tuned properly can increase your gas mileage as much as 4%, that’s a savings of 15 cents per gallon.  This may not seem like much, but every little bit helps.  So make sure your vehicle passes its emissions test and if it has any major problems, have them repaired.  Doing this can improve your gas mileage by as much as 40 percent.

Another simple task that can improve your gas mileage by 3% is to keep your tires inflated to the proper tire pressure.  When the tires are under-inflated, gas mileage is decreased.

Last but not least, you can get better gas mileage by making sure you are using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil for your vehicle.  If you are using a 5W-30 grade of motor oil in a vehicle that has been designed to use 10W-30 it can decrease your gas mileage.

Put all these tips into practice and you’ll be well on your way to getting better gas mileage from your vehicle.  We here at Express Care are here to help you maintain and repair your vehicles,  so give us a call at 303-691-2760 or come in and see us.

 

Car Air Conditioning Repair

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Even though it has only been a few weeks since Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and so determined that we would have six more weeks of winter. This is the perfect time to bring your car in and have the air conditioning serviced or repaired. If you bring it in now it will save you the worry of whether or not the air conditioning will work when the weather gets warmer.  And it’s also a good idea to have your car air conditioning system checked out once a year just so you can avoid major or costly repairs.

We don’t “top off”  your air conditioning system when you bring in your vehicle because your technician has no way of knowing exactly how much Freon is left in your car’s system.  If he tops off the system, he is relying only on his experience to guess how much Freon is needed to charge the system, which may or may not be correct.  So in order to do what is best for your vehicle we will perform an evacuation and recharge service.   During an evacuation and recharge,  all the remaining Freon is extracted from the system, so then the technician can charge the system with the exact amount of Freon recommended by the vehicle’s manufacturer, then there is no guess work involved.  Another reason some technicians recommend an evacuation and recharge is because they believe it is better for the air conditioning system to have clean Freon running through it.

As well as checking the Freon level, your hoses and valves need to be checked to make sure there aren’t any leaks.  Even the smallest leak can cause a major problem.  So don’t wait around until you can’t live without your air conditioning before you get it in for repair!

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care. Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

 

What Is So Important About A Clean Air Filter?

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I have been really surprised there have been so many people coming into our shop for an oil change, that have been told that their air filter really needed to be replaced, but have made the choice to leave with an extremely dirty air filter!  Their response is usually, “what is so important about a clean air filter?”  Apparently we haven’t done a very good job informing everyone how important it is to have a clean air filter on your vehicle.  

Every internal combustion engine requires a mixture of fuel and air to operate properly.  Without air (oxygen), the gasoline or diesel fuels can’t burn and provide the energy needed to power the engine.  The air that is used by the engine needs to be cleaned before it enters the engine, otherwise dirt, dust, and debris accumulates and can cause poor engine performance.  As dirt and dust are allowed in the engine, they rub on the essential metal parts of the engine causing them to wear away and eventually they will have to be replaced.  It costs a lot less to replace a dirty air filter regularly, than it does to replace  the parts of the engine it protects.

Also, modern engines depend on a precise air to fuel ratio in order to function properly.  When the engine is deprived of air, the ratio is compromised and that puts more stress on your engine.  A clean air filter allows just the right amount of air into our vehicles engine and also traps the dirt that can harm our engines.

Hopefully, this explains the importance of a clean air filter, but how often should they be replaced?  If you’re having the oil changed in your car and the technician says it needs to be replaced, don’t put it off.  Otherwise a good rule of thumb is to replace it every 8,000 miles.  This can vary depending on how hard the car is driven and under what conditions.  If your car is used mainly for stop and go, city driving, with a lot of construction going on, the air filter would need to be changed more frequently.  But if you hardly use your vehicle, than the air filter wouldn’t need to be replaced as often.  It’s always a good idea to check your owners manual to establish a good baseline.

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care. Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

Transmission Troubleshooting

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Since we have gotten quite a few questions concerning transmissions in recent weeks, we thought we would reprint a prior blog that could supply some answers to those questions.

Your transmission is the one piece of equipment that is  multi faceted.  It controls everything from shifting your car from gear to gear, to controlling how fast your car goes.  While you may never change out a transmission or spend time learning how it works, there are some tips to help you with transmission troubleshooting, so you will know when its time to call in a mechanic.   

While there are many pieces that make up a standard automatic transmission system, all transmissions have a few basic parts.

  • The bell housing, or metal case that sits underneath your car
  • The gears
  • The transmission fluid
  • A filter to keep the transmission operating properly

You’ll usually notice a problem with your transmission in one of two ways.  Either your car will simply stop, or it starts to run roughly.  These two problems are generally caused by:

  • Low transmission fluid level, which causes your car to shift poorly and can eventually lead to transmission damage.
  • A leak within the system.  This is usually easy to spot as transmission fluid has a red tint.
  • A clogged filter, which limits the cars performance.

Because of the many parts associated with a transmission, and the specialized tools you’ll need for troubleshooting and fixing it,  its usually wise to leave it up to a professional.  A professional understands what can be causing the problem, and can usually spot the problem quickly.  They will test a variety of things before moving on to a rebuild or replacement.

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care. Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

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