Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

Driving With The Check Engine Light On – What You Need To Know

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We’ve all experienced it from time to time. You’re driving along, and the check engine turns on. What should you do? Do you keep driving? Or should you pull over immediately?

It depends on what your car is doing.

Step one – Diagnose the situation

You know your car best. What has your car been doing up until this point?

Have you heard funny noises? Has your car been operating differently the past few days? Have you smelled strange odors? Have you been having other issues with your driving experience? Your car rarely has an immediate effect without leaving a telltale sign.Driving With The Check Engine Light On - What You Need To Know

If the check engine light turns on and is steady, not flashing, you can keep driving as long as your vehicle isn’t performing out of the ordinary. A steady light is your car’s way of telling you your car is in need of service. (We’ll get into that more in a minute.)

If the check engine light flashes, it’s a more pressing matter. The check engine light is usually yellow or sometimes a red engine-shaped icon located somewhere on your dashboard. All lights might blink on when you first start the car. This is a more serious situation when it blinks and continues to flash after your vehicle is on.

Step two – Heed the warning signs

The check engine light is usually a small icon in the middle of your dashboard, yellow or red in color. All lights may turn on for a few seconds as you start the car. This is your vehicle’s way of testing the system and sending energy to all parts of the car. This is normal.

What isn’t normal is if your check engine continually illuminates as you drive your car. Does the warning light blink for over 6 seconds? Does it continue to blink as you move down the road? This may be an emergency situation. Your car is telling you there is a serious problem with the engine.

Slow down. Pull over as soon as possible. Stop the car and turn off the engine. Otherwise, you risk damaging various parts of your car. Driving with the engine light on at this point will continue to wreak havoc with your car.

Today’s vehicles have all sorts of computerized sensors. It’s designed to take the guesswork out of car maintenance. Instead of having to watch and listen for the signs, your car has a built in system designed to provide you with a warning system to alert you to potential dangers. At the first sign of trouble, it alerts you with a warning light.

The first stage is a steady light. This indicates there is a minor problem somewhere in the system. This gives you a chance to get to where you’re going, schedule a maintenance visit, and fix the problem before it grows.

The second stage is a flashing light. This is an indication there is a severe fault somewhere in the system. It’s your vehicle’s way of telling you something is wrong. Pull over, stop the car, and get service immediately.

While this little blinking light is your car’s way of talking to you, there’s actually more going on behind the scenes. When you bring your vehicle in for service, the engine control unit also stores a fault code related to the malfunction. This can be read and interpreted by your mechanic using a diagnostic tool. After reading the fault codes and diagnosing the full complexity of the situation, a mechanic will then recommend the necessary repairs.

Keep in mind, that the check engine can come on for anything that might be wrong with the system. It might be a small problem or a very large repair. Until its diagnosed, you simply don’t know.

What are the most common causes for the check engine light to come on?

A faulty oxygen sensor – this sensor is designed to monitor the unburned oxygen within the car’s fuel system. It then communicates with the car’s computer to adjust the mixture of air and fuel to ensure your car is getting what it needs to run properly. If the sensor is faulty, your car will burn more fuel, and won’t run as efficiently, releasing more emissions into the air.

A faulty gas cap – when the gas cap is firmly in place on your car, it creates a vapor lock to keep the gas inside the system. If it’s loose, cracked, or faulty, it can cause a leak. Some leaks are more serious than others; a vapor leak might be easily fixed by creating a tighter seal, whereas a crack could be releasing gas into the upper portion of the fuel system, damaging equipment.

A faulty catalytic converter – the catalytic converter controls emissions in your vehicle’s exhaust system. It converts carbon monoxide and other potentially harmful gases into byproducts that aren’t as harmful. If a catalytic converter is faulty, your car can’t perform at optimal levels, and the performance of your vehicle will be impacted.

A faulty mass airflow sensor – the mass airflow sensor, also known as the MAF sensor, helps your car determine how much fuel to be added to the system based on how much air supply is getting to the motor. The most common reason for this sensor failure is due to a dirty air filter, or one that hasn’t been installed correctly. A failure will mean a decrease in fuel economy and poorer performance for your car.

A faulty spark plug – when was the last time you replaced your spark plugs? It’s important to do so according to your car’s manufacturers’ guidelines. The spark plugs and wires work together to ignite the air/fuel mixture and transfer the spark to the ignition coils and plugs. If the spark doesn’t work properly, it reduces fuel efficiency and engine performance.

Can you safely drive with the check engine light on?

Don’t let this little light make you panic. It isn’t always telling you a dire emergency is in place.

If you pay attention to your car, you will understand more about what it’s trying to tell you. You’ll know what to do in every situation.

  • A check engine light that is flashing is telling you to stop the car as soon as you reach safety. Call in a tow and bring it into one of our mechanics to diagnose the problem.
  • A check engine light that is solid is a gentle reminder to bring your car in at your earliest convenience. It’s your car’s way of saying it needs a little maintenance.

Schedule your appointment today.

Car Maintenance 101: What To Do When Your Engine Overheats

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Food for thought: even one instance of your car’s engine overheating can permanently damage your engine. And that can be a very expensive venture.

While you might not think Colorado is the epicenter of car engine’s overheating, it does happen. Those 100 degree days can take their toll, especially if you climb up into the mountains, or tow your boat to your favorite reservoir.

Why do engines overheat?

Engines overheat for a variety of reasons. In most cases, it’s because the cooling system isn’t operating the way it should, so heat isn’t able to escape the engine compartment. It could be from a leak in the cooling system, a radiator fan gone bad, a broken water pump, or a bad coolant hose. The moment you notice a problem, quick action should be taken. If not, your engine might sustain permanent damage.

What are the signs of an engine overheating?Car Maintenance 101: What To Do When Your Engine Overheats

Like every part in your car, you’ll likely have a few warning signs before your car’s engine hits a critical point and overheats. Act quickly, and you can reduce the risk of irreversible damage. Watch for:

  • Steam – if you notice steam escaping around the edges of your car’s hood, seek assistance
  • High temperature gauge – those dashboard warning gauges are there for a reason. If you notice the gauge quickly escalating to “H” or red, you have a problem.
  • Smell – any unusual smell that comes from your car engine area should be checked out. Leaking coolant will have a sweet smell, while an oil leak may have more of a burnt smell.

If you notice any of these happening to your vehicle, your quick action will make the difference between a simple repair job or complete replacement.

What to do when your engine overheats?

Engines overheat mostly in the summer for a reason. High temperatures put stress on your car, and you increase that stress by cranking up the air conditioner as high as it will go. At the first sign of overheating, turn off the air conditioner to reduce the stress. Then turn on the heat to maximum levels to help pull heat away from the engine. Pull over as soon as possible.

Once you’re safely off the road, shut off the car. Your engine will need at least 15 minutes to cool down. While you wait, watch the temperature gauge; does it move back into the normal range? You can also take note of what’s happening to share with your auto mechanic. Then start creating a plan.

You’ll need a tow truck to bring your vehicle in to be serviced. This isn’t the time to trust the local garage right off the highway. Instead, bringing your vehicle into us here at Express Car Care ensures you have a mechanic you can trust to give you the real scoop on what’s happening with your vehicle.

You can also check your coolant levels and see if they are running low. This may be a sign you have a leak in the coolant system, a broken radiator fan, or trouble with the water pump. If you do have extra coolant with you, topping it off can further help protect your engine.

While towing is your best course of action, if it’s not an option, carefully start your car after it’s cooled completely. Drive it into our shop, keeping a careful eye on the temperature gauge as you drive. Turn the car off quickly if any further signs of overheating show up.

What shouldn’t you do when your engine overheats?

We’ve all seen cars off to the side of the road, hood up, smoke billowing out all around it. In reality, opening your hood immediately isn’t good advice. Instead, wait until your engine cools before popping the hood. Opening the hood immediately puts you at greater risk of burns or injury as smoke and steam flow out. Wait until the engine temperature gauge returns to normal range before opening your hood.

Don’t ignore the problem, thinking that if the temperature gauge returned to normal, the problem no longer exists. It does. This was a warning sign of things to come. It will get worse if you don’t address the situation soon. We can help you get to the root of the problem, requiring far less repair work now than if you wait until the situation becomes worse.

You should also stop driving as soon as possible. This doesn’t mean find the nearest exit and drive to a service station. It means pulling over to the side of the road as soon as you can. For every mile you continue to drive your car, further damage occurs to your engine, and greater risk of permanently damaging it increases.

Is there a way to prevent an engine from overheating?

The easiest way to prevent engine overheating is to maintain your vehicle properly. That means scheduling regular maintenance visits to allow one of our mechanics to evaluate your car’s system fully, and repair and maintain each system as needed.

You already know how important changing out motor oil is. Your vehicle’s other systems require regular maintenance too. Your engine’s coolant should be flushed and refilled as needed. Radiator should be up to date according to manufacturer’s guidelines. Routine maintenance can also stay on top of leaks, cracks, and wearing hoses and belts, giving you increased opportunities for catching problems before they occur.

While engine overheating can occur in all vehicles, it’s more problematic the older a car gets. Older vehicles will need more maintenance over time. As long as you replace parts, add fluids, and regularly check to ensure systems are operating the way they should, you’ll have a car you can depend on.

It’s difficult to predict when a problem is going to occur with your engine. But if you stay ahead of potential problems by regularly maintaining your vehicle, and know the warning signs and what to do in the event your engine overheats, you’ll be more likely to lessen the risk.

We’re here to help you with all of your car repair needs.

Fuel System Cleaning

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Fuel, whether gasoline or diesel, is delivered to your engine to be burned in order to generate the power needed to keep you moving.  This fuel leaves a residue as it moves through your fuel system.  This may not seem like much, but it can cause big problems.  Gum and varnish build up inside fuel lines, the throttle body and injectors.  It’s like plaque build-up in your arteries – it restricts the free flow of fuel and can even clog your fuel injectors.

In addition, carbon from combustion starts to accumulate on the valves, inside the combustion chamber and on your pistons.  This interferes with proper mixing of fuel and air and can prevent your valves from sealing properly.  This means you will have less power, a rough running engine and wasted fuel – and could even lead to expensive damage over time.

A fuel system cleaning clears out the gum and varnish from your fuel system and gets your injectors working properly, restoring power and fuel efficiency.  Carbon deposits are dissolved, and your engine starts running like new again.

If your engine seems sluggish and less responsive than it used to be, it might mean that you are in need of a fuel system cleaning.  Ask your service adviser if a fuel system cleaning is the right thing for you.

Give us a call or come in and see us, we’re here to help.

Signs Your Car Needs A Tune Up

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Has your vehicle been acting up lately? Are there signs your car needs a tune up?

In a way, cars and people are a lot alike. We both operate well when we take in the right “fuel.” We both have early warning signs when something isn’t right. And problems can easily grow if we continue to ignore those warning signs.

Check ups and tune ups are very similar; both are designed to test from every angle, and make suggestions as to how to proceed. Once you discover there’s a problem, no matter how small, you can use that data to make minor repairs. And hopefully, that can help prevent bigger problems down the road.Signs Your Car Needs A Tune Up

You know when it’s time for a tune up in one of two ways.

1. Your car starts giving hints it’s time for a tune up. It vibrates, squeals, shakes, hesitates, misfires, stalls, fails an emissions test, or has trouble starting.

2. Your car hits a mileage marker. While older makes and models would require tune ups every 10,000 miles or so, today’s technology allows vehicles to travel much further before a tune up is needed. Check with your manufacturer’s guidelines to determine what’s best for your vehicle.

When you bring your vehicle in, the mechanic on duty should talk with you about your car’s condition. Just like a doctor should never start testing without a few questions first, a mechanic shouldn’t start with routine maintenance without talking to you about performance.

You can help even more by noting your car’s behavior a few days before your appointment. In some cases, you may have overlooked a warning sign, simply because you’ve grown accustomed to the noise. Use your phone’s note feature to keep track of any issues, or keep a pen and paper handy and write down any concerns. This will give you critical information that can help your mechanic get to the root of the problem.

What should you watch for?

Warning lights

Yes, those pesky little lights that crowd your dashboard are there for a reason. When they light up, they are signaling something is wrong (if nothing more than a tripwire gone bad.) In modern cars, you’ll have warning lights for small things, such as a tail light burning out, to more complex problems, such as transmission failure. Every warning light is designed to light up and give you plenty of time to get the problem fixed. Pay attention to these warning lights, and get your car analyzed as quickly as you can. It can be the difference between paying a small amount for a small problem, and a costly problem from an emergency situation.

Poor gas mileage

Do you track your gas mileage each time you fill-up? It can be a great indicator when something starts to go wrong. When your car starts losing efficiency, it can be from a variety of causes. Maybe your tire pressure is waning. Maybe it’s an air filter that’s clogged. Or something more. When you track your mileage, you can use it as a baseline, so you have advanced warning of when something goes wrong.

Starting problems

People have all kinds of reasons for slowing down and taking more time to get out the door in the morning. Your car doesn’t. When running correctly, it should always start without hesitation. If it doesn’t, it’s a warning signal that something isn’t right. If you have to turn the key more than once for it to fire up, or it won’t stay running, you have a problem. It could be a sign of a weakening battery, or a sign of something more.

Stalling

Have you ever sat at a stoplight and had your car stop working? Or maybe you try to accelerate, and your engine sputters out? This can be a sign of bigger problems with your engine, which could be dangerous as you’re out on the road. If your engine can’t provide reliable performance, it can leave you in precarious situations. You never want to be sitting by the side of a busy road, wondering what’s wrong with your car.

Regular maintenance

There are certain car maintenance items you do continuously just by owning a car. You fill it with fuel when it runs empty. You replace the motor oil on a regular basis. You add in a new air filter when you’re changing the oil. These simple tasks can sometimes reveal other problems. Is your air filter clogging more between changes? A clogged air filter can impact both fuel economy and acceleration.

Rough shifting

Even if your car is an automatic, it still shifts into gear as you accelerate and slow down. There’s a smoothness to it; if you hear it and it clunks, it’s not as efficient as it should be. Pay attention to the noises as you speed up and slow down. Do you have trouble when you try and put it into reverse? All of this is a sign your transmission needs a little attention. The gears in your car rely on transmission fluid, filters, and screens to operate properly. If these aren’t properly maintained, they can impact the way your car drives.

Noises

Those squeaks, bangs, squeals, and pings are trying to tell you something. It’s your job to listen to where they are coming from. Your brakes should be quiet, for example, without making noise as you press down on the pedal and come to a stop. When they start to squeal, they are telling you something is wrong. Brake pads, rotors, and brake fluid all wear and eventually need replacing.

Of course, that isn’t the only part that will start to make noise. It may be a worn belt, low fluid, or a noise from a failing part. Turn down the radio and listen; what do you hear? How would you describe it? Where do you think it’s coming from? When does it occur? The more information you can provide, the faster it will be to diagnose the problem, and get to the root cause.

Start with your owners manual

Do you know the signs your car needs a tune up? Do you pay attention to what your vehicle is trying to tell you? The best place to start is by reading your owner’s manual. How often should you get a tune up? What are the manufacturer’s guidelines? If you don’t have it handy, you can always Google it and find it.

Then pay attention to your car’s warning signs. And bring your car in today for a tune up; we’ll help you keep it in top shape for years to come.

Timing Chain

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All engines have either a timing belt or a timing chain to synchronize the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves.  This keeps the engine running smoothly and efficiently.  If the timing is off, it may not even run at all.  Timing belts need to be replaced on schedule.  A broken or slipping timing belt could cause extensive engine damage.

Timing chains are being used more and more in modern engines.  They are more durable and usually don’t have a recommended replacement interval.  However, timing chains and their associated components do wear out over time.  The tensioner and guide rails can wear out, which causes the timing chain to be loose.  A tooth on a cam sprocket could break allowing the timing chain to slip.  You don’t want to wait for a complete failure ( and possible extensive damage) so it’s important to watch for the signs of impending failure.

You may notice sluggish performance, reduced fuel economy or difficulty starting when the timing chain system is worn.  You could hear a variety of noises:  rattle, rumble, whine, buzz, or whir coming from the engine.  If you experience any of these things, bring it to our attention and we’ll look into it.  If you do require a timing chain replacement, we’ll also replace all the other system wear components such as the tension and guide rails.

Although the timing chain does not require maintenance as we usually think of it, it does require constant lubrication.  The engine does this normally as it runs.  However, a low oil level or using a poor quality oil will keep the timing chain from being properly lubricated.  A timing chain can last a long time with regular oil changes using quality oil.  Regular oil changes are an easy way to lengthen the life of your timing chain, I bet we can all manage that.

 

Radiator Fans

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Denver drivers who are old enough have probably heard the term “fan belt”.  Back in the day, the radiator fan in your vehicle was turned by a belt driven by the engine.  There are still belt driven fans, although most are now driven by the serpentine belt.  But most vehicles now have electric fans that draw fresh air across the radiator to cool it.

As coolant/antifreeze circulates in the cooling system, it captures heat from the engine and flows into the radiator.  Air cools the radiator and the coolant in it before it sends it back into the engine to pick up some more heat.  Now your engine has an ideal temperature range in which it is most efficient:  it shouldn’t be too hot or too cool.  The electric radiator fans help maintain the ideal temperature.

A switch mounted in a cooling system passage checks the temperature of the coolant.  If the coolant is at the low end of the range, the switch turns off the fan motor.  When the coolant rises to a certain temperature,  the switch turns on the fan.  When you are running the air conditioning, the radiator fan will likely be turned on as well to help reduce the extra engine heat created by the load placed on it by the air conditioner.

A lot of vehicles will actually have two radiator fans.  One, both or neither may be running at any given time depending on the conditions.  When you are cruising at highway speed, the air rushing over the radiator and around the engine will help control the heat.  By contrast, stop and go driving around town doesn’t generate much natural air flow so the radiator fans will be working hard.

Some drivers may hear the sound of the radiator fan running after turning the vehicle off. This keeps the engine from heating excessively after it has been run and shut off.

Both the radiator fan motors and the switch are wear items that will eventually fail.  If your temperature light comes on while driving, you have a cooling system problem.  Your knowledgeable Express Car Care service adviser can test your entire cooling system, including the radiator fans, to determine what is causing the indicator light.  Of course, servicing the cooling system as recommended will help extend the life of all the components.  Ask your Express Car Care service adviser if you are due for a cooling system service.

Fuel System

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I’d like to give our friends in Denver a quick overview of the fuel system.  It starts with the fuel pump.  The fuel pump is located inside the tank and pumps the fuel out to the engine.  Somewhere along the way is a fuel filter, it has the job of filtering out dirt before it gets to the engine.

Our focus is to discuss how to make the various components of your fuel system work well and last as long as possible.

Now the best thing you can do for your fuel pump is to use good quality fuel.  Top tier gas typically has fewer contaminants and more detergents to keep things clean.  Using good gas, or adding a fuel system cleaner to your tank, can prolong the life of your fuel pump.  Because the fuel pump lives inside your tank, it’s pretty expensive to replace, so helping it last as long as possible is a worthwhile goal.

The fuel filter catches dirt and contaminants.  When it’s clogged, your engine may not be able to get enough fuel and could start to sputter.  Many fuel filters have a bypass valve that allows unfiltered fuel past when the filter’s clogged.  This prevents your engine from dying while you’re driving, but it can’t protect your engine from dirty fuel.

Check your owner’s manual or talk with your service adviser at Express Car Care about when you should replace your fuel filter.  Fuel will cause gum and varnish to build up in the fuel intake system.  A professional fuel system cleaning will remove the gunk to keep fuel flowing freely and help prevent contamination from reaching your fuel injectors and your engine.

Fuel injectors squirt fuel into the engine and the fuel must be delivered in a precise amount, at a precise time, under exact pressure, in an exact pattern.  Pressure can range from 45 pounds per square inch to 45,000 pounds per square inch depending on the engine.  As you may guess, fuel injectors cost a lot to replace.  Allowing them to get gummed up will not only hurt your engine performance and fuel economy, it will also cause the injectors to wear out much more quickly than expected.

A professional fuel system cleaning will keep injectors clean and working correctly.  It’ll also clean deposits from the inside of the combustion chamber and off the intake valves, giving you optimum performance and mileage.

Check with your service adviser and see when he recommends you have a fuel system cleaning.

 

 

Question About Your Head Gasket

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Express Car Care Tech Question:
My name is Landon.  I bought a new minivan and it started smoking out of the tail pipe.  My service center said my head gasket went out.  What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

Express Car Care Answer:

The head gasket fits between the top of the engine and the cylinder head.  Its job is to seal that connection and keep oil and coolant circulating in the right parts of the engine.

When it leaks, oil can get in the coolant and vice versa.  Sometimes coolant or engine oil can get into the combustion chamber where it gets burned with the fuel, which is what makes all the smoke that Landon was talking about.

He said his van was new, so it’s likely that the head gasket failed because it was improperly installed, which is very rare.  Sometimes they just burn through.

Engine overheating is a leading cause for blown head gaskets.  Following the schedule for cooling system service is a great way for drivers to avoid overheating.

Replacing a head gasket is a fairly expensive repair at most auto service shops.  It’s definitely worth investing in regular cooling system maintenance at Express Car Care to avoid that pricey repair job.  Ask your friendly and knowledgeable service adviser if it’s time for a cooling system service.

Timing Chain

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As your engine runs, the intake valves need to open up to allow air into the engine.  They remain closed while the air and fuel is compressed and ignited, powering the piston.  Then the exhaust valves open to release the exhaust.  This all has to be timed very precisely.  It is the job of the timing belt or chain to make sure all of this is synced up properly.

Timing belts are made of a very tough compound that can last for a long time.  Timing chains are made of metal and last for a very long time as well.  If your vehicle has a timing belt, your vehicle’s owner’s manual has a schedule for replacing the belt.  If your vehicle has a timing chain, there may not be a specified schedule for replacing it, but that doesn’t mean that the timing chain system is indestructible and never needs attention.

For example, the chain runs on sprockets on the crankshaft and the camshafts.  A broken tooth on a sprocket can cause the chain to slip.  When timing is off, even a little, your engine won’t run at all and could even be severely damaged.  There is also a tensioner that keeps appropriate pressure on the timing chain.  This keeps the chain tight while allowing it to absorb pulsations from the engine.  The tensioner can wear out.  There are also guide rails that keep the chain on the proper path that can become worn.

The bottom line is that at some time, one or more of the timing chain system components will become worn to the point that they are no longer performing within specifications.  Your service adviser can help you with recommendations for when timing chain components should be replaced on your vehicle and for signs of timing chain system wear.

Since timing chains and dozens of other parts, are lubricated by engine oil, smart drivers stay on top of regular oil changes to prolong their life.  Always use a high quality oil filter and oil of the recommended type and grade.

Simple Answers: Water Pump

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The cooling system in an engine has five components:  the radiator, the radiator cap, the hoses, the thermostat and the water pump.  The water pump is literally the heart of the system.  Just as your own heart keeps your blood circulating through your body, the water pump keeps coolant circulating through your engine.

The water pump is driven by a belt, chain or gear and only operates while the engine is running.  It has a limited life span and sooner or later will have to be replaced.  You can check your owner’s manual to find out how long your water pump should last.  Some can fail at only 40,000 miles, but almost all of them fail by 100,000 miles.

Water pumps can fail in two ways; they can spring a leak or their bearings fail.  Leaks can come from a cracked pump but usually develop at the gasket where the pump attaches to the engine.

If you hear a low-pitched grinding sound coming from the water pump, it’s time for a new one.  If you see coolant leaking in the area near the pump, it needs to be replaced.  Also, coolant on the driveway could indicate water pump failure.  Many water pumps aren’t visible because they’re under a plastic cover, so you may have to take your vehicle to an auto repair shop to know for sure if the water pump has failed.

If your water pump is run by the timing belt, then it should be replaced when you replace the belt.  Most timing belts need to be replaced at around 60,000 to 90,000 miles.  The labor for replacing a timing belt is about the same for replacing a water pump, so it’s cost-effective to take care of them both at the same time.

Also, if your water pump develops a leak (if it’s powered by a timing belt), you have to replace the timing belt as well since contamination by coolant fluid damages the belt.  It just makes sense for drivers to replace both of these parts whenever either one needs it.

Replacing a water pump is a car care issue that almost all of us face eventually.  They don’t last forever.  On the other hand, we can extend the life of most of the components of our vehicle through preventative maintenance.  Just as exercise and diet keep our heart healthy, regular inspections and fluid changes will keep our vehicles healthy.

Brakes Service

Oil Change

Suspension

Transmision Service

Engine Service

Auto Tips & Tricks