Longview Auto Repair

Yearly Archives: 2019

Driving Habits That Are Shortening Your Car’s Life

Owning a car can get pretty expensive, but it’s almost a necessity in this day and age. There are quite a few common mistakes people make that tend to wear down their car over time and result in them spending more money on repairs. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be expensive! Once you’re aware of these mistakes, you’ll be able to stop yourself from doing them and save yourself a lot of money in the long run. NOT CORRECTLY USING THE PARKING BRAKE Even when you park on flat ground, it’s a good idea to use your parking brake. Why? Because when you don’t engage the parking brake (especially on hills), you’re resting the entire weight of your vehicle on a small piece of metal in the transmission called the parking pawl. Because this piece is about the size of your finger, it’ll wear out, and it could eventually break from holding all that weight. Be sure to use your parking brake to keep that transmission component in good condition. LETTI ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

Is It Better to Repair or Replace a Flat Tire?

We’ve all been there - you’re in a rush to leave for work in the morning, or you’re about to leave to get groceries, or heading to town to meet up with friends, and you step out of the house only to find that you’ve got a flat tire. Oh no! What do you do? Should you put some air in it and hope it’ll get you to your destination, spray some fix-a-flat in it, attempt to patch it, or call a professional? The solution really depends on how large the puncture is, where the puncture is located, and how quickly you spotted the damage. Sure, repairing the tire might be the most cost-effective option, but not if it’s at the expense of the safety of you and your passengers! Industry guidelines usually allow punctures up to 1/4” in diameter to be repaired safely, based on where the damage was done. Any puncture that occurs to the sidewall or shoulder of the tire is unable to be repaired, no matter how small. If the puncture is irregular, long and straight, or larger than ... read more

Categories:

Tire Repair

The Importance of Proper Wheel Alignment

Imagine trying to walk straight with your feet pointing in one direction and your hips pointing in another. It would take a lot of effort to stay balanced and head in the right direction, not to mention the extra strain this would put on you! Just as walking with your body properly aligned is easier on you and requires less effort, the same goes for your vehicle. A wheel alignment allows your car to handle correctly, reduces wear and tear, and improves fuel economy. Here at Longview Auto, we hold alignments in high regard. Not only do they give you more control over your vehicle and increase your overall driving safety, but they're crucial to the life of your tires. Our goal from the start has been to keep our customers out on the road, heading to their next adventure. Proper alignments are crucial to achieving this goal. This is why we offer a FREE wheel alignment any time a customer of ours purchases four new tires*. During your vehicle’s life ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

Why Has My Fuel Economy Dropped?

You’ve noticed that your vehicle has been getting worse gas mileage than it usually does. What happened? Why has you fuel economy suddenly dropped? Like most vehicle issues, there can be a couple different things contributing to the root cause of this problem. We’ll start with the simple fixes, and work our way up to more complicated ones. TIRES This one’s a simple fix, and hopefully the root of your problem. Under-inflated tires cause more rolling resistance on a vehicle the same way they would if you tried to ride a bike with low air pressure in the tires. Just as it would require more energy to pedal a bike with flat tires, it requires more fuel to drive a car with low tire pressure. Check your tire pressure at least once a month while your tires are cold, using a high quality tire gauge. If the tires are even a pound or two off on air pressure, this can be enough to cause you problems. AIR FILTER Your vehicle’s air filter ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance

Your Vehicle Fluid Leak Guide

Something’s leaking from your car. How do you tell what it is? How do you know if it’s a dangerous leak or not? Check out our vehicle fluid guide to determine what’s leaking from your car by the color of the fluid. RED FLUID: If you’ve got red fluid leaking from your car, this usually means that you’ve got a leak in your transmission or power steering system. This problem could be a result of a faulty transmission seal or a hole in the return line that feeds the fluid between systems. ORANGE FLUID: There are a few different problems that will cause an orange fluid leak. If rust gets in your radiator, this can cause an antifreeze leak or make condensation appear orange. Transmission fluid can also look orange, depending on how old it is. YELLOW FLUID: A yellow fluid leak is usually radiator coolant. This problem could be the result of a loose hose clamp or damaged o-ring. Check your vehicle manufacturer’s specificati ... read more

Categories:

Car Maintenance
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