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Winter Automotive Repair Tips: Tune-up Oil Change Brakes & Cars Exhaust


Normally during the winter season, the last thing on your mind is getting a tune-up or car inspection when actually this is the perfect time. The winter automotive repair tips I will be giving you are for tune-ups, oil changes, brakes, and having your car exhaust system checked out. Other items to include would be your serpentine belt, wheel alignment, suspension parts and if you have an automatic transmission, make sure you have clean transmission fluid. If you decide to do this vehicle, maintenance inspections by your self make sure that you do not install used auto parts for replacement parts. I would recommend that you go to either NAPA or AUTOZONE for your car parts. Their automobile parts are top of the line and you should have no problems using them.


Winter auto repair tips includes auto tuning which is changing out your spark plugs on the newer cars. Now while you are changing out your spark plugs notice the electrodes of each spark plug. Each spark plug will tell a story of how that combustion chamber is performing. For example, an oily tip around the electrode area would indicate that you are burning engine oil inside of that cylinder. Your car engine maybe telling you also that your piston rings or your valve guide seals are beginning to wear and leak engine oil internally. While you are changing your engine oil this is a good time to inspect parts of your exhaust system such as the catalytic converter, muffler, and your tail pipe. If you see, any collapsed exhaust pipes or holes in your muffler or tail pipe then replace these auto parts also.

After you perform, the repairs on the cars exhaust system start inspecting your vehicle’s suspension components. What I mean is to look at your shocks, McPherson struts, upper and lower ball joints and the tie rod ends on both the front and back of the car or truck you are working on. I forgot to mention that while you are working on your vehicle try to practice safety by wearing old winter clothes such as your winter boots for the slippery surface under the car or truck and an old pair of winter gloves to prevent you from being burned. As you can see these winter, automotive repair tips such as your tune-up, oil change, and your car’s exhaust system will prevent you from having car problems and being stranded out in the cold winter months ahead.

Last few automobile parts that need to be inspected and replaced if needed are your front disc brake pads, front brake calipers, rear drum brakes and brake hardware, the car battery, and the condition of your timing belt. Most timing belts need to be inspected or replaced every 60,000 miles to prevent car problems such as broken or bent exhaust and intake valves. Not only will you have a well taken care of vehicle but you will also improve your fuel efficiency. Winter automotive repair tips would not be complete until you hook up your scan tool if you have a “check engine light” and get your obd system scanned and fixed.  Diagnose Car Misfires!





Flush and Fill -Cooling System Repairs-Bleeding Air Out of your Car

This article is about bleeding the automotive cooling system now that your car is over heating after some cooling system repairs have been made. Have you ever performed a flush and fill on your car or truck and you notice now that your engine temperature begins to rise until it over heats and boils over out of the radiator? What happens is that during this procedure an air bubble was created inside of your cooling system and created an air pocket. Because of this air pocket, your cooling system has stopped circulating the antifreeze. What you need to do now is purge or bleed the automotive cooling system out until the air bubble is released from your car and it does not over heat any more.


Engines Equipped With Brass Bleeder Screws

Some automotive engines have small brass screws located around the thermostat housing that need to be opened with the car running. You will see small bubbles of antifreeze leaking from the brass screws. When the small bubbles of antifreeze turn into a steady stream of coolant emerging out only then it is time to close the brass screws and fill the radiator back up. Once you have topped off the radiator with the required antifreeze and water 50/50 install the radiator cap and watch the engine gage. Bleeding this type of automotive cooling system when your car is over heating is normally found on the import models.

Engines Without Brass Bleeder Screws

Bleeding the automotive cooling system with out the brass bleeder screws can be very tricky when your car is over heating. On this type of car engine without the brass bleeder screws, you have to bleed the cooling system quite a few times. I have found out over many years of performing flush and fills or repairing the cooling system that you will have to bleed the air out of the system or your car or truck will immediately over heat and your temperature gage will show Hot. If this should happen to you while servicing your cooling system let the car or truck idle until the coolant bubbles disappear and you see a steady flow of antifreeze pouring out of the radiator. You may have to perform this procedure a few times until you quit seeing the air bubbles coming out of your radiator. Turn the engine off, fill the radiator, and install your radiator cap. Bleeding the automotive cooling system when your car is over heating can be dangerous and some times very time consuming.

Diagnose Car Misfires!