Shocks and struts are components of the suspension system in your car. They work together to control how much your vehicle bounces around while driving over bumps. Shocks are attached to the outside of a vehicle's frame and consist of a piston (or piston/metal cylinder). When you hit a bump, the piston moves up and down inside its housing; this movement causes hydraulic fluid to flow through small holes called orifices in the side of each canister. This action slows down how fast the car bounces back up after hitting something hard, which means less shaking for the car. Struts are also attached to the outside frames but typically have an internal coil spring instead of an internal piston-like shock absorber. Both types need regular maintenance to keep them working. What Are Shocks Absorbers Shocks are mechanical devices that dampen the movement of a vehicle's suspension. They control spring movement and suspension movement by dissipating energy through hydraulic fluid or a ... read more

  With all the commuting we have to do on the day to day, stretching your gas money can be a great way to save. Monday, we shared our first tips with you, here’s our wrap up on gas mileage.        Check Your Air Filter         Your engine has to breathe too! A dirty filter reduces air flow to your engine,  reducing your engine’s performance, especially its fuel efficiency as well as horsepower. Making sure your filter is clean enough to let some fresh air through will keep a proper mixture of air and fuel, which will significantly help your fuel economy.       Take it Easy on the Pedal         With your air filter clean, your vehicle’s horsepower should increase, so you won’t have to put the pedal to the metal to get your vehicle up to speed. Hard acceleration greatly reduces your gas mileage, while a steady foot will help you get the most ou ... read more

With holidays, college football games, and school now in session, it seems like we are spending more and more time in our cars driving to and from obligations. With all that driving, comes a lot of gas, so we want to share with you our best tips to make the most of your gas mileage.   Tire Inflation         It’s a simple fix, but when it comes to an easy step to get the best gas mileage, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. When your tires are under inflated, heat and friction between the tires and the road increase, creating drag–which increases your fuel consumption. By properly inflating your tires, you can improve your gas mileage by at least 3.3 percent.        Alignment         When your alignment is off, it can cause your vehicle to dog-track (when your vehicle pulls to the side when you’re driving) which will cause you to have to fight the steering wheel to ... read more

In our vehicles today, our engines are highly complex and under extreme workloads, so the topic of changing your engine oil can be controversial and complicated. Let’s break it down so that you have the information you need to make the decision of when and how often to change your engine oil.     As you know, the engine of your car is absolutely crucial to your car’s operation, so taking care of it is very important. The oil system pumps oil through screens and filters to keep it clear of dirt and debris, it passes through pathways between components to lubricate and keep them protected, then back through to continue the cycle. In short, engine oil keeps your engine functioning properly, keeping components of the engine lubricated to reduce friction, regulates temperature, helps to seal connection points, and cleans as it pumps through the system.    However, we know that car manufacturers are in constant competition with other manufacturers to f ... read more

As we talked about on Tuesday, knowing when to change your engine oil has become more complex as changes are constantly made to new vehicle models. While you may think that relying on your car to tell you when it’s time for an engine oil change is the way to go, your car’s sensors don’t have all of the senses and information that you do. When you check your oil, you can observe and take into account these things that your vehicle does not:   Is the oil filter still working or is it completely soiled?     Your car does not have a sensor that has the ability to check whether or not your oil is still being filtered. Once the filter is full, a bypass valve allows the oil to bypass the filter in order to keep engine oil flowing in the engine. If your filter is full, it might be a sign that it’s time to change.    Color, Smell & Viscosity     Unlike us, our cars don’t have the physical senses that we do, so t ... read more

  Often, car owners tend to forget about their battery until it’s four years into its life, and all of the sudden, it dies on them. We get it, there are so many things to remember maintenance-wise with your vehicle. But, even if you forget to keep track of the dates, paying attention to a few signs and doing a couple of easy tests can lower your chances of being stranded with a dead battery.       Some common symptoms to watch for when on the lookout for a dead battery are slow engine cranking and problems with starting the car (especially in cold weather), issues with the sound system, and dimming headlights. If you find yourself having to jump-start your car more often or experiencing any of these signs, it might be time to do a check-up on your battery.     An easy way to do this at home is to test your headlights. To do this, turn on the engine of your parked car and make sure the headlights are on. Rev the engine and watch your hea ... read more

  Your battery does a lot in the function of your car, especially as more and more features are added into our cars. The battery contains plates that interact with a mixture of chemicals that form an electrolytic solution, allowing electrons to flow between the plates. This reaction and the flow of electrons is essentially the electricity that powers your car. The battery provides the energy to start the engine, provides energy to the ignition system, powers electronics, and regulates voltage. With a dead battery or dying battery, it can’t provide power to start the car, the ignition, or your radio and GPS systems. So how do you know when it’s time to change it?       The rule of thumb is to change your battery about every four years under normal conditions. However, depending on where you live, your driving habits, the condition of your charging system, along with other factors, that lifespan may change.      For example, tr ... read more