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Tag Archives: auto repair

Oil Change 101: Why Oil Changes Are Important for Your Car

Oil Change 101: Why Oil Changes Are Important for Your Car

  If you want your ride to last and perform at its best, you gotta get regular oil changes. It’s an important part of your routine maintenance to make sure your vehicle runs well and runs for as long as possible. Here's why:   Lubrication: Your car's engine has lots of moving parts that need lubrication to work properly. Fresh oil keeps them from rubbing together with too much friction and causing damage.   Cooling: Engines can get super hot, but the oil helps keep them from overheating. It absorbs heat and transfers it away from the combustion chamber.   Cleansing: Oil picks up dirt and debris as it flows through the engine, keeping it clean and preventing buildup that can cause problems later. Efficiency: Fresh oil means less friction, which means your engine runs more efficiently and uses less gas.   Longevity: Regular oil changes can keep your engine running smoothly for longer, preventing damage and saving you money on expensive rep ... read more

Vacation or Staycation: Spring Break Vehicle Service Part 2

Vacation or Staycation: Spring Break Vehicle Service Part 2

Sometimes the best R&R you can get is in the comfort of your own home. If you’re traveling from the kitchen to the living room instead of from the east coast to the west, you can still make sure your vehicle is ready to support you when you have to come back to the real world.   If you're staying home for Spring Break, it's still a great time to get your vehicle serviced. Our pickup and delivery service makes it easy to get your vehicle in for routine maintenance or repairs while you're enjoying your staycation at home. We'll pick up your vehicle from your home or office, perform the necessary service or repairs, and deliver it back to you when we're done. This way, you can focus on relaxing and enjoying your time off while we take care of your vehicle.   We also recommend scheduling your college student's vehicle for service while they’re home for Spring Break. This can help ensure that their vehicle is safe and reliable for the jo ... read more

Vacation or Staycation: Spring Break Vehicle Services

Vacation or Staycation: Spring Break Vehicle Services

Hello March!   Spring Break is almost here, and we know that many of you are planning trips or staycations. Whether you're hitting the road or staying home, it's important to ensure that your vehicle is in top shape before you embark on your Spring Break adventures. This week, we’ll give some tips to our vacationers–when you’re hitting the road for a trip, we want to make sure that your vehicle is ready to handle the journey.    At our auto shop, we offer a wide range of services to help you prepare your vehicle for Spring Break. If you're planning to hit the road, we recommend scheduling a pre-trip service and inspection to ensure that your vehicle is safe and reliable for your journey. Our expert technicians will perform a thorough inspection of your vehicle, checking everything from your brakes and tires to your fluid levels and battery. We'll identify any issues that need to be addressed and provide you with a comprehensive repo ... read more

February Snowstorm Checkup!

February Snowstorm Checkup!

With the largest dump of snow we’ve seen in a while, these February winter storms might have your car a little worse for wear! If something feels a little off on your ventures out into this winter wonderland, double-check that these harsh icy, slushy, and salty conditions haven’t affected any of these vehicle elements:   Tires The only thing between you and the road is your tires. It’s crucial to ensure that your tread is wearing evenly, there’s plenty of the tread remaining, that no road hazards have damaged your tires, and they are filled to the proper pressure. And don’t forget the spare! You never know when a flat tire could create a detour in your route.   Fluids     Fluids are the lifeblood of your vehicle. Your car has many different fluids ranging from engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, differential fluid, and of course, your fuel system…just to name a few! It&rsq ... read more

Vehicle Alignment Part 2

Vehicle Alignment Part 2

Having your vehicle properly aligned can save you thousands of dollars in the life of the vehicle. Tires, Suspension Components, Steering Components, and more can be stressed and prematurely fair when the vehicle's alignment is out of spec. When it's out of spec the vehicle has to work extra hard to keep it going in the direction that the driver is trying to get it to go.   So how often should you get an alignment? The easy answer is whenever your car is not going straight down the road. That certainly has some validity to it, but the way many roads are made today that can be tricky to just blame the alignment when the road is pitched for a water run off which will naturally cause your vehicle to veer.    It's important that anytime you have steering or suspension work performed that you have an alignment performed to ensure that everything is re-aligned. Also anytime you get your tires replaced get an alignment. Tires are a big investment, let's not ... read more

Vehicle Alignments

Vehicle Alignments

As we come to the end of the worst of winter, and things start to thaw out, we come into pothole season–so it’s the perfect time to start thinking about Vehicle Alignments. The alignment of your vehicle is an important aspect of maintenance, so we’re going to make sure to go over what an alignment is, why it’s important, and how often to get it done. Normal wear and tear will cause your vehicle to get out of alignment, so this is an important aspect of the upkeep of your vehicle. Although, it can also get banged out of whack by hitting potholes, bumping curbs, or even minor fender benders.    An alignment is a process where a technician sets your vehicle onto a lift, installs targets onto your wheels, and takes measurements such as toe, camber, caster, thrust angle, etc. Once they get the before measurements of your vehicle’s current alignment angles, the technician can then determine what adjustments will need to be made. They will then make ... read more

What to Watch Out For in the Winter

What to Watch Out For in the Winter

There are different automotive issues that come with the changes of seasons–you might worry more about your car overheating over the summer. Each season comes with its own unique challenges, so here are some things to look out for this winter and some tips on how to deal with them.    Car Not Starting     This is true in any season–sometimes your car just won’t start. However, in the winter,  this could be a sign of a bigger issue; like failing batteries or spark plugs. Fortunately, it’s not always a huge red flag, as it could also simply be a smaller issue like thickened engine oil, frozen gas in the line, or a bad starter or alternator. For those smaller issues, the best thing you can do is to try and keep your vehicles warm overnight or when the temperature drops to its lowest. Keeping your car parked in a garage or using an engine block heater to keep the engine warm are both good options. Don’t worry, we’ve got t ... read more

The Lottery of Extended Warranties

The Lottery of Extended Warranties

We know that there are a lot of decisions to make regarding your car. At Honest Wrenches, we want to make sure we provide you with as much information as possible so you can make the best choices for you; at no extra charge. Today we’re breaking down extended warranties–are they worth the investment? Or should you pass on them? We tend to not be on the side of extended warranties, but we also want to acknowledge that while we have had negative experiences with some companies, there may be some extended warranty companies that will benefit you. Regardless of where you fall, there are pros and cons to each side. To understand more about extended warranties, let's take a deep dive into some of the different types of extended warranties.   1. The basic extended warranty  Sometimes called the bronze package, this will be an extremely basic warranty. It will only have coverage up to a certain amount of money per hour paid out, as well as generally only covering h ... read more

How to Stay Safe in Winter Road Emergencies

How to Stay Safe in Winter Road Emergencies

Even with our winter weather being slightly strange these past few years, snow and ice can still pose a threat to your safety on the road when you least expect it. If you find yourself in a sticky or snowy situation, here are some tips that will help you out.   Pack a winter safety kit     We recommend always having a safety kit in your car year-round including essentials like first aid, a flashlight, food, water, and traffic reflectors, at the very least. However, as seasons change, the risks of the road change too, and so do the items you should keep in your car in case of an emergency. For the winter, you may want to add your trusty ice scraper, extra antifreeze, a snow shovel and/or a bag of sand, a spare car charger for your phone, and extra warm clothes like extra socks, jackets, hats, or gloves. You might never need to use the extra items in your safety kit, but you never know when you might need them.  Remember what to do in a winter road emerge ... read more

Preparing Your Car for Winter

Preparing Your Car for Winter

    It’s that time of year again. The leaves have fallen, the air’s getting chillier, and we’re all ready to get into the holiday spirit! We are excited to gather around the table with family and friends–some that we haven't seen for quite some time. For some, we’ll soon be hitting the road with hopes to see some family. All this sounds great, and it sure seems like you are ready, but is your car? With any road trip, it is extremely important to get your vehicle into your team here at Honest Wrenches to ensure that it is ready for the trip you are getting ready to take. Here’s how we can help you prepare for your holiday travels.   Tires   The only thing between you and the road is your tires. It’s crucial to ensure that your tread is wearing evenly, there’s plenty of the tread remaining, that no road hazards have damaged your tires, and they are filled to the proper pressure. And don’t forget the spare ... read more

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