With the weather in Midwestern winters, sometimes it’s worse before it gets better. With the chilly temps and the snow we’ve gotten in these past few weeks, it can be good to take precautions to make sure your vehicle makes it through the last bits of winter and is ready for the spring!    Start System       Have your battery/starting/charging system checked. Your battery provides electrical power to start the engine, stabilizes voltage for the charging system, and supplies additional current to the charging system. It’s always good to catch a weak battery before you get on the highway, rather than having it fail while you’re on your trip.   Emergency Kit       If our tips missed something in your vehicle, or something unforeseen happens and you find yourself in a sticky situation, having a kit with all the necessities will hold you over until help arrives. In this kit, you’ll at least want to ... read more

Last week, we went over some automotive issues you might come across in the colder months like dead batteries, failed spark plugs, or cars not starting. This week, we’ll touch on some simpler, but equally important routine maintenance. If you miss some of these crucial winter practices, it can lead to frustrating issues. Check out these winter automotive reminders!    Windshield Wipers Freezing     Your wipers are essential for braving the winter weather, and keeping your visibility clear in rain, sleet, and snow. However, they become more vulnerable in freezing weather. They can freeze to your windshield, which could cause them to tear if you tried to turn them on–which is definitely not something you want to happen in the middle of a storm.       To keep your wipers safe in cold temperatures, you’ll want to add checking on them to your routine. If you know cold weather is coming and you can’t get your car under ... read more

The holiday season is practically here! If you’re getting ready to visit home, visit loved ones, or simply find your way to a delicious seasonal feast, here’s how to make sure your vehicle is ready to get you to your destination.   Start System       Have your battery/starting/charging system checked. Your battery provides electrical power to start the engine, stabilizes voltage for the charging system, and supplies additional current to the charging system. It’s always good to catch a weak battery before you get on the highway, rather than having it fail while you’re on your trip.   Emergency Kit       If our tips missed something in your vehicle, or something unforeseen happens and you find yourself in a sticky situation, having a kit with all the necessities will hold you over until help arrives. In this kit, you’ll at least want to pack some blankets, drinking water, snacks, first aid, and refl ... read more

    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

The way our roads are treated in Iowa in the winter certainly helps keep the roads safe, but it can sure cause damage to our vehicles. Components such as our car’s suspension, underbody, and the overall body of the vehicle are vulnerable to sediment and debris on our roads. During the winter months, it is extremely important to keep your vehicle washed at least once per week, possibly even more if the roads you drive on are consistently treated with brine. When brine or salt mix with melted ice and snow and get left on your vehicle for a period of time, they become corrosive and that is when the rust really starts to take action.    Why wash your car when it’s going to get dirty again? It’s an understandable question for sure, it might seem pointless. But, the more we can keep our vehicles clean, the better we’re able to protect from rust. When you choose a carwash, make sure that you select one that does an underbody spray. That is extremely crucial ... read more

  How often do you need to change my battery?   It’s a great question that we get asked quite often here in the shop. A lot of conditions really determine how long a car battery will last such as driving habits, distance driven, the environment that the battery is in and yes, the quality of the battery. The extreme temperature changes that we experience here in the Midwest certainly wreak havoc on our battery life expectancy. If you don’t do a lot of driving or the driving that you do consists of short trips, the battery really doesn't get an opportunity to get fully charged by the alternator. That will also decrease the life expectancy.    Generally, the life of a battery is anywhere from 3 - 5 years depending on the quality of the battery you purchase. Yes, it’s true with batteries as it is for many other things: you get what you pay for. More important than haggling over battery prices is what the actual difference is between types of ... 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