What to Do if the Check Engine Light Goes On

If you have ever owned a vehicle, chances are you have faced the check engine light. Depending on your vehicle make and model, it either glowed in your face day and night, or blinked repetitively at you on your way to and from work. After a short while, it got annoying. After a few days, it got obnoxious. And when it didn’t just go away, you undoubtedly got worried.  But what should you do instead of getting worried? That all depends.

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

The check engine light can mean a few things. As a part of the OBD (On Board Diagnostics) system of your car, the lights job is to warn you of problems within the car. Commonly, when there is a problem with the electronic-control system, the check engine light will come on if the problem cannot be addressed by the computer. A check engine light problem is not as simple to diagnose as a service engine soon light. This is because whatever is wrong with your engine, in order for this light to come on, it has to go past engine fluid and easily serviced issues. The check engine light is a first step warning system that demands your attention. And for good reason, too, because electronic issues can be dangerous.

What to Do When you See the Check Engine Light 

What do you do when this light either blinks or glares in your face? Well, first off, don’t go pouring liquids in to your engine. As mentioned above, this light has nothing to do with the common problems covered by its dashboard brother, the service engine soon light. If this light comes on, you should bring your vehicle to a mechanic as soon as possible. The issue can be small, or common, but often this light will not come on unless there is a sizable issue at hand. Unfortunately, not all mechanics will be able to diagnose your particular vehicle. This means you will have to go on the internet to find your local car repair shops to see which ones specialize in your specific vehicle type. 

If the Light Comes On While Driving: What to Do

Lights won’t always wait until the morning; sometimes, issues will pop up while you are driving. If the check engine light comes on while you are on the highway, the best thing you can do is take the nearest exit, find a safe place to park, and call a directory assistant to find a local mechanic that is open. If you have OnStar in your vehicle, use the program to help you. That is, provided it works. Do your best to avoid pulling over on the highway; doing this is extremely dangerous and should only be done if your car is acting strange. Do not try driving your vehicle around with the check engine light one. You can cause further damage, and endanger yourself and other drivers, should the problem worsen while you are on the road. Being safe is always better than being sorry; don’t blow off this serious little light! 

Different Types of Brakes: Drum vs. Disc

When you buy a vehicle, you will have many options available to you. From interior to exterior, components and more, vehicles all differ in a variety of ways that can make choosing difficult. But perhaps one of the biggest differences, and most often overlooked, is the type of brakes your vehicle has. There are two different types of brakes, drum and disc. Drum brakes are less common, but are still used as rear brakes. Do you know the differences between the two types? If not, read on and find out; it could help you make a better vehicle choice. 

What Are Drum Brakes, and How Do They Work

Drum brakes are brakes that are contained within a round drum that rotates on the wheel. Inside the drum is something called a “shoe,” similar to a brake pad, that press against the wheel when the vehicle brake is depressed. Fluid is transferred through a line to the brake, known as “brake fluid,” to transfer the movement caused when the driver depresses the brake pedal. In driving conditions where uphill and downhill driving is involved on a consistent basis, drum brakes tend to wear down much faster than disc brakes. Unlike the newer disc brakes, the hotter a drum brake becomes, the less effective it will be, overtime losing its ability to stop the vehicle at all. 

What Are Disc Brakes, and How Do They Work

Disc brakes use a rotor and a caliper to slow the vehicle, much more effective than a drum. Inside of the disc brake’s caliper are two things called brake pads that squeeze on to the wheel when the brake pedal is depressed. Just like a drum brake, brake fluid is transferred through a line to the brake to cause the motion. Unlike a drum brake, which is undone mostly because of its housing, a disc brake is open faced, and thus is easily able to cool down, allowing the brake to remain effective. Disc brake are commonly able to exert more braking force, and more efficiently at that, than a drum brake. 

Why Drum Brakes Are Still Used

Drum brakes are typically used on lower priced vehicles. But even by today’s standards, almost any vehicle you come across will have disc brakes, even if the car is in a lower class. The reason some vehicles may use drum brakes on the rear wills is because drum brakes are much less expensive than disc brakes. This is mainly due to their being much less effective. But lesser manufacturing expenses lead to lesser expenses to the buyer. It is important that, if you want a vehicle for performance, you ensure that you look up the specs and see that all four wheels have disc brakes. If you have a son or daughter looking in to buying their first vehicle, and it is a used vehicle (as in most cases), you will want to talk to the salesperson, and check online for older vehicle specification lists, to ensure that the brakes used on the rear wheels of the used vehicle are not going to be drum brakes. 

Brake Lights: What They Are For, and How They Are Used

The brake lights are an often overlooked part of a vehicle. Many people take for granted that the brake lights are there, and always will be. They also tend to overlook them when they are damaged, or when they just plain do not function. Most shrug off a damaged brake light, thinking, so what? After all, don’t you still have turning signals? But have you ever wondered why you can be pulled over for a broken brake light? And have you ever wondered why cops demand that the brake light be fixed? Read on to find out the answers to both questions, and much more.

What Your Brakes Do, and How the Lights Work

The brakes on your car have one primary function; to slow down, and eventually stop your vehicle. This function is direly important. Without brakes, your car would simply gain velocity until it came to an uphill area—granted, that is, that the velocity has not built up so much that the car does not just shoot up the hill anyway. And without brakes, your car would then roll right back down the hill and speed the other way. It is utterly dangerous to drive a vehicle without brakes, but what about brake lights? Well, these lights serve just as an important function; they tell the other drivers on the road that you are slowing down or stopping, preventing collision. When you step on your brake, the brake lights turn on in the back of your car and, depending on the make and model, on the read windshield as well. The red light is a warning to all other drivers on the road.

Why You Should Always Get Your Brake Lights Fixed

Police care about brake lights so much because without them, other drivers on the road would have no idea if you are about to stop your vehicle. This poses a threat to yourself and every other vehicle in the vicinity. After all, one accident can easily multiply in to a pile up. Brake lights are not easy to fix yourself, especially on foreign model cars. This is why it is suggested that when your brake light burns out, you visit a mechanic and have it fixed as soon as possible. Doing so keeps you safe, and keeps all of the other drivers on the road safe as well. 

Costs of Brake Light Repairs; Are They Expensive?

Brake light repairs vary in costs. Foreign model cars are typically more expensive to fix the brake lights on, as are luxury vehicles. This is because the brakes and brake lights on foreign vehicles are built differently than on American vehicles, and in America, not all mechanics have the specialized skills to service these types of vehicles. The best way to find out the costs of a brake light repair for your vehicle would be to call your local mechanic, give them your make and model, the year of production for your vehicle, and ask for the cost of a brake light repair. The mechanic will then tell you whether or not they have the skill to work on your vehicle, and the costs if they do. 

A Car and Its Alignment

Tire alignment is an important aspect of ensuring that a car operates properly. Some people think of a tire alignment as nothing more than taking a car into to the repair shop to spin the tires a few times to make sure they are straight. Although this is part of what is involved in tire alignment, there is so much more. The importance of a tire alignment cannot be denied.

Why a Tire Alignment is Necessary?

Proper tire alignment ensures that everyone on the road is safe. Imagine if no one ever checked their engine oil, their brakes or their tire alignment. This would result in chaos, because the cars on the road would begin to shut down, overheat, or even crash. Safety is the number one reason for maintaining a car, and therefore tire alignment is necessary for maintaining the car’s tires. 

Cars work hard to quickly take people to various destinations. All of this hard work should be rewarded with a nice car wash every now and then, and a little pampering. One of the kinds of pampering a car needs is a tire alignment. When a car doesn’t get pampered or have proper tire alignment, it puts stress on the other parts of the car, making these parts have to work even harder. Eventually, the other parts will get worn out and the car will no longer work. Therefore, a car’s tires need to be aligned in order for it to have the longest life possible. 

What is a Tire Alignment?

Essentially, when a tire is aligned the wheels are balanced. When a car gets its tires aligned it begins with the angles of the wheels being. They must be aligned in a perpendicular position to the ground. It is also necessary to make sure that the tires are parallel to one another. The purpose of these adjustments is to make sure tires drive straight when on a straight and level road. When tires are not balanced it will cause some shaking in the car’s steering wheel. This can cause the vehicle to veer off course and possibly land you in a ditch. Tire alignment involves three well-known measurements called the caster, camber, and the toe. These are the focuses of the necessary adjustments.

Tire Alignment Measurements

The measurements used when completing a tire inspection are called the caster, camber and the toe. According to ASE master technicians, the caster is the tilting of the highest point of the steering axis either forward or backward. A forward tilt is negative and a backward tilt is positive. All wheels must have a positive caster. Next, the camber is checked. This is the tilting of the wheels from the vertical. The camber can have a positive or a negative reading, but the reading must be a balance of both. Finally, the toe is a measurement of how much the front and/or the rear wheels are turned in or out from a position that is straight ahead. This reading ensures that the tires are parallel. 

So, to ensure the safety of the driver and other drivers, including tire alignment in proper car maintenance is vitally important.

Keep Your Vehicle Legal with Proper Auto Repair

Every car needs to pass certain tests in order to legally be driven in most states. Laws have been enacted to maintain cleaner air for all to breathe. Proper auto repair can go a long way to making sure that your vehicle will pass these tests the first time. Different problems can lead to a failed test. Knowing what these problems are can help you to understand why having good ASE master technicians working on your car is necessary. They not only can diagnose the problem with your vehicle, but can help to make sure that the repairs to keep your vehicle running smoothly can be performed regularly. Here are some tips to help you in passing your next emissions test.

Always Invest in General Car Maintenance

Maintaining your vehicle through the use of general car maintenance means your vehicle will undergo regular inspections. All of the belts and fluids will be checked regularly. Problems with your vehicle can be alleviated before they ever become a major problem that can create your vehicle to fail the emissions test. Any good repair shop understands the maintenance schedule recommended for your vehicle and can adhere to it. Simply bring in your vehicle and allow them to go through the standard procedures for maintaining it and your chances of passing the emissions test the first time will becoming very good.

Pay Attention to the Check Engine Light

If you ask anyone working an emissions testing facility, they will tell you that you will not pass the emissions test if your vehicle has the check engine light lit. The problem that is causing the check engine light to be lit could be anything from internal problems in the engine to a simpler problem with wiring. You will not know what the problem is until you bring it into a qualified mechanic so they can run the diagnostic. They can then do the car repair that is required to bring your vehicle to the standard which will pass the emissions test. If you have been keeping up with regular maintenance, the cost of repairs should be rather minor. Remember that you will need to drive the vehicle for at least 100 miles after repairs for the computer to properly reset itself.

Keeping Up with Oil Changes

Oil changes are highly important to passing emissions tests. Oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle. It maintains the proper working order of the engine and ensures that there will not be any major problems costing a lot of money to repair. It does not cost a lot of money to have ASE master technicians change your oil. Getting the oil replaced at the right places will make sure that you are receiving the right kind of oil and that they are filling it up to the appropriate levels. Making sure that you are adhering to a policy of getting your oil changed at 75,000 for regular oil and 150,000 for synthetic oil will help your engine to go further without problems. It will also help to make sure that your engine will be able to pass the emissions test when you need to get it.

Important Checks to Be Completed on Brake Pads

One of the most important safety features in your vehicle is your brakes. Making sure that the braking system works properly can help you to prevent accidents from happening. It is simple to make sure that the brakes are working correctly by changing out the brake pads on a regular basis. The important thing to remember whenever checking the brake pads is that there are no external indicators, other than the width of the brake pad, as to when they need to be changed. Always make sure to bring your vehicle to ASE master technicians whenever the brake pads need to be changed. They can help in making sure that the brake pads are installed correctly and that you get more out of the pads.

Looking at Brake Pads

The first way that mechanics look for to determine if your brake pads need to be replaced is to look at them. Simply by removing the tire, they can see the caliper with the pad attached to it. The majority of brake pads start out between a quarter of an inch to a half inch in width. Whenever the brake pads have been worn down to an eighth of an inch or less, it is time to replace the brake pads. If the pads to get too thin, they can crack or fail causing you to be in severe danger whenever stopping. If your pads are paper thin, it is possible that the calipers will start rubbing against the disc at any time.

Listening to Brake Pads

Most brake pads will come with a layer of the pad that makes a sound when it has been reached. This is typically a squealing sound whenever the brake lights come on. Listening for this sound after you have driven more than 1,000 miles on a set of pads will help you to determine if the pads need to be changed. The reason why this is significant is because some new brakes will squeal regardless of the age of the brakes. This is because the pads did not have the brake lubricant added to the pad when installed. It can cause the brakes to squeal not too long after they have been replaced even though there is no need to replace the pads.

What Happens When Brake Pads Get Old

As the brakes get old, the biggest problem you encounter is a failure for the brakes to operate correctly. If you step on the brakes and you feel as if the car is not slowing down quickly, it is possible that the brake pads have failed and that you need to have the entire brake system looked at. Metal on metal grinding sounds are common whenever the brake pads are completely worn out. This will create a situation in which the discs need to be resurfaced or may even need to be replaced completely. Calipers can also malfunction because the metal will be ground down. If the metal is ground down, it can cause the caliper to fall apart and will fail to grip the disc. Failure to grip will make it impossible for you to stop and could create a possibility of an accident.

The Advantages of Hybrid Vehicles

As a human being living on the planet Earth it often seems like there is nothing a person can do to help improve the overall environment.  When a person feels like this that means that it is time to get proactive and do something that is indisputably positive and start driving hybrid vehicles. The hybrid care is a vehicle that operates on both gas and electricity this provides incredible fuel efficiency, creates less pollution and helps the environment. It used to be that hybrid vehicles were not very attractive but that has changed as more and more companies jump into making fuel efficient vehicles. Today they have all of the looks and style of many gas powered cars. There are several benefits to owning and driving hybrid vehicles.

As was stated above a hybrid vehicle has two motors, one that runs on electricity and one that is powered by gasoline. The system captures braking energy and stores that energy in a battery that is on the car. Built with lightweight materials these vehicles are very compact and move very easily through busy sections of town. When you stop at a stop light the engine will actually turn off and begin to run again when your hit the accelerator. Some would argue that having two engines provides you with twice as much opportunity for something to go wrong. As the car  has been developed and improved over recent years this has become less of a concern. 

Environmental Impact a Definite Positive

There is the obvious fact that hybrid engines generate fewer emissions which is important for everybody but in particularly important for states like California where pollution has been a significant problem for many years. Using significantly less gas also provides for less environmental impact on the world, and with the added decreased dependency on foreign oil, they will help to keep the price of gasoline low. There is also the unique design which has been aerodynamically proven to reduce drag from wind resistance. The tires are also made from a specialized rubber which produces less friction and increases efficiency. All of these factors help lessen the impact of driving on the environment. 

Purchasing a Hybrid Car

When first shopping for a hybrid vehicle,  a consumer may be shocked to see the higher prices of these specialty vehicles. However a consumer needs to factor in the expenses of buying any car before they make a judgment based on initial sticker price. There are programs that exist from the IRS which allows those hybrid car owners who apply to receive a rebate from the government, which drops the overall cost of the vehicle. The dealer who sells you the car will more than likely make you well aware of these programs, but this tax benefit is real and should be applied.  Then of course you have to factor in the money that you will be saving on gas and like most investments, a consumer will find that over time the economic advantages will be significant. 

Hidden Savings of Driving a Hybrid Vehicle

One of the financial advantages of driving a hybrid is that many insurance companies are offering significantly lower premiums because it is believed that the driver of a hybrid vehicle will be significantly lower risk.  Also there is a perception that maintenance of hybrids is significantly more than that of their gasoline powered counterparts. To combat this perception, many manufacturers are adding significant mileage to their warranties to make them more enticing to shoppers.