Category: Cars for keeps

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How to Diagnose a Dead Car Battery

A car that refuses to start can have any number of things wrong with it, but by far the most common is a dead battery. Rather than paying a tow truck to bring it in to the shop here at Cars for Keeps, there are a few simple ways to diagnose whether your battery is dead or something more serious is amiss.

Here are a few simple ways to check if it’s time to get a new battery or some professional help from a mechanic.

Try turning the headlights on. If you turn the ignition key and hear a “click”, but the engine doesn’t roll over, this is a good indicator that there’s not enough juice to turn the engine. A good way to double-check this is to try the electrical system by turning on your headlights and attempting to honk the horn. If they don’t work, it’s a likely bet your engine is dead. If your lights work but the engine might roll over, there may be a problem with your carburetor or fuel injector, and it’s time to bring it in to Cars for Keeps for some car battery repair.

Check for dirty or faulty battery connections. Put on some non-conductive (latex) gloves, pop the hood and check the cable connections to your battery. If you’re not at all mechanically inclined, simply look for the two large lead terminals protruding from a box, with cables leading out from the terminals. Wiggle the clamps to see if their loose, then reaffix them securely to the terminals. Clean excessive dirt from the lead terminals if they’re dirty, then try starting the car again. If it still doesn’t start, it’s probably time to visit Cars for Keeps for some car battery maintenance.

Try jumpstarting the battery. Just like in Princess Bride, car batteries have different levels of “deadness”. A car battery that’s mostly dead will start when jumpstarted. If the car does jumpstart, you’ll want to make sure the engine is turned on long enough for the car to recharge. If it doesn’t restart, the car battery is likely all dead – or something more serious is wrong. Rather than looking through its pockets for loose change, give us a call.

Faulty alternators, fuel injectors and carburetors can often mimic a dead car battery, so if your vehicle has reoccuring start problems or none of the above tests work, it’s a good idea to have a professional mechanic take a look under the hood. Catching these types of problems before they blossom into a full breakdown can save on hefty repair costs.

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How to Prevent Cold-Weather Stalls: Winterizing your Battery

Hunting season is fast approaching, and that means it is time to at least start THINKING about winterizing your vehicle. Have you ever jumped inside your car to head to work in the morning to find your car will not start? It’s happened to the best of us, but there are a few simple things you can do to help prevent this scenario from happening to you this winter.

Something to keep in mind is that our car’s battery loses about a third of its starting power when the temps dip down into the 30’s. In addition, our driving habits in the winter make it less likely the alternator will be able to fully recharge our car battery as we drive. For example, we tend to drive less often and we drive shorter distances in the winter, we constantly run the defrost and we are using our headlights more than in the warmer months – all putting a larger load on the alternator.

So what can you do?

1) Take a Peek Under the Hood: Have your battery checked before winter hits to make sure your terminals are tight and your battery is not corroded. (Stop in at Cars For Keeps & We’ll do it FREE!)

2) Turn “Stuff” Off: Turn off your blowers and accessories when you turn off your car so there isn’t as large of a load on your battery when you go to start your vehicle again. Turn your headlights on after you start your vehicle, NOT before.

3) Park Inside: Park your vehicle in a garage if you have one. This will help keep the battery somewhat warmer.

4) Pay Attention to Your Headlights: Do they dim and brighten on occasion? If so, stop by Cars4Keeps and one of our technicians can test your alternator for you.

5) Listen to Your Vehicle Start: Do you notice your car is having trouble turning over (starting), but once it is running everything seems normal? This may indicate that your battery has a low charge, weak connection or strater getting ready to leave you walking.

The last thing any of us need this winter is to be stranded somewhere with flakes swirling around us and a car that refuses to start. Be proactive and take winterizing your vehicle seriously this year. While there is more to it than batteries and alternators, a quick stop into Cars4Keeps is all you need to get your car in top winter condition.

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Automatic Transmission Failure: How to Check Fluid and Prevent Costly Breakdowns

No two words strike fear into the hearts of those of us who are not mechanically inclined like the words: transmission failure.

Checking my engine oil may be the extent of my automotive expertise, but I’ve learned that having a faulty automatic transmission can mean almost certain death for a vehicle. For most cars, particularly those that are getting on in life, the cost of replacing an automatic transmission exceeds the value of the entire vehicle – rather like totaling your car.

Fortunately, transmission failure does not happen randomly; indeed, catching the early signs of transmission trouble is easy if you know what to look for. Here are a few things you can do to make sure your automatic transmission doesn’t cause premature car death.

1) Own cars with manual transmissions. Ok, so this isn’t exactly a solution to maintaining an automatic transmission, but car owners should be aware of the differences between manual (standard) and automatic transmissions. Manual transmissions (or “stick shifts”) are more energy efficient than automatics, but more importantly, they have far fewer moving parts – which means way less maintenance and risk of part failure. Sure, you can talk on your cell phone, keep the kids in the backseat from fighting and drink your coffee simultaneously while driving an automatic, but a manual transmission will never conk out like an automatic.

2) Check automatic transmission fluid (ATF) regularly. This is really not hard – no harder than checking your oil levels. If you’re unsure exactly which dipstick is for the ATF or what to look for once you find it, watch this short video on how to check your car’s ATF. If you’re still unsure, there’s a great little auto repair shop on Fulton Street where the mechanics would be happy to show you.

Keep in mind, you’re looking for two things: level and color. The fluid mark needs to hit between the low and high marks, and it should be nice and red.

3) Change your ATF regularly! Although it may seem like this step would naturally follow the previous step, there are those of us (like me) who need the reminder. If your transmission fluid is dark, brown or muddy-colored, it’s time for a professional to take a peek and probably perform a transmission fluid flush.

Please think twice before taking your car to a drive-through service for transmission fluid flushes. There are many reasons why these places don’t always offer the best service for your money, but a certified AAA repair shop like Cars for Keeps will certainly give you a more thorough flush and overall checkup.

4) Listen to your car. As we’ve said here before, your car will usually tell you something is wrong before a major breakdown. Any out of the ordinary noises could be suspect, so bring your car in for inspection if you hear anything unusual. J.B. Herbert gives us a few pointers here:

Safe driving and healthy cars until next time!

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Top 4 Car Myths – True or Untrue?

You hear the craziest things about how to maintain your car. And let’s admit it: most of us DO crazy things – or worse, we do things to our cars based on rumors and myths rather than concrete mechanical knowledge. In an age when most of us get 90% of our car knowledge from movies like “Gone in Sixty Seconds”, we could probably all use a little maintenance myth-busting that helps us know which mythical advice to follow and which to throw out the window.

1) Always keep your gas tank full. This is a major point of contention between my husband and me. Seeing how far I can get the needle to go below the big red E is like a sport for me – if worst comes to worst, I can always swerve to get the last remaining dregs into the combustion chamber. My husband is far more practical and points out the safety of having a full gas tank.

As it turns out, keeping a full gas tank not only means that you can jump in the car for trips to the emergency room without stopping for gas, but it also prevents water from getting in the tank. Particularly during cold winter months, condensed water forms on the inside of an empty tank, causing improper flow and, at times, stalling. I’ve had this happen numerous times; my poor little Focus even conked out on the freeway once when I’d been running it on fumes. Turns out, it just wanted a full tank to push the water out.

2) Premium gas will mean better mileage and fewer repairs. My penny-pinching side is happy to report that this is relatively bogus. With today’s fuel standards, even low and mid grades of gasoline have detergents and other additives that keep everything running smooth. Additionally, the mileage you’ll gain with premium isn’t nearly big enough to justify the cost. Unless you have a supercharged engine or a Hemi, premium doesn’t make much of a difference.

3) Always warm up your car. As unpleasant as it is to slosh through powder in your pajamas, this one is actually an excellent idea, as it benefits both driver and the car. Particularly on those nostril-freezing winter mornings Michigan is so famous for, giving your car a few minutes to warm allows it to move oil and other fluids to where they need to go. The difference in car function can be tantamount to the safety difference between a driver stepping into a warm interior and gazing out of a clear windshield and a driver gripping an icy steering wheel and asthmatically jerking from the cold.

4) Wait a while before going through a car wash after repairs. I was shocked to see in our analytics report that someone had searched the term “how long after repairs can I go through the carwash”, but hey – I’ve believed crazier myths. Let’s let Rob tackle this question: “I am surprised how frequently this question comes up and have found that most of the questioners have had body repairs done to their vehicles where the body man recommended waiting a certain period before washing the car. In the mechanical repair field, there are very few situations where the vehicle cannot be washed or driven right away. If such an occasion arises, typically, the vehicle is kept for follow-up and road testing to ensure a complete repair.”

Safe driving!

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When and How to Use 4 Wheel Drive

Four wheel driving was a mystery to me until I started driving on the dunes. There’s no better place to learn about the mechanical ins and outs of four wheel drive than Silver Lake Sand Dunes – preferably NOT on Memorial Day weekend.

But since it’s not summer, using four wheel drive for snowy and icy conditions is a far more pressing topic. Let’s review a few facts about four wheel drive, including when and how to use it.

When to use 4 wheel drive (all wheel drive). Four wheel drive works best when trying to maneuver through a deep or sludgy substance – like sand dunes, or heavy snow. Please keep in mind that all wheel drive is not a cure-all for bad conditions; it simply gives you more power during situations when you need it the most – like when we’re having an all Michigan 15 inch snowstorm. Just remember: 4 wheel drive is the much-loved vehicle setting for off-roaders. Are you driving in off-road-like settings? If not, don’t use it. Deep snow, slush and sand are the best times to turn on your all wheel drive.

Four wheel drive limitations. It’s important to note that all wheel drive helps you gain more traction and power, but inversely does NOT help you stop. When going downhill on icy or slick surfaces, all wheel drive can actually make a situation worse if you’re not careful with your speed. Take it from the girl who nearly banked an old F150 full of maple sap on icy backroads. Momentum causes your vehicle to go faster, and having rear (or front) wheels disengaged from the engine can actually help you slow. So if you’re cresting a particularly icy hill in 4 wheel, shift back into 2 wheel if you can. If you can’t, follow the cardinal rule of inclement weather and take it slow.

Return to 2 wheel drive on dry pavement. If you have to lock your hubs, pull over in a safe place and unlock them once you’re back on dry pavement. Same goes for driving on dry roads before you get to deep snow or sand (as any dune driver would know, we only let the air out and lock hubs immediately prior to entering the dunes. Wooo!). Driving on hard, dry roads in four wheel drive can cause damage to your vehicle’s driveshafts, transfer case or differentials. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I’m sure it would send Rob, Dennis and Bobby into fits.

Those are the major points we’ll cover for today. Now, a “bit of fun” by Red Green. Please, please don’t try this at home.

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When to Have Your Brakes Repaired: 3 Easily Discovered Symptoms of Worn Brakes

I thought today it would be good to talk about brakes and when it may be time for their repair.

1) One of the most common symptoms of brakes that need repair when you hear hear a high pitched squeal when the brakes are applied. Most vehicles’ brake pads contain a thin hard metal tab within the brake pad that acts like a fingernail on a chalkboard when pads are worn down to the minimum thickness. This sound acts as a warning that it’s time for the brake pads to be replaced – rather like the “Empty” gas tank warning. Ignore this and the brake job rapidly gets more expensive.

2) Listen and feel your brakes as you apply them. When applying the brake pedal, you shouldn’t notice any grinding, squealing thumping or dragging. Any of these four symptoms could mean your brakes are not functioning at 100 percent, and could lead to further damage down the road.

3) On a vehicle with anti lock brakes (ABS), you should notice a slight pulse of the brake pedal in the case of heavy rain, snow, ice or a panic stop. This is how that system works. If the brakes pulsate at any speed and these conditions are not present, it may be time for the brakes to get checked. Normal braking should be a smooth operation.

Safe driving!