Tag: running

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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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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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What is a Timing Belt and When Should it Be Replaced?

We all do the best we can to protect our vehicles and we all make sure to keep them maintained against all possible threats and dangers. However, it should not be surprising to learn that one of the greatest dangers to high mileage cars is also one of the least well known. While we expect and try to prevent cases of engine or transmission failure, the death of many older or high mileage cars is nothing other than a failure of the timing belt. However, in order to understand what makes the timing belt so important and how we can prevent it from failing, we first need to learn a little bit about what it does and what we should expect from specific car models when it comes to life expectancy of the belt.

The timing belt serves a very important part when it comes to making your engine run. Namely, the timing belt is the belt that controls the camshafts in your engine and keeps the entire operation running smoothly. Note that timing belts are present in engines with overhead cams, and are essential to keep these cams turning at the right time in order to keep the engine running. Remember that a camshaft is the shaft that opens and loses the intake and exhaust valves in your engine, both letting air in to create combustion, and venting the exhaust that comes from those explosions. A timing belt must be properly calibrated in order to move in time with the motion of the pistons.

When it comes to engines, the two most important terms to remember when talking about timing belts are “interference” engines and “non-interference” engines. Interference engines have a very, very small amount of space between the valves and pistons, while non-interference engines tend to have a lot more room.

The different types of engines make a major difference when figuring out how bad a timing belt failure can be for your engine. In an interference engine, with little space between the valves and pistons, a slip or break in the belt can send a piston flying into an open valve. When this happens, it is similar to the engine self-destructing, as it will soon become nothing more than an unusable mess of metal. This is not to say, however, that a timing belt failure in a non-interference engine will not be damaging, as it can still cause a great deal of damage to many engine components. Generally speaking, however, a timing belt failure in a non-interference engine will not cripple the motor.

Regardless of what type of motor is present in your car, a failure in the timing belt will cause the engine to suddenly stop. This means that your car will suddenly stop running and you will not be able to get it started again. In all cases, this means calling a tow truck to come pick up your now non-running vehicle.

If all of this sounds like a nightmare, that’s because it can really urn out to be one. Luckily though, timing belt failure is somewhat easy to prevent, and although it may not be the cheapest or easiest operation in the world, it is definitely a better option that purchasing either a new car or a new engine.

Of course, checking to see when your timing belt was last changed is not always the easiest task either. If you have owned your car, and have ever had it replaced in the past, you should have the mileage written down as to when it was changed. If, though, you purchased your car used, there may be a sticker located under the hood of your car that gives the mileage of the last change. If you cannot find this sticker, than it may be better to have the belt changed, just to be on the safe side. If you have the owners manual for your vehicle, it should detail when the belt should be changed.

If you have trouble finding out when exactly the belt should be changed; you could consult either a local mechanic or contact a dealership for the exact number. A good general rule of thumb is that a timing belt should be changed every 60,000 to 75,000 miles, although some belts are designed to last up to 100,000 miles before requiring a change. Regardless though, it is best not to let a belt go more than 80,000 miles or so, even if the recommended change point is a lot higher. Changing your belt early is definitely a lot safer for your engine, and a little money out of pocket can save you a lot of money and a new car in the long run.

Remember, even though you may get your oil changed every 3,000 miles, and do all of your scheduled repair services, nothing can save you from a timing belt failure. Make sure to get your timing belt replaced regularly and by a certified mechanic. It can mean the different between a good running car and useless piece of metal.

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Timing Belt Problems – How to Solve Them

Are you facing timing belt problems? Well, this is a rather serious matter because your engine is largely dependent on the smooth running of the timing belt. The timing belt connects the crankshaft, the walls, the camshaft and the Pistons all together. So if one is “out of caliber” there is a chance that you might find yourself having an engine seizing at odd moments. That is because the synchronization which is timed to run in a very well coordinated motion has been disturbed. That is why you need to know all about timing belt problems and how they need to be solved immediately so that your engine does not break down right in the middle of the road.

One of the most common of timing belt problems is not replacing it in time. Your timing belt is going to face the normal wear and tear of any hard worked car component and is going to give way during the passage of time. So it is necessary to get the professionals are expert or mechanic to check out your timing belt problems and replace them whenever necessary. He is going to replace any damaged, cracked or badly worn timing belt.