AUTONET TV
Archive for June 2024A Bright Spark (Ignition Coil Replacement)Posted June 30, 2024 4:01 AMEver wonder how your vehicle’s engine is able to take the 12-volts from its battery and ramp that up to as high as the tens of thousands of volts it takes to fire its spark plugs? The secret is something called an ignition coil. Most newer vehicles have an ignition coil at each cylinder, but older ones have a coil that serves all of the spark plugs. There are telltale signs that you have an ignition coil problem. As you might expect, one symptom is it’s hard to start your engine or it won’t start at all. If your engine is misfiring or not running smoothly or you see the Check Engine light come on, those all could point to an ignition coil failure. Several things can contribute to ignition coil trouble in addition to normal wear and tear. Moisture and dirt may have gotten inside the coil, plus the heat and vibration of your engine over time can contribute to them going bad. Bad spark plugs or plug wires can also be a cause. While ignition coils can last 100,000 miles/160,000 km, depending on how you drive and in what conditions. If you start noticing some of the signs and symptoms just described, it’s a good idea to schedule a visit to see us so a technician can diagnose what’s wrong. Driving too long with an engine misfiring can damage your catalytic converter, and that can be expensive to replace. A technician will thoroughly check your ignition system and determine where the failure is. If it’s only one coil that’s bad, it may be the only thing that will need replacing. If your vehicle has a distributor, it may also need to be replaced. Properly-working ignition coils will help your vehicle operate at its best and help prevent future engine damage. AutoChoice Service Center Inc. Command Performance (Engine Air Filter)Posted June 23, 2024 4:01 AMThe internal combustion engine in your vehicle counts on two things that mix together to be burned in the engine for power: fuel and air. Both are important, of course. If you run out of fuel, your engine won’t run at all. Since there’s plenty of air around, you won’t run out of air, but you could feel your vehicle’s performance suffer if the engine air filter starts to get clogged. It's important that the air that enters your engine be free of dirt, dust, and debris to prevent damage to internal components. That’s where the engine air filter comes in. It prevents those particles from entering the engine, an important job that most people just take for granted. After a while, your air filter will get dirty, which results in less air reaching the engine. Modern fuel injected engines can adjust the amount of gas to mix with the air that is getting in, so your fuel economy won’t change significantly. What will change is how well the engine performs, its acceleration. In one test, a US Department of Energy study showed that a dirty air filter reduced a vehicle’s get-up-and-go by as much as 11 percent. The company that made your vehicle includes guidelines in your owner’s manual on how frequently that filter should be changed, and doing so will maintain your engine’s performance. If you drive in dusty, dirty areas or those with a lot of industrial pollution, we recommend you replace the engine air filter more frequently than the manufacturer’s recommendations. When you bring your vehicle to us for regular maintenance, we will routinely check several components, including your engine air filter, and recommend a change when we see signs it’s needed. It’s good for your engine, and you’ll enjoy the performance you expect. AutoChoice Service Center Inc. Do I Need Brake Service? (Brake Service)Posted June 16, 2024 4:01 AMThink of how many times you put your foot on your vehicle’s brake pedal every day. And think of how much you rely on your brakes to slow down and stop your momentum. When it comes to safety systems, your brakes are at the top of the list, and that’s why it’s so important to keep them in top condition. Brakes are something you make sure you keep maintained before they start showing signs of problems. Some of those signs are a grinding sound when you step on the brake pedal, your vehicle pulling to one side when you brake, you don’t feel your brakes stopping you as quickly as they used to, or you notice the brake light is illuminated on your instrument panel. We ask a lot of our brakes. They have to work no matter how hot or cold it is outside. That means whether it’s sunny, snowing, raining, or icy; you’re traveling at highway speeds or school-zone speeds; or when suddenly you find yourself trying to avoid hitting another vehicle, animal, person, or obstacle in the road. They have to work on smooth or rough pavement. When you bring your vehicle in to us for brake service, we will first inspect your brakes and all the parts in the system. Our technician will closely check all the components for wear, deterioration, and corrosion. We’ll check fluids, bushings, seals, and other components and make recommendations for what should be replaced or repaired to keep the system in top condition. We’ll recommend quality parts that meet your vehicle manufacturer’s specifications. We want to make sure your vehicle’s brakes are doing for you what they are designed to do. Your safety—and the safety of all the people around you—is at stake when it comes to your brakes. AutoChoice Service Center Inc. A Clean Connection (Battery Cleaning)Posted June 9, 2024 4:01 AMA clean connection is a wonderful thing. Think of a good cell phone signal or an airline connection with ample time and short distance to the next gate. Good connections are also important for your vehicle’s battery, and one secret to that is to make sure it’s periodically cleaned. If it’s been a while since you have had any service to your battery, bring it in so we can inspect it for any corrosion that might have formed. Corrosion on the battery terminals will affect the connection between the battery and your vehicle’s electrical system. The amount of corrosion you can expect can be influenced by such things as the kind of climate you live in (dry or humid, warm or cold), if there’s lots of salt on the roads and how old your battery is. We have tools and chemicals to safely remove the corrosion for an optimal electrical connection. In order to reduce the amount of corrosion re-forming on the battery, we’ll apply a special protective coating. It’s also important to have your battery tested, especially if it’s more than a few years old or hasn’t been tested in a while. Our equipment can measure how well a battery holds a charge and how much more life you should expect from it. We can discuss when you might expect to buy a new one, since a battery is definitely the kind of thing you don’t want to have fail you when you’re least expecting it. AutoChoice Service Center Inc. The ?Man-Made? Engine Oil (Synthetic Oil Change)Posted June 2, 2024 4:01 AMIf you own a newer vehicle, your vehicle’s manufacturer may require that it use synthetic oil instead of conventional oil. Synthetic oils are more stable, don’t break down as easily, and provide better engine protection than conventional oil. All those things can prolong the life of your engine and help it run better. Imagine the damage that could happen to your engine as it operates at high speeds and very hot temperatures. Oil reduces the friction between the metal parts. That’s why it’s important that it maintains its lubricating properties for a long time, which synthetic oil does better than conventional oil. Clean oil is better than dirty oil because it has fewer impurities. Synthetic oil is purer because of how it’s formulated and manufactured. Plus, as the outside temperatures change, the ability of oil to operate in those conditions is important. It’s not only newer vehicles that can benefit from synthetic oil. If you have an older vehicle, synthetic oil may offer superior lubricating than conventional. Our technicians can advise you what’s the best oil for your vehicle and how often you need to change it, which may vary from the owner’s manual recommendations. You might find you’re able to change your oil less frequently than you used to with conventional oil. Yes, synthetic oil is more expensive than conventional, so let us help you decide whether its advantages are worth the difference in price. AutoChoice Service Center Inc. | ||
SearchArchiveDecember 2009 (4)January 2010 (2) February 2010 (4) March 2010 (4) April 2010 (4) May 2010 (3) June 2010 (1) July 2010 (3) August 2010 (5) September 2010 (2) October 2010 (3) November 2010 (4) December 2010 (5) January 2011 (4) February 2011 (4) March 2011 (5) April 2011 (4) May 2011 (4) June 2011 (2) August 2011 (4) September 2011 (3) October 2011 (1) December 2011 (4) February 2012 (1) March 2012 (5) April 2012 (4) May 2012 (1) June 2012 (3) July 2012 (1) August 2012 (1) November 2012 (1) December 2012 (2) March 2013 (1) April 2013 (3) May 2013 (2) October 2013 (5) November 2013 (2) January 2014 (2) February 2014 (4) March 2014 (1) July 2014 (4) August 2014 (7) September 2014 (4) October 2014 (5) November 2014 (4) December 2014 (5) January 2015 (4) February 2015 (4) March 2015 (4) April 2015 (4) May 2015 (2) June 2015 (6) July 2015 (2) September 2015 (3) October 2015 (3) November 2015 (5) December 2015 (1) March 2016 (5) April 2016 (4) May 2016 (5) June 2016 (4) July 2016 (4) August 2016 (5) September 2016 (4) October 2016 (5) November 2016 (4) December 2016 (4) January 2017 (5) February 2017 (4) March 2017 (4) April 2017 (4) May 2017 (4) June 2017 (4) July 2017 (5) August 2017 (3) September 2017 (3) October 2017 (5) November 2017 (4) December 2017 (3) January 2018 (5) February 2018 (4) March 2018 (4) April 2018 (5) May 2018 (4) June 2018 (4) July 2018 (5) August 2018 (4) September 2018 (5) October 2018 (4) November 2018 (4) December 2018 (5) January 2019 (5) February 2019 (4) March 2019 (5) April 2019 (4) May 2019 (4) June 2019 (5) July 2019 (4) August 2019 (4) September 2019 (5) October 2019 (4) November 2019 (4) December 2019 (5) January 2020 (5) February 2020 (4) March 2020 (5) April 2020 (4) May 2020 (5) June 2020 (4) July 2020 (2) August 2020 (5) September 2020 (4) October 2020 (4) November 2020 (5) December 2020 (4) January 2021 (6) February 2021 (4) March 2021 (4) April 2021 (4) May 2021 (5) June 2021 (4) July 2021 (4) August 2021 (4) September 2021 (4) October 2021 (5) November 2021 (4) December 2021 (4) January 2022 (6) February 2022 (4) March 2022 (4) April 2022 (4) May 2022 (5) June 2022 (4) July 2022 (5) August 2022 (4) September 2022 (4) October 2022 (5) November 2022 (4) December 2022 (4) January 2023 (5) February 2023 (4) March 2023 (4) April 2023 (5) May 2023 (4) June 2023 (4) July 2023 (5) August 2023 (4) September 2023 (3) October 2023 (1) January 2024 (1) February 2024 (4) April 2024 (1) May 2024 (4) June 2024 (5) July 2024 (4) August 2024 (4) September 2024 (1) | CategoriesParts (6)Automotive News (7)Service Standards (12)Maintenance (46)Fuel System (44)Transmission (11)Tires and Wheels (36)Monitoring System (3)Dashboard (3)Steering (16)Battery (19)Service Intervals (9)Brakes (22)Cabin Air Filter (7)Drive Train (9)Fluids (15)Shocks & Struts (7)Inspection (10)Headlamps (6)Timing Belt (7)Windshield Wipers (9)Check Engine Light (6)Alignment (17)Cooling System (19)Air Conditioning (16)Differential Service (4)Diagnostics (5)Fuel Economy (11)Safety (5)Engine Air Filter (3)Exhaust (11)Keys to a long lasting vehicle (4)Diesel Maintenance (1)Suspension (4)Serpentine Belt (6)Emergency Items (1)Alternator (6)Winter Prep (7)Older Vehicles (3)Fuel Saving Tip: Slow Down (2)Auto Safety (6)Trip Inspection (3)What Customers Should Know (83)Tire Rotation and Balancing (3)Wheel Bearings (1)Oil Change (8)Safe Driving (1)Customer Detective Work (1)Tires (11)Spark Plugs (2)Water Pump (2)Winter Tires (1)TPMS (3)Transfer Case Service (1)Brake Service (5)PCV Valve (1)Fuel Pump (1)Shocks and Struts (2)Fuel Filter (1) |
Reviews
These guys rock! Thought my front brakes were going, turns out the rear brakes only needed cleaning. Saved me almost $400 & there's no more squeaking! Tim Mitchell, 08/15/2024 |
Had an alternator replaced. They squeezed me in and prices were very reasonable and they had a quick turnaround. Great shop and I reccomened them. James Caum, 07/02/2024 |
Autochoice is the best and do they ever go the extra distance! Today they carefully extracted a 4’ rat snake from inside my dash. Then they extracted a huge mouse nest the snake was feeding from, then they replaced the washer hose that the mice had chewed, leaving my washer jets nonfunctioning. All with lots of good humor and a reasonable cost. April Sievert, 05/22/2024 |