Auto Repair Jargon You Should Know

February 14th, 2019
Unless you consider yourself a car enthusiast, you may find yourself feeling a bit lost when having conversations with your mechanic. At times, it can feel like you are speaking to someone using a different language with words like “grease monkey,” “kickdown,” and “oversquare” whizzing past your head like dodgeballs. Hopefully, this list of common auto repair terms will help your next conversation with your mechanic go a bit more seamlessly:Auto Mechanic Terms
 
  • Aftermarket – This term applies to parts which are not made by the original manufacturer. The best aftermarket parts will meet or exceed the quality of the original parts in your vehicle.
  • Hesitation – “Hesitation” refers to the lack of response which occurs when you first accele ...[more]
  Posted in: Auto Repair 101

Things To Look For When Buying a Used Car

September 15th, 2016
Buying a used car is somewhat less of a crapshoot than it was at one time. You can get detailed information on a vehicle's history via the CARFAX report, and a Car for saletechnician can use onboard diagnostics to get a good picture of what's going on under the hood and what problems might be coming up. 
 
It's always a good idea to get a mechanic to look over any prospective purchase, but there are things you can get a look at yourself before you spend the money for a professional inspection. These are things which will give you a pretty good idea of the kind of use and maintenance a vehicle has seen before you got it. 
 
-- Put your head against a fender and sight down the side of the vehicle with one eye. Look out for ripples or ...[more]
  Tags: auto service, mechanic
  Posted in: Auto Repair 101

Questions You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Ask Your Auto Repair Tech

March 17th, 2016

Often, drivers are mystified by how their cars actually work. It’s to be expected. Even an older car is a complex machine with many sub-assemblies that all work together to move it down the road.Car questions? Ask them!

As a result, drivers tend to be a little intimidated by auto repair and often tend to not inform themselves by asking the necessary questions of a tech or a garage. Too often, that ends up being a big mistake. Here are some examples of the kinds of things you really should know before any auto repair work starts:

  • Does your shop work on any kind of vehicle? Of course, most shops can service a product from GM, Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota and the other leading makes. Some makes, however, require a lot more training and experience, o ...[more]
  Posted in: Auto Repair 101

Mark Auto Repair off Your Back-To-School To-Do List

August 27th, 2015
The kids are going to be headed off to school again before you know it, and then of course, the holidays will start coming one after another between Labor Day and the end of the year. There’s a lot to stay on top of, and auto repair should be one less thing for you, the grownup, to worry about as the year marches on. Here are some suggestions for things you might want to take care of before it all starts rolling again: 
 
• Oil Change – Can’t remember the date of your last oil change? Then it might be a good idea to go ahead and set up another one. Dirty motor oil is so loaded with carbon and other contaminants it will begin to form sludgy carbon deposits on internal engine assemblies and moving parts. 
  Posted in: Auto Repair 101