Posted on 12/29/2020
With use, tires wear out. This is a normal process as the tread becomes shallower and overall performance starts to change However, irregular tread wear can occur for a variety of reasons. This can lead to having to replace your tires sooner than expected, costing you a handsome chunk of change Regular checking the tread depth and wear condition on each of your tires will let you know when it's time for a rotation and detect other potential maintenance requirements to get the most out of your vehicle If your tires could use some attention, it's time to pay a visit to tire experts like Frank's Servicenter. In this article, we're talking you through why it's so important to be aware of your tire wear so that you can go forth on the road confidently! Tire Wear: Why it Matters Improper tread depth on your tires can lead to unsafe driving conditions. Not only does this put you at risk, but those around you as well Most states have a ... read more
Posted on 12/22/2020
What is a Wheel Cylinder? The wheel cylinder is the hydraulic component that actuates the brake shoes in a drum brake assembly. Hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder pushes the pistons outward moving the semi-circular brake shoe in contact with the brake drum. This contact creates the friction that slows your vehicle. Wheel cylinders are only used in drum brake equipped vehicles and therefore are becoming less commonplace. The most common failure of a wheel cylinder is leakage. Over time the wheel cylinder piston seals will deteriorate and begin to allow fluid to pass. To check for wheel cylinder leakage the dust boot is opened to inspect. As seen in the figure the red arrow points to fluid that has bypassed the seal and filled in behind the dust boot. This wheel cylinder will require replacement. After the new cylinder is installed the braking system will be refilled and the air removed through the bleeding procedure. A wheel cylinder replacement is the perfect time to service t ... read more
Posted on 12/14/2020
How do I check my cars engine oil? And How do I know if my car is low on oil? Well first warm the car up and park on a flat and level surface. Shut the car off and open the hood by pulling the release lever(generally located at the drivers left knee area). Secure the hood in the raised position. Locate the Engine Oil Dipstick, frequently a yellow ring shaped handle. Remove the dipstick and wipe off the motor oil with a clean towel. Fully reinsert the dipstick and remove to read the current level. Dipsticks all have a range indicated by a hole, crosshatched area or notches. Ideally the oil should be a translucent brown syrup color and filled to the upper hole closest to the handle. The lower hole indicates that you are at the lowest safe operating zone and the motor oil should be immediately topped off and/or completely changed. Remember that the motor oil is the lifeblood of your Engine and a lack of lubrication can be extremely costly. Better to be safe than Sorry
Posted on 12/8/2020
Searching for that perfect gift for the car nut, new driver, or just that guy who already has everything on your list? Check out our list of the 10 best car accessories that fit under the tree this year: A car cleaning kit for the DIY type: Bucket, Soap, Microfiber towels, upholstery cleaner Gift certificates for car wash and detail for the DIFM (Do It For Me) type! Portable car vacuum (remember the "DustBuster"!!) Amazon Echo Auto, bring Alexa on your road trips! Tile Pro Bluetooth Tracker, never lose your keys again! Car driving experience, there are options to drive Nascar style stock cars, open wheel cars and production cars Dashboard mounted camera, you can never be too careful All Weather floor mats Emergency prep kit: Jumper cables, gloves, first aid kit Phone Holder to keep your hands on the wheel
Posted on 12/4/2020
Let's face it, unfortunately car repairs can be expensive. So when can you utilize car insurance to lessen in the burden? We recently had a Cadillac SRX sport utility vehicle in for a headlight concern. This particular model of Cadillac is equipped with a High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamp system. Diagnosis of the lighting system revealed that the HID ballast had failed and would be quite an expensive repair. After further interviewing the client it turns out that while driving an object struck the headlamp and caused the failure. Since it turns out that the HID failure was a result of accidental road damage we were able advise the client to contact his insurance carrier. Happily the insurance company was able to provide the needed coverage and the client was able to utilize the coverage for repairs and not pay out of pocket. Our advisors are here to serve you and assist however we can. Whether you have an extended warranty or an insurance claim our seasoned advisors can guide you to ... read more
Posted on 11/30/2020
In the course of 2020 we have all seen some crazy things that we could have never imagined. So, what if something goes wrong after your vehicle is serviced? While we take every precaution possible inevitably something could still go wrong. In the unfortunate event that you should have an issue with any work performed we cover all repairs and services with a 2 Year and 24,000 mile Nationwide warranty. Some products and services have even more coverage than that! I'm sure that you are not surprised that a local family business takes warranty issues extremely seriously, but you may be wondering how this service can be extended across the nation for you next road trip? We have partnered with a Nationwide network to make sure that you have the peace of mind that coverage is always available in the unlikely event that you should have a failure. Should you ever experience an issue reach out to us immediately and we will work to resolve any issue and or concerns straight away. No one likes to ... read more
Posted on 11/19/2020
What the heck is a Control Arm? You have your car in for a concern that it is pulling to the side when braking. You are informed that you need a new "Control Arm"! But what is that anyway? Control arms are an integral portion of independent suspension. These arms are generally made of iron or aluminum and a wishbone or triangle shape. Depending on the type of suspension system your car may have one or more control arms at each wheel. The metal arm has a combination of bushings and/or ball joints connecting to the adjacent suspension components. What goes wrong with a Control Arm? Outside of accident damage and rot the metal portion of the arm can last an extremely long amount of time. The failure on modern control arms is the joints and bushings that are attaching the arms to the suspension. In some cases we can save some expense by replacing just the end components. Your service advisor can direct you based on your particular situation and vehicle. The pulling describ ... read more
Posted on 11/18/2020
There is some kind of funny warning light on my dashboard!?! The tire warning indicator on your vehicle may look like the clam shell pictured or may even be a message that says "check tire pressure". Realistically not many people actually have their own tire pressure gauge. Those quarter operated air pressure machines seem to be disappearing and never seem to work when you need them! So now what? The first thing is to not panic! Tire pressure warning systems are very sensitive and generally the indicator is on for a tire that is low on pressure and not actually flat. Start off by pulling over and just looking closely at each of your tires to see if they might be visibly sagging from low air pressure. If there are no obvious signs of a visibly low tire carefully proceed to the nearest place to have the tire properly inflated and inspected by a mechanic. If you want to work on the issue yourself here's how: Start off by inflating the tire to the proper p ... read more
Posted on 11/13/2020
So you are unlucky to find out your car didn't start. After having the road service come and getting your car to the repair shop you find out that the Alternator is bad. But what does the Alternator have to do with the car starting anyway? The alternator is an imperative component to the operation of your vehicle. Think of the alternator as the automotive equivalent of that little white box that your cell plugs into…… Lets start off with what an alternator does for you. The basic function of an alternator is to take mechanical energy (from your running engine) and turn that into Alternating Current Electrical Energy (to power all of the electronics). The mechanical energy is transferred to the alternator through a drive belt. This drive belt is connected to a rotor through a pulley. The rotation of this rotor within a stator produces Alternating Current Electricity. You may remember from high School science that alternating current (AC) is what is typically used in homes ... read more
Posted on 11/11/2020
We know, getting your car repaired is right up there with going to see the dentist! Well really it is actually much better than the dentist, but anyway. None of us budget the time or finances to take care of our main mode of transportation. But for today lets concentrate on the time factor. Time is the worlds most limited resource, especially if your responsible for kids, pets, homework, parents, friends, etc. The list of responsibilities goes on forever. Automotive repair is not something that can be rushed. After all when your rushing to the next kid pick-up/drop off do you really want to get a surprise car problem!!?? The best advice that we can give to assist in this battle for more time is to plan ahead. Frank's Servicenter offers a free shuttle service to get you to work or back home. If you desire even more flexibility we also offer free loaner cars for your use while your car is in for service. To reserve a loaner car or for more details ... read more