Archive for August 2019A Not-So-Straight Story (Vehicle Pulls to One Side)Posted August 25, 2019 7:25 AMA vehicle should travel straight down a straight road with the steering wheel centered. But time and travel can take their toll and soon you may find your vehicle pulling to the left or right. Those are not good signs and should be taken care of fairly quickly. One thing that you should note is when this is happening: if it is all the time, only when you brake, only when you accelerate. If you describe these symptoms to the service adviser or technician, it may help them pinpoint the cause more quickly. Many things can cause a vehicle to pull to one side, one of which is that it's out of alignment. If so, you could be doing damage to other components of your vehicle if you keep driving with it this way. If your tires show signs of uneven wear on the treads or if your wheels squealing, that is another clue. Improperly inflated tires can also cause your vehicle to pull in one direction. Your service facility can check to see if your tires have the pressure recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer. When steering linkage wears out or a wheel bearing goes bad, both of those can cause a vehicle not to track straight. When components age and loosen up, they can present a safety hazard and premature tire wearing. Maybe you notice the pulling only when you are braking. That points to a failure of your braking system, perhaps a sticky brake caliper. When your vehicle was brand new, it went straight unless you guided it on a different path. It's best to have it checked out if it is showing some of these symptoms. It could save you money in the long run and you'll be driving a safer, better performing vehicle. That's what they mean by steering you right! Arizona Auto and Radiator Repair Should Sierra Vista Soccer Moms Follow the Severe Service Schedule?Posted August 18, 2019 11:04 AMSo you take your vehicle in for maintenance and the pro at Arizona Auto and Radiator Repair tells you that you ought to change your oil more often. What? You followed the maintenance schedule – but you take a second look at that “severe service” schedule and see some of the following:
One way to decide how often to maintain your vehicle is to picture a line. On one end, imagine ideal driving conditions: year-round moderate AZ temperatures, only freeway driving, all trips are longer than 4 miles/6.5 km and travel is always at a constant speed of 60 mph/97 kph. At the other end of the line, put the severe driving conditions. Now, stop and think about how you drive, where you live, where you go in AZ and what you plan to do with your vehicle in the near future. Consider honestly where your driving fits on the line. Arizona Auto and Radiator Repair E-85 Fuel Safety Advice from Arizona Auto and Radiator RepairPosted August 11, 2019 1:06 AM
Today at Arizona Auto and Radiator Repair we want to talk with you about a very important safety issue. This automotive safety warning is coming from a very unusual source: fire fighting experts. You've probably heard of E-85 gasoline being offered in the Sierra Vista area. Some newer vehicle models are specifically built to run on E-85 – the rest are not. Does your vehicle use E-85 gasoline? Bring it down to Arizona Auto and Radiator Repair at 1255 E FRY BLVD in Sierra Vista, AZ 85635, to find out, or give us a call to make an appointment by calling 520-459-2216. E-85 gasoline has been developed to fight air pollution and reduce oil consumption. E-85 fuel is a mix of 85% ethanol, a grain-base alcohol, and 15% gasoline. So-called Flex-Fuel vehicles are designed to use either normal gasoline or E-85 gas. The result is lower exhaust emissions to our local Sierra Vista community. Arizona Auto and Radiator Repair
When Metal Meets Metal (Wheel Bearings)Posted August 4, 2019 8:03 AMWhat part of your vehicle has little metal balls inside that are lubricated and allow you to cruise on down the road? They are wheel bearings, and automotive designers might argue they are human beings' second greatest invention of all time (the first is, of course, the wheel!). You have a wheel bearing at each wheel. They allow your wheels to turn freely, minimizing friction that would ordinarily slow you down when metal meets metal. When one of your wheel bearings starts to go bad, it lets you know. A wheel bearing does its work quietly when it's in good health but starts getting noisy when it isn't. People describe the noise differently. Sometimes it sounds like road noise, a pulsating, rhythmic, sound. That pulse speeds up when your vehicle speeds up. Here's what's happening when you hear that sound. As mentioned, the bearing has these little metal balls inside a ring. They have a lubricant inside to reduce friction between the balls; modern wheel bearings are sealed and they're intended to do their job without any maintenance. Wheel bearings take a beating; you hit some rough potholes or go over some uneven railroad tracks. Sometimes water can get into a bearing and reduce the ability of the lubricant to do its job. Time starts to take its toll, too. When the lubricant isn't reducing friction like it should, the bearing can heat up. One of those little balls can start shedding pieces of metal and soon those shards start grinding up the other balls. Friction takes over and soon your wheel isn't turning smoothly. That's what's causing the sound. If a wheel bearing is not fixed, it could eventually seize up completely, and you can be stranded. It's a lot easier if you heed the early warning signals, that pulsating noise. Now, sometimes a similar noise can be caused by a bad tire, but in either case, it's important to have it checked out. Our Arizona Auto and Radiator Repair technicians will be able to tell you fairly quickly what the problem is and offer a solution. Wheel bearings generally don't fail often and usually last from 85,000-100,000 miles/140,000km to 160,000km. But consider them a long-term maintenance item that, once fixed, will keep you heading smoothly to the next destination. Arizona Auto and Radiator Repair | ||
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