Mishawaka Auto Repair

Heed the Warning Signs. Your vehicle has a way of communicating trouble that will come your way. The dashboard has many many Warning Lights, such as check engine light, telling you that key vehicle systems need to be inspected as soon as possible. PAY ATTENTION, to any new or unusual vehicle sounds such as hissing, squealing, thumping or grinding as they do indicate a problem. What about smells? Such as burnt rubber, hot oil, gasoline, rotten eggs, burning carpet or sweet smell of syrup usually indicate a serious problem

Regular Maintenance is Key. Keeping your Vehicle on a regular Service Schedule is key to the cars longevity. Keeping fluid and filters changed or flushed, tire checks and other routine maintenance up to date continues to keep your car running well. As your car ages, some of the car parts and components do wear our or become damaged, so the smart investment is to replace these normal wear items before long-term damage happens. We send out by email or post card free custom service schedules for your vehicle

Auto Care: An easy resolution that makes sense. Caring for your current vehicle is an easy New Year’s resolution to keep. With our new Reports, we let you know what needs to be done on your vehicle and when. We will email, if no email, send a post card, to let you know what needs to be done. I know the Holiday Season is hard on your budget, but Auto Care makes financial sense, protecting the trade-in value and postponing the sting of new car prices. A new passenger vehicle has risen in price to nearly $34,000 according to Kelley Blue Book, the average vehicle age is 11.6 years. The good news is that today’s vehicles are lasting longer than ever before, by following three simple auto care tips: Regular Maintenance is Key Heed the Warning Signs Keep it Clean We will go into depth to let you know what each Auto Care Tip means for you

What is a Cabin Filter and why should I change it? Changing your Cabin Air Filter before winter sets in is important, that filter has been working hard all fall, summer & spring. The cabin air filter cleans the incoming air and removes allergens. It should be changed every 12,000 to 15,000 miles(check your owner’s manual). The filter helps to trap the pollen, bacteria, dust and exhaust gases that try to find their way in the air & hating conditioning and ventilation systems. Bring your vehicle to Ricks Auto Service here in Mishawaka IN

What is Tire Alignment? What it does for you is to help your tires perform properly and help them to last longer. It also improves your handling and keeping your vehicle from pulling in a particular direction or vibrating weirdly on the road. An adjustment to your vehicle’s suspension is alignment, it’s the system that connects a vehicle to your wheels. To properly align your car adjusting the angles of the tires which affects how they make contact with the road. How to tell? If your notice any of the following Uneven tread wear Vehicle pulling to the left or right Your steering wheel is off center when driving straight Steering wheel vibration A technician is concerned with 3 things: Camber—inward or outward angle of the fire when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Toe-toe alighnment is the extent to which your tires turn inward or outward when viewed from above. Caster-your caster angle helps balance steering, stability and cornering

DON’T IGNORE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE!!! Regular maintenance is one of the single things you can do as a car owner, keeping your car in tune can do the line save you money on costly repairs. Preventive Maintenance is like getting regular checkups with the doctor, it keeps you healthy and happy, same goes for your car. Catching anything serious before it becomes a major problem! Come by Ricks Auto Service here in Mishawaka IN, we can get you in out and on your way, can’t wait? Don’t forget to ask for one of our free loaners. Here is a list of items on your list, this is in no way the total list. Alignment, Cabin Air Filter, Cooling System Differential Service, Engine Air Filter, Fuel System, Oil Change, Power Brakes, Serpentine Belt, Spark Plugs, Steering, Timing Belt, Tire Rotation & Balancing, Transfer Case Service, Transmission, Windshield Wipers to name a few, will go in depth about each item

Thinking of buying a used car? Please get it checked out, you need to know what needs the car has, and are you paying a fair price for the work to be done. We at RIcks Auto Service, do a new to you car inspection. Come in and get peace of mind,  know what you are buying. #used car #maintenance

  Cars do last longer if you keep them well Maintained. I know that I share a lot about this item, but it’s true. Trucks and cars are made to go 300-400 thousand miles today. We have a new system, that will email you your vehicles’ needs. You can go online or on your phone and set-up an appointment. Can’t wait around, we have free loaner cars, and a handy key-drop box at the front of the shop. Keeping your vehicle well maintained, not only is smart, but will save you money in the long run

  Some things I do when driving in Ice or Snow:     I but a bag of sand or kitty litter, it adds weight but if I get stuck you can put some under the wheel. You get better traction if you get stuck on ice.     If stranded and you need to stay in your car, if running the heat make sure the exhaust pipe is not obstructed by snow or mud. If you don’t want to have the engine running the whole time, keep windows shut to keep heat in, and run the car every hour(depending on how cold it is outside) cracking open a front window when you do that.     If in a parking garage opt for an indoor spot when available, or away from the outside spots.