Mishawaka Auto Repair

Is an Oil Change worth it? Short answer Yes!! Without regular Oil Changes, the Oil can begin to gel or solidify in an Engine, turning into sludge which leads to serious damage to your Engine. Your Vehicles’ Engine consists of many moving parts which need to be consistently lubricated. When you don’t change the Oil, the Oil begins to deteriorate and won’t be able to protect the Engines components from friction leading to wear and damage. The Coolant system alone cannot cool the Engine. The Engines’ Oil can reach places the Coolant can’t. The Engine Oil cleans the inside of the Engine, removing small particles and debris. If the Oil is not regularly change, there is a build-up which can clog the Oil channels. Making the Engine work harder because of the thickened Oil. This can also cause more fuel to be used up. Doing Oil Changes regularly are way cheaper than an Engine that needs to be replaced. We use Mag1 Oil we find it to be excellent for your Engines&r ... read more

  Some tips to follow you keep your pets safe in this extreme weather. Never leave your pet in a car. Give your pet extra water. Protect your pet’s paws from hot surfaces. Don’t overdo outdoor exercise. Take extra care with older dogs and dogs with shorter noses. (risk of heatstroke) Apply pet-safe sunscreen to your dog. Don’t leave windows open while you’re pets are unattended. When in doubt, stay indoors

If your Vehicle has Disc brakes, slowing and stopping the car is what Brake Calipers do. The Brake Caliper is a support to your Brake Pads on the Rotor or is supports the Caliper Bracket. It also exerts pressure on the Brake Fluid with the Master Cylinder into friction with the Rotor. Or it works together to stop your car. The Calipers don’t need replacement as often as Brake Pads and Rotors. With that being said, if you let the Pads or the Rotors become warped the Calipers become damaged because they are no longer insulated by the Rotors and the heat does damage to the Pistons and can cause the Brake Fluid to be compromised. This can cause Brake Failure. Signs the Calipers: some of the early signs that a trained Technician looks for are corrosion, dirt buildup, leaks, reluctant guide pins. When we do an Oil Change part of that service is checking out your Brake System. Your Vehicle pulls to one side when braking, the Caliper could be seizing up. That was the problem our ... read more

Depends if you want better fuel economy. Read on: I’ve never heard of this part, looked it up it’s an Active Grille Shutter. The Shutters have been used as far back as the 1920’s, Rolls Royce-1929 and in the 1930’s Packards. They allowed aerodynamic drag reduction benefits. Which from ALL the material out there it basically comes down to it playing an important part in achieving Fuel consumption, the Shutters open and close automatically to control airflow, reducing Aerodynamic Drag, improving fuel efficiency. Since Fuel Efficiency is such a huge issue, Chryslers Dodge and Ram 1500 Pickups have the feature.  A number of models from Honda, Mazda and Toyota are beginning to have Active Grille Shutters too

 Is it worth it to replace an Engine? One of our clients had their Crankshaft go bad. They needed to have their Engine Replaced. Their Vehicle was in great shape very little rust on the body. They were also driving a Honda. My personal experience is that Hondas are reliable Vehicles. I drove mine for about 393,000, and it is still on the road. We sold it to a customer who needed a van to haul equipment.  If you buy a new-to-you-Vehicle you  inherit that Vehicles problems. Some of the questions we ask are: How long were you hoping to have this Vehicle? What is the Quality, Cost of Ownership, and Reliability, the customer had the money to buy a good Remanufactured Engine.     These Engines have been tested both by the company Jasper, and by our shop. Other cost factors to consider: Insurance and Registration fees on a new car are more expensive than an older Vehicle. A new Vehicle depreciates as soon as you drive off that lot

How do I know if my AFM Lifter is bad? With the Lifters the noise it creates in your Trucks’ Engine is clear. More of a tapping noise, if Lifters are bad, get over to an Automotive Repair Shop. The longer you go with bad Lifters the more damage happens with your Vehicle. However, there was no for-warning with this Engine, and it did damage not only to the Lifters but with the AFM and to the Engine itself. It is possible to catch this problem early, making sure the proper level of Oil for lubricating the Lifters is present. Without Oil the Lifters will suffer in function

The AFM (Active Fuel Management System) is a GM technology. This system allows half of the Engine’s Cylinders with freeway driving to improve the Fuel Economy. The system was designed to increase Fuel Economy but not reducing the performance of this large Engine. The V-8 Engines have the capability to tow and haul items, needing a powerful Engine to perform. With technology, it has the capability to switch off Cylinders when not going up a steep hill with a large load or needing more horsepower. The System is seamless in it’s ability to turn off or on these Cylinders.   However, as customers between 2007-2013 have noticed the excessive oil consumption issue lies with a defect in the 5.3-liter V8 engine. Somehow the AFM allows the Oil to get past the Pistons, so it enters the Combustion Chamber. It then burns out or hardens and cakes (as shown in the picture) in the Cylinders.  It is not something that is noticed, no blue smoke out the tailpipes, so Pistons a ... read more

How do I know if my Wheel Bearing needs replacing? Great question!!  Can you drive a car with a bad Wheel Bearing? It is not safe to drive with a bad Wheel Bearing. When you drive if one of the bearings are worn out it could cause the wheel to stop while driving. The Wheel of your Vehicle is not a simple part. For the Hub, Tire and assemblies to work well the Wheel Bearings are an integral part to the whole. The Wheel Bearing is a set of steel balls held in place by a metal ring. Which then fits into a Hub, fitting tightly inside, and ride on a metal Axle Shaft. The most common symptom is an audible one: you may hear a grinding or grating noise coming from your tire or wheel. The noise gets louder when you accelerate. The other symptom is a loose feeling r less responsive action from the steering. Another aspect with the Steering is that you may notice a pulling or veering to the right or left, not always the Wheel Bearing but a good possibility. Your Tires should be rotated regu ... read more

 When to change your Windshield Wipers Blades?  Windshield Wiper Blades are one of those products you don’t realize needs to be replaced until you are in a bad rainstorm and they make things worse. Here, at Ricks Auto Service, when you get your Oil changed we do a 50 point Inspection. Wiper Blades are part of that inspection. We will let you know how your Blades are. Changing them yourself is always a possibility. The recommended change is about every six months. Again with everything involved with your vehicle, it may also depend on your driving. If you drive in really rough terrain they may need to be changed sooner. If you also have very extreme heat and freezing weather that would be another factor to consider. You should change all three of your Wiper Blades(if you have a back Window Blade) at the same time. Another thing, is checking your Wiper Fluid at the same time. Having enough fluid is nice if you are driving where there are lots of bugs!  ... read more

When should Rotors be Replaced? Have you noticed a loud noise when braking? When brake the brake pads squeeze the rotor, thus stopping your vehicle. But when the Brake Pads are worn exposing metal it will grind down the Rotors. It may cause warping which when braking your vehicle may wiggle when braking. It is considered very dangerous when your Rotors get to this stage. Your braking becomes less effective. When your vehicle is in our shop we can to a free Brake assessment.  Here are some warning signals of bad brakes. As I said earlier noise when you brake. In the brake pads is a built-in metal tab, when the brakes wear to that point the noise, irritating isn’t it! You can still drive but it is best to have a Technician detect the source of the sound. Does the brake pedal feel different? You may notice that you have to press harder on the pedal. A Soft Pedal could be an indicator of worn pads and rotors. It could also be a problem with the ... read more