Mishawaka Auto Repair

A customer had his car towed in because the Vehicle had Intermittent Starting Issues. We had to Diagnosis the Vehicle and found it had a GPS Tracking System that was faulty. GPS Tracking is an acronym:  Global Positioning System. It involves an organization of 24 satellites in orbit and Tools on the ground that can set up an individual or article's area on Earth with shocking accuracy. GPS Tracking tracks three separate informational indexes: situating, route, and timing.   From preventive maintenance to major repairs, Ricks Auto Service at 405 W. Jefferson Blvd. Call 574-255-4724, or visit online: https://ricksautoservice.org/ #RicksAutoService #MishawakaMechanic #MishawaAutoRepair #No Start #Alignment  

Why does my car vibrate when I drive? Unfortunately, a customer of ours hit a huge pot hole, and broke the control arm, that was an easy diagnosis. But your cars vibration can be your tires, wheels, brakes, steering suspension, axle or engine. That is why it is key to get your vehicle into the shop. We will talk about what a bad control arm can do. Signs of a bad control arm: Popping sound when going over bumps. Unstable Steering the vehicle will pull either right or the left. Affected driving performance when worn out the vehicle can vibrate while driving. Uneven tire wear the tire tread will show uneven wear. Control arms in a car are vital parts of the front suspension. If a control arm is worn out or damaged beyond what a car manufacturer considers acceptable, the vehicle is deemed unsafe to drive. 

" What is routine maintenance on my car?" "How often should my vehicle be washed?" or does my vehicle really need to be washed regularly?  Keeping your car looking sharp. It also helps with the resale value. General Maintenance. I know I am always talking about maintenance, but it also allows you to fine any thing that might be loose and fix it (headlights, mirrors antennas etc). Outside finish. Dirt dulls the finish, check out older models, the clear finish is worn off. Keeping the car clean protects the car from possible rust. Outside elements: moisture/dust/dirt/ rude birds which their poo is highly acidic which can eat away the clear coat and paint. Washing is the only way to remove road salt. Salt is more corrosive then dirt or bugs. The salt if not removed accelerates rust on the frame of your vehicle. Impacts visibility. Even a layer can impact how ... read more

What function does a timing  belt play? The timing belt connects the camshaft to the crankshaft and keeps the engine valves opening and closing in time with the movement of the pistons….Ok stop right there what is a cam- shaft/crankshaft and pistons…I asked A camshaft—this may still be Greek to you and me so here goes!!! The #camshaft is critical to the basic function of an #engine.  It has two distinct parts: the #cams  and the #shaft, the camshaft is the element that enables #valves to open. As the shaft rotates, the egg-shaped cams (or “lobes”) push the valves open in sync with the crankshaft gear. A Crankshaft is a shaft which transmits the power developed by the engine to various parts of the vehicle. As one website put it: the major link between the input and output of the vehic ... read more

PLEASE DON’T TRY TO BE IN  HURRY IN THIS WEATHER, that’s about the best travel advice I can give you. “What to do and not do when you are in a car accident?” If you are our driving today and tonight please be careful, there is a sheet of ice here and there on the road. So, even being careful you hit someone or someone hits you. “What Should you do?”   You should never drive away from the scene of the accident. Do drive it if you still can to the side of the road, if you can’t leave it for the tow truck. If you have flares use them (don’t do anything if you are hurt, wait for police or ambulance.). If you think someone needs medical help call 911. Call the Police, they can help with traffic, collect evidence, talk to witnesses, and file a report. If able take notes: draw map of accident scene, write down vehicle and property damage, get insurance information.—This maybe hard to do because if in an acci ... read more

BRRRRRRRRRRRRR it’s cold out there!! Your poor car has been sitting there overnight, in the cold your battery is far less effective, the oil is real thick. If your engine is cranking slowly, have your battery checked, especially if it is more than 3 years old. If you’ve been a long time customer here at Ricks Auto Service in Mishawaka, we have the history of your vehicles in our computer and can tell you that information. What happens if your battery is over 3 year old as it may have lost some of it’s original reserve capacity, if you aren’t sure we can test your battery. When you are getting the battery checked it’s not a bad idea to have your alternator and charging system looked at too. Make sure your battery terminals are clean and corroded and the cable look good too. Making sure your battery and charging system are both in optimum condition. Making sure you are using the right engine oil, using a low-viscosity oil such as SW ... read more

Let’s start the new year not only changing our personal habits, but how about our driving habits? I don’t know about you, but bad habits, or laziness sort of creeps on us. If you see yourself not doing any of these(I was guilty of a few), then make a change today. KEEP THE PHONE AWAY Texting or talking on your phone(we think it is multi-tasking!!) does lead to countless road accidents. From research, listening reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. Don’t be distracted. STICK TO THE SPEED LIMIT Stick to the speed limit, it safer and cheaper. It certain spots you can be fined heavily for going over the speed limit. SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE I think when we are rushing we tend to crowd the car in front of us. Leaving a 2-3 second gap between you and the driver in front of you, can keep us from rear-ending that driver, if they stop suddenly. TURN ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS WHEN NEEDED ... read more

“What is a Serpentine Belt?” “How does it work in my car?’ The serpentine belt looks like a long snake like winding belt, it keeps your alternator, power steeling pump, air conditioning and depending on your vehicle water pump running smoothly and effectively. The way rubber is made these days your belt should last between 50,000 to 100,000 miles. But from wear and tear and extreme weather it does need to be changed. If you fine it needs to be changed sooner it may be an underlying problem of possible Tensioner or Idler Arm problem. Signs of a failing Belt may be : Squealing or chirping noises:  The belt starts slipping, is when the chirp or squeal begins. When the noise starts usually the belt stretch, low belt tension, or the pulley and belt are not working together correctly. Give us a call at Ricks Auto Service here in Mishawaka. Cracks and wear: You can actually see the physical signs of failure, missing chunks ... read more

Oil Changes, every car needs to have one, from 3,000 to 10,000 miles-depending on your driving conditions. They need to be done 3-4 times a year, if you want to or not!! We help to make it painless, we offer a Oil Change Club, 4 oil changes for 79.99 or if you have a full-synthetic 139.99. Our trained mechanics take the time to completely check your car, keeping safety first, always. By finding the small problems today and taking care of it now you save $$$ sometimes even in the $1,000s.  For example, The most common issue in not changing your cars oil is that the engine runs less efficiently, and as time goes on, it can cause the engine components to warp and wear out....eventually when the oil is not changed, the engine will shut down and have to be replaced. #OilChange #Engine #Gifts #Maintenance

How much do brakes cost to replace? This is one of the most frequent questions that we receive from our customers when calling on the phone. Without first looking at your car and checking out what exactly the problem is, is really doing you, our customer a disservice. What your brother or neighbor needs done on their brakes may be different then what your car will need. If you called a doctor with an aching bum knee, you would expect to make an appointment and have him look at your knee. If he said just take two aspirins or we are doing a whole knee replacement without taking x-rays or even doing an MRI, you would be shocked. So, think of us as your car doctor, let us give your car a health assessment. We do an assessment on every oil change, we cover your belts, filters, check your fluids, brakes, tires, and much more than that. Let us keep your car healthy and you worry about your knees!!! #brakerepair #mechanic #autorepair #oilchange