One of the most common reasons that the check engine light may come on is because your gas cap isn’t on tight enough. There is a sensor that will measure how much pressure there is in your gas tank, and the alarm will go off if the pressure is low. You might just be able to tighten your gas cap and get the Check Engine light to go off.

In some cases, a check engine light problem can indicate that your spark plug wires have gone bad. Usually replaced during a tune-up, your spark plug wires can get small cracks which will let out small bursts of electricity. Since the electricity didn’t go to the spark plug like it should have, the engine will have a slight misfire. You can check your spark plug wires to see if they have any holes or cracks. These are most likely to appear at the ends of your spark plug wires.

Ultimately, the best bet is to take the time to bring your vehicle in to your Lehigh Valley Honda, Hyundai, Acura, and Suzuki dealer to have it analyzed. If there is a more serious problem, early detection can mean the difference in thousands of dollars on repair costs.

Here are some tips for getting the most from your automotive service facility:

Know your Vehicle

Before you take your vehicle in for service, do some research. Know what kinds of regular service your vehicle needs, and when. Know what the warning signs are for when your vehicle may be having trouble, and be ready for them.

Know your options

Getting the best service for your vehicle means knowing what your available options for service are. The phone book is probably the worst place to find a repair shop, however. Instead, check with people you know and trust. Ask them about their experiences, and see if they have any service recommendations.

Know the shop

Once you’ve got a repair or service shop in mind, do some investigating. Check with your local consumer organization, such as a Better Business Bureau, about the shop’s reputation or about any complaints that consumers have made against the shop.
In addition, you’ll want to visit the shop ahead of time. Look for a modern facility. Check to see if the staff seem knowledgeable and organized. Ask if they typically work on your type of vehicle. If you have a specific service need, ask if they work on that type of problem regularly.

Test the waters

If at all possible, start building your relationship with the auto repair shop with a minor maintenance need or repair. If you are happy with the work they do, then bring your vehicle back in the future for more complex needs.

Follow up

After the service is performed, keep all of your paperwork. If there is a problem with the service, give the shop the chance to make it right. A quality repair shop will do their best to make sure you’re satisfied.  For more about service on your vehicle, come talk to us. We’re your local Lehigh Valley Honda, Acura, Hyundai, and Suzuki dealer and we can help you get the service you need.

So what can happen if your tire tread is too thin? That depends a great deal on the time of year and the road conditions. If you are driving in the rain, low tread could cause you hydroplane and lose control of your vehicle. Snow and ice could cause sliding. Hot pavement or asphalt could wear the tires down faster and cause a blow out.

In most states, a tire is considered unsafe for driving if the tread is less than 2/32″ deep. That’s why a penny is a great field expedient method of measuring tire tread depth.

To measure the depth of your tire tread, place the penny in a groove of your tire and if Lincoln’s head is covered you have more than 2/32″ of tire tread. Do this in several grooves around your tire at about 15 inch intervals.

If you check the tire tread depth using the back of a penny, look to see if the Lincoln Memorial is covered. If so then you have more than 6/32″ of tire tread left. On a quarter, if Washington’s head is covered then you have more than 4/32″ of tread.

The purpose for tire tread is to give you traction in the proper road conditions. If snow is a condition where you live then you need to make sure that you have at least 6/32″ of tire tread so that the tread can compress the snow between the grooves. This is what gives your vehicle the traction it needs for driving mobility.

For rainy conditions, you should make sure that your tire tread is at least 4/32″ deep. Unlike snow, water doesn’t “grip” so any less than 4/32″ of depth can lead to hydroplaning and unsafe driving. If your tire tread depth gets down to 2/32″ deep then you are in critical need of new tires.

Understand the repairs
If you do not understand the repairs being done to your vehicle, do not stop asking questions until you do understand. Ask the service manager to explain why the repairs are needed and ask for explanations in simple, everyday terms. A good service repair manager will be able to take the time to explain the reasons in terms you can understand.

Prioritize
Auto repair shops are a business. When they look at your car, they will find many things that could need to be repaired in the future. However, you should prioritize the repairs. The repairs should be in categories like “must be done now,” “should be done soon” and “may be done, but it is not critical.” If you can only afford the repairs that must be done right away, ask that those repairs get done and bring your car back when you have money for the next category. It is your decision to approve the repairs so do not just approve everything just because it “should” be done unless you have the money to fix it at the time.

Get it in writing
This may seem like a no-brainer, but get detailed estimates in writing so you know exactly how much you will be paying for the repairs. Also, get any warranties in writing in case something goes wrong after leaving the shop. This helps avoid confusion and other problems in the future.

The thermostat is what regulates your engine’s temperature through the flow of antifreeze/coolant to the radiator. It is just a small part that is typically positioned between the engine and the radiator. When you start your used car, the engine begins warming up and the thermostat remains closed. Once the engine reaches a certain temperature, the thermostat opens and engine coolant begins flowing to the radiator to help prevent the engine from getting too hot.

Unfortunately, most people do not even think about the thermostat on their used cars until it malfunctions and causes damage to the engine. It is important to get the thermostat checked on a regular basis just to make sure it is in proper working condition. Some auto experts even suggest getting it changed every couple years simply to prevent any major problems. Since it is a small part and fairly inexpensive, this isn’t such a bad idea.

Bad thermostats can create a variety of problems that can lead to costly repairs. Malfunctioning thermostats can hurt your fuel economy, cause knocking in your engine and even cause your engine to overheat. If it overheats too much, you could blow a gasket and end up needing to replace the entire engine.

Keep an eye on the thermostat in your used cars. You don’t want to find out what this important car part does the hard way.