AUTONET TV

The ?Man-Made? Engine Oil (Synthetic Oil Change)

If you own a newer vehicle, your vehicle’s manufacturer may require that it use synthetic oil instead of conventional oil.  Synthetic oils are more stable, don’t break down as easily, and provide better engine protection than conventional oil. All those things can prolong the life of your engine and help it run better.

Imagine the damage that could happen to your engine as it operates at high speeds and very hot temperatures.  Oil reduces the friction between the metal parts.  That’s why it’s important that it maintains its lubricating properties for a long time, which synthetic oil does better than conventional oil.  

Clean oil is better than dirty oil because it has fewer impurities.  Synthetic oil is purer because of how it’s formulated and manufactured.  Plus, as the outside temperatures change, the ability of oil to operate in those conditions is important.  
For example, the colder it gets, it’s important for oil to flow easily to retain its lubricating properties. How thick a fluid is changes in different temperatures, and that thickness is known as viscosity, Synthetic oils are better at maintaining their viscosity throughout temperature changes. 

It’s not only newer vehicles that can benefit from synthetic oil.  If you have an older vehicle, synthetic oil may offer superior lubricating than conventional.  Our technicians can advise you what’s the best oil for your vehicle and how often you need to change it, which may vary from the owner’s manual recommendations.  You might find you’re able to change your oil less frequently than you used to with conventional oil.  

Yes, synthetic oil is more expensive than conventional, so let us help you decide whether its advantages are worth the difference in price.  

Triple A Automotive
972 Barstow Suite B
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 299-9300
http://www.tripleaautomotive.com

Road Trip? Check! (Trip Inspection)

After months of postponing travel far away from home, a lot of us can't wait to hit the road and scream "Road Trip!" again.  But how long has it been since the vehicle you're planning on taking has had a thorough inspection? And is it roadworthy for several days on the highway? Time to schedule a professional trip inspection in our service center. 

When it comes to long trips, before you go, make sure you can stop.  We can perform a break inspection.  Our technician will visually inspect your brakes for wear and how much life is left in the brake pads and rotors.  They'll also check your brake lines and fluids for fitness and fill.

If it's going to be a long trip, it's important that your engine stays lubricated.  The technician will see when the last time you had an oil change, check the levels and inspect the system for leaks.  If you are close to needing an oil change, it's best to have it done before the trip because no one wants to interrupt a vacation with an oil change in a strange place.  It's also better for your engine to have fresh, clean oil rather than driving with dirty, worn-out oil.

Comfort in any vehicle depends partly on the suspension system.  Our technician can examine shocks and struts so you can avoid an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe journey.  Oh, and you'll definitely want to make sure your wheels are aligned.  A long trip in an out-of-alignment vehicle can be a driving nightmare with potential steering problems and tire damage. 

A couple of little things some drivers take for granted are the engine air filter and wiper blades.  A dirty air filter can cost you money by reducing fuel economy; it adds up on a long trip.  And worn-out wiper blades can make visibility while driving in a rainstorm a blinding, unsafe adventure that you never want to experience, especially in unfamiliar territory.

If you're in the habit of having your vehicle regularly maintained, many of these items may be in excellent condition.  But considering the extra stresses a long road trip places on any vehicle, it's nice to have a set of our trained eyes give your vehicle a closer look. That way you'll be able to gaze YOUR eyes on sights like the Leaning Tower of Niles or the Gopher Hole Museum. 

Triple A Automotive
972 Barstow Suite B
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 299-9300
http://www.tripleaautomotive.com

Reaching the Braking Point (Brake hose replacement)

If you notice your brakes aren’t working like they used to, that’s the kind of thing that’s important to have checked out soon.  That’s because your brakes are extraordinarily important to the safe operation of your vehicle. 

Sometimes you feel like your brake pedal is feeling a little soft or it’s lower than usual. Or you might feel like the brakes are on all the time, holding you back. Maybe when you release the brake pedal, it comes back up more slowly than usual. There are a few different problems that can cause your brakes to feel like any of those things, so bring your vehicle in to us and we can inspect them.

One possible cause of those brake issues is a damaged or worn-out brake hose.  Your hydraulic brakes work by carrying brake fluid to each of your wheels.  There are steel lines that carry the fluid most of the way, but because your wheels are moving all the time, a flexible hose is used to connect the steel lines and the brakes themselves.  

Sometimes those brake hoses leak, since there’s a lot of pressure inside when you use your brakes dozens or hundreds of times a day.  Road debris, aging, and corrosion at the hose fittings can loosen up that connection.  Sometimes the hoses can get blocked up if the interior lining separates from the outside. And sometimes, it’s simply a matter of the hose getting too old, and age eventually causes the rubber to fail.

When you experience brake problems, bring your vehicle in so we can have a technician take a look. Visual and manual inspections can usually pinpoint the problem areas.  The technician will look for corrosion and physical damage, plus run a pressure check.

For your vehicle to be safe on the road, your brakes need to be working the way they were designed to.  Stop. And think about it!

Triple A Automotive
972 Barstow Suite B
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 299-9300
http://www.tripleaautomotive.com

A Sticky Brake Situation (Parking Brake Service and Maintenance)

We've all been there.  You park your vehicle on a steeper than usual hill and worry about it rolling down while you're running your errands.  So you decide you'll use the parking brake.  When you get back, you release the parking brake, hit the ignition, put it in gear and—uh, oh—you can feel the parking brake is still on.  It's stuck.  What do you do now?

Welcome to the world of infrequently-used parking brakes.  Yes, they do stick for several reasons. It's common for components to corrode and get locked up.  Sometimes if you have applied it extra hard, it can jam.  Could be a rusty cable, could be a spring that doesn't return the brake to its disengaged position.  Some pieces just break when they're stressed for the first time in a while. A caliper or the pivot arm it's on can also stick.

There are a few things you can try to unstick it.  Carefully rock your vehicle by putting it first in drive and then reverse.  You have to be careful doing that, though, because sometimes you can damage the transmission.  You can try working the parking brake control a few times to see if that will loosen the corrosion.  If you can't unstick it, you can try driving slowly a short distance to a repair facility near you.  Sometimes it won't cause damage to the brakes but it depends on how tightly the parking brake was applied and what was stuck.  You may also have to have your vehicle towed to a repair facility.

In any case, once you've seen these symptoms, have your vehicle brakes looked at by a professional who can fix the root of the problem.  Better yet, don't let your vehicle get in this condition; regular maintenance and inspections by a trained technician should prevent you from getting in a jam somewhere thanks to a stuck parking brake.  You could use a "brake" like that.

Triple A Automotive
972 Barstow Suite B
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 299-9300
http://www.tripleaautomotive.com

No Fueling Around (Fuel Filter Replacement)

A driver called in to the shop the other day saying his European sports sedan had an odd problem.  He was driving when his car started to slow down.  Applying more throttle didn't help.  He pulled over to the side of the road, shut the engine off and waited a few minutes before starting it up again.  It ran fine… for a couple of minutes.  Then the same thing happened.  He was able to finally get home by stopping and restarting, and he was calling to see if we could take a look at it. 

Turned out it was one of his car's fuel filters that choked up with debris so badly that enough fuel couldn't get through it.  When he stopped the car, enough fuel could flow through the unpressurized fuel line to supply enough fuel for a couple of minutes when he restarted his car. But then the pressure would cause things to clog again.  

There are other symptoms that point to a failing fuel filter. Perhaps your engine misfires, your vehicle is hard to start, or your fuel pump starts making odd noises. 
If you experience any of these signs, bring your vehicle in so we can have a technician check it out. 

Many vehicles have at least two fuel filters. One is a strainer that is part of the fuel pump in the fuel tank, and the other is in the main fuel line. Your vehicle's manufacturer recommends how often yours should be changed, but your driving habits and environment (such as dirty or dusty conditions) may mean yours will have to be replaced more often.  

The technician will also look to see if your vehicle might have another problem that's causing your fuel filter to fail more frequently than normal, such as corrosion in the fuel tank. 

Your engine needs fuel to run. Maintain the health of your fuel system and that will help keep you on the road to your destination.

Triple A Automotive
972 Barstow Suite B
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 299-9300
http://www.tripleaautomotive.com