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Category: Auto Clinic
Quality Replacement Parts
Let me tell you about an experience, at a well-established Italian restaurant, that had changed hands a few months ago. The previous owners were an Italian couple that used old family recipes and fresh ingredients to make their pasta and sauces from scratch. They enjoyed stellar reviews for decades. The new owners took a different approach. The cooks followed the same recipes, but were told to use bagged salads, canned sauces and vegetables, frozen meat, and boxed pasta. As you can imagine, there was a difference between the old and new way of preparing the food – and their online reviews reflected that change. Same chef’s – same recipes. Poor ingredients. From that story, you can understand how quality affects results. The same applies to the quality of replacement parts that an auto repair shop places in your vehicle. The parts need to deliver the performance you expect right out of the box – and over the long haul. At Weber Automotive, our North Olmsted auto repair shop features quality NAPA auto parts, including filters, fuel pumps and many other replacement parts that are covered by a nationwide warranty. These auto parts meet or exceed the original manufacturer specifications so they fit and function the way they should. It’s important for a business to stand behind its service and we do everything we can to stand behind ours. Our Cleveland auto repair shop employs highly trained service technicians and equip them with th
Is Your Car Leaking Fluid?
Leaking Fluids Because automotive fluids provide essential braking, cooling and lubrication, it is important to identify and correct the problem as quickly as possible. The loss of fluids, even in the slightest, can have an adverse effect on vehicle performance or worse. When there is no fluid to lubricate the engine, for example, a repair that would have been inexpensive initially could cost far more if ignored and engine failure occurred. Because of this, it is important for all vehicle owners to understand how to identify what type of fluid may be leaking from their car or truck. While many leaks are easy to identify, others can be more of a challenge. Knowing where and what to look for is the first step in identifying what may be leaking. On the following pages you will find some helpful tips about the types of fluids used in modern day vehicles, what they look like when they drip onto the driveway and where these fluids may be coming from. Since finding the location of a leak can be difficult, you may want to put some newspaper underneath your vehicle so that you can isolate the area where the leak is. This is often useful for slow leaks and when the vehicle will be parked overnight or for an extended period of time. Engine Oil One of the most common leaks witnessed by vehicle owners is engine oil. Since engine oil is a dark brown or black color, it is quite easy to distinguish from other types of automotive fluids. Engine oil is also a thick substance, unlike most
How to Figure Out the Proper Grade of Gas
There are a lot of misunderstandings in regards to fuel grades – and by fuel grades our auto mechanic experts mean the octane rating. With names like “Standard”, “Super”, “Plus”, and “Premium” it’s easy to see why you might associate the octane rating/grade with quality. Octane ratings are shown as a number that usually ranges from 87 to 91 at the pump. The number does not mean “better” but rather signifies the appropriate amount of a certain grade of fuel for a certain engine. How It Works Octane is a measure of gasoline’s ability to resist igniting before the spark plug goes off. Gasoline and air compress in the engine’s combustion chamber. When that pressure reaches a certain point, the gas will spontaneously combust. You don’t want that happening; rather, you want the spark plug to ignite the fuel at the exact right time. When the gas combusts too soon, the piston will try to lower while it is still being pushed up by the crank shaft and that is when you hear a pinging or knocking sound. That sound is metal knocking into other metal when it’s not supposed to. Our auto repair experts know that this can lead to expensive damage. Because engines have different designs, they also have different compression ratios. An engine with a higher compression ratio needs gasoline with a higher octane rating to stop combustion occurring to soon. Also, turbocharged or supercharged engines h
Why Do People Use Seasonal Tires?
Understanding Winter Tire Use Here in Northeast Ohio, winter weather is a given, often stretching from late October into April. That’s about half a year where winter storms are possible! Many new cars come with all-season tires that can handle winter weather conditions like freezing rain and snow. However, it’s important to be aware that there is not truly a “one-size-fits-all” seasonal tire. All-season tires end up being a compromise between ideal summer performance tires and high-performing winter tires. Basically, they just can’t handle extreme weather like dedicated seasonal tires do. All-Season Tires vs. Winter Tires Winter tires offer significantly more traction, ranging from about 25 – 50% more than all-season tires. Another important factor to consider is that studies have shown that all-season tires can take approximately 40% longer to stop during braking. That could mean the difference in you getting stuck in the snow or preventing a car accident. Additionally, summer tires and all-season tires are made with less durable rubber than winter tires. The former become slightly hardened in cold weather. Winter tires, on the other hand, are made from a rubber compound that remains flexible in cold temperatures, thereby providing greater traction in winter weather. Winter tires also have tread that is designed to grip into deep snow without retaining it in the grooves. (You can identify winter tires by the mountain and snowflake ico
