Blog

Serpentine Drive Belts

 

October 11, 2018

Your serpentine belt drives your alternator and air conditioning compressor. The power steering and power brake pumps are driven by the serpentine belt in many vehicles. The radiator cooling fan on some vehicles are also driven by the serpentine belt. Serpentine belts do a lot of work, but they’re tough and can last for thousands of miles, we just don't know how long they will last!! A worn belt can not only break without warning, it can slip and damage important engine accessories. That’ll vary for each individual car. The good news is that a visual inspection can reveal a belt that’s worn. It’s often recommended that the tensioner pulley that keeps the belt at the proper tension be replaced with the serpentine belt. This pulley is mounted to the engine block with a spring loaded arm. Some of the warning signs that there’s a problem with the serpentine belt? You may hear a squealing sound from under the hood when accelerating. A loose belt might give you a slow slapping sound. If you are having any of these problems, please give us a call and we will set you up with a good time for you to come in and get it checked out.

Spark Plugs

 

August 29, 2018

Engine control computers precisely time when fuel is injected into the engine and when spark plugs fire. Unless something’s wrong, spark plugs just don’t foul like they used to. Electricity from the battery goes into a coil that allows power to build up to anywhere from 12,000 to 45,000 volts, depending on the vehicle. The engine management computer tells the coil when to release the power to the spark plug. The electricity travels through a wire from the coil to the spark plugs. At the top of the plug, a spark jumps between two electrodes and ignites the gas in the combustion chamber. Some engines have more than one coil. Coils wear out and need to be replaced occasionally. Also, spark plugs and spark plug wires can wear out and need to be replaced. If you are experiencing an engine misfire, we can check the spark plug condition for you. Please just give us a call and we will set you up with a good time for you to come in and get it checked out.

Fuel Injectors

 

August 7, 2018

In very simple terms, a fuel injector is a valve that squirts fuel into your engine. Your engine control computer tells the fuel injector how much fuel to deliver as well as the precise time it should be delivered. Of course, this happens thousands of times a minute. High temperatures under your hood and variations in gas quality cause fuel injectors to be fouled with wax, dirt, water, additives and carbon. Injectors can become partially clogged, preventing them from delivering the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure. When your vehicles injectors are dirty, the fuel doesn’t burn as efficiently resulting in poor fuel economy and loss of power. So it’s important to keep your fuel injectors clean. We can perform a full fuel system service for you at Weldon Spring Automotive in which the fuel injectors are cleaned so that they operate properly and deliver the right amount of fuel at the right time. Drivers should remember that proper maintenance of their fuel system means that they will spend less on gas, enjoy strong performance and prevent costly repairs down the road. Please give us a call and we will set you up with a good time for you to come in and get it checked out.

Brakes

 

June 27, 2018

If you hear squealing or grinding when you use your brakes, have us check them out for you. We will perform a thorough brake inspection to see what needs to be done. If you ignore the warning signs and keep driving after the pads are worn out it could cause more damage. When that happens, metal brake components will grind on the rotor, damaging it enough that it needs to be resurfaced or even replaced. Rotors can also warp or crack, in which case they’ll need to be replaced. Brake calipers also wear out over time. They can develop leaks or the caliper pistons can freeze open or closed–either way it’s not good. When this happens it’s time to replace the calipers. A thorough brake inspection will reveal worn bearings or seals as well. Please just give us a call and we will set you up with a good time for you to come in and get it checked out.

Shocks & Struts

 

May 19, 2018

Shock absorbers and struts last a long time and wear out pretty slowly for most vehicles. They’re easy to take for granted, but your shocks and struts do a very important job so you need to pay attention to them. They keep your tires on the road, and your tires are what connect your vehicle to the road and allow you to safely handle your car through turns, over bumps and even stop in time. When your shocks and struts are worn, your tires bounce excessively over bumps. Your vehicle will wallow through corners, your front-end will dive when you stop, and your rear-end will squat when you accelerate. All this hurts your ability to control your vehicle. And your ride just isn’t as comfortable as it should be. Worn shocks or struts cause excessive tire wear so you’ll have to replace your tires sooner than you should. Worn shocks and struts also stresses other suspension and steering parts causing them to wear prematurely. Struts are actually a major structural component of the suspension system, there’s a lot riding on them. Please just give us a call and we will set you up with a good time for you to come in and get it checked out.

Air Conditioning

 

April 26, 2018

Unfortunately sometimes we don’t realize that our A/C is not blowing as cold as it should be until it is 100* outside!! At Weldon Spring Automotive we would start with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. If the system has A/C oil dye in it already hopefully we can see where the leak is coming from. If not, the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean refrigerant and A/C oil dye. If it would start blowing warm again after that, hopefully we can see where the A/C oil dye and refrigerant are leaking from and give you an estimate on what it would cost to fix it. Please just give us a call and we will set you up with a good time for you to come in and get it checked out.

Radiator Drain & Fill

 

February 27, 2018

The reason you need to change the coolant is that it has additives in it to protect the cooling system. As you can imagine, with all the heat, the cooling system’s a pretty harsh environment. The additives keep the fluid from becoming corrosive and damaging the radiator and other cooling system components. Over time, the additives are depleted and the coolant just has to be replaced. A simple pH test can measure the coolant’s acidity, you can even wait till it is time for your next oil change and we can check it then. Please just give us a call and we will set you up with a good time to come in and get it checked out.

Transmission Fluid

 

January 26, 2018

All drivers need to make sure they have enough transmission fluid. If it runs low, the transmission will run hotter and possibly cause damage and won’t have the protection it needs to cope with the added stress of towing. Transmission fluid breaks down and gets dirty over time. Whether your vehicle has an automatic or manual transmission you need to have it serviced on schedule according to your owners manual to make sure it runs efficiently. You don’t want to wait until you are having problems or the fluid gets too dark and burnt, then it may be too late. We can check the color and smell of your transmission fluid and see if it is time to get a transmission flush. Please just give us a call and we will set you up with a good time for you to come in and get it checked out, or we can do it with your next oil change.

Alignments

 

December 26, 2017

You may notice your vehicle to pull to one side or the other, or your steering wheel off center. Several things could cause a pull, one wheel can be knocked out of alignment from the rest by hitting a curb or one of the MANY potholes we have in St. Charles. This will cause the tires to wear out prematurely or lead to suspension damage. Wheels are aligned with specific settings for toe-in and toe-out, positive and negative camber, and positive and negative castor. Each vehicle model can have different settings. Poor alignment effects your handling and causes your tires to wear very quickly. If you are having a problem like this please just give us a call and we will set you up with a good time for you to come in and get it checked out.

Check Engine Light

 

November 29, 2017

If your check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. You shouldn’t drive at highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to Weldon Spring Automotive. If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two, see if you notice anything different, if it feels like the engine is missing while you are driving, or sluggish or missing on acceleration. If the light doesn’t go off, schedule an appointment with us to get it checked out, our technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give our technician a starting place for the diagnostic testing of the cause of the problem. Please just give us a call and we will set you up with a good time for you to come in and get it checked out.