Automotive News & Information - South Platte Auto Center LLC

When you think about it, you know your car, truck or SUV better than anyone else. You drive it every day and know how it feels and sounds when everything is right. So don't ignore its warning signals. Our team of qualified automotive technicians can keep you on the road safely.

With gas prices high, our drivers are asking, "What can I do to improve gas mileage?" Our answer is that there are quite a few standard maintenance tips that will help you increase gas mileage and your vehicle safety.

Carrying extra weight in the vehicle hurts gas mileage. Leave unnecessary stuff home. Do we even need to mention driving fast and jackrabbit starts? Gently accelerate and plan your stops so that you can ease into them a bit. This really makes a big difference. Now there are a number of critical maintenance items that improve fuel economy for wise auto owners. Lubricants should be replaced on schedule – dirty oil, transmission fluid and differential fluid cause more friction and drag which hurt fuel economy. A big one is having a fuel system cleaning done if needed. A dirty fuel system can really reduce engine efficiency and increase fuel consumption.

Car Engine and Other Systems Care Tips
1. Check engine oil at every other fill-up For an accurate reading, follow this procedure:

Run or drive your car for about 15 minutes to warm the oil; then park the car in a level place.Turn off the engine and wait 15 minutes to allow the oil in the engine to drain back to the oil pan.
Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean with a paper towel or rag. Reinsert the dipstick, being sure to push it in all the way, then pull it out again to check the oil level. It should be somewhere between the hash marks on the dipstick.
Add the type and amount of oil as specified in your owner’s manual, if necessary.

When your check engine lights comes on, you may be torn between utter panic and just wanting to ignore it and hope it goes away. That's perfectly understandable. That same check engine light could come on for anything from a serious engine or transmission problem all the way down to a loose gas cap.

Some people are confused by charges for diagnostic services for a vehicle repair, even though many other services in life include diagnostic fees – things like computer service and appliance repair are just two examples. Even when we go into the doctor for a medical problem, we're paying her to diagnose our ailment and of course for the tests that go along with it. So receiving a diagnostic charge for a tricky automotive problem shouldn't be a surprise.

Brakes are pretty much the most important safety device on your car. If you’ve ever partially lost your brakes in the past, you’ll agree that it’s not something you want to experience again. Inspecting your brakes twice a year for wear and damage can protect you and your passengers. Additionally, it will also help save you money by catching any damage before it becomes too costly.

Is it really necessary to replace my timing belt at the manufacturer recommended interval?
YES. The failure of a timing belt in many cars can result in major engine damage. The cost of repairing an engine with a broken timing belt is much greater than the cost of a timing belt replacement.

It’s said that 90 percent of our driving decisions are based on visual information. Our automotive wiper blades play an important role in this. Most drivers know that a dirty or streaked windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it nearly impossible to see.

Most busy car owners deal with their wiper blades from a failure perspective. They address them when they no longer function. Instead, drivers should think about wipers blades as an important safety system that they should maintain, rather than repair