AUTONET TV
Archive for February 2024Don't Start with That (Bad Starter Motor)Posted February 25, 2024 8:56 AMWe've all heard that expression, "That's a non starter." When it comes to your vehicle, that's not music to a driver's ears. That sickening sound when you start the ignition and instead of hearing the engine crank, you hear it slowly turn over and your dash lights go dim. There can be many reasons a vehicle won't start, so here's a little history of how the starter came to be an important component of modern vehicles. You have to move the engine's components to start it. The first cars had a crank that the driver would insert into the front, then start turning things over by hand. When the engine started, you had to release that crank immediately or risk a broken arm. Yes, it happened many times. So, they came up with a better idea: an electric starter, which was a big advance in automotive technology. With this system, an electric motor rotated a series of gears that turned the gasoline engine's crankshaft so its pistons and parts moved and the engine drew in air. While this happened, electricity went to the spark plugs and fuel headed to the cylinders. When the gasoline engine caught, the starter quickly disengaged. Hey, no more broken arms! Modern systems use the same principle, so when your vehicle won't start, here are a few things to look out for that might point to the starter. If the engine turns over s-l-o-w-l-y, it may mean the electric starter motor may just be wearing out and doesn't have enough cranking power. Bushings, brushes, wire windings and a special switch called a commutator may be going bad. If when you engage the ignition you hear a faint click, that could be a symptom one or more of the starter's components have failed. If you hear a loud click, it could mean that an electrical switch called a solenoid may not be switching the motor on. If you hear your engine start to turn over but then it stops and is followed by a grinding sound, some gears may not be meshing the way they should. There may be many more causes (bad alternator, relay, battery, engine, key fob), so this is when it's time to turn it over to your service facility. Sometimes they can send out their own tow truck or recommend a reputable towing company. But it's best not to let it get to this point. Starter problems often give you advance warning that there is a problem with "almost" not starting or "almost" not turning over. So when you see that very first sign, "start" on over to talk this one over with your service advisor. The opposite of a "non-starter" is a starter, and that is music to anyone's ears. Muffler & Go Keeping Your Fenton Air Fresh When Driving With a Clean Cabin Air FilterPosted February 18, 2024 9:21 AMPop quiz: What is a cabin air filter? A. A filter for your Fenton house? Clever you, it's C. Cabin air filters make driving a lot more pleasant for people in Fenton. Your vehicle can be a haven during our MI allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. Of course, like all filters, the cabin air filter eventually gets clogged. When this happens, your heating and air conditioning flow can become restricted. The filter can even get kind of smelly. Check your owner's manual for replacement guidelines. If your vehicle owner's manual doesn't mention your cabin air filter, ask your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Muffler & Go for a recommendation. It's usually every year or 12,000 miles /19,000 kilometers. Change it sooner if you drive in dusty conditions around the Fenton area, or if you start to notice a funky smell coming from your vents. Come by and we'll take a look at your cabin air filter for you. Muffler & Go
Upsizing Wheels and Tires With Muffler & GoPosted February 11, 2024 11:27 AMMany Fenton drivers want to accessorize their vehicle - you know, make it theirs. One of the easiest ways to get a custom look is to get some new wheels. There are thousands of wheel designs at Fenton area tire shops to get you the look you want. And for many Fenton drivers, that look includes bigger wheels. It used to be that cars came from the factory with 15 or 16 inch wheels. Now 16, 17 and even 18 inchers are standard. And the factories are offering optional wheel packages up to 20 inches or more. So let's talk about what to consider when you want to upsize your wheels. It's not exactly a DIY project, so you need to know a thing or two before you get started. The most important term to know is rolling diameter. The rolling diameter is simply the overall height of your tire. Unless you want to modify your vehicle suspension, you'll want to keep your rolling diameter the same when you upsize your wheels. Stop by Muffler & Go to learn more about how you might upsize your wheels or tires. You'll find us at: Muffler & Go
The Byte Stuff (Your Vehicle's Computers)Posted February 4, 2024 11:37 AMNobody has to tell you that computers are a part of so many things in our lives. Smartphones, kitchen appliances, vacuum cleaners, televisions. You name it—it has a computer in it. And your vehicle is no exception. The earliest cars relied on the technology of their time, and there was no such thing as a computer. But now, it's not unusual for a vehicle to have as many as 150 computers in it. They perform a variety of functions. An important one is diagnosing your vehicle's problems. There are various sensors throughout modern vehicles that measure thousands of data points. When something is not working correctly, they send a signal to another computer that stores that information. The data can be read by someone who has a special computer that plugs into a port in your car. It displays certain codes that help technicians track down the culprit. But it's not just the diagnostics that are computerized. Everything from your vehicle's fuel injection to anti-lock brakes is. Convenience features such as power windows, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a wi-fi-hot spot, streaming video and navigation are all sophisticated computers. Then there are the safety features; air bags, traction control, automatic emergency braking and a host of others are all dependent on computers. It is important that those computers work correctly because they interface with many of the other computers on board. To properly diagnose problems with those computers requires training and special equipment. Your service facility has invested considerable resources into both, and they are equipped to properly evaluate and repair and/or replace malfunctioning components. Some lament the days when backyard mechanics could pull out their tools and do their own repairs. Those days are fast disappearing with the computerization of vehicles. But look at the bright side. Your vehicle does so much more, has so many more features and travels far more safely than those past generations drove. And they're bound to get better and more sophisticated down the road. Muffler & Go | ||
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Randy Atwell, 04/23/2024Been bringing my cars here for around 20 years. They stay busy because they do good work. Brought in my Buick Verano to get a wheel bearing replaced. The mechanic not only replaced the bearing, but found another issue, that was in need of repair. Because they had done some major work on this car a few weeks earlier, they took care of both repairs and just charged for the wheel bearing replacement. They went above and beyond anything I expected.