No matter how well they’re made, cars in Wilmington North Carolina will have design or manufacturing problems.
And when the government thinks a problem is really serious for people in Wilmington North Carolina, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone in Wilmington North Carolina who owns that type of car to get the recall work done.
These recalls always affect safety, so take them seriously. It’s easy to see if a vehicle’s being recalled.
The government has links on its websites, or just visit AutoNetTV for links.
There are many websites with free recall information and searches. There’s CarFax, AutoByTel and the DMV.
Recalls are serious, but not all that common. But sometimes there are less significant issues, and for these, manufacturers issue a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB, that tells service centers like Atlantic Car Care how to repair a frequent or difficult problem.
The pros get updated information through subscription plans, also available in consumer versions for a reasonable cost.
So when vehicle recalls occur, get the work done, and keep you and yours safe.
Your car might have an alignment problem if: it drifts or pulls to one side, your steering wheel is off center, you have uneven tire wear or your car doesn’t feel like it handles right. When all of a vehicle’s wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Running into potholes, smacking a curb or other object are great ways to knock your car out of alignment. Then one or more of your wheels starts pulling in a slightly different direction and the problems begin.
Driving for an extended time when you’re out of alignment causes your tires to wear unevenly and excessively. This can be dangerous and expensive. You’ll have to replace your tires sooner, but even worse – you may cause premature wear to your suspension system, which can be really expensive.
The front wheel alignment is adjustable on all vehicles, and the back wheels are also adjustable on some cars. The adjustment can go three different ways. The first adjustment is called toe. The next adjustment is called camber. And finally, there is castor. The engineers who designed your vehicle determined the alignment settings that will give you the best handling and safety.
There are several things involved in an alignment check. First, there’s an inspection of the steering and suspension – it should be checked to see if anything’s bent or broken. Then the tire condition needs to be inspected. From there, the vehicle is put on an alignment rack and an initial alignment reading is taken. If all four wheels are adjustable, they are lined up perfectly parallel with the vehicle’s center line. If the back wheels aren’t adjustable, a technician at Atlantic Car Care can determine the direction they push and then aligns the front wheels to match.
Atlantic Car Care 21 New Bern Street Wilmington, North Carolina 28403 9107941390
Like most things, your manufacturer has suggested a mileage interval for having your alignment checked. But if you run into a curb, pothole or something else that’s given you a big jolt, pay attention to whether your vehicle is pulling to one side when you drive. It’s better to have your alignment checked before waiting to see if there is uneven tire tread wear – by then, the damage is done.
Getting your alignment checked when needed is a great way to extend the life of your tires and suspension parts. It also makes sure that your tire meets the road properly for maximum performance and safety.
Vehicles today really don’t require the attention they once did. In fact, these days all you have to do is listen to your mechanic since he most likely will let you know when to take care of what needs to be taken care of.
Yet, with the simplicity that has been set in place due to auto-reminders and routine maintenance schedules, we still don’t seem to follow the habits we easily could be. The people with the craziest schedules (the ones who drive their cars more every day) seem to have forgotten the importance of routine check ups, and the over-achievers spend too much time trying to get oil changes sooner than they really need.
Although maintenance intervals are now more widely spaced, even the newest cars require scheduled service to live long, productive lives. Whether yours is the latest model or you paid it off years ago, the trick is giving your car the maintenance it was designed to receive.
Every car is supplied with a maintenance schedule — in the owner’s manual or in a separate maintenance log book — that details that vehicle’s needs. A few minutes assimilating these requirements will help you avoid the following common car-maintenance pitfalls. Or you can create your own schedule, whatever works best for you, the importance is just knowing it is needed and necessary.
1. Proper Tire Inflation and Rotation
Tires leak air naturally and need the occasional check. Under-inflated tires can actually slowly suck up gasoline. Under, or over-inflated tires wear out sooner, and deliver the same emergency maneuver handling as marshmallows. You probably aren’t going to check tire pressures monthly, but how about twice a year? That’s not a lot to ask.
Furthermore, front and rear tires wear differently and should be rotated to even that wear. Most user manuals or maintenance schedules will let you know when this should be done.
2. Windshield Wiper Replacement
It’s much easier to avoid hitting things you can see! Simple as it is, that’s the concept behind replacing your windshield wipers before they fossilize into noisy uselessness.
Fall is the ideal wiper replacement time: after the blade-baking summer and before the fall and winter nastiness. Depending on location, wiper replacement may only be an annual affair in the South, like in Wilmington.
3. Tune-Up Timing and Saving
There are no more “tune-ups.” Valves no longer need adjusting, ignition timing is computer controlled and there are no carburetors to fiddle with. About all that’s left of the old tune-up drill are the spark plugs. These are often good for 100,000 miles, so don’t change parts to change parts. Instead, save up for those big 60,000- and 120,000-mile services when the timing belt, spark plug wires and coolant are due for replacement.
4. Fuel (Octane Overdose)
Here the rule is to supply whatever octane the engine is rated for and call it done. Higher-than-required octane does not yield more power or mileage, only oil company profits. Some engines are rated for premium 91 octane fuel but can burn 87 octane regular, thanks to the magic of knock sensors. In that case, run regular gas if puttering around surface streets, and premium fuel if full-throttle driving is part of your daily repertoire.
5. Oil Change Timing
Oil changes every 3,000 miles used to be required jobs, just like cleaning the accumulated dust from the corners of the molding in your house. Today, advances in engine design and lubricants make oil changes something to be done when the schedule calls for it, not when your grandfather says it’s time. Some cars call for 5,000-mile change intervals, some up to 15,000-mile stints. Others have a variable timer. Follow the schedule and use the oil called for by the manufacturer.
6. Worn out Tires
Tires wear out. The tire industry says tires are toast after five years, but they’re selling tires. It all depends on heat, sunlight and ozone conditions. If you’re not sure how old your tires are, a tire shop can read the date code stamped into the sidewall. Or your you can wait until they’re down to bear rubber and your mechanic will give you more than enough warning that its time.
7. Dirty Air Filter
Semi-clogged air filters hurt fuel economy. The question is, when is your filter dirty? Under a Norman Rockwell schedule of, an air filter might not see much grit. But grimy city surface streets or driving daily on a dirt road are often enough to overwhelm air filters. This one is about conditions. If you go near dirt, the air filter may need changing twice as often as the schedule calls for. At Atlantic Car Care, they will show you how dirty your filter is and you will understand.
8. Don’t Forget Your Brakes
This one is fairly obvious, if you notice anything different about your brakes — sound, feel or response — they are telling you to visit your mechanic. Now.
9. Tighten Your Gas Cap
Is the Check Engine light on? Then make sure the gas cap is on tightly before calling the dealer. No joke, this is one of the most common ways of setting off your car’s diagnostic system, since a loose gas cap defeats the fuel system’s venting arrangement.
10. The Garage in Your Home
Your house is your most valuable investment. Your car is likely your second most valuable investment. If you’re paying all that money, then why are you storing empty cardboard boxes and old holiday wreaths in the garage? Pitch that junk and put your car in the garage!
At Atlantic Care, we pride ourselves on letting you know what needs to be done and when, so you don’t have to. But if you don’t understand the importance of routine maintenance for one of your most valuable investments, than you aren’t going to listen to us either. First, understand that it needs to be done, let us take care of the rest!
Contact us today with questions or comments!
Atlantic Car Care
21 New Bern St.
Wilmington, NC 28403
910-794-1390
www.atlanticcarcare.com
Your cooling system is very important. It circulates coolant through the radiator and your engine to protect your car from overheating. There are five main components to the cooling system:
the radiator
the radiator cap
the hoses
the thermostat and
the water pump
The water pump’s like the heart of your cooling system, circulating the fluid throughout. It’s a small pump that’s driven by the engine; usually by belt, but sometimes by a chain or gear.
The water pump only operates when the engine’s running. Water pump failure is pretty routine. Some start failing at around 40,000 miles, but most fail by 100,000 miles. Consult your owners’ manual or service technician to see what’s recommended.
Since a water pump either works or it doesn’t, you need to change it when it fails. Water pumps fail in one of two ways: the bearings fail or they begin to leak. It’s possible to have a leak from a cracked water pump, but it usually leaks at the gasket where it attaches to the engine.
So how can you tell when the water pump is failing? If you can hear a low-pitched grinding sound coming from the water pump – it’s got a problem. If you can see coolant in that area, you’ve got a leak.
Some water pumps are driven off the timing belt. They might be under a plastic cover so you can’t see the water pump. Look for coolant on the driveway. If you see some, have your service center check it out.
Most timing belts need to be changed at 60,000 miles – some longer. It’s a good idea to change your water pump at the same time if it’s one of those that’s driven off the timing belt. To start with, 90% of the work’s already done with the timing belt change. And, if you don’t, and develop a leak later, you’ll have to change the belt again along with the water pump because the belt will have been contaminated by the leaking coolant.
You can replace your water pump with a brand spankin’ new one or with a rebuilt pump. Rebuilt will save you some money, but ask your technician what he thinks. Don’t feel too bad if your water pump gives out. They will all wear out eventually. Your service technician can get you back on the road and on with your life.
People in Wilmington have been hearing a lot about higher oil change intervals these days. Maybe you’re wondering: What are the key issues?
Some new vehicle manufacturers in Wilmington are now recommending much higher oil change intervals than they have in the past. As much as 5,000 to 8,000 miles or more. This practice came under scrutiny when four of the largest new car manufacturers announced that owners like those in Wilmington were experiencing engine damage resulting from these higher oil change intervals.
The manufacturers’ standard oil drain service for particular vehicles was scheduled at around 7,500 miles. People following these recommendations were experiencing engine damage. It turns out that oil sludge was building up. This caused small oil passages to clog and engine parts to fail.
What causes oil sludge? It’s a factor of time and mileage. There are hot spots in every engine that cause oil burn off that leads to sludge. Also, water from normal condensation can build up in the oil. This water also creates sludge. Severe driving conditions lead to more rapid sludge formation.
Severe driving around Wilmington includes short trips under four miles or trips under ten miles in freezing conditions. The engine just doesn’t get warm enough for the water in the oil to evaporate.
Severe conditions are at the heart of the problem. Stop-and-go driving, towing, dusty conditions, heavy loads, very hot or very cold temperatures, a car top carrier – these are all conditions that would suggest that the severe service schedule should be considered.
The severe service schedule has much shorter oil change intervals. People in Wilmington just need to honestly evaluate how they drive to determine if they should change their oil closer to the severe service schedule, or to the standard schedule.
Some types of sedans will give oil change reminders. But it’s important to know how that reminder is determined. For some, the reminder simply comes when the standard mileage interval has rolled around. Others use a computer algorithm that takes into consideration the number of cold starts, trip length, engine temperature and so on. It’s programmed to approximate where on the standard/severe service spectrum you fall. Some more expensive vehicles actually have sensors that test the cleanliness and effectiveness of the oil.
For the rest of us, better safe than sorry should be the guiding principle. Talk with your Wilmington service advisor at Atlantic Car Care and work it out together. Find out what kind of oil the factory sends out in your vehicle. Sometimes it’s a premium grade that costs more than standard oil – but it may be what’s needed to meet a higher factory recommended interval.
If you’re realistically conservative, standard grades of oil will take care of you year after year. If you want to push the limits, ask for a premium grade oil to give you extra protection.
So, what happened with those manufacturers with the problems from higher oil change intervals? They ended up extending the engine warranty for parts that were affected by oil sludge. But they had a stipulation – they lowered the oil change interval and the vehicle owner had to provide proof of oil changes at the new lower interval to keep the extended warranty.
What is a brake system?
Your car’s brake system is its most critical safety system. Because of this, you should check it immediately if you suspect any problems. A properly operating brake system helps ensure safe vehicle control and operation under a wide variety of conditions. Its important to always feel at ease that your brakes are going function at a red light or a stop sign.
What does it do?
When you push the brake pedal, the force generates hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder. This pressure flows through the hydraulic lines and hoses to the wheel cylinders and calipers, forcing the shoes against the drums (drum brakes) and the pads against the rotors (disc brakes). The resulting friction slows the vehicle and is relative to the amount of force applied at the brake pedal. As you know, the more force you put on the pedal, the faster the whole process will occur and eventually stop your vehicle. Wear and Tear
Brakes are a normal wear item for any vehicle and eventually will need replacement. Avoid letting your brakes get to the “metal-to-metal” point, which usually means accelerating expensive rotor or drum replacement.
Several factors that affect wear include:
Driving habits
Operating conditions
Vehicle type
The quality of brake lining material
Symptoms
Car pulls to one side during braking
Brake pedal pulsates when you apply the brakes
Brake pedal feels “mushy”
Noise when you step on the brake pedal
Repeatedly need to add brake fluid to the master cylinder
A good mechanic will check your brakes every visit and let you know what level your wear is at. At Atlantic Car Care, we’re in business to make sure your car stops when it’s supposed to stop, accelerates when its supposed to and functions the way a healthy engine should. If your car isn’t properly maintained, you’re putting yourself and everyone else on the road in danger.
Come in today and let us have a look!
www.atlanticcarcare.com
(910) 794-1390
21 new bern st wilmington, NC 28403
With the recent focus in Leland on improving fuel economy, we’ve been told how important it is to maintain our tire pressure.
Everyone in Leland knows that tires wear out, but we all want to make them last as long as possible because they’re fairly expensive to replace. In addition to saving gas, properly inflated tires last longer. Under-inflated tires will wear out more quickly.
Some people in Leland wonder if there is benefit to adding a few extra pounds of pressure when they fill up their tires. But actually, there isn’t. In fact, there are very good reasons not to over-inflate your tires. For one, the middle of the tread will wear unevenly because the full tread is not contacting the road properly. That also adversely affects your handling.
Come in and see us about tire maintenance for your Wilmington, North Carolina vehicle. Atlantic Car Care 21 New Bern Street Wilmington, North Carolina 28403 9107941390
Every vehicle in the Leland area has a sticker on the driver’s side door jamb that tells you the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure. This recommendation is an integral part of the vehicle’s suspension tuning. A lot of engineering actually goes into the recommended tire pressure, so it’s important to follow it.
What else do we need to know about tire maintenance? Tire rotation and balancing are very important. Let’s start with rotation. Because the front tires handle the brunt of turning forces, the shoulders of the front tires wear more quickly than the rear tires. We rotate the tires so that they all get to do some duty on the front and they’ll all wear evenly over their life.
For most vehicles, front tires are rotated to the rear and vice versa. Others recommend a cross rotational pattern. Some vehicles use an asymmetrical tire so those tires need to stay on either the right or left side – it’ll say which on the tire. Some high performance cars have asymmetrical tires and different sizes on the front and rear. These can’t be rotated at all. Your owner’s manual will have details for your car.
How often should you rotate your tires? Your owner’s manual will have a recommendation. Your service advisor at Atlantic Car Care can do a visual inspection to let you know if it looks like it should be done. The interval is typically around 5,000 miles.
You know, some people don’t think new tires need to be balanced. What they aren’t taking into account is the wheel. Between the wheel and the tire – even a new tire – there’s enough variation to require balancing.
When you add the valve stem and tire pressure monitoring sensors required on new cars, balancing is definitely in order. When a tire’s out of balance, it’s actually hopping down the road. You’ll feel the vibration through the steering wheel if a front tire’s out of balance and through your seat if it’s a rear tire.
Proper wheel balance promotes tire life and increases safety. Historically, lead weights have been attached to the wheel to bring it into balance. Lead gives some environmental concern, so steel weights are starting to be substituted.
Also, always use the same size tire on an axle. Different size tires on the front or on the back can lead to some real handling problems. And tire manufacturers recommend that when you get two new tires, they be installed on the rear because that’s where you need the most traction to avoid spinning-out.
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With rising gas prices, the recent heightening of environmental awareness, and a useful long-term investment leading to potentially huge savings overtime, the electric car is almost a necessity for our future. Check out the following article from the people at the forefront of Electric Cars.
Plug-in electric cars will become popular when gas prices hit $5 a gallon — probably in 2017.
That was the projection of Smart Transportation analyst Dave Hurst of Pike Research, speaking as part of the Lakeshore Advantage Michigan Smart Coast series on advanced energy storage.
“The reason you don’t see a lot of plug-ins right now is because there’s not a lot of them available. In Michigan, you can only buy the Volt,” said Hurst, addressing about 250 area business executives from a cross section of local industry at the Doubletree Conference Center in Holland.
He said consumers also are waiting on battery range increases and price drops on personal electric vehicles before considering purchases.
The buildup to 1 million plug-in vehicles on the road likely will occur in 2016, Hurst said. In the meantime, lithium ion battery manufacturers such as the Holland-based LG Chem battery plant and Johnson Controls battery division are going to have excess capacity for about five years.
“I’d advise them to focus on the world market and sell their batteries for what ever applications are out there for use as power supplies to storage until the domestic market catches up,” said Hurst noting the U.S. plug-in battery market should reach about $3.2 billion 2017 and $14.6 billion worldwide.
Randy Thelen, president of Lakeshore Advantage economic development agency in Zeeland, said the impact of two major battery producers in Holland already has had a positive economic impact on the area.
“A total of 16 suppliers for the battery companies have moved into the local market and are quietly opening operations from 10,000 to 20,000 square-feet,” Thelen said.
And those companies are hiring new workers.
Hurst said research shows that the optimal price point for plug-in vehicles will be at $23,750, according to consumer surveys. Another key sales point for consumers will be 100-mile charge-range vehicles, although most commuting is done within 40 miles with average round trips coming in at 22.2 miles.
“All of the (plug-ins) have gas engines, so the charge range is really more a psychological factor,” he said.
What might be the engine that really kick starts the plug-in industry is fleet truck purchases by companies.
“The recovery cost on electric trucks should be two to six years. They should have an annual fuel cost of $960 compared to the cost of a gas hybrid of $7,000 a year,” Hurst said.
Bruce Wickmann, president of West Shore Aviation Management at the West Michigan Regional Airport in Holland, bought his 2012 Chevy Volt plug-in last fall and believes it’s the future of cars.
”In 1,500 miles, I’ve used three gallons of fuel. I’m averaging 500 to 700 miles to the gallon,” said Wickmann, who only had to use the gas engine on a few trips to Grand Rapids.
He estimates his Volt gets 40 to 45 miles on a charge in warm weather and 30 to 32 miles per charge in winter.
”Even with the government rebate of $7,500, it’s not going to be cost-efficient for a few years,” he said.
”But I believe we’ve got to start making the change and people need to get on board with electric vehicles.”
Contact us today with questions or comments!
Atlantic Car Care
21 New Bern St.
Wilmington, NC 28403
910-794-1390
www.atlanticcarcare.com
The government has links on its websites, or just visit AutoNetTV for links.
