Custom Automotive Care

  How a Car A/C Works (or Doesn’t) I'm sure at one time or another we all have found ourselves sitting in our vehicle on the hottest day of the summer with cold air blowing from the A/C system.  Sure, your car’s A/C (if it’s working correctly) turns hot air cold, which can feel miraculous on a sunny summer afternoon. But the way it cools that air isn’t as complicated as some people think. Parts of a Car A/C There are five main parts of a car A/C: Compressor Condenser Thermal expansion valve or orifice tube Evaporator Accumulator or receiver/drier Each of the parts is connected by tubing or hoses to form a closed loop. Through that loop runs refrigerant, which is what really does the work of cooling down the air. The Refrigeration Cycle (Round and Round We Go) The best way to explain how a car air conditioner works is to describe what happens to the refrigerant as it travels around the loop and through the differ ... read more

  Nowhere are the advances in automotive fluids more evident than in motor oil. Many new weights and formulations have been created to meet the demands of today’s modern engine designs. Modern engines have more parts and much higher tolerances. Every year, vehicle engines make more power and get better fuel economy. And with all the complication and sophistication, they still have to be durable for 5,000 miles or more. That's where the new grades of engine oil come in, Oils have to be formulated to lubricate, protect and clean all of those engine parts, big and small. The oil has to be thin enough to get into the small passages, yet resistant enough to vaporization. In Most modern engines the oil also acts as hydraulic fluid, changing the camshaft timing and disabling cylinders for better fuel economy. Make sure your using the correct oil your vehicle manufacturer requires.  #engineoil # oil #oilchange

      Brake fluid is confusing for some drivers. For a very long time, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some people mistakenly think the higher number is an upgrade. You know, if 3 is good, then 4 must be better.  That’s not how this works. There are different formulations to meet the requirements of different brake systems. DOT 3 and 4 are compatible with each other but DOT 5 is not. Only one of them is recommended for your vehicle. If you are wondering which one to use, just give us a call.  #brakefluid #dot3 #dot4 #dot

            The answer is ....... no, it is important to use the correct fluids in your vehicle. Big advances in the automotive technology have led to the development of high tech fluids to keep pace. A simple example of this is the cooling system.  For decades it was primarily made out of iron, steel and rubber hoses, There was one kind of coolant that protected these components from corrosion.   Now cooling system components are made with various metal alloys and plastics.  These materials require different additives tp protect them from corrosion. Since the material used vary from ,manufacturer to manufacturer, we now have a number if different kinds of coolant And it is important for drivers to use the right coolant. If you pour in the wrong kind, it wont protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Of course, your friendly and knowledgeable pros at Custom Automotive Care will know the proper coo ... read more

If your mechanic is telling you don’t worry about a check engine light, it might be best advise to find a new mechanic. If your check engine light is on there is a problem, it may be hard to find and it may not be something that will make your car break down, but there is still a problem. If the lights on and you have another failure you will have no way of knowing. If the engine light is on it needs to be inspected

It’s a fact that your car will stop in a shorter distance if we can keep the wheels rolling, sliding or skidding the tires will increase your stopping distance. These systems were designed to keep your wheels rolling in a panic stop. Each wheel has a sensor to let a computer know if the wheel is spinning, if a wheel stops in a hard stop situation the system will remove some of the pressure to that wheel and allow it to spin, in turn shorting your stopping distance

The temperature gauge in your vehicle is designed to measure the temperature of your engine’s coolant. This gauge will tell you if your engine’s coolant is cold, normal, or overheating. It is an important dial that is located on the dashboard of your vehicle. Reasons the Temperature Gauge Reads High If the temperature gauge is reading high, this can mean your vehicle is overheating. Another reason your reading might be high is you could be losing coolant. A small leak or evaporation may be the cause of losing coolant. A third reason your temperature gauge is reading high could be because the thermostat is broken. If this is the case, you may need a coolant temperature switch replacement. The last reason the temperature gauge is reading high can be because of a water pump, or water pump gasket failure. If the water pump is malfunctioning, it may need to be replaced so it is best to have the vehicle looked at by a professional. Reasons the Temperat ... read more

While the largest part of your engine is mechanical, hydraulics plays a significant role. You’ll find fluids at work in a number of different areas. Your car’s fluids include: Engine oil Transmission fluid Coolant Power steering fluid Brake fluid Washer fluid All of these fluids must be transported from one place to another in order to do their job. While some fluids run primarily within the engine or another component (oil, for instance, or transmission fluid), others don’t. Consider engine coolant – it’s stored in your radiator and overflow tank/reservoir, but must move from there to the engine and then back again. Power steering fluid is another prime example – it must be moved from the power steering fluid reservoir at the pump, into the rack and then recirculated once more. Moving fluid from one area to another requires hoses, and hoses are prone to wear and tear. They’ll eventually decay a ... read more

Most of the time this is because of bad engine mounts or perhaps a slow idle speed. But most of the time it’s the mounts. there’s no real repair for the mounts except replacement. Your certified repair center can replace them and get you humming along in no time. #engine #mounts #certified

As soon as you here the whining sound you need to get to your service center, that noise is a sign that the system is so low on fluid and air is passing through the pimp if you continue to drive you will damage the pump and the cost of the repair will go up. So as soon as you here that sound you need to get to the shop. #powersteering #fluidleak #whiningsound