Automotive Services

Car parts and auto parts can be found at your local mechanic and even in your very own garage! If you go to a car mechanic, he or she can sell you car parts and auto parts for a pretty good price, compared to what you would pay for at Sears or other car stores, for example. You would also be surprised to find out what old car parts you have lying around in your garage at home!

You usually go to the car mechanic when there is a problem with your car or a car part in particular. A good mechanic will charge you for just fixing up the problem. You usually leave your car at the mechanic for about a day or two. But a bad mechanic won’t entirely fix the problem, and they will end up overcharging you. That is why it is good to look into mechanics before you have an issue with your car.

If there is a problem with a part of your car, a good mechanic can sell you the new part for a fairly good price. People go into car mechanics for all sorts of reasons. People will visit for need new oil, new wheels, a flat tire, among other reasons.

If you know enough about cars, you can probably fix a good amount of problems with your car on your own. But if it is a major problem, it is probably good to see a specialist. You may be able to fix smaller problems with your car in your very own garage! If you don’t mind getting a little dirty and greasy, then get down on your hands and knees and get to work! You probably already have a bunch of dirty rags in your garage, oil, water, and some basic car fixing tools.

You may have some car parts lying around, for instance, spare tires. Each car usually comes equipped with a spare tire. If you are smart, you would leave it in your car, in case one day you get a flat tire and need to change it on the side of the road. But, you could have taken out that spare tire when you purchased the car and it is in your very own home. It is good to hold onto that spare tire because you never know when you will need to use it.

It could be pricy getting new car parts. But if you go to the mechanic every once in a while, and not only when you need your oil changed, you could save more money in the long run. It is also sort of annoying though to have your car sitting somewhere over night when you need it to drive to work the next day. You should look into mechanics before there is a problem since you don’t want to get stuck with someone who will overcharge you an arm and a leg! Cars can be a very expensive investment for people these days.

Oh No! My car warranty expired! Now, what will happen if it breaks down? If this is a subject on your mind, here are the 5 most common services that will help add years more dependable service to any car, pickup, SUV, or van. Collected from years of providing car care service and products, and seeing the results.

What the heck is a timing belt? My advice. Replace your motors timing belt about when the car has reach 75,000 miles. Cost: under $250. A motors timing belt turns the motors cam shaft, which make the valves open and close, to let fuel in and exhaust out. After so many millions of flexing actions, the belts internal steel strands weaken. If the belt breaks, on some motors, the valves will stay open – instead of closing, causing the piston to smack into the valve with a sledge hammer hit – a damage that can cost over $2000 to repair. Not all motors need this service, but its wise on your part to check your car manual, or have a mechanic look to see if your motor has timing belt, or not. And of course, replace it every 4-5 years or 75,000 miles.

Change your other four fluids if your car is near 100,000 miles. My advice. They are radiator, power steering, transmission, and brake fluids. Cost: about $75 for each service. Why? Because several unseen conditions; electrolysis, acid attack, and fluid breakdown, are all reaching a dangerous point, and present in the fluids – they are the common causes of: Your cars radiator coolant leak and funny smell, when the a/c or heater is on – and that scum on the inside of your windows that won’t clean off. That is a heater core leak problem. [Replacement cost: up to $550]. New radiator service products, strong enough to end such leaks – but, have no fibers or particles, may solve the problem. These new stop leaks work effectively; even stopping intake-manifold coolant leak problems – a $1500 repair, otherwise.

The new breed of radiator servicing and problem solving products can also improve cooling characteristics, and stop electrolysis – one negative that eats holes in the radiator, erodes and causes manifold gasket and seal leaks. Coolant fluid breakdown – a condition where the protective additives in the coolant are used up, occurs in about two years – the time period before your next service and coolant replacement. Ignoring this service can have you and your family on the side of the road looking a your well-cooked engine – if ignored. A good treatment will claim to clean and neutralize acids, offer ingredients for better cooling efficiency, provide long-lasting stop leak protection. Protect gaskets and seals and rubber hoses.

Power steering fluid needs a good clean-out and protection, too. Cost: $95. Power steering fluid loses its lubricity and turns bad on the system. The cause of seal leaks, the constant drone emanating from the pump, and the cause of your steering gear or rack developing a rough, severe wear spot you feel, just off center-turning of the steering wheel, left or right. Acids, friction, and surface roughness can be removed with a complete flush, clean and anti-wear product.

“$2,599 to overhaul my transmission? Are you crazy? No sir! That’s what it cost!” And when they change your fluid, demand they pour new fluid out of a bottle - into your transmission, because most shops buy recycled transmission fluid – a profit building tactic, that, down the road will take many years of life off your transmission. If your transmission has developed a rough shift, slow shift, leak, or clunk sound – around 40mph, It needs some real medicine – a fluid change just won’t do now, as its not strong enough! What may work to end the hidden causes of those problems? New chemistry products packaged as a complete service treatment. They should include cleaners containing protectors, along with metal and fluid conditioners.

“The brake pedal is almost touching the floor! We could have killed that person in the cross walk!” The brake pedal never goes down that far unless you brake system has a leak – or the automatic adjusters are dirty and stuck. Remedy? It time for a complete brake inspection. The tech – better yet, your local mechanic – who will do the inspection and brake correction service – just as good as a franchise shop will do for you, for less than half what they charge. You may just need front wheel brakes or all four wheel brake shoes or pads. When doing so, your cars brake cylinders are also rebuilt and flushed out at this time. If all seems OK, and just a little cleaning is all that’s needed – ask them to flush the system out with new brake fluid. That’s it!

Conclusion So, those are my reasons why, at about when your cars are 4 to 5 years old, all the above services need to be done – to avoid costlier problems. Then, every three years – because fluids breakdown almost twice as fast in older vehicles. Servicing cost for all the above run about $500, and is good car care life assurance – that may help you avoid many times that amount, is this mechanic’s opinion. Do one a month to spread the cost until your all done.

Electric fuel pump is used in modern internal combustion engines to supply fuel from the fuel tank to the injectors. The pump should deliver fuel under high pressure, so that the nozzle can spray it into the engine. For the proper engine operation fuel pressure should be within allowed specifications for a given engine. Too low-pressure can lead to “fuel starvation” engine misfire, excessive vibration or stop the engine under load. Too much pressure causes uneven engine running too rich mixture, and excessive pollution.

Electric fuel pumps are usually installed in fuel tank (intake), although some can be installed outside. Some cars may be equipped with two pumps (one pump inside the tank and the main pump on the outside). The location of the pump in the fuel tank helps mute the buzzing noise of pump’s electric motor. Submersion into the fuel helps lubricate and cool the pump’s engine. Driving with fuel tank filled with less than ¼ of its volume can shorten the life of the pump and cause rapid overheating. It also increases risk of pump left without of gas during rapid acceleration or deceleration.

The pump is usually part of a module that also includes a float that carries electrical signals to the level indicator, located on the dashboard. If the fuel pump needs replacing, it can be replaced separately or the complete module assembly (it is expensive, but much easier).

Different electric fuel pumps have different designs. Some older designs used to use forced displacement of the circulation pump chamber. This type of pump can produce very high pressure and constant flow. But at the outlet of the fuel pump has been strong pressure fluctuations, so often in the gas line after the pump was installed damper to reduce the amplitude of pulsation of gas pressure. Circulating chamber can also be installed outside the tank and used with the second low-pressure pump installed in the fuel tank.

There is another type of fuel pump – “rotor-type”. This design is similar to design of the oil pump and uses the offset rotor to push the fuel through the pump. Another variation of the roller pump – “vane-type”. The blades are used instead of rollers to push the gas through the pump. Most modern cars use a pump turbine. Blades of the impeller push gas through the pump. Turbine type pumps do not produce the pressure fluctuations these types are less complicated to manufacture and more reliable in operation. It is possible to replace a fuel pump by not original unit. In this case fuel pump’s output should be within original specifications and as consumption the same as the original one. Use of an improper specs can cause deterioration of performance of the car.

How does electric fuel pump work?

When the ignition, the electronic control unit excites the relay, which supplies voltage to fuel pump, its motor starts to rotate, and within a few seconds it creates necessary gas pressure. Fuel feeds into the inlet pump through a mesh filter to delay the rust and dirt. Outlet of the pump the gas passes through the check valve, single acting (valve maintains a residual pressure in the system, when pump does not work) and feeds to the engine through the fuel line and filter. The fuel filter catches any rust, dirt and other solid contaminants that have passed through the pump to prevent the penetration of these particles in the injectors.

Further, the gas enters the fuel rail, located on the engine and from the rail to each injector. Fuel pressure regulator, located on the ramp, maintains the fuel pressure and throws any excess back to the tank. Start the engine and the electric fuel pump starts to operate continuously and to keep pumping gas until the engine is running. If the engine stops, then the electronic control unit receives a signal from the sensor and the crankshaft ECU will turn off the pump.

A lot of cars (especially Fords) have an inertial emergency switch which disables the fuel pump in the event of an accident. It is envisaged to reduce the risk of fire when the fuel line is damaged. To return the emergency transmitter to its original state – press the reset button on the sensor. On older cars pumps operated at a constant speed. In newer designs pump’s speed is being controlled by the electronic control unit in order to precisely match allowed specifications.

Fuel pump failure

The fuel pump can fail for several reasons: – Due to the presence of contaminants inside the fuel tank (dirt or rust); – When driving out of gas; – As a result of overheating (in constant motion with a low level of gas in tank); – Low voltage (problems with electrical wiring); – As a result of overloading (for a clogged fuel filter excessive resistance of the filter element can cause an overload of electric motor pump). The harder the conditions of the fuel pump, the more power is required for its operation. Electric fuel pump often fails without any warning. You may drive your car without a trouble, and within a minute the pump fails, the engine just stalls and the car gets up in the middle of the road. Or in the morning you are going to start the car but the engine just will not start.

By what signs can one predict the damage the fuel pump? One way is to listen to the noise of the pump when the ignition is on. Complete absence of noise indicates that it is not working. It can be caused by a malfunction of the pump, pump relay malfunction, the fuse or the lack of voltage. On most cars when fuel pump fails you wouldn’t see usual Check Engine light on. Most modern engines equipped with the union to check the fuel pressure on the ramp nozzles. Connecting fuel pressure gauge to the fitting check valve will quickly show whether the pump produces pressure or not. On engines without pressure test union, to measure pressure can be done by connecting directly to the fuel line at the junction of the ramp. If the gauge indicates zero – the pump does not work. If the pressure is less than nominal, it will be necessary to carry out further diagnosis to identify the causes of low fuel pressure.