Fort Wayne Auto Repair

Engine air filters may not seem like a big deal, but when they’re clogged up with dirt, dust, and insects, your engine could wind up choking for air and not delivering you the power and performance it was designed to give.

There are actually a couple of air filters in your vehicle.  One filters the air going into the cabin (the cabin air filter), and the other filters air going into the engine.  That engine filter is the one we’re talking about. After several months and long distances traveled, your engine air filter accumulates the junk it’s preventing from getting into your engine. You may notice your engine misfiring, your acceleration may not be what it used to be, it may make strange noises, and the Check Engine light may come on.

When you notice any of those signs, it’s time to bring in your vehicle to have us figure out what’s going on. We’ll visually inspect your air filter.  Keep in mind that your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends a replacement interval for your make and model.  Typically, many automakers suggest replacing the air filter every 10,000-15,000 miles/16,000-24,000 km.  But if you drive in areas that are dirty and dusty, you should have it checked more frequently.  Also, if you spend a lot of your driving hours in congested urban areas, stop-and-go driving can also tax your engine air filter.

When replacing it, it’s important to get the correct filter. Automakers often offer a variety of engines in the same model, so our technician will make sure you’re getting the one that’s made for your vehicle’s configuration.  Keep in mind that the air filter is protecting your engine from contaminants, and having one that properly fits is important with today’s modern, high-tech engines.  

Replacing your engine air filter can help prolong the life of your engine. You’ll both breathe better.

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com

Few of us ever drive somewhere without encountering some pretty rough roads, and it's amazing how well our vehicles are able to smooth out the ride. Thank your shocks and struts.

The two parts are similar.  Some cars have shocks in the rear, and struts in the front.  Others have struts all around.  A shock absorber uses a cylinder filled with gas or liquid that's connected to your vehicle's frame and axle.  When your vehicle encounters an imperfection in the road, the shock dampens the motion. 

A strut is essentially a shock absorber mounted inside a spring and can support more weight than a shock by itself.

Shocks and struts take a lot of punishment and wear out.  When they do, your tires are not contacting the road as much as they should, and that can result in a bumpy, unstable ride. Worn-out shocks and struts also transfer the impacts of road imperfections directly to your vehicle's body which can cause further damage to other parts.

You can tell when your shocks and struts are wearing out when your vehicle's ride is bouncy, you feel the bumps and body motion a lot more than you used to, or you may see fluid leaking from the areas near the wheels.

How often your shocks and struts need replacing depends on what surfaces you drive on, how far they've traveled, and how long they've been on the vehicle.  Our technicians can check the condition of your shocks and struts and advise you when they need to be changed.  Shocks and struts should always be changed in pairs.  

Because shocks and struts wear out gradually over a long time and distance, experts recommend you have them checked at least once a year.  Plus, if you know you've recently hit something especially hard in the road, you should have your suspension checked just to make sure it's ok.

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com

When you start your vehicle’s engine, there’s another motor that makes that whole process possible.  It’s called the starter, and it’s a small electric motor that gets your vehicle running.  

As you can imagine, it’s quite a chore for a little electric motor to turn over the big engine that powers your vehicle.  And after hundreds of successful starting missions, after a while, it will start to give out.

You’ll know the starter is starting to give up the ghost when it turns too slowly or sometimes doesn’t do anything when you turn on the ignition.  Maybe it makes funny noises like grinding when you try to start your vehicle or maybe there’s just a click. Those are all reasons to get your vehicle over to us so we can see what’s going on. 

A technician will make sure the problem is the starter and not in the battery, a switch, or other electrical component or connections.  If all of those are ruled out, your starter will be replaced.  The technician will also make sure all the cables and connections to the battery are clean and solid.  

Often starter problems come on gradually, and they often give you advanced warning that it’s time to have it fixed—before you find yourself frustrated— and stranded.

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com

You’ve probably already heard that regular oil changes are extremely important for the health of your vehicle’s engine. That’s sound advice.  But what you might not know is when it comes to motor oil, the real thing may not be the best thing for your engine.

There are different types of motor oil:
•    Conventional oil, extracted from the ground and refined.
•    Synthetic oil, manufactured from high-quality base oils and artificially-made chemical compounds.
•    Synthetic oil blend, a mixture of conventional and synthetic oils.

The first thing you need to know is that most new engines require synthetic oil.  If synthetic oil is recommended for your car – you MUST use it.

For the rest, there are many advantages to using synthetic oil over conventional oil. 

•    Synthetic oil provides better protection for your engine while helping it to perform better.
•    Conventional oil breaks down over time, while synthetic oil lasts longer.
•    Synthetics can stand higher temperature extremes, both heat, and cold.

Synthetic oil can be a better choice if you live in an extremely hot or cold climate or put a lot of strain on your engine by towing or carrying heavy loads.  It also may be good for older engines that sometimes have a tendency to develop sludge. 

Synthetic oil is a more expensive option, but you likely won’t have to have your oil changed as often.  Some synthetics are recommended to last 10,000-15,000 miles/16,000-24,000 km between changes. 

You might also consider a synthetic blend that gives you some of the advantages of synthetic oil at a lower cost. Have a talk with your service adviser about recommendations for what will best suit your vehicle and driving habits. 

It’s interesting to note that in recent years, more than one out of two vehicle owners are opting for synthetic oil or a synthetic blend when they get their oil changed. Sounds like they’re on to something. In the long run, if you have fewer oil changes with synthetics, you’ll use less oil, a bonus for our environment. 

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com

It's safe to say that most drivers take their brakes for granted.  You press on the brake pedal and the vehicle slows down or stops.  It's easy to see why it is so important for your vehicle's brakes to be working correctly.  Brakes are an important safety feature of any vehicle.

When it comes to your brakes working correctly, maintaining them regularly will ensure that you will always be able to slow or stop your vehicle in any situation, whether on a sunny day on dry pavement or a bad weather day on slippery surfaces.  And that is why regular brake service is such a sound investment for all drivers. The combo of brakes" and "surprises" doesn't usually end well.

You might already know about some of the parts of your braking system.  Terms familiar to you might be pads, rotors, and calipers. In short, the calipers press the pads, which in turn contact the rotors.  The resulting friction slows your vehicle.  Another type of brake uses a drum and brake shoes.  But both count on friction to work.

When you come in to have us check your brakes, we'll make sure those parts are all in good working together and meet the specifications of your vehicle manufacturer.  But there are other important components as well.  Your brake system has several parts of a hydraulic system that uses fluids to conduct the pressure you put on the brake pedal to the brakes on all of your wheels.  There are hoses and lines that can sometimes degrade because of road salt or debris.  

Last and not least, your vehicle has an emergency or parking brake. It's something you'll need to prevent your vehicle from rolling when you park on a steep incline. Your parking brake also is an important backup if your hydraulic brakes fail.  

Give your brakes some tender loving care with regular service and they'll be there when you need them.

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com

While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there's one that isn't complicated but still important.  It's your engine air filter.

(And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn't to be confused with the cabin air filter.  The cabin air filter cleans air that goes into the passenger compartment while the engine air filter cleans air that goes into the engine itself.)

Why does your engine need a filter? Think of all the stuff–dirt, dust, and debris in the air¬–that gets kicked up on the road.  If that were to go unfiltered into your engine, it could damage other components.

There are many different materials used in an engine air filter, including paper, cloth (frequently cotton), and other synthetic fabrics.  The material is usually folded tightly to maximize the filtering capability over a relatively small surface.  

Before computers were employed to determine the proper mix of air and gasoline, a dirty air filter could contribute to a decline in fuel economy.  But a study of engine air filters done by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2009 found that in modern fuel-injected engines, computers can maintain the correct air/fuel mix even when an engine air filter is really dirty, minimizing effects on fuel economy.

That same clogged air filter, though, can affect your vehicle's performance, mainly how much power and acceleration it delivers.  In testing three different vehicles, a dirty air filter made the vehicles slower by about 6-12%.  That's something you'd definitely notice if you were driving.

But it happens slowly, over the course of several months, so you might not even know your engine air filter is dirty unless you bring it to us and have a technician inspect yours.  

There are many different types of engine air filters, from the ones made by the original vehicle manufacturer to aftermarket ones.  Some can increase your engine's performance; some can be washed and re-used but are generally more expensive.

Your service advisor can recommend several options for you, depending on the type of vehicle you drive and your driving habits.  Dirty, dusty roads will require more frequent engine air filter changes than cleaner drive routes, and each vehicle manufacturer recommends when your filter should be changed.  Keeping it clean will help your engine breathe a little bit easier.

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com

See if any of these are happening to your vehicle.  You feel it vibrating excessively underneath when it’s running, or you hear strange clunking, grating, or grinding sounds coming from beneath.  Maybe it’s hard to turn your vehicle, or you can hear squeaking when you’re going slow.  Perhaps you feel a shudder when you step on the throttle.  

Any of those could be signs that your vehicle’s driveshaft might need lubricating, and it’s important to have one of our technicians check it out. Your vehicle’s engine puts out a lot of twisting power.  That force is called torque, and the driveshaft is the part that handles the job of transferring all that torque from your engine to the wheels.  If it’s a four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle, it will have driveshafts front and rear. 

Some driveshafts have different segments which are connected by couplings called U-Joints.   So that everything can glide along fine, that whole assembly needs to stay well lubricated.  Our technician can inspect the driveshaft and U-joints to make sure there aren’t any broken or excessively worn parts.  

Many manufacturers recommend servicing and lubricating the driveshaft at certain intervals, and it’s important to keep on that schedule.  It’s essential because poor lubrication can lead to a failure while you are driving, possibly causing other expensive parts to fail.  Not keeping your driveshaft lubricated or failing to maintain it regularly is the top cause of driveshaft problems. 

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com

What's the dif? To an automotive technician, it's the differential, a part of your vehicle that helps direct power from the engine to the wheels.  The differential is a gearbox that enables the drive wheels to turn at different speeds (they do that when you turn).  

Inside the differential is a fluid that makes sure those gears and other parts are lubricated since there are a lot of metal moving parts in there.  (Your vehicle may have more than one differential in it depending on the drivetrain.) 

As you can imagine, it's important that the lubricant in those differentials do its job.  Otherwise, the gears may be damaged by heat and friction. The more you drive your vehicle, the more likely it is for that lubricating fluid to break down.

So, it's important to have the differential fluid exchanged every so often.  Your vehicle's manufacturer recommends how often your model should have that done, but a common interval is every 30,000-60,000 miles/50,000 km-100,000km.  Regular exchange of differential fluid can reduce premature wear of the gears inside.

Scheduled maintenance goes a long way to preventing differential problems, but sometimes when they begin to fail, you may hear the vehicle sounding a little louder than usual where the differentials are located.  

When it comes to changing the differential fluid, some have a drain plug in them. Others require the entire cover to be removed to drain the fluid.  There are often gaskets that must be changed at the same time to make sure there are no leaks.
Now when someone asks you, "What's the dif?" You’ll know how essential the differential is and how to keep it running in top shape.

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com

If your vehicle’s power goes to the rear wheels, then you have something called U-joints in the drivetrain. U-joints are connectors that allow the rotating power from your vehicle’s engine to deliver its power through a driveshaft to make the rear wheels rotate.  You need U-joints because the surfaces you drive on aren’t perfectly flat, and the driveshaft has to allow for some flexibility when you are traveling over uneven surfaces.

As you can imagine, the U-joints have to move and flex a lot as your vehicle is going down the road.  They have bearings in them to allow that flexibility, and those bearings are lubricated when your vehicle is made.  Some U-joints have lifetime lubrication and are not designed to be serviced.  When they fail, they have to be replaced.  Others have grease fittings on them that need periodic lubricating by a technician at intervals recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer. 

There are signs you can look for that your U-joints need attention.  You may hear a clunk when the gears shift into drive or reverse.  You may feel your vehicle vibrate as you move down the road.  Other signs are leaks at the back of your transmission or a banging sound right before you lose power.  Sometimes, though, if you wait until you notice these symptoms, the U-joints may already be damaged.  

That’s why it’s important that your vehicle’s U-joints be periodically inspected and lubricated.  At the same time, a technician should thoroughly inspect the driveshaft and other connected components.  

Keep your U-joints in good shape, and both of U will continue to enjoy years of reliable transportation.

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com

We all want to breathe clean air and keep our planet green.  One of the ways to do that is by requiring all vehicles with internal combustion engines to pass an emissions test.  That’s because these vehicles can be big polluters.  

Everyone wants their car to pass the test so they can continue their day-to-day driving routine.  But then comes that one day when they tell you your vehicle has failed.  Why does that happen?

One of the most common reasons is that your gas cap is leaking or loose (or maybe you don’t even have one on your vehicle!).  The gas cap is supposed to seal in vapors, but sometimes its seals or gaskets dry out or crack. Replace it, and you’re good to go.

Another common reason your vehicle failed the test is that your catalytic converter isn’t doing its job. It is supposed to convert toxic gases from your engine into ones that don’t pollute the air.  There are many reasons the catalytic converter may not be working.  It may be physically damaged, or the steady flow of exhaust gases has fouled the converter. 

You may have a bad oxygen sensor. It’s supposed to measure how much oxygen is in your exhaust.  This can cause the air-fuel mixture to be too rich, resulting in too many hydrocarbons in the exhaust. Your ignition system may also have problems, such as worn-out spark plugs.  Dirty fuel injectors can contribute to excess emissions.

Believe it or not, a dirty engine air filter may be the culprit. If it hasn’t been replaced for a while, your vehicle may be emitting too many hydrocarbons -  something that will cause your vehicle to fail the emissions test.

You can usually avoid a failed emissions test by maintaining your vehicle regularly.  The best way to do that is by bringing it to our trained technicians, so your vehicle gets the service it needs, scheduled and non-scheduled.  Plus, you’ll be doing your part to keep our air clean.

Ed's Car Care Center
7811 North Clinton Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
2604835721
http://www.edscarcarecenter.com