I recently had two customers who both bought extended warranties come into the shop for some major repairs.

Customer A purchased their warranty after they bought the car. The vehicle had just under 150,000 on the odometer at the time of the repair so their coverage was nearing the end. The warranty company covered the repair minus the cost of a couple wear items we suggested the customer replace while everything was apart.

Customer B purchased their warranty along with the vehicle from a private dealer. The vehicle had about 30,000 miles on the odometer at the time of the repair and was still within the factory warranty. Neither the factory nor the warranty company would cover the repair because it was deemed it to be a wear and tear item. This was explicitly stated in the terms of the warranty. So after paying for the extended warranty, and despite being under the factory warranty the customer ended up paying out of pocket for the entire repair.

Those two examples argue the point either way. Although I myself would advise against purchasing an extended warranty, if you truly feel you need one then here are some things to keep in mind.

Reliability and longevity. How reliable is the make and model you are purchasing? The warranty will naturally favor the less reliable brands. If you plan on keeping the car long after the factory warranty expires then an extended warranty would certainly be a good idea as all cars become less reliable over time.

Type of coverage. You will need to know what exactly is covered under the warranty. Most coverage options will not cover wear and tear items like brakes, batteries, clutches and maintenance items. Also make sure you understand any restrictions as well as what will cause your warranty to be voided.

Cost. Don’t feel pressured into buying a warranty straight away. You can always purchase a warranty after you have bought the car. So by all means opt out and shop around. You’ll often end up with a better deal. Just make sure you choose a coverage provider that comes recommended by others. Paying a little extra for the best coverage may even save you more down the line. Many top tier coverage options will cover towing and a rental car as well as other expenses.

Although there is no right or wrong answer as the benefits will vary from case to case. Hopefully this information gives you more confidence to make the decision that is best for you if ever need be.

There’s no shame in admitting many of us don’t know what to look for when it comes to inspecting a used car. Which is why it is always a good idea to leave it up to a professional.

First and foremost it gives you a better understanding of who the seller is. It is a giant red flag if a seller says no to your mechanic performing an inspection on a prospective car. It won’t take cost them anything but an hour of their own time, and will definitely speed up the process of the sale. Any seller who refuses the inspection usually has something to hide.

A car can look and drive excellent, but perhaps the owner didn’t keep up with certain services that will come back and bite you in the tail. It is possible for brakes to be almost to the point of replacement and not even make a peep until a few weeks after you bought the car.

It is also a good chance to see what services, if any, the previous owner has completed. For most vehicles the major services come at or after they hit the 100,000 mile mark. Owners of vehicles with timing belts usually decide to sell prior to having them replaced because they feel buying a new car is better than dumping more money into an old one. Some sellers or buyers don’t know what a timing belt is. Even I didn’t even know what a timing belt was at one point. This goes to show you how easily things can be overlooked.

The car may also be in need of a major repair that won’t be apparent to you until the car breaks down on you. I’ve seen many customers buy cars knowing the check engine light is on, thinking it is just a minor issue and an oil change will take care of it.

A pre-purchase inspection also gives you more weapons at the negotiating table as potential problems will help lower the asking price. So why not invest a little money to potentially save you much more in the long run. And if you need help in your new car journey, the professionals at MR Auto SD are here to help. Stop by or give us a ring!

Engine Noises

You’ll only hear these when the engine is running.They also often change their pitch with the speed of the engine. So if you increase the speed of the engine and the noise changes along with it then it’s engine related. Knocking, ticking, screeching, and grinding are common types of engine related noises. Always ensure your vehicle has the proper amount of oil at all times. Engine noises should never be left unchecked.

Brake Noises

Squeaking, grinding and scraping are the most common types of brake noises. All three of these most likely mean it’s time for new brakes. Other reasons include the use of low quality parts or improper installation. A grinding or scraping noise can occur whether the brake pedal is applied or not. Squeaking generally only happens when the brakes are applied.

Suspension Noises

When you hear a clunk, pop or creek while going over road imperfections you can bet it’s suspension related. If your suspension is in good shape it will run quiet and smooth over bumps and dips. You will only hear suspension noises when the car is rolling because the suspension must travel through it’s range of motions. Worn bushings, steering linkages, ball joints are usually the culprit. While shocks and struts will cause excessive clunking when they are at the end of their life.

Tire Noises

Tire vibration and humming will only be heard when the vehicle is moving and usually at higher speeds. Unevenly worn tires can cause a constant loud humming while rolling at mid to high speed. This noise is not to be confused with a wheel bearing which has a similar sound, but changes in tone as you increase speed or shift weight onto the offending bearing. A vibration sound indicates your tires aren’t rolling correctly. A tire balancing or replacement and balance will take care of the vibration.

In Cabin Noises

Sometimes you will hear noises coming from behind the dash that make it sound like gremlins are living in there. There many moving parts to the heating and cool air system than you would think. Actuators that open and close vents eventually go bad causing annoying vibrations. Seats that are worn or otherwise not latched in all the way make sounds that can trick you into thinking you need suspension repairs.

Hopefully this guide helps give you a better understanding should you encounter anything and have to question whether or not to get it looked at. Keep in mind if you wait too long it could end up being extremely costly. As always the ASE certified professionals at MR Auto SD are here to help. Feel free to stop by or give us a call at (858) 455-8222.

Last time we covered misfires and how they inhibit proper operation of an engine. In this installment, we will cover the key role that proper engine timing plays in getting you from A to B. Engines run like finely tuned high end watches. There are so many complex moving parts in a modern day engine and as long as the engine is running, all these parts are moving at a very high velocity.

The engine sucks in air and fuel, compresses the mixture, ignites it, and blows out the bad gases before it repeats and does it all over again. This happens in each cylinder regardless of how many your engine has and it happens thousands of times every minute. All these movements work to do one thing which is to create power to turn the crankshaft. If at any point, one wrong move can spell disaster. Most engines these days are “interference” types which means if the timing is not correct, the moving parts at high velocity can collide and damage each other. Preventive maintenance is key to having a long-lasting vehicle. That’s why it’s critical to always maintain proper maintenance on your timing belt or chain.

A timing belt is made of rubber and is different from the belt that runs the alternator, air conditioning and power steering. This belt turns both the camshaft(s), crankshaft, and in most cases the water pump. It must be replaced regularly at specified service intervals, usually around 90-100 thousand miles or 7-8 years. If not, the belt may fail by breaking which would lead to engine components moving out of synchronization and making contact.

A timing chain is a little different but does the same job. Timing chains are sealed inside of the engine by a timing cover and lubricated by engine oil. The chain rides on multiple plastic guide rails and kept in tension by either a mechanical or hydraulic tensioner. These chains usually last the lifetime of the vehicle. So for many cars, as long as you make sure the chain assembly stays lubricated with oil, you don’t need to replace the chain at a set mileage. This includes oil services done on time, as well as taking care of pesky oil leaks. There are vehicles out there that do have timing chain components that are more prone to failure than normal. I won’t go into detail here about which ones, but it is always a good thing to know if your car has critical components that are prone to fail.

So any time you have questions about your car feel free talk to one of the experts at MR Auto SD. See you next time.

 
When one or more of the cylinders are not producing power because there is a lack of detonation in that cylinder, that is known as a misfire. However in order to explain what a misfire is and what causes I will quickly explain how an basic engine works. For an engine to run properly it needs air, fuel, spark and compression. Think of each cylinder as a container. Air and fuel are injected into the cylinder through valves on the top of the engine, the piston moves up to compress the fuel and air mixture which is then ignited by a spark shooting the piston down with a big bang. Voila! You have power. The piston then comes back up to expel the burnt gases out. When you line up multiple cylinders and attach the pistons to one common crankshaft, all these detonations will make enough power to rotate the crankshaft.

Now let’s go over these four main components individually to see how they would inhibit combustion.

When the piston moves down it sucks air into the cylinder which travels from outside of the car through the air filter, into the intake manifold and finally into the engine. The amount of air is measured by an air mass or manifold absolute pressure sensor. If air is restricted (clogged air filter or inlet), unmetered air sneaks past the sensor (vacuum leak), or if the sensors themselves are defective it may cause a misfire.

Without fuel the engine simply will not run. So a fuel pump will only cause a misfire if it supplies enough pressure to start and run the car, but but fails to deliver enough fuel under load. In most cases fuel related misfires are due to a faulty fuel injector.

Compression requires the cylinder to be sealed air tight. After fuel and air are inducted, the piston compresses it into a dense mixture. If the cylinder isn’t airtight in any way after the valves close the mixture will leak out and will not combust. Leaking head gaskets, cracks in the cylinder head or block, worn piston rings etc.

Spark ignites the mixture. If the spark plugs are too worn, or the ignition wires or ignition coils have issues than it will not deliver the spark when it is needed.

Now that you know the basics you’ll have a better idea of what’s going on in your car if ever this should happen to you. But believe it or not misfires can actually be more complicated than this to diagnose. That’s when your friendly certified technicians at MR Auto SD come in handy. One last thing, all these cycles that occur in order for the engine to run have to be synchronized. So in the next installment we will cover engine timing. See you next time!

First and foremost, is there some sort of drive ability issue? For example, if the malfunction indicator lamp (AKA check engine light or MIL for short) comes on and flashes the car is trying to tell you you should pull over whenever it is safe and stop driving the vehicle. Some vehicles may even limit the speed of the vehicle so you can’t drive over a certain speed ( Most of the time around 40MPH). A flashing MIL means the vehicle’s engine is misfiring in one or more of it’s cylinders. We will go over the potential causes of a misfire in another blog installment. Basically a misfire means there is no power being produced in one or more cylinders therefore the engine is not running correctly. It also means that there is air going into the exhaust from the cylinder(s) that are not firing. This air will cause the catalytic converter to run extremely hot, to the point that the precious metal core will melt, costing you even more money if you keep driving that way. So when your vehicle’s check engine light is flashing pull over whenever it is safe and have your car towed to the nearest repair facility.

Now just because the MIL isn’t blinking, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have it checked out. A scan of the engine’s computer will retrieve the diagnostic trouble code or DTC, but it will not tell you the reason why the light turned on in the first place. Most places charge for a diagnostic, but many will credit this toward the actual repair. The reason why the MIL comes on is because the computer detects that there was a failure in some within one of the given systems it is tasked with monitoring. And although a computer can retrieve the code, it will be up to an experienced technician to figure out why and how to fix it. Depending on which system fails it can affect many different things. Most likely your car is polluting more, gas mileage will likely go down and in the worst case it may be damaging the engine/transmission or catalytic converter.

So why not just disconnect the battery? It’s true disconnecting the battery may turn the light off, but it will not fix the problem and the light will end up coming back on. This also may seem like a smart way to cheat your state’s emissions test. But keep in mind that after the light turned off, each system must run their monitors to make sure everything is working properly. This may take several miles of driving and if the monitors don’t set, or the light comes back on it will be an automatic fail.

That’s why it’s always a good idea to at least have the vehicle checked out if the MIL comes on even if you don’t get it repaired. At least you know what is wrong and you can either stop driving the car if it is damaging or save money for the repair. As always if you need help with your check engine light woes, feel free to call or stop by MR Auto SD. See you next time!

The most common cause of shortened brake pad life comes from sticking brakes. See when the brake pedal is depressed it acts upon the master cylinder which distributes this force in the form of compressed fluid to the brake caliper which clamps the brake pads down on the rotors. When the brake pedal is released everything works backwards and the brake pads go back to their original position. But what happens if the brake pads don’t move back when the brakes are released? The brake pads and rotors would still be touching each other and the friction will wear them both down. This is what is known as sticking brakes.  It happens quite often and most of the time you won’t notice it until your car is in for service and the technician tells you one or more of your brake pads are wearing down faster than the rest. There are a couple of ways this can happen.

Partially seized brake calipers are one. The brake calipers have an internal piston that clamps on the pads when the vehicle is braking. Overtime the caliper piston can seize causing the brakes to not fully retract.

Brakes could also stick if the caliper slide pins aren’t lubricated with grease. The slide pins connect the brake caliper to the caliper bracket which is how the caliper is mounted on over the rotor. The pins allow the caliper to slide when the brakes are applied which helps the pads retract when released.

Worn suspension can also shorten the life of your brakes. The springs and shocks help support the vehicle weight. There are many different types of body motion when the car is rolling down the road but the one we will concentrate on here is dive. When the car comes to a stop all the weight slides forward causing the car to dive. Worn springs and shocks will put more weight and stress on the brakes causing them to work harder and wear faster. It also increases the stopping distance when you brake.

Although there are other causes, these the main culprits of shortened brake pad life. So now you can understand the forces at play every time you step on the brake pedal. A good service technician will not only service your brakes, but also figure out if your brakes are wearing down faster than they should and why. So feel free to stop by MR Auto SD to have your brakes checked out. Until next time be safe out there.

There are many variables in play when it comes to squeezing every last bit of life from your brake pads. And although technology has come a long way to aid us in this task, a lot of it comes down to lifestyle and driving habits. So here’s what you can do as a driver to make sure you paying your mechanic a visit all the time.

Speed is one of the top reasons brakes don’t last. The faster you drive, the more kinetic energy there is for the brakes to dissipate. When the brakes pads clamp down on the rotors it produces thermal energy. When they work harder they also get hotter leading to more wear.  Slowing down saves lives, and brakes too!

Keeping your brakes applied unnecessarily also shortens the life of your brakes. So wherever possible keep your foot off the brake if you don’t need to slow down. Coasting along with as little acceleration as possible helps save gas and brake life. That’s a win win. Also if you’re traveling up a hill toward a red light, let gravity help you out and let off the gas pedal a little earlier. Paying attention to the road will help you avoid accidents as well as sudden stops.

Besides driving habits, you might just be carrying around a lot of extra weight. No I don’t mean the kind we all have left over from Thanksgiving. But many of us keep too much junk in our cars that we don’t need and probably can live without on a regular basis. Every bit of extra weight works against you when you are speeding up and slowing down a car or any vehicle for that matter.

Next time we will dive into the mechanical aspects of break wear. So stay tuned for the next installment. And if ever you’re in need of a brake check, call or stop by MR Auto SD.

The anti-lock brake system works exactly like it sounds. It prevents the brakes from locking up during heavy braking. Let’s say you’re traveling down the road at about 50 MPH, your vehicle doesn’t have ABS or it isn’t functioning and take your eyes off the road for a slit second. Now when you look up all of the sudden there’s a traffic light, it’s red and there are cars in front of you at a complete stop. Your first instinct is to slam on the brakes,but for some reason your car just keeps skidding forward violently lunging you into the car in front of you.

ABS would be useful because when your brakes lock up the tires stop spinning and you lose control over steering the car. ABS will pulse the brakes correctly under heavy braking so the wheels will keep spinning, while at the same time the brakes will also work to stop the vehicle. This allows the vehicle to make emergency stops at shorter distances while also giving the driver more control to prevent them from spinning out. It does this by utilizing a series of sensors which feed information to the electronic control unit which controls hydraulic valves that can vary brake pressure to each individual wheel. So if the computer detects one wheel is moving slower than the others under heavy braking, indicating a lock up, it will relieve the brake pressure to that wheel allowing it to turn freely giving you more control.

So in short, your car is probably not going to blow up if the ABS light is on and you don’t get it checked out. However it’s one of those things you would rather have working and not need it, than need it and not have it working.

First, check your tires. Check the entire tire for tread wear. Using a penny, place it inside the tread with Abe’s head sticking down. If you can see the top of his hair then it’s time for new tires. Tread depth is not the only thing you should check though, also check the entire tire for signs of cracking and heat wear. Tires older than 5 years start to crack after being through so many heat cycles, these tires are more susceptible to blow outs when put under a lot of stress. Lastly, check the inflation pressure to make sure it’s correct. The factory specs can be found in the driver door jam. Tires should be adjusted when cold.

Now while you’re there, see if you can take a peek at those brake pads to make sure they still have enough life. Some cars are easier than others, but if you have a small mirror it also helps. A brake pad has an inside lining and a outside backing plate. The inner lining (inside pad material) should be thicker or at least as thick as the backing plate. If the inside is lower than the outside, it probably is time for new brakes.

Lastly pop the hood open and check all the fluids. The main fluids to keep an eye on are the engine oil, and the engine coolant as well as the transmission fluid if your vehicle is automatic. The most important thing is that the fluids are full, if they are discolored then you’ll probably want to get each system checked and serviced.

Lastly check the battery. Is there any corrosion you can see? Corrosion is caused by hydrogen being released from the acid in your battery and depending on which terminal it’s on, it could mean it’s overcharging or undercharging. An overcharging battery will corrode the Positive (+) terminal while an under-charging battery will corrode the negative (-) terminal. Most auto repair shops or parts stores will run a battery test for you free of charge.

Now that everything is checked you can head out on the road with peace of mind. Don’t forget to take a quick peek under the hood every time you stop for gas. If ever you are unsure of your vehicle’s road worthiness feel free to stop by MR Auto SD and more than happy to check it out and make sure you and your car make it wherever you need to go safely.