May 17, 2012

Cooling System Service At Thompson Auto Diagnostic

Filed under: Cooling System — thompsonau587 @ 7:56 pm

Cooling System Service At Thompson Auto Diagnostic

Your sedan cooling system’s job is to keep your engine cool. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it’s cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the cooled mix circulates back through the sedan engine to absorb more heat.

Coolant, or antifreeze, is specially formulated to keep your engine safe in a wide range of environmental and operating temperatures in Mishawaka.

Without coolant, the sedan’s metal engine parts would expand so much that the engine would seize up and stop running.  Expensive parts could be broken or warp so badly they would have to be replaced at Thompson Auto Diagnostic in Mishawaka. It could even be so bad that the whole engine is ruined and has to be replaced.

Also, if it’s freezing outside in Mishawaka, the water in your engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the IN cold. This is why you check coolant levels frequently and have your cooling system inspected for leaks. Also your manufacturer has a maintenance requirement for draining and replacing your coolant. These recommendations can vary widely, so check your Mishawaka owner’s manual or ask your service advisor at Thompson Auto Diagnostic in Mishawaka.

The reason you need to change the coolant is that it has additives in it to protect the cooling system. As you can imagine, with all the heat, the cooling system’s a pretty harsh environment. The additives keep the fluid from becoming corrosive and damaging the radiator and other Mishawaka cooling system components. Over time, the additives are depleted and the coolant just has to be replaced. A simple pH test can measure the coolant’s acidity.

You may have noticed that there are different colors of antifreeze at Thompson Auto Diagnostic: it is very important that you use the correct type.  The different coolant types are different colors so you don’t mix them up.  Manufacturers use different materials to make the cooling system, and they require different types of antifreeze to protect them.

So check with your helpful Thompson Auto Diagnostic service advisor or owner’s manual for the right kind because using the wrong coolant can void the warranty for your sedan cooling system.

Ask us about tires, MAINTENCE SCHEDULE and routine service and repairs.

Give us a call

Thompson Auto Diagnostic
574.256.1001
1445 McKinley Ave
Mishawaka, IN 46545

At Thompson Auto Diagnostic in Mishawaka IN (46545) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.256.1001. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 10, 2012

Deciphering The Menu Board At Thompson Auto Diagnostic: F to W

Filed under: Making Your Vehicle Last — thompsonau587 @ 8:40 pm

Deciphering The Menu Board At Thompson Auto Diagnostic F to W

You may not be familiar with all of the items on Thompson Auto Diagnostic’s menu board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed. Remember, the board is there for reference; speak to your Thompson Auto Diagnostic Service Adviser about other possible needs or services.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic Fuel System Cleaning: Over time, the fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning at Thompson Auto Diagnostic gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas as you drive around Mishawaka and on South Bend freeways, by the way.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic Headlamp Replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. When one burns out, replace both so they’ll have the same brightness. Also, if your headlamp lenses are yellowed or cloudy, you can have them professionally restored to like new-condition. As your helpful Thompson Auto Diagnostic advisor for information.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic Inspections: Mishawaka drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they’re going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle’s ready for summer or winter in Mishawaka. Maybe they just bought a used car and want to give it the once over. An inspection at Thompson Auto Diagnostic may reveal some things that are broken or are getting close to having a problem.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic Oil Change Service – there are several options: Some Mishawaka auto service centers offer just an oil change and new filter as an option. Most will also check and top off all of your other fluids and do a quick visual inspection with a full service oil change. There may also be options for higher mileage fluids or an upgrade to synthetic oil.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic PCV Valve Service: PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It’s a little part that releases pressure from the engine. It can get gummed up and that can lead to engine damage. Just needs to be changed now and then.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic Power Steering Service: Often overlooked. Your Thompson Auto Diagnostic technician will evacuate the old fluid, clean out the system and replace it with clean fluid. Keeps the system running well for a long time.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic Serpentine Belt Replacement: That’s the belt that powers the engine’s accessories like the alternator, air conditioner, power steering and brakes. You’ll want to replace the serpentine belt at Thompson Auto Diagnostic before it breaks or wears down too much, because that’ll lead to other problems.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic Shocks and Struts Replacement: This starts with an inspection of the suspension components. Shocks last a long time and wear out slowly, so many Mishawaka motorists don’t notice when it’s time to change them. If they’re worn or leaking, they need to be replaced.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic Transmission Service: This involves removing the transmission fluid and replacing it with clean fluid. It’s like an oil change for your transmission.

Thompson Auto Diagnostic Tire Rotation and Wheel Balancing: The tires are rotated from front to back using the recommended rotation pattern. This helps tires wear more evenly. Wheels need to be balanced from time to time to keep them turning without any wobble or bounce. Helps the ride and saves tire wear as you drive around Mishawaka.

Give us a call

Thompson Auto Diagnostic
574.256.1001
1445 McKinley Ave
Mishawaka, IN 46545

At Thompson Auto Diagnostic in Mishawaka IN (46545) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.256.1001. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 4, 2012

Brake Service At Thompson Auto Diagnostic In Mishawaka

Filed under: Power Brakes — thompsonau587 @ 8:22 pm

Brake Service At Thompson Auto Diagnostic In Mishawaka

Most Mishawaka drivers know that braking means slowing or stopping a vehicle. The mechanical aspects of the brakes themselves are just one issue. There’s also the power brake system and brake fluid. And then there are the tires, which are critical to the effectiveness of the brakes.

Let’s step back. A car or truck rolls brand new off the showroom floor at a local Mishawaka dealer. It has brand new brakes with brand new brake pads. The brake lines and the power assist are filled with fresh fluid and are completely clean inside. And the sedan tires are brand new, with full tread. Naturally, braking power is at its peak performance.
 
Now, as your drive from Mishawaka to South Bend and back, the miles start to add up. Most Mishawaka car owners tend to focus on the brake pads. In the Mishawaka automotive service community, the pads, and shoes on drum brakes, are called the friction material. That’s because they provide the friction used to stop the sedan. The pads are designed to be effective throughout their useful life – it’s not until they are worn so thin as to be out of spec that they lose stopping effectiveness.

The mechanical parts of the brakes have pistons and springs that get quite a workout while stopping the sedan. Over many miles, these wear and get gummed up. They start to lose effectiveness gradually and could even fail. That’s why a regular brake inspection is important. At Thompson Auto Diagnostic, we can test the operation of the brakes and see if any parts need cleaning or replacing.

That leads us to brake fluid service at Thompson Auto Diagnostic. Some of the critical additives in the fluid that lubricate and clean the sedan fluid system are depleted over time. That and moisture building up in the system deteriorate the performance of the brake fluid. Brake fluid replacement at Thompson Auto Diagnostic includes flushing the brake system to clean out deposits, water and dirt. Then the system is filled up with fresh fluid.

The tires are what connect the sedan to the road. The stopping force is ultimately dependent on the traction provided by the tires. The better they grip the road, the quicker you’ll stop as you drive around Mishawaka.

For questions about brakes, brake pads, diagnostic, MAINTENCE SCHEDULE, or tires, talk to Thompson Auto Diagnostic  manager Mike Thompson.

Give us a call

Thompson Auto Diagnostic
574.256.1001
1445 McKinley Ave
Mishawaka, IN 46545

At Thompson Auto Diagnostic in Mishawaka IN (46545) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.256.1001. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 26, 2012

Viva la Differential At Thompson Auto Diagnostic

Filed under: Differential Service — thompsonau587 @ 4:25 pm

Viva la Differential At Thompson Auto Diagnostic

With front-wheel drive being so common in Mishawaka these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Mishawaka folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive sedan differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for IN people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many sedan differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and Thompson Auto Diagnostic technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Thompson Auto Diagnostic service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Mishawaka four wheel drive sedans need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at Thompson Auto Diagnostic at different intervals.

Your Mishawaka service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your sedan owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Thompson Auto Diagnostic
574.256.1001
1445 McKinley Ave
Mishawaka, IN 46545

At Thompson Auto Diagnostic in Mishawaka IN (46545) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.256.1001. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 20, 2012

Battery Replacement In Mishawaka

Filed under: Battery — thompsonau587 @ 8:42 pm

Battery Replacement In Mishawaka

Car batteries wear out just like any other battery and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things Mishawaka sedan owners should know when looking for a new car battery: one is cold cranking amps and the other is reserve capacity.

Let’s start with cold cranking amps. This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold sedan engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live around Mishawaka, specifically how cold it is where you live. The two factors are that the colder an engine is, the more power it takes to turn the sedan engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with. The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient in the cold.

So the colder it gets in Mishawaka, more power is needed, but the available power drops.

If you live where it’s cold, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it’s moderate or hot. You should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as the manufacturer recommends, but may want to upgrade at Thompson Auto Diagnostic if you live where it gets real cold.

An important note: Batteries may also list the Cranking Amps – CA – number. It is the Cold Cranking Amps – or CCA – that is the important number here. CCA is the number to use in your comparisons.

Now with all this talk of cold temperatures in Mishawaka, it’s important to note that heat is the real enemy of long battery life. In other words, the damage that’s done over the hot summer months in Mishawaka shows up with the increased demands on the sedan battery when the weather turns cold.

Now on to reserve capacity: It’s a measurement of the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has at a given load. The number is more important these days because of parasitic drain. Parasitic drain is the battery energy that’s used when the key is off. So the power drawn by the sedan security system, the remote start system, even the power the sedan computers require to maintain their memory.

Reserves are also needed when you make very short trips around Mishawaka. You’re not driving long enough for the battery to recover the energy it used to start the sedan engine.

So go with the minimum recommended by your manufacturer and upgrade if you need more. Talk with your helpful Thompson Auto Diagnostic service advisor about options. If you need more from your battery, a larger capacity battery may be called for.

Batteries are a big ticket item for most Mishawaka motorists, so the warranty gives peace of mind. Be sure to ask about the car battery warranty at Thompson Auto Diagnostic so you know what you’re getting. At Thompson Auto Diagnostic, we have been providing quality auto service in Mishawaka for 22 years.

Give us a call

Thompson Auto Diagnostic
1445 McKinley Ave
Mishawaka, IN 46545

At Thompson Auto Diagnostic in Mishawaka IN (46545) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.256.1001. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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