Emissions Repair – Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic

Your Car’s Battery – Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) vs. Reserve Capacity (RC)

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 08:14:35 +0000

Our little slice of Arizona is considered a severe service area for a lot of automotive parts, not the least of which is your car’s battery. The constant heat and driving demands can test your battery to the limit. If you haven’t had to replace a car battery yet, you most likely will at some time in the future here in the Tempe/Phoenix area. When it comes to choosing the right battery for your car or truck you need to consider the Reserve Capacity (RC) and Cold Cranking Amps (CCA). Listen to ACDelco’s Kurt Pursche explain the difference between RC and CCA and give you advice on which one is the more important item to focus on when you are deciding on your next car or truck battery

How To Not Destroy Your Car While Fixing It

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 07:20:53 +0000

A lot of us are “do it yourselfers” when it comes to some of our automotive maintenance chores. If this applies to you, it’s good to know you have to be careful with some of these chores so as not to do more harm than good. This especially applies to anything involving your electrical system. One wrong move could potentially damage some of your computer-based systems, and that’s a recipe for a lot of very expensive parts and labor auto repair bills! Watch Scotty Kilmer, a mechanic for the last 46 years, as he shows how you can work on your car’s electrical system WITHOUT shorting things out and causing further damage. A few simple precautions is all that’s needed, and this video shows them to you. NOTE: Working on your own vehicle’s electrical system is NOT something w … read more

Auto Repair Tempe: Battery Service and Repair

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 07:23:04 +0000

Batteries are a huge part of modern life. How many battery chargers do you have around? We’ve got a box full of them. Of course, we’re here to talk about your car battery. When people come into our tempe auto repair shop and need a new battery, they’re really not that happy about having to spend the money. But the fact is, 70% of batteries don’t last four years, but there are some things you can do to extend the life of your battery. First, keep it clean. If you see it getting dirty or greasy, let us know and we can clean it off. A dirty battery runs hotter, and that shortens its life. If your battery terminals are corroded, let us take a look at that, too. We can clean them up, and if the corrosion has gotten into the battery cables, we can replace them. Also, running your batter … read more

Go Hands-Free in Your Car

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 07:22:29 +0000

Some states have already made driving while using a cell phone illegal, and it’s highly discouraged in every part of the U.S. But there are many more distractions in the car than just talking on the phone or texting. Fortunately, voice control software has reached the point where many different devices in the car can be controlled by voice commands. However, not everyone can afford these extras, and they’re still fairly expensive. Here are some of the most common things people use their hands for instead of driving and their safer alternatives. Cell Phones While some people say that talking on the phone isn’t distracting at all, it really is. It takes at least one hand to hold the phone up to your ear, and that can severely impact your … read more

What You Need To Know About OEM Auto Parts

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 07:52:32 +0000

A part of car ownership involves vehicle maintenance and the occasional shopping trip to replace obsolete auto parts. Whether the parts aim to maintain the function of the vehicle, or you’re looking to improve the appearances of your vehicle, shopping will present a whole new challenge if you can’t determine the difference between OEM and Aftermarket Parts. Many often wonder if it’s worth sticking to genuine vehicle parts or if there are some benefits other than cost to purchasing aftermarket parts from a different manufacturer. While it’s normal to wonder about such things, it may be comforting to know most of the parts you’ll ever have to replace on your vehicle were probably outsourced to another company to begin with. It’s rare and sometimes even expensive to produce auto parts in ho … read more

Tempe Auto Repair: Shocks and Struts, What Do They Do?

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 07:42:41 +0000

Let's talk shocks and struts. Shock absorbers last a long time and wear out pretty slowly, so I guess you could say they're easy to take for granted. But your shocks and struts do a very important job, so you need to pay attention to them. They keep your tires on the road, and your tires are what connect your vehicle to the road and allow you to safely handle your car through turns, over bumps and even stop efficiently. So what happens when your shocks or struts are worn? When your shocks and struts are worn, your tires bounce excessively over bumps. Your vehicle will wallow through corners. Your front end will dive when you stop, and your rear end will squat when you accelerate. All this hurts your ability to control your vehicle, and your ride just isn't as comfortable. In a … read more

Detroit confronts self-driving cars: can America’s auto show survive the future?

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 08:10:34 +0000

The North American International Auto Show has reigned for decades as the premiere industry event, but Silicon Valley is threatening the crown An unspoken question hung in the frigid air of Detroits largest auto show, as work crews fastened the last few bolts and polished down the displays. How long can the North American International Auto Show reign supreme? For those who like the status quo in the auto industry, these can be unsettling times. Gas prices have hovered at remarkable lows, Silicon Valley giants are breaking into the business and if some criers are to be believed, the revolution of self-driving cars is near. Most agree that autonomous driving technology the stuff of self-driving vehicles[autonomous vehicles] is the force most likely to signif … read more

The DeLorean Story

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 08:16:20 +0000

We just passed the 30th anniversary of the original Back To The Future movie. (30 years?! Seriously?!) Obviously, for car buffs this immediately brings to mind the ultimate time machine…the DeLorean! (With the flux capacitor option, of course.) Today we look at the history of that iconic car, made in Belfast, with its sleek stainless steel exterior and gull wing doors. Every once in awhile you can even find one of these for sale on the used market! Your next car maybe? 🙂

US Car Czar: “Industry Faces Massive Change By 2023”

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 08:08:08 +0000

By: Nick Carey and Deepa Seetharaman DETROIT | Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:00pm EST DETROIT (Reuters) – The American auto industry will change more in the next dozen years than it has during the past 50, said the U.S. Treasury official charged with overseeing the government’s investment in the auto industry. In 12 years, vehicles will be more fuel efficient and be far more computerized, Ron Bloom said on Tuesday in prepared remarks to the Automotive News World Congress. “We will take substantial steps toward using electricity, bio-fuels, and natural gas to power our cars, and those vehicles still using oil will consume far less of it,” Bloom said. While the perce … read more

How Your Car’s Instrument Cluster Works

Mid Ohio Mobile Mechanic — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 07:24:51 +0000

You probably take them for granted. You’re constantly checking it to see how fast or slow you’re going. You check it to see how much gasoline you have left, or how far you’ve traveled. It’s your instrument cluster! They range from the clean and simple to astoundingly complex. Ever wonder what all those indicator lights in the instrument cluster mean? What other functions does it perform? The instrument cluster typically displays vehicle speed, engine speed, coolant temperature, fuel level, oil pressure, gear range, elapsed distance and battery voltage. Some vehicles may not display all of these parameters. Indicator lamps alert drivers to conditions such as low fluid levels, overheating, and other potential issues. Also, the instrument cluster may be par … read more