Preserving Your Engine: 4 Preventative Maintenance Tips

The engine might look like just a single car part, but many different components make up the engine, and they all work out together to ensure energy has been distributed throughout the vehicle.

1. Keep it Clean: There is a lot of work done by the engine for your vehicle. Your car wouldn’t be able to move without the engine, which is why it is important to ensure it is clean of debris, grime, and dust. The filters will start getting blocked over time, insects find their way into the vehicle, and leaves and dirt blow under the hood. Grease covering the engine traps heat, which makes it harder for the engine to cool properly.

2: Spark Plug Service: You should ensure your spark plugs have been periodically cleaned to keep grime and dirt out of the combustion chamber. The mechanic is going to remove the plug lead then start cleaning the space around it, removing the plug, then using a special brush and cleaner to remove any buildup of dirt or dust. This can seem like a simple job, but it will do a lot to improve the performance of the engine.

3: Proper Lubrication: The engine has a lot of moving parts, which makes it important to always have proper lubrication. If not properly lubricated, the friction of these pieces will start rubbing and gridding, which results in a lot of damage. Some damages are irreparable, and you will be forced to spend money replacing these parts before the engine can start functioning properly.

4: Oil Change: This is a simple process. Changing engine oil can make a lot of difference in terms of the performance of your engine and the vehicle in general. The oil starts to become murky, cloudy, and sticky with time, and this makes it hard for the engine to get the best out of the lubrication system. You should have oil regularly checked and changed every 10,000 miles or 6 months if you want it to be in top shape. Have Leahy’s Auto do the check for you. Contact us as a first step to preserving your engine.

Leave Vehicle Painting And Auto Body Work To The Pros

When you first buy a new car, the paint has a mirrorlike finish, adding to the beauty of the vehicle. Over time, however, exposure to the elements can take a toll on your paint job, leaving it faded, peeling, and rusty. The outside of your car may even be dented or dinged from rocks, parking lot mishaps, and other minor incidents.

Ideally, you should take steps to prevent this type of damage from occurring. If the paint on your car is already damaged, however, there are some steps that you can take to improve it. If you want your car’s paint job to look as good as possible, try using these three tips:

1. Take Steps To Protect Your Vehicle’s Paint

A lot of times, paint damage can be prevented by taking a few simple steps. Some techniques that you can try include:

– Regularly washing your vehicle. Removing dirt and grime from your vehicle can help keep your paint from getting scratched. Bird droppings are notorious for causing dull areas to appear in your vehicle’s finish. If you notice any droppings on your vehicle, wash them off immediately to minimize the risk of damage.

– Choose the right cleaning products. Although you may be tempted to use dish soap when washing your vehicle, it is almost always a bad idea. Dish soap includes degreasers, which can wind up harming the paint on your car. Instead, purchase cleaning products that are specifically made for use on vehicles.

2. Pay For A Professional Paint Job

Even if you are on a tight budget, you should never try to paint your vehicle on your own. Although you might save a little bit of money doing it yourself, it is almost impossible to get good results with DIY paint jobs.

Although there are many maintenance and repair tasks that you can handle on your own with your vehicle, you should always leave the paint to the professionals. The last thing that you want is to have to pay even more money to repair the damage that you caused when trying to paint your car on your own. The best option is just to take it to a professional to have it painted in the first place, you can call us at Leahy’s Auto to find out how we can assist with your car’s body work.

Dent vs Ding Auto Body Repair

The Difference In A Dent Vs Ding

Basically, a ding is when the size of damage is under a half of an inch in diameter. Additionally, with a ding, there is no metal exposure or paint chipping on the vehicle. Some possible reasons for getting a ding on your vehicle includes the door of another vehicle hitting it, contact with a rock or shopping cart etc.

In some parts of the country, dings can also be caused due to hail. Unfortunately, when hail falls, it can cause multiple dings to the panels of your vehicle. When there are multiple dings, the cost for repairing them can add up significantly. However, there is a particular process to fix dings due to hail and it is referred to as paintless dent repair.

Next, we will look at dents and this type of damage is more extensive than the damage caused by dings. Dents can be caused by the same situations and items that cause dings, however, dents have a larger diameter. Dents are also more difficult to repair especially when they are due to collisions. With dents, there can be a lot of damage under it which is hidden by the depression of the metal. One example of this is when a dent exposes the metal which leads to rust.

Repair

Dings are usually at the bottom of the list to repair for most car owners. Also, most people ignore dents as well because of the perception that they are only cosmetic. Unfortunately, this is a potentially very costly mistake. If a dent is not fixed, there will be many issues when it comes to selling the vehicle, turning it in at the end of the lease, trading it etc. The majority of leasing companies charge extra for these issues and many dealerships may also not want to take in your vehicle to trade due to these “small” damages.

Leahy’s Auto can fix any dings or dents you may have. Give us a call and let us estimate the damage.

Choosing The Best Mechanic For Preventative Maintenance

It is important to choose the right mechanic for your preventative maintenance

1. License and Certifications: Many people out there love cars, are passionate about engines and will offer their services to fix your vehicle for a bargain price. But you need to keep in mind that most of them are not certified mechanics. When you let someone who has not been certified to work on your vehicle, it voids the warranty, and can result in even more problems later.

2. Meeting the Staff in Person: It has become very easy to book an appointment online or over the phone. Many people have left their vehicles without having to speak to the company doing the work. You should try going to the garage in person. Talk to the mechanic and explain to them the problems your car has, then see whether the team is genuinely trying to help you with your problem.

3. What Are Others Saying? Before companies started using advertising companies and covering park benches with their business logos, there was word of mouth, one method of advertising that is still effective today. The good thing is the internet has made it very easy for people to see what others are saying about a given business and the quality of products and services they provide.

4. Price Check: When it comes to pricing, there is an industry-standard for the different types of repairs, especially when the insurance is paying for it, but there are services that will differ in pricing from one mechanic to another. You should take your time and have a look at different options before choosing the one you think is the best. You should not make the mistake of choosing the first option you come across. This doesn’t mean going with the cheapest option, but there are times when you can get a reputable auto repair company providing quality services without charging a lot. Our services are very affordable, and we are ready to work with you and ensure your car is in great shape without having to go through a lot of stress. Our goal is making our customers feel satisfied with the services we provide, and this is why we tailor our services to fit the budget and schedule of our clients, if you have questions, don’t hesitate to call us.

Benefits of Roadside Assistance

A roadside emergency or auto accident can cause escalated emotions even if you’re typically a calm driver. Even a simple repair like a dead battery or flat tire can become a total catastrophe if it happens somewhere where it’s difficult to get help. Many insurance companies provide around the clock roadside assistance, to help provide help in case you break down. Although this service is conveniently available, a lot of drivers opt out of buying the coverage. Specific insurance coverage is a personal decision, but there are numerous reasons that each individual driver should agree to purchase roadside assistance if it’s offered.

1 – Roadside assistance gives you vital services when needed.

Each roadside assistance program’s unique, but many providers have similar services. This type of service can be quite useful in an emergency, and can include:

Changing or repairing a tire.

Jump starting a dead battery.

Bringing you gas if you’ve run out.

Getting you into your vehicle if your keys are broken or lost.

Towing you out of the snow or a ditch.

2 – You’re covered, not your car

It’s important to check with your provider for the details of your policy, but one of the best benefits of a good roadside assistance program is that it covers you, not just your vehicle. This can help provide you with peace of mind when you’re driving a vehicle that isn’t yours. If you borrow a vehicle from time to time, or if you use a vehicle that isn’t yours, this type of policy can be very helpful. It can cover you if you have issues with a vehicle that you don’t own yourself.

3 – It’s inexpensive

Usually, you can add roadside assistance to the auto insurance policy that you already have for just a few dollars a month. This means that you could pay less than $60/year for around the clock roadside assistance coverage. A single tow might cost you more than what you pay out in a year for complete coverage. The risk of not buying coverage may outweigh the cost you pay upfront.

Leahy’s Auto can help you if you end up needing a service that your insurance doesn’t cover. It’s good to have our number close by to give us a call.

5 Preventative Maintenance Tips For The Changing Seasons

We have compiled 5 preventative maintenance tips that will go a long way in helping you keep you and your vehicle safe when the seasons change, and the temperature cools down.

1. Tires: It is not only the changing of tires that you need when the summer is giving way to fall, bringing with it ice and snow of winter. You need to regularly maintain your tires through rotation and alignment. With time, the treads are going to wear down, and one side tends to wear down more than the other. This can result in an uneven driving, and can you start noticing a harder time trying to properly steer.

2. Oil Change: Summer is the time when the buildup of additional debris and dust in the vehicle can happen. Dry dusty roads, insects, rain, and other factors that affect the wellbeing of your car tend to be more intense in the warmer seasons, and this is why it is important to have your oil changed. The oil will not only become dirty with time, but it can also start to be sticky and clumpy, making it useless. You need to have your oil changed every 10,000 miles or 6 months.

3. Brake Inspection: The stopping power of your vehicle will be less on ice and snow, which is why you need to have the brake inspected when the season changes. The mechanic is going to check out the rotor, caliper, drum, and pads to make sure they properly function. If your brake pads have not been changed for some time, this should be the time to have them changed.

4. Heating and Air Conditioning: You need a vehicle that can properly regulate the temperature, especially when the weather changes. Whether it has been a comfortable spring season and entering the summer, or if you are fading from fall heading into the winter, it is a good idea to the AC and heating system checked.

5. Tune-Up: Getting a tune-up is a good way of putting your mind at ease before the change in season or weather. A professional auto repair shop is going to have a good look at the vehicle and ensure there are no problems with the battery, ignition, engine, and scanning of the default codes to ensure the vehicle can drive around safely her is one you can call

What You Need to Know About Getting your Car Ready for College

Before you hop in your car and head off for college, take some to ensure your voyage will be pleasant and without any unpleasant surprises.

Check under the Hood

The first thing you will want to do is get a look under the hood of your car. Check these things:

Fluid levels

In your owner’s manual you will find a detailed diagram indicating the locations of your power steering fluid, brake fluid, coolant, engine oil and transmission fluid. Make sure you only add as much fluid as indicated in the user’s manual instructions.

For fluid leaks

Take a look under the car to see if your fluids is leaking and to what extent. If you do find fluids dripping from under the car, the color of the oil should give you some indication of what you are dealing with. Cars that have more mileage on the will typically leak some fuel but this is not a serious problem. Just add some more each time the levels get low.

Your battery

Old and defective batteries must be replaced as soon as possible, use a voltmeter to check your batteries conditions. Then use a wire brush to clean away any corrosion at the terminals and make sure that all the wires are tight and in good condition.

Belts and hoses

Check all the belts and hoses you can find. Scan them for evidence of damage or disrepair and replace them as needed.

TIRES AND BRAKES

Inspect your tires to make sure their tread depth is suitable for any travels and not embedded with any road debris. Make sure your spare tire is filled with and ready for replacements and that your jack and service tools are in good order. Also check the air pressure of your tires and make sure they are filled to the proper levels.

Drive the car around and to check for abnormalities in the brakes and listen for any strange sounds. Stop on an incline and slowly engage and disengage your brake pedals, was the stop and release smooth, direct and silky or did you feel the car pull to one side, grind to a halt or screech under strain. Don’t take these issues lightly, get your car’s braking system inspected by a mechanic.

LIGHTS

Unless you have mirrors in your garage, you will need an extra set of eyes for this task. Get your partner to sit in the driver’s seat and switch on each of the lights one by one. Make sure you get a look at each function individually. Check the high-beams, low-beams, the directional and braking lights. Finally, put the car in reverse to make sure the taillights are also functioning. Replace any bulbs that are dim or burned out.

OTHER CAR CARE TIPS

Once you have addressed the really important issues above, there are a few more minor tasks that will contribute to a pleasant trip.

Windshield wipers

Don’t count on good weather; if your wipers are worn and used swap them out quickly with a new pair. Older blades will leave your windshield streaky, muddy and even scratched.

Emergency kit

All college kids need to ensure they have the right equipment on hand should an emergency arise. This should include roadside flares, bottled water and food, batteries and good flashlight, jumper cables, a basic set of tools (even if you don’t know how to make repairs perhaps someone else will) and kitty litter (this is for adding traction to the ground and getting out of a ditch).

Detail it inside and out

Furthermore, do all you can to make your car as clean and attractive as possible. A top-notch auto detailing will address all those areas that don’t get full attention in your average car wash. In addition to protection for the inside, this will also protect the car from harmful UV rays.

Find car services near your school

You will find many colleges and universities will offer free roadside assistance to their students, but, you will still need to locate a good auto-repair shop near your new location. Call them when you need assistance.

What Is Causing My Car To Overheat?

When it comes to your car one of the worst experiences you can have is engine overheating, so when your engine’s temperature rises above the normal it points to a potential problem in its cooling system.

Engine Heat and Cooling System Fundamentals

The first thing you want to know is to get an understanding of the vehicle’s default engine temperature, which you read from the gauge. If you have identified the normal temperature range for your engine then it will be easier to identify a spike in temperature levels. This assists in early detection of a fault.

Engine Coolant System

It is necessary to understand how engine cooling works so that you can grasp some of the factors that contribute to overheating of the car engine. Normally, a huge percentage of modern cars adopt a liquid cooling system to minimize heat when the engine is running and consequently heating up. In this system, the coolant which is a mix of anti-freeze and water is distributed throughout the engine to soak up the heat, then it is directed into the radiator to discharge the heat.

Leaking Cooling System

Leakage within the coolant system and its components can happen at any point. The leak can be in the water pump, radiator, the hoses, thermostat housing or head gasket. If a leak occurs in your engine’s cooling system air is drawn into the system. A regular fallacy told is that the cooling system’s leak leads to overheating of your car due to the loss of large amounts of coolant. Instead, the actual cause is the entry of air into the cooling mechanism, eventually, it creates an airlock – a bubble of air.

If an airlock results, the cooling mechanism is incapable of circulating the water and anti-freeze coolant, trapping any coolant in the engine. Consequently, the coolant rapidly gains heat and the engine can also overheat quickly.

Contaminated Coolant and Blocked Coolant Hoses

Coolant hoses can get clogged by dirt and sediment arising from the erosion and disintegration of coolant mechanism parts or coolant. When this occurs, it hinders the movement of coolant, which minimizes the overall effectiveness of your car cooling system. If there is an excessive build-up of dirt and dust it can cause the engine to overheat since the coolant is not flowing through the tubes.

Radiator Problems

The radiator functions by discharging engine heat into the air through the system’s coolant. It should be leakage-free, have no clogging and its fan must maintain a stable flow of air over it. Also, the thermostat has to work as expected. A dirty fan can hinder the proper performance of the thermostat.

A Defective Water Pump

The water pump propels the coolant through the whole cooling system. Anything that inhibits the working of the water pump will reduce the circulation of the coolant which will then cause engine overheating.

The quicker you address the defects by stopping by your local Leahy’s Auto, the lower the possibility of being stuck on a busy highway with an overheated car, worried about an expensive repair. Call us today!

Tire Tread Wear – The Cause Of Unusual Or Uneven Wear

With time, the tire treads wear out, which means they need replacing. There is no way to escape this. However, the moment you see your tire is wearing out strangely or uneven, then automatically know you have an issue. Such issues decrease the lifespan of a tire greatly. The good news is that they are solvable issues.

Uneven, unusual, or strange tire wear is generally a sign of other problems in your vehicle. The exact problem is indicated by the way they wear out, and the problem can be one of the following:

Center Wear

When the center part of your tire is wearing out faster compared to the edge, the problem is most likely tire over inflation. Furthermore, over-inflating car tires cause them to wear out twice as fast than how they are supposed to. Other problems of tire over inflation include a bumpier ride, high risk of losing control, especially in poor roads or weather.

Edge Wear

Edgewear is when both edges of a tire are wearing out faster compared to the center part of the tire. It is actually the opposite of the center wear. This problem is mainly caused by an underinflated tire. In a nutshell, it is quite the opposite of center wear, including the cause.

Either The Inner Or Outer Wear

When your tires begin to wear on one side (either the inner or outer part), the problem is wheel balancing. It is important to note the difference between edge wear and inner or outerwear. Do not confuse the two.

However, unlike edge wear and center wear, which are problems you can solve on your own (simply by putting the correct air pressure; as specified by manufacturers); inner or outerwear is a problem that needs a professional. That is because there are many situations or causes that can make a wheel alignment to go off a bit. Examples of other causes include suspension failure, worn-out bushes, and others. If the problem is left to linger, it could lead to serious problems such as suspension problems.

Diagonal Wear

Also known as cupping wear; it is a type of wear that creates a diagonal scalloping wear pattern. The main cause of this problem revolves around vehicle suspension. It may indicate a worn-out, bent, or any other manufacturing problem to the suspension.

The Life Span Of Tires

There are three factors that affect the life span of a tire, which are:

• The number of years you have had them
• The number of miles they have traveled
• Wheel based problems

Now that you have all this new information, check your tires with us a Leahy’s Auto. You want to call before your tires wear even further.

Tips That Will Help Prevent Damages To Your Vehicle

The mention of automobile damage has many car owners thinking of road accidents. The need for defensive driving and being always alert when on the roads does play a vital role in minimizing the risk of damages and accidents. However, it is not possible to prevent every accident. But even then, you can, for the most part, avoid many of the non-collision related damages to your vehicle.

• Be mindful of how you park

Many people pay little to no attention as the amount of room they have between their vehicle and the other vehicles when parking. Some people may be cautious when opening the car doors, but a strong gust of wind can be all it takes for an accidental bang or scratch caused by the door to occur. Therefore, be your brother’s keeper by being mindful of how you park your car. Also, consider the rogue shopping carts and try to park your vehicle a significant distance from the cart corrals.

• Always hide your valuables

If you have valuable in your car, make sure that they are kept out of sight so that they do not attract thieves. Keep in mind that this is in no way a means to prevent break-ins, but it can help reduce the probability of such a thing from happening. In most cases, thieves will strike when they see something they want. Make use of the storage compartments such as the glove box, console, and the trunk to keep your valuables.

• Cover up your vehicle

If you have a garage, then let it be where you mostly park your car. If you do not have a garage (even the portable type), then invest in a cover that you can drape over the vehicle to protect it from the elements. For instance, the sun can scorch the paint, causing it to crack or fade. Therefore, a cover will be a wise, protective measure. Getting your car off the street and into the garage to protect it from hail and other adverse weather. You also will keep it safe from people that may scratch or dent it when walking by or playing.

• Avoid flood zones

If there are possible floods reported, take care, and avoid any zones that are prone to flooding. The amount of damage that the water can cause can have serious, long-term effects. And not forgetting the rain, it is wise to roll up the windows and close the sunroof when parking your car to prevent the water from getting in and damaging the interior.

• Clean your vehicle regularly

The amount of dirt, salt, and different grime and gunk that collects on your car is a lot. Such things can damage the paint or be the reason for small scratches. You can avoid such damages by washing your vehicle as often as possible, more so after long trips.

If you want to have your vehicle prepared to prevent damage get to your nearest auto body repair shop. Get in touch today, give us a call, so you can better be prepared for preventing damage to your vehicle