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Regular Maintenance is So Important for Your Car
When you buy a car, you spend a lot of money. You hope it will last a while and give you good service. While a new car probably has some sort of warranty, it often only covers things like the drive train, or some engine and electrical components. It almost never covers things that wear out, or need replacement, like oil, brake shoes, wiper blades, hoses, or belts.
Taking care of the common things that wear out or down or break helps your new car stay in warranty, and keeps the engine and components in better running condition. It is even more important when you buy a used car that may have no, or be out of, warranty to take care of it and do regular maintenance, because the bill for everything that needs done ends up coming out of your pocket.
At Cornerstone Auto Repair, we are strong believers in making sure that the regular maintenance that needs done on your domestic or import auto is done on schedule, and done right. We know that when regular maintenance schedules are followed, many small issues can be found and alleviated so they do not turn into much larger repair bills, or worse, safety issues that can endanger you and your passengers. When you need regular maintenance, even if it is just an oil change, call us. We will be happy to tell you what the price is, and get you scheduled into the shop. Some cars, imports in particular, can pose unusual challenges for something as simple as an oil change, and having experts familiar with that brand and build of vehicle assure you the work is done correctly. Saving oil and chemical spills in your drive also saves our Colorado environment.
Bring your car to Cornerstone Auto Repair, and you will get fast, top line auto mechanic service Colorado Springs talks about, and has for years.
Belt, Hose, and Timing Belt Replacements on Domestic and Foreign Autos
Many people do not realize that the hoses, belts, and timing belt on your car need changed periodically. There is a schedule of suggested maintenance by mileage in every owner’s manual for every vehicle model produced, and that schedule is there for a reason. Hoses and belts are made out of material that is super tough, but over time, it dries out, frays, reacts with chemicals off your engine and starts to break down, cracks, or can even become worn from rubbing on a housing or casing. Especially frustrating and dangerous for the life of your engine is when a key radiator hose breaks and all the coolant spews out, leading to rapid overheating of your engine. Running an engine without coolant can lead to disastrous results including a total freeze-up of the engine due to no cooling or lubrication. When a timing belt decides to fail, often you just simply stop dead wherever you are, requiring a tow. It often means quite a bit of time down while the belt is replaced, a process that usually requires many components to be removed and replaced once again on the engine. In some vehicles the timing belt breaking can cause considerable damage to the engine, creating a very expensive, time consuming repair.
Regular inspection of your belts, hoses, and other components like brake shoes and pads need to be done by a trained mechanic that knows what and where to look for issues and can recognize condition of every part they inspect. Those regular inspections often come with an “everything looks ok”, but when there is a recommendation to replace something, you need to make an appointment and get it taken care of as soon as possible. Automobiles do not break down when it is convenient, it is when it is most inconvenient both for time and often, expense. Prevent unwelcome repair surprises with regular inspection of components on your domestic or import auto, truck, or SUV by one of our experienced A.S.E. certified mechanics at Cornerstone Auto Repair.
Vehicle Running Rough? Gas Mileage Dropping? You May Need a Tune Up
One of the good things about today’s vehicles is they simply run better and more efficiently. Gas and diesel mileage have improved dramatically, and components last longer. You can go longer between oil changes. It has the habit of lulling us into a place of just expecting everything to be great, until one day at a traffic signal your car starts to run rough. If the rough engine cycling continues, you might be due for a tune up.
Even with today’s computerized systems, greater efficiency, and longer wearing, durable lubricants, engine components do wear and need replaced on occasion. While most cars have fuel injection instead of old-fashioned points and a distributor cap, they nearly all still have plugs and wires if they are run on petroleum based fuel. Diesels have injectors and some even have glo-plugs that occasionally need cleared or cleaned.
If you have a car that is running rough, it might be bad fuel, an adjustment, or your spark plugs and wires simply are due for a replacement so they can operate at maximum efficiency. And, if you happen to have the misfortune of a plug breaking, call us. We are experts at removing and replacing spark plugs.
When you need a tune up, or need to find out why your vehicle is running rough, coughing, bucking, throttling up or down strangely, or exhibiting any other unwelcome behavior, call us and make an appointment. And, in an emergency, please feel free to stop by during shop hours. Our qualified mechanics at Cornerstone Auto Repair can find the problem quickly, and we will get your car up and running well in no time.
