AUTONET TV

Clovis Drivers: Get Fresh Air Inside Your Car

Let's talk about air quality in Clovis. It's a global issue, but affects us wherever we are. Many decades ago, Clovis drivers began to become aware of how air pollution negatively affects health. But what about the air inside your vehicle?

Now, it's only been in the last few years that cabin air filters have become common in Clovis. You can look in your owner's manual to see if you have one. If you do, there'll be a recommendation for replacing it when it gets dirty. If you live in an area of CA where there's a lot of dust, pollen or pollution, you may need to change it more often.

You can also ask your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Triple A Automotive in Clovis. How hard is it to change an air filter on a car? It depends on your vehicle. Some are quite accessible; others take some doing to get to them. They're usually in the engine compartment or under the dashboard.

Because cabin air filters are so new on the scene, some people haven't heard of them – even those who have cabin air filters in their vehicle. Triple A Automotive service advisors have discovered that many Clovis customers who complained about an unpleasant odor in their vehicle simply had a dirty cabin air filter. 

Triple A Automotive
972 Barstow Suite B
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 299-9300
www.tripleaautomotive.com

All About Your TPMS in Clovis

Clovis drivers know that underinflated tires wear out more quickly. Underinflation is also a major cause of tire failure for CA auto owners. More flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances are all results of underinflated tires.

It's hard for many Clovis drivers to tell when a radial tire is underinflated. If your owner’s manual recommends 35 pounds of pressure, your tire is considered significantly under-inflated at 26 pounds. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds.

Uncle Sam to the rescue! A recent U.S. federal law required vehicle manufacturer’s to include a Tire Pressure Monitoring System - or TPMS system - in all vehicles. Many Canadian vehicles have them as well.  The system is a dashboard mounted warning light that goes off if one or more of the tires falls 25% below its pressure recommendations.

Obviously, all of this doesn't come free for Clovis car owners. Government studies have estimated the net costs. Of course, the TPMS system itself will cost something. Maintaining the system will have a cost, replacement of worn or broken parts and tire repair cost increases. The net cost is estimated to be between $27 and $100.

CA service centers have purchased new scanning equipment to work with the TPMS sensors and updated expensive tire change equipment to better service wheels equipped with the new monitoring systems.

Triple A Automotive service advisors have been trained on many systems and new tire-changing techniques. All of this adds up to significantly increased cost to the service center to perform what was once a very inexpensive service. So if you've noticed the cost of flat repairs, tire changes, and rotations going up, please keep in mind that it's because of government mandated safety equipment. Your Clovis service center just wants to keep you safely on the road - and it's committed to do so at a fair price. Remember, this change will help you avoid the most common vehicle failure, and possibly a catastrophic accident.

Triple A Automotive
972 Barstow Suite B
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 299-9300
www.tripleaautomotive.com

Keep Cool: Why Radiator Hoses Matter

If there’s one thing you want to make sure is going on under your vehicle’s hood, it’s that your engine doesn’t get too hot.  Heat is an engine’s worst enemy, and it can result in very expensive repairs, even leave you stranded in a tough spot.

One vital part of your vehicle is the radiator hose, which connects the engine to the radiator.  That’s where the heat goes to be carried away from your vehicle and is dispersed to the air outside.

A faulty radiator hose can lead to serious engine problems if it’s not handled quickly.  An aging, stressed radiator hose can develop cracks and leaks, leading to coolant leaking under your vehicle.  The rubber in the hose may weaken, swelling near the clamps that attach it to the radiator and may ultimately burst.  

You may smell coolant when a radiator hose is failing.  It has kind of a sweet odor, one that is a sign you shouldn’t ever ignore.  You may notice the temperature gauge on your dash is headed up past the middle zone, one possible sign of a radiator hose going bad.  And if you see steam coming out from under the hood, that’s a sign that some coolant may be leaking onto a hot surface.  

It is, of course, better to maintain your radiator hose’s health before any of these signs.  We recommend a technician regularly inspect hoses for wear, especially when you are planning a long drive.  It’s also important they check the areas next to clamps and bends.

Periodic replacement, say, every five years or so, is one way to reduce the chances of a radiator hose failure.  And it’s always a good idea to have the coolant in your vehicle regularly checked, as that may point to failures in the coolant system.  

Consider your radiator hose much more than just a rubber tube.  It’s one lifeline to a cool, healthy engine.  

10 Things That Are Lowering Your Fuel Economy

Regardless of whatever current gas prices may be, if you could use less gas, wouldn’t you? Well, here are 10 things that are robbing you of better fuel economy that you can change for the better:

   •    Not enough air in your tires.  Underinflated tires have a smaller rolling diameter and more resistance to rolling.  Keep them inflated properly, plus ask us about more fuel-efficient tires.

   •    Faulty oxygen sensor.  A faulty or dirty oxygen sensor can cause your engine to burn too rich a mixture of air and fuel.  That can also trigger a Check Engine light.  Have us check yours.

   •    Oil age and type.  Contaminated or improper viscosities of engine oil can create more resistance in your engine.  Have regular oil changes and consider newer high-mileage oils.

   •    Bad wheel alignment.  When your wheels aren’t lined up straight, they have more resistance.  Let us check your alignment and straighten things out if necessary.

   •    Aging ignition system.  When’s the last time your spark plugs, spark plug wires and coils were changed? Misfires can rob you of good mileage.

   •    Dirty fuel injectors.  They can be inefficient if they’re not clean.  Have us check yours to make sure they’re working as they should.

   •    Fouled fuel filter. After filtering impurities out of your fuel, the filter may be clogged and affect your engine’s performance.

   •    Worn out or stuck brakes. This creates drag on the wheels and prevents you from rolling freely down the road.  Have us inspect yours to see how yours are.

   •    Worn piston rings.  These form a seal in the cylinder walls so you have top compression. When the seal is sloppy, down goes your fuel pressure and mileage.

   •    Poor maintenance.  If you don’t keep your engine’s systems running efficiently, they can nibble away at your fuel economy.  

Let us help you keep your eye on each one of these so you aren’t wasting money and gas.

Triple A Automotive
972 Barstow Suite B
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 299-9300
www.tripleaautomotive.com

Rumble from Down Under (Muffler Replacement)

We’ve all noticed them at one time or another on the street: a car or truck that drives by and the deep roar from their exhaust system sounds like a drag racer on the line.  But what happens when that rumble is coming from under YOUR vehicle? Well, it could be a sign your muffler needs attention.

You may notice other signs if your muffler needs to be replaced.  Your fuel economy may have plummeted, the smell of exhaust is blowing into your cabin, or your engine isn’t running in its usually smooth manner.  Or you may notice your vehicle’s temperature gauge is showing it’s running hotter than usual.

Mufflers sit under your vehicle, so they are exposed to all sorts of nasty things every day, and every season.  It may be dirt or salt from the road that gets kicked up on it, or you may rough it up with the potholes and speed bumps on the road.  Also, moisture from rain and snow combined with chemicals and brine can literally dissolve your muffler and other components of your exhaust system.

When you start to notice one or more of these signs, it’s time to head on over to have one of our technicians look at your exhaust system.  Under normal conditions, mufflers may last anywhere from five to seven years.  But when they start to go, to ensure your vehicle runs the way it should, you should have your muffler (and the rest of the components in the exhaust system) inspected and replaced if necessary.

Ideally, it makes sense to have your muffler and exhaust system inspected regularly when you have other routine maintenance done to your vehicle, such as oil changes and tire rotations.  That way, you can know sooner rather than later that your muffler is on its last legs before your (noisy) vehicle begins to draw the wrong kind of attention from other drivers.

Triple A Automotive
972 Barstow Suite B
Clovis, CA 93612
(559) 299-9300
www.tripleaautomotive.com