AUTONET TV

T for Transmission, T for Trouble (Automatic Transmission Trouble Signs)

One of the hardest working components of your vehicle is its transmission, shifting gears up and down when you need it to.  The transmission is vital to your vehicle driving properly, and if you start to see signs of problems in it, it’s best to have them fixed earlier rather than later. (Since nearly all new vehicles have automatic transmissions, we’re leaving manual transmissions for another time since their issues are different.)

One sure sign your transmission has a problem is when you notice it’s not changing gears like it used to.  Or perhaps you observe when it does change gears, they slip when you are driving.  Gear change problems could be as simple as something wrong with your transmission fluid, but it could be more serious, so get this one checked out soon.

Another trouble sign is when you feel your transmission shaking and vibrating as you’re accelerating, decelerating or trying to maintain a constant speed. Hearing odd noises when you are standing still and in neutral is another warning that something’s wrong,

It's always a good idea to look around on the garage floor, or wherever you park your vehicle, to see if there is anything leaking.  Transmission fluid leaks are an important sign of trouble and should be followed up quickly.  The fluid is usually  clear or pinkish red, and it smells sweet.  Call us soon if you see it under your vehicle.

Your nose can also be helpful in sensing when your transmission might need attention.  Transmission fluid can burn when it overheats, and if you smell a burning smell, let your service advisor know as soon as you can.  Other odors that could alert you to transmission problems are burning plastic or rubber from wires. 

The earlier we can catch a transmission problem, the better.  If you drive a vehicle with an automatic transmission and notice any of these trouble signs, have a technician check them out so we can “shift” our attention to it as soon as possible.

Muffler & Go
1478 N Leroy St
Fenton, MI 48430
(810) 629-1066
http://www.mufflerandgo.net

Keeping Your Cool (Water Pump Replacement)

No matter what the temperature is outside, it's important for your vehicle's engine to remain cool, calm, and collected.  Well, cool, anyway. If your vehicle has a gasoline engine, it's powered by a bunch of explosions involving spark plugs, pistons, gasoline, and air.  And the by-product of all those things working together? HEAT.

There's a whole cooling system to keep everything at a tolerable temperature for your engine's parts, and a key part of that is the water pump.  Technically, it's pumping more than water. It should actually be called the "coolant" pump since the liquid that circulates through the system is a mixture of water and coolant. 

Basically, the water pump keeps this coolant moving through your engine, where it picks up the engine heat, and then is pumped into the radiator where it gets rid of that heat.  When a water pump fails, the engine heat can build up.  When you get a warning light on the dash (either a gauge or a light) that shows the temperature is too high, it could mean a bad water pump. 

They can fail for many reasons. They have bearings in them that wear out, as does the seal between the pump and the engine. They're often driven by a belt or chain that can go bad.  Corrosion can spell the end of a water pump, too. 

If a technician determines your water pump has failed, it's time to replace it. In addition, other components of the cooling system will be inspected.  The best way to avoid a water pump failure is regular maintenance of your cooling system which includes regular draining and flushing of the coolant. 

Just like it's important for you to keep your cool, the same goes for your vehicle's engine.

Muffler & Go
1478 N Leroy St
Fenton, MI 48430
(810) 629-1066
http://www.mufflerandgo.net

Making Sense of the O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor Replacement)

As you know, today’s vehicles rely on a lot of computers in them to keep them running clean and efficiently.  Those computers depend on information delivered by several sensors throughout the engine and exhaust system.  And one of the most important is the oxygen sensor.  

Known as the O2 sensor for short, it looks for too much unburned oxygen that has made it into the exhaust. That signals something isn’t right with the engine’s air-fuel mixture.  The sensor sends signals to the engine’s computers, which can then make adjustments to make sure the engine is running as it was designed to.

Some vehicles can have several O2 sensors, and since they can measure oxygen at various points in the combustion/exhaust process, the computers can pinpoint where the problems lie.  For example, an O2 sensor can detect how much oxygen is coming out of the engine’s combustion chamber, and another one can measure oxygen coming out of the catalytic converter.

As you can see, it’s important that those O2 sensors are working correctly.  If they’re not, the computer is getting bad information.  Garbage in, garbage out. That can result in lousy fuel economy and excess pollution coming out of your tailpipe. It can also affect your vehicle’s performance.  Sometimes your Check Engine light will illuminate when one of your O2 sensors goes bad.  Or you may notice your engine misfiring or idling roughly. 

If you notice any of these symptoms, bring your vehicle on in, and a technician will pinpoint the trouble spot.  

Muffler & Go
1478 N Leroy St
Fenton, MI 48430
(810) 629-1066
http://www.mufflerandgo.net

If You Drive Like a Maniac (Aggressive Driving is Bad for a Vehicle)

When someone mentions driving like a maniac, they're not talking about you, surely? Besides the safety issues of aggressive driving, you should know that your vehicle will last a lot longer if you'll just mellow out a little.  Here are four traits good drivers follow if they want their vehicles to go the extra distance.

Cool—The driver who can't wait to get to the next stoplight is just shortening the life of his or her vehicle.  Jackrabbit starts and uneven acceleration hurts your engine because the valves and cylinder heads are stressed more.  All of those moving parts will wear out faster as well as other components that are connected.  That means things like the air conditioner, power steering pump… just about anything that attaches by a belt or a pulley.  Oh, and you'll be generating more heat.  Heat is one of a vehicle's worst enemies.

Warm—If you get in your cold vehicle which has been sitting overnight, start it up and rev the engine high, you've just put a lot of stress on your engine.  That's because you didn't let the oil (that's been sitting down in the oil pan at the bottom of the engine) get to the moving parts in order to lubricate them. Some manufacturers advise that you run your vehicle for about 30 seconds before you take off.  And if it's really cold out, you may be wise to let the engine run for a minute or two before putting a load on the engine.  Also, for the first 5-15 minutes, keep your RPMs on the low side and don't jam on the accelerator.

Smooth—You're trying to get somewhere in a hurry and have to jam on the brakes while traveling pretty fast.  Just that one time can do more damage to the brakes than you would think.  Lots of hard braking can overheat your brakes and damage your rotors, wearing them out way faster than someone who drives with a smoother touch.  Hard braking also strains suspension parts, tires and engine mounts.

Smart—You know what PRNDL stand for.  Those are the letters in your automatic transmission (Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low).  Here are another couple of letters: IQ.  A smart shifter never goes into R to D without completely stopping the vehicle, unless, of course, you're anxious to spend some big dollars on your automatic transmission. 

These days, it's common to get 200,000 miles/320,000 kilometers out of a vehicle, no problem.  It just takes regular maintenance (oil changes and regular service) and one other thing.  Showing off: showing off a little moderation in driving habits with a big payoff in the end. 

Muffler & Go
1478 N Leroy St
Fenton, MI 48430
(810) 629-1066
http://www.mufflerandgo.net