Auto Repair In Crown Point

Even if you are a prudent driver and car owner who regularly takes your car for maintenance, emergencies are aspects of the road that you neither predict nor prevent. However, you can equip your vehicle with the necessary items to help you if you are stranded in the middle of the road or helping a fellow motorist. Below are the top ten emergency kit items you should have in your vehicle and constantly replace. First Aid Kit A first aid kit is essential to possess in your car to help save a life. It should have everything from antibiotic ointment, non-latex gloves, band-aid sizes, tweezers, pain relief tablets, blood stopper compress, adhesive tape, etc. These items are crucial to have in the event of serious injury and can also be termed a "life-saving kit". Fire Extinguisher No matter how small it is, a fire's occurrence can accelerate to a full-blown catastrophe. Therefore it's essential to have a way to put the fire out as soon as it starts. It would help if yo ... read more

Your vehicle battery contains all the electrical power your car needs to run its engine and other electronic accessories. Over many years of usage, your battery will inevitably weaken and die. So when it starts declining, you may notice a few signs. Here's what they are: Dim Lights When your car battery can hold a sufficient charge, your headlights provide more than enough light to light up the road ahead of you. But with a weakened battery, your headlights will malfunction by being dimmer or flickering. Battery Corrosion Your battery may show physical signs of stress, such as corrosion. It often shows up around the battery terminals as a white, blue, or green residue.  Engine Backfires If your engine backfires, it could be due to a weakened battery and insufficient spark. If you experience this type of problem, it's best to leave it to the professionals to diagnose and fix it. Difficult or Failure to Start Engine An aging battery ... read more

Winter can be a difficult time to drive around Crown Point, Indiana. Not only is the weather unbearably cold and uncomfortable, but it can present innumerable challenges for your car. You may experience dead car batteries, frosted windshields, wipers, poor tire traction, or worse, a breakdown. For the safety of Crown Point drivers, we suggest following these few maintenance items to protect yourself from those inconveniences: Tires Your tires should be your number one priority this winter, as the roads can become slippery quickly. Please ensure you have enough tire tread to provide you with proper traction. Furthermore, you can expect your tire pressure to drop due to the cold, so remember to fill up with the right amount of air.  Fluids We recommend topping off any fluids that may need it, including coolant, windshield washer fluid, and brake fluid. It also doesn't hurt to get an oil change, as it can thicken up and lose its viscosity this time of year. Brakes Winter ca ... read more

If you just bought a new car recently, you are probably not thinking about the future. You don't expect to have to buy another one any time soon. Every new vehicle owner wants their car to last them as long as 200,000 miles (or more). But to ensure you hit that milestone without complications, there are specific steps you have to take to get there. Here are some tips for preserving the integrity of your new vehicle.  Step 1 - Keep Up With Oil Changes Oil changes are single-handedly the most important maintenance service that you need for your car. It's the engine lifeblood, and if you want your vehicle to continue running, you will need to feed it clean and fresh oil. Typically, vehicles need oil changes every 5,000 miles or so. The gaps between each service can be longer depending on the type of oil that is used. It's best to go by your owner's manual for the mileage intervals. Step 2 - Regular Tune-Ups There are many other working elements in your vehicle, an ... read more

Will It Damage My Engine If I Continue to Drive My Car with the Check Engine Light On?   It can be an unnerving experience to be driving in your car and the check engine light suddenly pops up. If this has happened to you, you're not alone.   In this post, we talk about a few reasons your check engine light may be on and what to do about it. Vehicle manufacturers connect the check engine light to your vehicle emissions system. Any issues detected by this built-in system system can cause the yellow light to flicker to life.   When your check engine light comes on, this is the first sign that there is an issue under the hood. Following are five common Issues that trigger the check engine light: Oxygen sensor Gas Cap Failing catalytic converter Mass Airflow sensor Spark plugs What to Do When Your Check Engine Light Comes On The first thing to do when your check engine light comes on is to remain calm. Listen for unusual sounds under the hood like grinding. I ... read more

Did you know that Indiana’s deer population is more than 1 million - oh deer. Most car-deer accidents occur in the fall, particularly in the month of November. While you may not see their antlers in the city, you might find them in the rural areas of Indiana. Here are some tips for driving in deer-centric areas during this time of year! Areas with high deer populations are usually marked with a bright yellow warning sign. Deer also like to graze in wooded areas or open fields. So when you approach these types of places, make sure you slow down. These animals are most active during sunrise and sunset. Make sure to be extra attentive and strap on your seat belts. Use high beams at night when the road is free of traffic. You will have a clearer view ahead of you. Deer travel in groups or packs. So if you see one in your path, proceed with care in case there are more along with it. Deer can become attached to steady, bright lights, so they may stop in their tracks when they see ... read more

The holidays are approaching as we are rounding off the year for 2021. One of those important holidays is next month: Thanksgiving. We're all familiar that it is reserved as a day to spend with loved ones and give thanks to friends and family. With that being said, many people are going to be on the road traveling beforehand. To keep you and your passengers safe, please follow our brief list of tips! Practice Safe Driving Manners Carelessness is the number one cause of the bulk of car accidents in the US. Please remember to do the basic safe driving steps like buckling up and asking your passengers to put on their seat belts before moving. Furthermore, keep your hands on the steering wheel and keep your eyes peeled to the road as long as possible.  Do NOT Try to Pass Large Trucks Trucks are heavier and have a longer stopping distance, so it is not safe to cut in front of them abruptly. It can lead to a major accident, so it's best to be patient. Avoid Distractions On ... read more

In the 21st century, it's not unheard of to pick up a side hustle by becoming a rideshare driver for Uber or Lyft. It's a relatively manageable, laidback gig that can get you some extra cash. If you own a vehicle, you might as well - right? While Uber may approve of your employment, they need more insight into your vehicle before giving you the green light. Uber and Lyft require their drivers to submit a vehicle inspection annually to ensure their customers receive safe and reliable trips. You must pass this full inspection before generating this income. Here's what these rideshare companies look for: Body - The vehicle's body should be free from any damages to pass the vehicle inspection. Doors - All four (or more) doors on the vehicle must be able to open and close from both the inside and outside. Passengers must be able to unlock and lock their corresponding doors (in case of emergencies). Seats - The front of the vehicle must be adjustable. So if your power seat ... read more

Brakes are the most important safety feature on your vehicle; therefore, it is important to pay attention to what the pedal feels like when you are stopping your car or truck. One indicator your brakes are not working as they are designed to is when the pedal feels spongy or soft, especially in older vehicles that may not be equipped with emergency indications on the dashboard. Here are several reasons why your brake pedal could be feeling spongy or not engaging immediately when you tap your brakes. The most common culprit of spongy brakes is air in your brake line which could come from low brake fluid or a leak in the system. When air is in the line, flushing or bleeding the brake fluid will resolve the issue and get your brakes working properly again. Damaged and leaky brake lines or calipers can also cause the brakes to feel soft because it compromises the efficiency of the hydraulic system that operates the brakes. Old brake fluid can cause spongy brakes because it can absorb mo ... read more

Most of us will be traveling on the road this summer at one point or another. We should be prepared with fun things to do amid the highway traffic. We encourage you to make your road trip experience as fun as possible, especially if you are traveling with kids! Playing fun games on the road can be an excellent cure for a bad case of backseat boredom. Here are some game ideas to keep yourselves entertained on your next road trip:   Punch Buggy Volkswagen Beetles are the Punch Buggies. The first person to spot one on the road calls out the color and says, "[Color] Punch Buggy—no punch backs!". The person is then allowed to punch everyone within arm's reach (gently-of course).    The Name Game To begin the game, someone says a name (e.g., John), and the next person has to say a name that starts with the last letter of that name (in this case, N, so maybe Ned). The third person picks a name that begins with the last letter of the second person's ... read more