Auto Repair In Crown Point

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

If your air conditioning is suddenly weak and not delivering cold fresh air as expected, your vehicle is probably low on refrigerant. This could be due to various reasons, the main culprit being system leaks. When there are leaks within the system, the refrigerant level will ultimately drop. Consequently, your air conditioning will automatically shut down so as to prevent overworking and damaging the compressor. Like most car drivers and owners, you might think that you only need to top off your refrigerant every once in a while. You could never be more wrong. Whenever your vehicle is low on Freon, you should have it flushed and replace the refrigerant. This is the only guarantee that your refrigerant is pure and sufficient to enhance the performance of your ac. By doing so, you will ensure a cool, relaxed, and comfortable drive for you and your clients. Here are some of the common symptoms of Freon Loss Noticeable Leaks When your air conditioning is running, you might notice some ... read more

Everybody who owns a car wants their vehicle to be in great shape and reliable, with the ability to take them from point A to point B. Even though cars can take quite a beating and continue driving us around, if you want your car to truly last, you should attempt to take good care of it. One thing that can have a negative effect on the shape of your car, is... potholes! Seemingly not a big problem to careless drivers, potholes can have quite a damaging effect on your precious car. Some of the areas of your car that can easily be damaged by potholes include the suspension system, exhaust system, wheel rims, tires, and of course, the alignment. Potholes have the ability to damage, bend, or even break certain parts of your vehicle's suspension system, which can cost you a fair bit of money to repair or replace. Additionally, your exhaust runs the risk of getting damaged as well, which could cause excessive noise if any cracks or holes will form in it. Large potholes could even bend ... read more

The alternator is the part in your car that's responsible for keeping your car fully charged during periods of active driving. It stands right behind the battery as it does its job to keep your engine up and running at an optimal level. Alternators operate by extracting energy from a pulley and converting it to electricity. This is the power supply that goes straight to your battery to keep your vehicle going as it should. It relies on a complex system of tiny gadgets and belts, each of which has its part. The stator and rotor are the ones that make the electricity happen within your alternator. They house the magnets that create alternating currents which provide just enough friction to do the job. From there, this alternating current gets transformed into a direct current that goes right to the alternator. It then gets moderated by the voltage regulator so that there is just enough electricity without causing a short. The cooling fan kicks in to guard your engine against overhe ... read more

Unusual smell(s) emanating from your vehicle raises an alarm for some tragic problems ahead. It's rare from the inside as the well-designed interiors, and regular cleaning saves you the distress of bad odor from your car's cabin. The engine is commonly the source of many odors. Here are some of the unusual smells that come from your car's vents. Your A/C Has a Rubber Burning Smell The odor is a result of technical problems that emerge from the car's engine. The issue is caused by a rubber hose that has loosened and has come into contact with the hot engine or moving component. The rubber horse melts and emits an unpleasant smell. Your A/C Smells Like Sulfur Are you smelling rotten eggs from your car? Had rounds of checking under your seat. Nothing? The prime culprit is right in the exhaust system. The catalytic converter has been jammed. It works by converting harmful hydrogen sulfide into harmless sulfur dioxide. A failure in the conversion leads to emitting of the ... read more