Frequently Asked Questions about Auto Repair

Do you often ask yourself questions about your vehicle and not know the answer? Well, at Advanced Auto Clinic we have the answers for you!

What is Preventative Maintenance

Preventative Maintenance is regular maintenance of your vehicle that helps keep your engine running efficiently and eliminating potential problems that may leave you stranded.

Manufacturers know that a properly maintained car will be more dependable, safer, last longer, and increase your satisfaction with their product. Preventative maintenance includes:

  • Servicing Windshield Wipers
  • Servicing Sparkplugs
  • Replacing Air Filters
  • Oil Change
  • Routine Hose Inspection
  • Battery Service
  • Battery Replacement

What Maintenance Should I be doing and when?

These are generic service recommendations based solely on time or mileage not on visual appearance or measurement. Their purpose is to extend the life of your vehicle and help prevent breakdown.

Your vehicle’s requirements may differ depending on driving habits and/or owner’s manual recommendations. Check your owner’s manual and with Advanced Auto Clinic for specifics.

OIL – LUBE – FILTER: 3,000 miles to 5,000 miles
TIRE ROTATION: 3,000 to 5,000 Miles depending on tire style
PCV VALVE: Yearly, replace and service PCV system
WHOLE CAR DIAGNOSIS: Yearly and before purchase or sale
FUEL FILTER: Yearly or as needed
BATTERY SERVICE: Yearly or as needed
AIR CONDITIONING: Check every spring or as needed
RADIATOR COOLANT: Every two years, flush
BRAKE SYSTEM FLUSH: Every year
CLUTCH SYSTEM FLUSH: Every year
RADIATOR CAP: Replace every two years
ENGINE OIL FLUSH: 2 Years or 30,000 Miles
AUTOMATIC TRANS FLUSH: 2 Years or 24,000 miles
POWER STEERING FLUSH: 2 Years or 24,000 miles
EGR SYSTEM SERVICE: 2 Years or 24,000 miles
4X4 TRANSFER CASE: 15,000 to 50,000 miles
CARBON CLEANING: 2 Years or 30,000 miles or as needed
THROTTLE-BODY SERVICE: 2 Years or 30,000 miles or as needed
RADIATOR & HEATER HOSES: 4 Years or 60,000 miles
DRIVE BELTS: 4 Years or 60,000 miles
TIMING BELT: 4 Years or 60,000 miles
DIFFERENTIAL FLUID: 15,000 to 50,000 miles
MANUAL TRANS SERVICE: 15,000 to 50,000 miles
VALVES: Adjust per owner’s manual
SCAN FOR COMPUTER CODES: When amber “CHECK ENGINE” Light is on
OXYGEN SENSOR: Per owner’s manual or as needed

Should I jump-start my car if the battery is dead?

You need to be very careful when jump-starting a car that has a dead battery. Make sure that the cables are installed with positive (red) to positive, then negative (black) to negative. After cables are attached, start the car that is supplying the jump. Let the car run about 5 minutes before you try and start the car that is dead. After the car with the dead battery starts, remove the negative cables first, then the positive cables. Drive the car for about 20 minutes to charge the battery. Make sure nothing had been left on, like lights or interior lights, if nothing was left on, then have the charging system tested and the battery checked for a draw.

Should I run high octane gas in my car if the manufacturer recommends it?

If your car is a high performance car, then yes you should run a high octane gasoline in your vehicle. But, if not a high performance vehicle, you may not need a higher grade of fuel. Most all late model cars have knock sensors that listen for detonation (pinging). If a knock sensor senses this, it signals the engine control module which will change the timing or richen the fuel mixture to stop the pinging.

Prior to winter weather setting in, you should:

  • Check your anti freeze level and condition. Rust colored anti freeze means you may need to flush and refill the cooling system.
  • Check the level of you motor oil. If its been 3 months or 3000 miles since you last oil change, it should be replaced.
  • Check you battery. Battery that are weak can fail on cold morning and your car won’t start.
  • Change your wiper blades to winter wiper-blades. these prevent ice build-up that can obstruct your view during operation in snow and ice conditions.

Prior to going on a trip, you should:

  • Check all lights. Check your headlights (high and low-beam), brake lights  turn signals, parking lamps and (if you have them) fog lights to make sure they are all operational. You should clean your headlights using glass cleaner to improve night visibility.
  • Check wiper blades. Inspect them for cracks or tears, and make sure they’re operational. If they’re in good shape, it’s still a good idea to clean the rubber blade with little glass cleaner.
  • Check all hoses. Look for any cracks or holes in hoses, and replace any that are not in good shape.
  • Check all belts. Inspect all belts to ensure that none are worn, loose or frayed.
  • Inspect the battery. If there is corrosion on the terminals, you can clean it away with a toothbrush and a pasty solution of water and baking soda.
  • Check all fluids. Check the reservoirs to ensure that your coolant and wiper fluids are at the proper levels. Check your oil using the dipstick. Check transmission fluid, power-steering fluid and brake fluid. Refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual for advice on checking all the fluids.

Lesson 101 on Oil Changes

Oil Change at Advanced Auto Clinic in Delavan, WI

Are you always wondering why you should change your oil and does it really matter if I am 200 miles overdue for an oil change? Well here are the facts you should know so you do not harm your vehicle!! 

What is an Oil Change?

An oil and filter change involves draining out the old motor oil and replacing it with fresh, new motor oil. The oil filter also gets replaced at the same time.

 

Should I change my oil when it is recommended?

In general, yes. Changing your vehicle’s oil is one of the most important things you can do to avoid bringing large bags of money to your mechanic later on.

However, there’s a lot of controversy about exactly when engine oil gets old and how often it should be replaced with new oil. Because there are many factors at work — how you drive, the condition and age of the engine, the external environment you drive in, and stop-and-go versus highway driving — it’s an inexact science. Owner’s manual recommendations for oil and filter changes vary from 3,000 to 10,000 miles.

We recommend that you change your oil and filter every 5,000 miles. That’s our best estimate. It may be too soon for many people and too late for a few, but for the vast majority, 3,000-mile oil changes and a time interval will help your engine last to a ripe, old age.

You may want to consider changing your oil more frequently if:

  • You are hard on your vehicle: Ex: heavy acceleration or high-speed driving
  • You live where the climate is extremely hot or cold
  • You often drive on dirt roads
  • Your engine is old and burns oil
  • You frequently carry heavy loads

 

Why do I have to change my oil?

Oil undergoes thermal breakdown due to high operating temperature. When this occurs, the oil becomes less effective as a lubricant. And without a good lubricant, parts of the engine rub together and wear each other out.

Oil also contains additives that have the ability to neutralize acids. Over time, these additives get used up and stop being effective.

Finally, oil can absorb water, dust and combustion byproducts and also hold them in suspension. Eventually, the oil gets saturated with this stuff and can’t absorb any more. Then that stuff remains in the engine and can cause corrosion.

 

What happens if I don’t change my oil?

Your engine won’t last as long as it could. Oil serves many crucial functions, and clean oil performs those functions better than dirty oil. Oil is relatively cheap, and changing your oil every 5,000 miles is a very cheap insurance policy against major repairs down the road.

 

Is there any maintenance required between intervals?

Yes, you need to check the oil level every few hundred miles. With your car parked on a level surface, remove the oil dipstick, clean it on a clean, old rag. Remove it again, and check the oil level.

Ideally, it should be right at the full mark. If it’s at or below the add mark, that means you’re a quart low and should add a quart of oil to the crankcase. If it’s in between the two marks, you can add part of a quart to bring it up to the full mark (the distance between add and full represents a quart, so use that to estimate how much of a quart you need). Be aware, however, that since oil flows slowly when it is cool, the dipstick may not immediately reflect any oil you just added. So estimate the amount of oil you need based on your first dipstick reading, and then check it again later that day or the next day to be sure you’re near the full mark.

A word of caution: Be careful not to overfill your car’s crankcase with oil. If you put in too much oil, the engine’s crankshaft can actually come in contact with the oil. And because the crankshaft is turning at several thousand revolutions per minute, it can quickly whip your oil into a froth — like the steamed milk that sits on the top of a cappuccino. Why is that bad? Well, the oil pump can’t pump froth very well, and as a result, it can’t get oil to the parts of the engine that need lubrication. The result… coming to Advanced Auto Clinic to fix your vehicle.

If you are low on oil, you can add the grade of oil the manufacturer recommends. This may be indicated on the oil fill cap or in the owners manual. If in doubt you can always call us at Advanced Auto Clinic.

If you regularly run low on oil, be sure to come into Advanced Auto Clinic. You may have a leak or may be burning oil — signs that you might be gearing up for a major issue. 

 

Call today to schedule your oil change! (262) 728-2944 or CLICK HERE to schedule your appointment online!

Auto Maintenance Checklist

Winter Checklist

Winter weather can do a lot of damage to  your vehicle with freezing temperatures, salted roads and wintery precipitation. Make sure that you follow this Winter Auto Maintenance Checklist so you are not stranded!

Check your antifreeze

Your antifreeze (the juice that goes in your radiator) is an essential part of your car’s winter protection. Your car contains a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze.  Stop into Advanced Auto Clinic to check your antifreeze mixture.

Inspect your tires

Want to slide into a tree? I didn’t think so. Winter is not the time of year to go cheap on your tires. Take the time to check the tread depth.  The National Highway Transportation Safety Board says you need at least 2/32″ of depth to be safe. The old penny test is as reliable as anything to find out whether your treads are ready for winter action. Also, be sure to check your tire pressure. Believe it or not, they lose a little pressure when it gets cold. Stop in to Advanced Auto Clinic for FREE AIR!

Replace your wipers

Your probably wondering why should I replace my wipers? Well, first of all anything falling from the sky will land on your windshield. Second, slush and muck from the roads has a lot of sand and salt that wind up on your windshield. It takes wipers that are in top shape to keep your windshield clean and safe.

Check your windshield washer fluid

You’ll be using lots of washer fluid as you try to keep your windshield sparkly.

 

Annual Maintenance 

On top of the checks you need to perform to ensure safe winter driving, now’s a good time to do some annual maintenance.

Clean your battery posts

Starting problems are always a pain. Clean your battery regularly to insure that this does not happen to you,

Inspect your spark plug wires

Cracked up plug wires affect performance, gas mileage and general reliability. Be sure yours are in top shape.

Inspect your brakes

Brakes are not a good area to cut corners. Be sure your brakes have enough meat left to get you through the season.

Check your oil

This should go without saying and should be done at least monthly!  Also, make sure you get regular oil changes.

 

At Advanced Auto Clinic we are professionals at maintenance checks.

Call today 262.728.2944  to schedule your maintenance appointment or schedule it online