Dan and his father Rick never thought that starting a car collecting hobby would ever lead them to one of the most recognizable cars in cinema history. When the Volo Auto Museum had Biff’s Ford Coupe for sale the duo couldn’t pass it up. So now one of the coolest cars to ever be filmed is in the caring hands of a family that couldn’t be more deserving.
Question:
How do I know when I need a wheel alignment?
Advanced Auto Clinic Answer:
When ‘ wheels are properly aligned they all point in the same direction. When they are out of alignment, most notice a couple of things. First the vehicle pulls to one side when driving. It could be slight or pretty severe. If your wheels have been out of alignment for a while, you’ll also start to see uneven tire wear – the shoulder on either the outside or inside of the tire is worn down more than the other.
A whole bunch of steering and suspension components are joined together. Everyday driving can cause ‘ wheels to go out of alignment over time just from the joints loosening up. That’s why most recommend an alignment check every couple of years. Depending on where you live in or the conditions you drive in (off-road driving, harsh winter conditions, poor pavement, etc.) – an alignment inspection every year at Advanced Auto Clinic may be called for.
Suspension and steering components wear over time as well which can lead to and alignment issues for . Of course, a big bump like hitting a curb or pothole can knock a wheel out of alignment or damage a steering or suspension part.
The type of wear provides clues for what might be wrong. Undercar parts are inspected for wear and damage. The alignment machine will provide a reading of how each wheel is aligned. The reading is compared with the alignment settings recommended by the , and then the makes the necessary adjustments and repairs to bring your wheels back into alignment.
Now putting off a wheel alignment in can get for because of tire wear: a bad alignment can chew through a tire pretty quickly. If you see uneven tire wear, if your steering wheel is off center, or your vehicle pulls to one side contact Advanced Auto Clinic about getting an alignment check.
Give us a call today at (262) 728-2944
It’s hard enough taking care of your car during the Summer, but the Winter months prove to be a whole different monster. The roads become more slippery, more salt on the ground, more snow, etc. Taking care of your vehicle is even more essemtial during these times. Doing things like keeping up with your tire’s maintence can make your drive more safe.
With the help of Chicago Tribune and Car Talk we have found some great tips to ensure you are prepared for these cold weather challenges.
Keep Your Gas Tank Full
In the summer, you can take a chance and run down to fumes. But in the winter, if you do get stuck or stranded, the engine will be your only source of heat. And you don’t want to have to worry about conserving fuel and saving the planet right at that moment…you want to stay warm. You can run the engine indefinitely at idle to stay warm-or as long as you have gas. No harm will be done to the engine.
Fill Your Fluids
Fill your antifreeze. If it hasn’t been flushed in a few years, then it could use it. Green-colored antifreeze is the most common; whichever color you choose, don’t mix colors. Coolant and antifreeze are interchangeable terms. Coolant is typically sold premixed, that is it is half water, half antifreeze, as it needs to be. Antifreeze can be pure and needs to be mixed. Check the bottle; it’ll tell you. Ready for winter? Your car should be Ready for winter? Your car should be Check your oil. If it’s due for a change, consider refilling it with a lower viscosity oil. On the bottle it lists two numbers, or grades, the first for low temperature viscosity, the second for high temperature. 10W-30 is a common designation. The higher the number, the more viscous, or thick it is, the less fluid it is especially in cold temps. So you might want to consider 5W-20 or-30. That ‘W’ stands for winter, according to Valvoline and other sources.
Check Your Battery
Change the battery. Mechanics recommend changing it every 3 years, though you could get away with 5 years, depending on how much you drive and how you drive. If you see a mechanic, have him or her check the battery and replace the spark plugs. How to store your car for winter How to store your car for winter Make sure the cables are not loose. With the engine off, see if the cables can slip free from the nodes. Don’t yank, but be firm. Tightening the nut is easy to do and can save you from a mid-drive battery loss that requires you to get out of the car and take off your gloves. Check for corrosion. If there is a white powder, not unlike the dead skin of dried winter hands, around the nodes or the clamps then that could be a sign of corrosion. If you can’t get a new battery, then at least clean the nodes and clamps with baking soda, water and a toothbrush. Loosen the cables, clean the nodes and clamps, then dry it and retighten.
Check Your Cooling System
Make certain the antifreeze will protect your car at the winter temperatures you’ll experience in your area. For most areas, you’ll need a 50-50 mix of coolant to water. You may think, “I’ll be extra good to my car, and give it 100% coolant.” Guess what? You’re wrong. The 50-50 mix has a lower freezing point. Not only that, but 100% coolant is less able to transfer heat away from your engine, and has been known to cause such nasty things as melted spark plugs of engine failure under the wrong circumstances.So, mix it up!
View more tips from Chicago Tribune and Car Talk
Think about this: Most vehicle belts fail without warning. Now think about yourself stranded on the side of the road. Not a pretty picture, is it?
Visit Advanced Auto Clinic for belts and hoses inspection. If needed, we’ll install a new NAPA Premium Micro-V AT Serpentine Belt and DriveAlign Tensioner – and you’ll save $25 instantly! Start off 2015 right!
Offer is good through February 28, 2015!
Through December 31, 2014, at participating locations, enjoy Buy 1 Get 1 Free when you upgrade to NAPA Premium Headlight Capsules or replace your NAPA-branded Wiper Blades.
*Offer valid November 1 – December 31, 2014 at participating locations.
Most passenger cars, light trucks or SUV’s. With Appointment. *Qualifying Capsules: NAPA Lamps SafeLite, WhiteLite and LongLite Premium Capsules.
Delavan drivers push a few buttons or turn some knobs, and voila, they have balmy air blowing on their feet or cool air chilling their face. How does all that happen? Well, it’s all thanks to the air blend box. This box lives behind your dash and delivers just the right temperature of air right where you want it.
Let’s break it down. First there is the blower fan that circulates the air through the heating/air conditioning system. The fan can blow at different speeds, depending on how much hot or cold air is required to be comfortable. The blend box can either bring fresh air from outside, or recirculate air from inside the cabin. Delavan drivers often choose to recirculate air when first starting the vehicle until it starts to either cool down or warm up.
The next thing the blend box does is convey airflow over the heater core to warm the air, or over the air conditioner evaporator core to chill it – or a blend of hot and cold to get it just right. From there the blend box can direct the air out into the passenger compartment through the floor vents, the panel vents, the defroster, or a combination. All of this allows Delavan car owners to customize the climate just the way the like it.
Some vehicles have different climate control zones, like one for the driver and one for the passenger – or even more zones for the back seat. Additional blend boxes are used for this. Climate controls could be manually adjusted or computer controlled depending on your vehicle.
The blower motor and all of the little actuator motors that open and close the various blend doors can fail and need to be replaced. Most new vehicles come with a cabin air filter. This filter cleans the air before it gets into the blend box. If you neglect changing the cabin air filter, it can get clogged, smelly, and even allow mildew and other microorganisms to build up in the blend box.
Advanced Auto Clinic in Delavan can carry out a heating/air conditioning system cleaning service that will clean and disinfect the system, restoring a fresh clean scent. If you are not getting enough hot or cold air, Advanced Auto Clinic can review your system, diagnose the cause and set things right. And don’t forget to replace the cabin air filter on schedule. In addition, if you live and drive in dusty Delavan conditions or where there is a lot of pollen or other pollutants, you may need to replace your cabin air filter more frequently.
Give Advanced Auto Clinic a call today!
Delavan drivers who are old enough have probably heard the term “fan belt”. Back in the day the radiator fan in your vehicle was turned by a belt driven by the engine. There are still belt driven fans – although most are now driven by the serpentine belt. But most Delavan drivers now have electric fans that deliver fresh air across the radiator to cool it.
As coolant/antifreeze circulates in the cooling system it captures heat from the engine and flows into the radiator. Air cools the radiator and the coolant in it before it delivers it back into the engine to pick up some more heat. Now your engine has an ideal temperature range in which it is most efficient: it shouldn’t be too hot or too cool. The electric radiator fans help maintain the ideal temperature.
A switch mounted in a cooling system passage checks the temperature of the coolant. If the coolant is at the low end of the range, the switch turns off the fan motor. When the coolant rises to a certain temperature, the switch turns on the fan. When you are running the air conditioning, the radiator fan will likely be turned on as well to help reduce the extra engine heat created by the load placed on it by the air conditioner.
A lot of Delavan drivers’ vehicles will actually have two radiator fans. One or both or neither may be running at any given time depending on the conditions. When you are cruising at Darien highway speeds, the air rushing over the radiator and around the engine will help control the heat. By contrast, stop and go driving around Delavan doesn’t generate much natural air flow so the radiator fans will be working hard.
Some Delavan auto owners may experience the sound of the radiator fan running after turning the vehicle off. This keeps the engine from heating excessively after it has been run and shut off.
Now the radiator fan motors and the switch are critical wear items that will eventually fail. If your temperature light comes on while driving, you have a cooling system issue. Your knowledgeable Advanced Auto Clinic technician can check your entire cooling system, including the radiator fans, to determine what is causing the indicator light. Of course, servicing the cooling system as recommended will help extend the life of all the components. Ask your Advanced Auto Clinic service advisor if you are due for acooling system service.
Give us a call
Advanced Auto Clinic
1101 Ann Streeet
Delavan, WI 53115
262.728.2944
At Advanced Auto Clinic in Delavan WI (53115) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 262.728.2944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Let’s start with the noise:
Most brake pads have an audible brake wear indicator. This is a small piece of metal that rubs on your brake rotor when the brake pads are worn to the point they should be replaced. The noise is a chirp or soft squeal. This noise gives drivers enough vital warning to get their brakes serviced while there is still enough brake pad left to enable you to stop safely.
Auto owners who ignore the chirp typically find that the sound changes to a grinding noise. That is more serious. It means that the friction material on your brake pad is worn away and metal parts of the brake are grinding against the rotor when you press on the brakes. Obviously, this dangerous metal-on-metal means that your brakes aren’t stopping very well. It also means that your rotor is being damaged. It may need to be resurfaced or even replaced.
Pedal pulsation is another noticeable trouble. When your rotor is not in perfect alignment, it pushes against the brake pads unevenly as you apply the brakes. There could be a number of reasons for this. The rotor and wheel hub may not be mating well, causing the rotor to be spinning out of vertical alignment. This dangerous misalignment can be caused by either the rotor or the hub, or a combination of the two. If this problem persists, the rotor may even start to wear unevenly to the point that its thickness varies, causing an even more noticeable pulsation. This uneven mating of the brake pad and the rotor when braking means less contact and it will diminish braking power.
Advanced Auto Clinic in Delavan, WI can determine the cause of the harmful misalignment and remedy the issue.
Either unusual brake noise or pedal pulsation are signs for you Delavan motorists that there are brake problems. Auto owners should have a tech at Advanced Auto Clinic inspect their brakes thoroughly and recommend any essential steps necessary to correct the trouble.
A regular brake inspection is on every family car’s recommended list.
Ask your knowledgeable Advanced Auto Clinic service specialist if it’s time for a critical brake inspection.
Give us a call 262 – 728 – 2944
When someone mentions diesels around Delavan – images of smoky, rattly trucks may spring to mind. The fact is that the modern clean diesel engine is much more refined than in the old days. Sure, diesel engines remain a very popular choice with heavy duty pick-up truck drivers in Delavan, but they are finding their way into nearly every segment of the WI automotive market. Why is that? Well, its science.
Diesel fuel contains more energy than the same amount of gasoline. So it takes less diesel fuel to do the same amount of work as gas – so Delavan diesel drivers get more miles per gallon and lower emissions. In Europe, where fuel is very expensive and high mileage is very essential, around half of passenger vehicles are powered by diesel engines. This goes for small economy cars all the way up to the world’s most costly luxury vehicles.
The driving experience is also very good with diesel engines – in fact Delavan auto owners may not even be able to tell the difference between riding in or driving a diesel powered vehicle. So what are the factors to think about when deciding whether or not to choose a diesel engine?
One consideration is price. Diesel engines cost more to build and are an extra cost option for most vehicles. So Delavan car owners need to do the math to see how long it will take the increased fuel efficiency to pay for the extra up-front cost of a diesel engine. The cost of diesel fuel in Darien is also a factor. There is no clear correlation between gas prices and diesel prices because the refining and distribution systems are so different. This means that the difference in price per gallon for diesel and gasoline can vary a great deal depending on where you live in WI. Just watch diesel and gas prices for a while (or talk with a diesel owner in Delavan) so you can get a feel for how much price per gallon figures into your purchase decision.
Also important to examine is your expected use of the vehicle. For example, if you tow heavy trailers or haul heavy loads around Delavan, the extra power many diesel engines offer (while getting better fuel efficiency than a gas engine) may affect your decision. Your highway/city driving mix may play into the decision as well. Diesels shine in the highway mileage department. And the more you drive in a year, the more attractive diesel engines become.
If you elect a diesel engine, remember that it still requires vital maintenance like your gas powered vehicles always have. Oil changes, cooling system service, power steering, brakes, tires, etc. – all need to be maintained. Some of the schedules may be different because of the unique design of diesel engines. Your knowledgeable Advanced Auto Clinic technician will be able to help you properly maintain your diesel vehicle, helping it last longer and continue to deliver great performance and fuel efficiency.
Give us a call
Advanced Auto Clinic
1101 Ann Streeet
Delavan, WI 53115
262.728.2944
At Advanced Auto Clinic in Delavan WI (53115) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 262.728.2944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
When they first put the battery into your vehicle at the factory, the auto manufacturer had no idea where it would end up over its life or how YOU would use it where you drive in WI. That battery was chosen to meet the needs of a wide range of motorists. Replacement time is a good opportunity to talk to your service specialist about how you use your vehicle so you can get just the right battery.
An obvious criterion is where you live – whether in Delavan or somewhere else. Cold starts require a lot of power from your battery. The colder the climate, the more power needed. This comes from a combination of cold sluggish oil and the slower chemical reaction within the battery itself when it is cold. If this sounds like you, speak with your Advanced Auto Clinic service professional about a battery with more Cold Cranking Amps.
The next consideration for Delavan car owners is reserve capacity.
This is the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has under a particular load. If your driving is mostly short stop-and-go trips around Delavan, your battery may not have time to fully recharge while driving. You may need to tap into those reserves to get started again. Also, modern vehicles have a lot of always-on systems that draw on the battery things like the security system, remote sensors, and vehicle computers. These combine with the electronic entertainment system, sensors, heated seats, and even chargers for phones, tablets, and computers to put a fairly high load on the battery. Your Advanced Auto Clinic service specialist can give you his thoughts on the reserve capacity you might need.
Most standard batteries are wet-cell meaning they are filled with liquid battery acid. New Absorbed Gas Mat (AGM) batteries are non- spillable which makes them safer for Delavan motorists. They also have a longer life span and greater cycle life than wet-cell batteries. Darien off-roader like these batteries because their performance is not affected by steep inclines and odd angles. They are also well suited for Delavan RV and boat owners.
Lastly, an essential consideration for Delavan drivers is warranty.
Premium batteries generally come with a longer warranty. Warranties are typically either full-replacement (the battery is replaced if it fails within the warranty period) or pro-rated (a partial credit is given for the failed battery depending on how far into the warranty period you are when it fails).
When the battery is replaced, your knowledgeable Advanced Auto Clinic service professional may often need to recalibrate some accessories such as power windows and sunroofs. Also, some vehicles may need to have the battery registered into the engine computer.
Your Advanced Auto Clinic tech can help you know how to decide which battery is right for you and your vehicle. Just give us a call 262-728-2944
PHONE: (262) 728-2944
EMAIL: AACDelavan@gmail.com
2 Locations To Better Serve You:
1101 Ann St, Delavan, WI 53115
4300 WI-50, Delavan, WI 53115
