Chico Auto Repair

A driver who uses his or her ears has a leg up on those who don't.  In addition to noises helping you be aware of traffic, they can give you clues to potential problems in your vehicle.  One noise to pay attention to is growling. Growling is a universally recognizable noise; you know it when you hear it.  In a vehicle, it's usually the sound of metal contacting metal, and not in a good way.  So, what is your vehicle telling you if you hear growling when you are turning your steering wheel? There are a few possibilities.  One is the mechanical linkage that helps your steering wheel turn your wheels and tires.  That system frequently has a hydraulic system that makes turning the steering wheel easier for you.  That can be a source of growling sounds as well.  A NAPA AutoCare technician can check your power steering fluid to see if it's at the correct level and still in good shape.  There are a few things that can go wrong with y ... read more

Question: I'm really confused about auto service intervals for various items on my car. Help! D AND E AUTO REPAIR Answer: The simple answer for CHICO residents is to follow the vehicle's recommended service intervals listed in your owner's manual or in your service center's database. But the team at D AND E AUTO REPAIR in CHICO sympathizes with CHICO residents because of the confusing intervals for modern vehicles. The days of simple rules of thumb that applied to most vehicles are long gone. For example, let's look at an oil change: manufacturers' recommendations run anywhere from every 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) to 15,000 miles (24,000 kilometers). This big range comes from engine design and recommended types of oil - so CHICO residents really do need to read and follow the recommendations for their specific vehicle. Your owner's service manual will have a schedule for maintenance services a ... read more

When your vehicle doesn't start, the first thing you think of might be the battery.  That may be the culprit, but it also might be that your alternator has gone bad. An alternator sends power to your vehicle's electrical systems and accessories like your entertainment system, charging ports, and so on.  Any extra electricity goes to re-charge the battery.  So, your battery is what gets your engine started, but once the engine's running, your alternator is what's turning out the power.  A failing alternator may not be able to keep the battery charged. One of the most common causes of an alternator's demise is the bearings fail and seize up.  That can happen from dirt and liquid getting into the bearings combined with the heat of the engine. You might hear a grinding sound, an early warning that something's wrong. Other signs your alternator may be failing? A squealing noise in your engine, or your headlights dimming when engine RPMs dr ... read more

Today we want to talk about your engine air filter. That's the filter that cleans the air before it's burned in your engine. Many people in CHICO wonder how often they should change their engine air filter. The simple answer is "when it's dirty." That's a function of how much air has passed through the filter, so your vehicle manufacturer will recommend a mileage interval for replacing the air filter. But you can imagine that how dirty the air is would affect how quickly the filter gets filled. If you drive in CHICO where there's lots of dust, pollution or pollen, your engine air filter will get dirty more quickly and need to be changed sooner. That's why we check the air filter with every full-service oil change at D AND E AUTO REPAIR. We can visually tell if the filter needs to be changed. Your filter can only hold so much dirt. Once the filter is full, dirt will pass through to th ... read more

Our vehicles operate in a wide range of outside CHICO temperatures. That's why use testing grounds from the frozen tundra to the blistering desert. Your vehicle engine antifreeze/coolant must be able to perform in these extreme temperatures. Antifreeze/coolant has to move heat away from the engine to prevent costly damage. Water does a very good job of holding heat, but it freezes at 32 degrees F, 0 degrees C. That's why we mix anti-freeze with water – it lowers the freezing point of the antifreeze/coolant and raises the boiling point as well. A 50/50 blend of water and antifreeze/coolant is the usual recommendation for CA . And on top of that, antifreeze/coolant has to protect the components of the vehicle cooling system from corrosion. Your owner's manual will tell you what kind of antifreeze/coolant you should use. Of course at D AND E AUTO REPAIR, we can advise you on what to put in your vehicle. Cooling system failure is the most common ... read more

Thanks for visiting the D AND E AUTO REPAIR auto care blog. Today's post lists 5 important reasons CHICO drivers should follow recommended maintenance schedules. 1. Be Safe A well-maintained car doesn't put you and your passengers at unnecessary risk. Think brakes, headlamps, tires. 2. Get Better Fuel Economy Regular maintenance is an investment in optimum fuel economy. Inadequate tire pressure, a dirty fuel system and a clogged air filter are just a few things that reduce fuel economy. 3. Preserve Resale Value How many CHICO used car buyers will pay full Blue Book for a car with a filthy engine, clogged filters and bald tires? 4. Don't Void Your Warranty Your warranty claims may be denied if your service history doesn't fulfill the minimum requirements recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. 5. Save Money Regular maintenance reduces the chance of catastrophic failures and re ... read more

Question What's the harm in putting off replacing my engine air filter a little longer? Answer That's a fair question because the harm takes a while to manifest.  Let's take a small step back and talk about what an engine air filter does. The air all around us contains dust, dirt, pollen, spores, etc.  Some areas and times of the year have more contaminants in the air.  The job of the air filter is to keep that stuff out of your engine.  The benefit of that is obvious. Now your engine uses a lot of air – like 12,000 gallons of air for every gallon of fuel – so the engine air filter has a big job to do.  When the filter gets full and can't hold any more dirt, all that air still has to get to the engine, so dirt gets forced through the filter and heads on downstream. The air flows passed the mass air flow (MAF) sensor on its way to the engine.  The MAF sensor tells the engine control computer how much air is coming so the co ... read more

People need to be concerned about wheel alignment for two primary reasons: safety and money.  When your wheels are out of alignment, they can pull to one side. A moment of inattention could put you into on-coming traffic or off the road.  And a bad alignment will chew up your tires very quickly. We had one guy in the shop who said his wheels were a little out of alignment before a family vacation, but he didn't think it was that bad, so he didn't take care of it before he left.  A couple days and a thousand miles later, his front tires were worn down to the cords.  He had to take a half day out of his mountain vacation to find a town big enough to have a tire center for replacements. All four wheels are supposed to be lined up and point in the same direction.  Sometimes one or more goes out of alignment and is pulling against the rest of the team.  In addition to excessive tire wear, this also hurts fuel economy. Part of the alignment service is ... read more

CHICO drivers often ask questions about the cooling system, the system that cools your vehicle engine and keeps it at the proper operating temperature. Let's examine the topic in two areas: first, the coolant itself and second, the parts that make up the cooling system. The coolant is the mix of water and antifreeze that circulates through the engine to draw off heat. First, you need to have the proper amount. If you don't have enough coolant, it can't keep your vehicle engine cool. You also need the right kind of coolant. Different makes of vehicles require different coolant formulation to protect against corrosion. Finally, your coolant needs to be fresh. Over time and miles of driving, the anti-corrosion additives in the coolant are depleted, and the coolant can actually start to eat away at the vehicle's cooling system parts. Your owner's manual and your D AND E AUTO REPAIR service advisor can help you with the reco ... read more

The axle assemblies in your vehicle transfer power out to the drive wheels.  On a rear-wheel drive vehicle, there is an axle shaft that goes from the differential in the center of the axle to each rear wheel.  On a front-wheel drive vehicle, the axle shafts go from the transmission to each front-wheel.  All-wheel drive vehicles have axle shafts connected to all four wheels.  Axles assemblies are tough parts: they transfer torque from the engine to the wheels to move the vehicle.  Tough as they are, they are still subject to normal wear and tear.  The axle shafts are in a sealed housing with lubricant that protects the axle shaft.  When there is a leak anywhere in the axle assembly, lubricant gets out and dirt, water, and other contaminates can get in.  This can greatly accelerate axle wear.  If an axle assembly fails, you're not going anywhere. A worn or damaged axle assembly on the front will make a clunking sound during low speed tur ... read more