Welcome to our Blog page!

Our blogs are updated once a month, usually on the first day of the month. On this page, we offer advice, tips, and insights for becoming a safer driver and for better travels on Chico roads. Bookmark this page and remember to check back!

If you need auto repair service, don’t forget that you can schedule an appointment at this link for D&E Auto Repair in Chico. We look forward to seeing you! Remember that you are a part of the family at D&E Auto Repair in Chico. We’re located at 3328 Esplanade St., Chico, CA 95973.

Articles:

Windshield Wipers

We’re going to talk about windshield wiper blades.  Now that may seem like a pretty mundane topic but think about how important your vision is:  We protect our eyes.  If we need contacts or glasses, we taken care of them too.  And, well, wiper blades are critical to our vision when we drive. We really ought to think about wipers as part of an important safety system.  We should think about maintaining safety – not just responding when our wiper blades fail: how many times have you been caught off-guard by the first storm of the season with a streaky windshield you can barely see out of?  Or with no washer fluid.  Wiper blades live outside the vehicle, exposed to heat and sun in the summer and cold and ice in the winter.  It’s no wonder that they get dry, brittle and torn. We recommend changing wiper blades twice a year – before they’re so damaged that they don’t work.  If you replace them in one of your ... read more

Wired! (Battery Cables and Maintenance)

Chances are you've had the power go out in your neighborhood at some time, and you know how helpless you feel.  No lights, no microwave oven, no cold refrigerator: Yikes, it's like living in another century.  Well, your vehicle is also highly dependent on having power for it to run properly.  When your battery cables are failing, that power is not transferred as it should be. Battery cables are essentially the wires that connect your vehicle to its battery.  The positive cable supplies the power to various components that use them and the negative grounds the system to the vehicle chassis.  This setup allows you to have power throughout your vehicle. When a battery cable fails, your vehicle may not start, your starter may turn over very slowly, or you may hear a clicking noise.  And you may see your battery warning light go on. Just like a house with no power, a vehicle with no power needs to get it back for things to work the way they should ... read more

Categories:

Batteries

Simple Answers from D AND E AUTO REPAIR for CHICO: Power Brakes

Question: What is power brake service and why do CHICO drivers need to have it done?D AND E AUTO REPAIR Answer: Imagine: you pour a tablespoon of water in your hand and throw it as hard as you can. Now, suppose you suck up a tablespoon of water into a syringe, push the plunger and squirt it out. Which would go further? Of course it's the water squirting out of the syringe. That's because you pressurized the water. Your power brake system is kind of the same thing. When you step on the brake pedal, the master cylinder pressurizes brake fluid which actuates the brakes so you can stop. CHICO drivers who don't have enough pressure can't stop. A leak in your brake system would reduce – or even eliminate – your stopping power. Brake fluid attracts moisture which can cause leak-inducing corrosion. So a great way for CHICO drivers t ... read more

Categories:

Brakes

Steamed Up (Vapor Coming Out of Vents)

Sometimes you may notice a little steam or vapor coming out of your vehicle's vents when running the air conditioning or heater.  Is this something about which you need to worry? The answer is it may or may not be troublesome. Sometimes it can be caused by water accumulating in the vent system after it condenses.  That water can wind up at the bottom of a vent, and when you turn on the blower motor, it can cause what looks like steam or vapor to come out of the vents.  It may go away on its own when the system dries out after you've run the fan for a while.  Of course, moisture sitting around for more than a short time in a hot vehicle is the perfect breeding ground for mold to develop, and you don’t want your vehicle to smell like musty mold. Sometimes the moisture can build up because a drain is clogged.  A technician can clean that out and get things draining again. If the vapor coming out of the vents has a sweet, syrupy smell, it could be ... read more

Categories:

Troubleshoot

Simple Answers from D AND E AUTO REPAIR for CHICO: Windshield Wipers

Question:When should I replace my windshield wipers? D AND E AUTO REPAIR Answer: Well, most CHICO drivers wait until they fail. The problem with that is that you find out they have failed when you actually need them most – a little too late. Wiper blades are really a safety system for CHICO drivers. As you can imagine, 90% of our driving decisions are based on what we see. If you can't see well because your wipers can't clear your windshield, your ability to drive safely is significantly impaired. So the simple answer: of course, CHICO drivers should change wipers if they don't work well. But replace them before they go bad so they are always ready when that storm hits. For some CHICO drivers, once a year may be enough. For others – those who drive a lot, whose wipers are exposed to a lot of sun or use their wipers more – replacing the blades ... read more

The Hot Switch (Coolant Vacuum Valve Switch)

When the weather gets cooler, you want the cabin of your vehicle to stay warm.  When you switch on the heat, you may find the air that comes out of the vents just isn't hot.  The problem could be a part in the heating system that not that many people understand.  It's called the coolant vacuum valve switch or thermostat vacuum switch.  Here's what it does. When you don't need heat in your vehicle, you don't need hot coolant from your radiator to go through the heater core in your vehicle.  (The heater core is like a small radiator that exchanges heat between the coolant and your cabin air.)  When you turn on the switch for heat or defrost, it signals the coolant vacuum valve switch to open.  That should send hot coolant to the heater core which heats your cabin air or defroster air.  If the coolant vacuum valve switch isn't working, you don't get warm air to either. Sometimes the coolant vacuum valve switch can crac ... read more

Categories:

Cooling System

Replace Your Engine Air Filter At D AND E AUTO REPAIR

When driving around CHICO, your vehicle engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons (820,000 liters) of air for every tank of gas. All that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually the filter gets completely full. Because the filter can only hold so much, dirt starts getting through. This dirty air passes through the mass airflow sensor and starts to accumulate on the delicate sensor element. The mass air flow sensor measures how much air is getting into your engine. When the airflow reading is incorrect, your vehicle engine doesn't get the proper amount of fuel. It runs rough and doesn't perform as well as it should. Eventually, the sensor is so damaged it needs to be replaced – which is pricy. In fact you could buy a case or two of air filters for the cost of a sensor replacement. Of course, that dirty air keeps on going through to your vehicle engine where it ... read more

Wiper Blade Design

Wiper blades may not be the most exciting topic – but they are pretty important.  Most of us have had an experience when a sudden snow or rainstorm hits while we’re driving; then when we turn on the wipers – nothing but streaks.  This can be especially disconcerting at night when the glare of on-coming headlights distorts your vision. Simple answer: change your wiper blades before they fail.  Check them out every couple of months just to see how they are working.  Of course, the more you use your wipers, the sooner they’ll wear out.  People living with lots of storms or those who drive a lot where there are bugs and road grime will use their blades more. But even when you’re not using your blades, they are exposed to sunlight, ozone, soap, and extreme hot and cold temperatures which lead to deterioration.  Your blades can just rot away and fall apart before you need them.  Of course, using your wipers when the blades ar ... read more

Simple Answers from D AND E AUTO REPAIR for CHICO: Tire Tread Depth

Question How can I tell when my tires are worn so much that they need to be replaced? Answer That is a very important question.  As we discuss the matter, keep in mind that one of the most important jobs of your tire tread is to move water. The channels in the tread act as passages for water to escape from underneath the tire.  The deeper the tread, the deeper the channel – and the more water that can be evacuated.  When enough water can’t be moved from underneath the tire, the tire can ride on the water – often called hydroplaning.  The tire is literally not contacting the road but rather is “floating” on the water so there is little traction and the vehicle can slide. So somewhere between a brand-new tire and a bald tire lies the point at which the tire should be replaced.  Some governmental jurisdictions have minimum tread depth requirements others do not.  So, check the laws where you live to learn the legal minimum ... read more

Categories:

Tires

Battery

Batteries are a huge part of modern life.  I mean, how many battery chargers do you have? Of course, our purpose here is to talk about your car battery.  When people come into our service center and need a new battery, they’re not that happy about having to spend the money.  But the fact is that 70% of batteries don’t make it for 4 years. There are some things that you can do to extend the life of your battery.  First, keep it clean.  If you see it getting dirty or greasy, let us know and we can clean it off.  A dirty battery runs hotter and that shortens its life.  If your battery terminals are corroded, let us look at that too.  We can clean them, and if the corrosion has gotten into the battery cables, we can replace them. Also running your battery way down is bad for it. Things like running the headlights or watching a DVD player with the car turned off can deeply deplete your battery.  The typical battery can only take ab ... read more

Categories:

Batteries