Chico Auto Repair

The thermostat is part of your cooling system. CHICO residents' vehicle thermostats perform a similar function to the thermostats in their homes. At home, you set your thermostat to maintain a comfortable temperature range. When your home gets too hot, the air conditioning kicks on and when it gets too cool, the heater turns on. Now your engine also has an optimal temperature range: warm enough to run efficiently and not so hot as to cause engine damage. Your vehicle's thermostat is a valve between the engine and the radiator. When CHICO residents first start a cold engine, the valve (thermostat) is closed, allowing the coolant surrounding the engine to warm up to the proper operating temperature. As the coolant gets hotter, the thermostat opens, allowing coolant to flow through to the radiator to be cooled. The thermostat opens and closes to keep the engine within a certain temperature range. Now thermostats are rated for a specific temperature depending on the engine &ndash ... read more

Emergencies can range from a flat tire downtown to being stranded in a snowy ravine for three days. So, you may always want to consider a basic emergency kit to keep in the car and a travel kit tailored to a specific trip. Your close-to-home kit would have some basic items to work on your car:  everything you need to change a tire, gloves, a couple quarts of oil, some antifreeze and water. A can of tire inflator is a great temporary fix for minor flats. You’ll also want jumper cables or a booster box, flares, a flashlight and some basic hand tools. Now for your comfort and safety: a first aid kit, drinkable water, high calorie food (like energy bars), blankets, toilet paper, cell phone, towel, hat and boots.  Keep some change for a pay phone, emergency cash and a credit card. If you live in an area with frequent severe weather or earthquakes, may want to carry provisions for longer emergencies. For trips away from home, consider the weather and geography as you asse ... read more

Last week I was out running errands and my temperature warning light came on – total panic!  I pulled over and my car was overheating After it cooled down, I went right in to my service center to have them look.  My service advisor told me my water pump was leaking and needed to be replaced.  He said water pumps just wear out and that you need to replace them because they pump the coolant that cools the engine.  He told me they checked out my radiator hoses, serpentine belt and tensioner and that they were OK.  But I was overdue for changing my coolant – like, embarrassingly overdue.  I didn’t realize there was a schedule in my owner’s manual for when to change my coolant.  My service advisor said that the coolant becomes corrosive over time and could damage my radiator, head gaskets, intake manifold gaskets, heater core, metal cooling pipes, expansion (frost) plugs, etc.  That’s why they recommend changing the flu ... read more

All new cars and light trucks since 2008 have come equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system.  The TPMS system detects when a tire becomes under-inflated and lights up a warning light on the dash. So, what’s the big deal?  Well, under-inflated tires can be a real safety concern.  First, they don’t handle properly and that can lead to an accident.  Second, under-inflated tires can overheat and cause the tire to come apart, which can also lead to an accident. Government regulations requiring TPMS systems aim to reduce accidents and save lives:  A very worthy goal.  There are also positive environmental effects because under-inflated tires are fuel wasters – you lose 1% of your fuel economy for every 3 pounds of pressure below ideal.  So proper tire inflation can save you a tank of gas a year.  And your tires last longer so you won’t have to replace them as often. There are two kinds of TPMS systems.  So-called ... read more

I’d like to give you a quick overview of the fuel system.  It starts with the fuel tank.  The fuel pump is located inside the tank and pumps fuel out to the engine.  Somewhere along the way is a fuel filter whose job is to filter out dirt before it hits the engine.  Then there’s the fuel intake system and the fuel injectors that deliver the fuel to be burned in the engine. Our focus is to discuss how to make the various components of your fuel system work well and last as long as possible.  Now the best thing you can do for your fuel pump is to use good quality fuel.  Top tier gas typically has fewer contaminants and more detergents to keep things clean.  Using good gas, or adding a fuel system cleaner to your tank, can prolong the life of your fuel pump.  Because the fuel pump lives inside your tank, it’s expensive to replace, so helping it last as long as possible is a worthwhile goal. The fuel filter catches dirt and contam ... read more

Question: What is a severe service maintenance schedule?D AND E AUTO REPAIR Answer: When I was a kid in CHICO, Sunday meant having a bath, getting dressed for church and then hanging up my Sunday clothes soon as we got home. Mom didn't have to wash those clothes but once a month or so. Now, Saturdays were another story entirely: catching lizards, splash contests in mud puddles and crawling through the brush with GI Joe. Those clothes went straight into the laundry basket. My Sunday clothes – easy use. My Saturday clothes – hard use. They required a different laundry schedule. Severe service maintenance schedules are kind of like that for CHICO drivers. “Normal” driving has a regular schedule; “hard” driving has a severe service schedule. Service intervals are shorter on the severe schedule. Most owner's manuals will describ ... read more

CHICO folks know that car batteries wear out just like any other battery and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things CHICO drivers should know when looking for a new battery: one is cold cranking amps and the other is reserve capacity. Let's start with cold cranking amps. This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live in CA, specifically how cold it is where you live. The two factors are that the colder an engine is, the more power it takes to turn the engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with. The other factor is the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient in the cold. So the colder it gets in CHICO, more power is needed, but the available power drops. So if you live where it's cold, you need a battery with more cold cranking am ... read more

Question: I hear a clunking sound from my front wheel when I make a turn. What could be the problem? D AND E AUTO REPAIR Answer: One possible cause of the problem is a worn axle. Front-wheel drive vehicles have axles that transfer power from the transmission to your front wheels. There is one for each front wheel. These axles are called constant velocity axles or CV axles for short. Rear-wheel drive vehicles have axles that are in back and run between the differential and the rear wheels. Of course, all-wheel drive vehicles will have an axle at each wheel. When a front CV axle goes bad, it will make a clunking noise as you make a slow turn. When a rear axle goes bad, the clunking or moaning sound will be in the back. Now there really isn't any preventive maintenance you can have performed to make your axles last longer, but you can have them inspected from time to time to see if a problem such as a leaking seal or torn protective boot has arisen ... read more

Ever had one of those shopping carts – you know the one with a messed-up wheel that wobbles like crazy.  Your cart shakes and pulls to one side – if you’re not careful it’s clean up on aisle three.  Wheel alignment on your car is a lot like that.   One or more of your wheels can get out of alignment; you feel a vibration in your steering wheel – which may also be off-center.  Your vehicle might pull to one side and your tires start to wear unevenly – you could chew through a tire in a few months.  Sometimes wheels get knocked out of alignment by something big like hitting a curb or slamming into a pothole.  But everyday driving takes a toll and vehicles lose alignment over time.  That’s why vehicle manufacturers recommend an alignment check at regular intervals. In your alignment inspection, your technician will check your tires and your suspension system for damage.  He’ll test your alignme ... read more

When it comes to vehicle service, a lot of people procrastinate.  The reasons? Don't want to spend the money, don't have time to get it done, it's not urgent.  Sound familiar? Here are the three service items you shouldn't put off, no matter what. Oil Change.  Oil is one of those things that just quietly does its job.  You don't see it working; you don't hear it working.  Heck, you don't even know it's there.  Oil is the substance that keeps the metal parts in your vehicle working together and not fighting each other.  It keeps things gliding smoothly and prevents wear and tear every second your engine is turned on.  Don't put off changing it!  Check with your NAPA AutoCare Service Advisor and your owner's manual to know how often to have it changed, either by distance you travel or time that goes by – and they’ll know the correct oil for your vehicle. Tire Pressure.  It's so eas ... read more