Chico Auto Repair

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay    The price of gasoline rose sharply this year, and we are all looking for a way to save money on the road! Planning a road trip got a whole lot more expensive, so this is the perfect time to pay attention to the issues concerning our fuel system. Like us, our vehicle's fuel system runs more efficiently if it is clean and feeling fine!    But what exactly is a fuel system, and how do I know when I need to service it? These are good questions, so we put together a short explanation of what it is and what you want to be aware of!   What's in my Fuel System? Your fuel system consists of many parts that work in concert toge ... read more

Maintaining your car or truck will make it more efficient.  It works the way it was designed to and that means it uses less fuel:  And you save money. To help organize our discussion, let’s think of things that rob us of fuel economy in two ways: increased friction and inefficient fuel combustion. Friction.  Anything that increases friction increases drag or load on the engine.  It must work harder to overcome the drag – and that takes more fuel.  The first thing that comes to mind is engine oil.  Low oil means there’s not enough to fully lubricate the engine so there’s more friction.  The wrong viscosity and grade of oil can also adversely affect fuel economy.  Dirty oil won’t lubricate as well as clean oil. The same principles apply to transmission fluid.  Getting your oil changed and transmission serviced on schedule will reduce friction and save money.  Consider upgrading to synthetic oils in your dif ... read more

When your fuel isn’t clean, your fuel injectors can start to become clogged up and your engine may not get the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure to run efficiently. This hurts fuel economy and performance and can also lead to the buildup of harmful deposits on valves and in the combustion chamber. That’s why all vehicles come equipped with a fuel filter, although on many newer vehicles, the filter is inside the fuel tank and is not serviceable. The job of the filter is to clean out little pieces of dirt and contamination. Of course, the filter will eventually get clogged up and need to be replaced. Fuel filters on diesel powered vehicles need to be replaced more frequently than those that run on gasoline. If your fuel filter is clogged, the engine can’t get all the fuel it needs, and it may sputter at high speeds or quick acceleration. You may find that you need to change your fuel filter more frequently as your vehicle ages. Over the years, additional s ... 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

Today's D AND E AUTO REPAIR post contains 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. The best thing you can do for your fuel pump is to use good quality fuel. Top tier CHICO 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 pretty expensive to replace, so helping it last as long as possible is a worthwhile goal. The fuel filter catches dirt and contam ... read more

In very simple terms, a fuel injector is a valve that squirts fuel into your vehicle engine. Your engine control computer tells the fuel injector how much fuel to deliver as well as the precise time it should be delivered. Of course this happens thousands of times a minute. High temperatures under your hood and variations in CHICO gas quality cause fuel injectors to be fouled with wax, dirt, water, additives and carbon. Injectors can become partially clogged, preventing them from delivering the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure. When your vehicle's injectors are dirty, the fuel doesn't burn as efficiently, resulting in poor fuel economy and loss of power. So it's important to keep your fuel injectors clean. We can perform a full fuel system service for you at D AND E AUTO REPAIR in which the fuel injectors are cleaned so that they operate properly and deliver the right amount of fuel at the right time. CA drivers sh ... read more