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.

Category Archives: Tires

5 Signs You Need New Tires

5 Signs You Need New Tires

Photo by Obi on Unsplash 5 Signs You Need New Tires Please don’t wait for a flat before you take stock of your tires!   We often have people coming into the shop with a hole in their tire that caused a day of trouble, such as calling a tow truck, putting on a spare, missing meetings, and the like. Sometimes flats aren’t preventable, but taking care of your tires can help your car run how it should!   So, we at D&E invite you to take time today for a tire check-in. Are you feeling vibrations while driving, noticing bulges and blisters on your tire sidewalls, or seeing uneven tire pressures? These are all signs that it is time to consider replacing your tires. In this article, we will discuss five key signs you need to buy new tires and provide tips on identifying and responding to each one. 1. Wear and Tear on Tread Tire tread is an essential indicator ... read more

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Tires

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What To Do When Your Tire Pressure Drops

What To Do When Your Tire Pressure Drops

Photo by Frank Albrecht on Unsplash What To Do When Your Tire Pressure Drops Even if you aren't a car enthusiast, you know that your tires are one of the most essential parts of your vehicle. They're also one of the most neglected items on your vehicle because no one thinks about them until something goes wrong—like when your tire pressure drops unexpectedly. Don't worry; there are plenty of ways to fix this problem and ensure it doesn't happen again! In this article, I'll explain what causes low tire pressure tires and how to deal with it once it happens. But first, let’s talk about why tire pressure matters. Having the correct tire pressure keeps you safe. When you have a low tire pressure, it can affect the handling of your vehicle. A drop in air pressure will cause the tires to lose their grip on the road and increase their chances of skidding or s ... read more

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Tires

Tire Tips We Can All Use

Tire Tips We Can All Use

Photo by HutchRock on pixabay   Here Are Some Tips On How To Take Care of Your Tires The best tires are durable, resilient, and tough. But even the best tires won’t last long if you’re not putting in the right time and attention.    If you want something to last as long as it should, you’ve gotta take care of it. Putting in work on the front end ensures that you won’t be dealing with any flats or blowouts on the road and can also save you money in the long run. Here are 5 tips on taking care of your tires: Get the right tires for your lifestyle. Winter tires are necessary in colder climates but less frequently in a place like Chico. However, if you find yourself going on road trips to do a little skiing pretty often, you might consider changing your tires.  Rotate your tires frequently. Tire rotation ensures that there&rs ... read more

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Tires

What Does Your TPMS Do And What Is It Trying To Tell You?

What Does Your TPMS Do And What Is It Trying To Tell You?

Photo by Brock Wegner on Unsplash Often, we ignore the signs that appear on our vehicle dashboard without having in mind that it is essential to pay attention to them. One of these crucial signs is your vehicle's TPMS light!  Picture this: you’re driving on the road when you see your TPMS light come on. It is not the kind of warning you should ever ignore. Your car is telling you to check your tire pressure because it senses a bad imbalance in the load one of your tires is carrying and wants to prevent you from having a blow-out on the highway! In this blog, we will teach you what your vehicle's TPMS does and what it means when the light comes on!    What does it mean when your vehicle's TP ... read more

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Tires

Upsizing Wheels and Tires in Chico

Hello CHICO drivers! Let's pretend you have three doughnuts right in front of you for our discussion of upsizing wheels and tires. Hey, don't eat them now – you're going to need them later. Many CHICO drivers want to accessorize their car and make it theirs. One of the easiest ways to get a custom look is to get some custom wheels (http://dandeautorpr.mynapatools.com/contact-us/). There are thousands of wheel designs out there to get you the look you want. And for many, that look includes bigger wheels. It used to be that vehicles came from the factory with 15 or 16 inch wheels. Now 16, 17 and even 18 inchers are standard. And the factories are offering optional wheel packages up to 20 inches or more. So let's talk about what CHICO drivers should consider when they want to upsize their wheels. It's not exactly a do it yourself project, so you need to know a thing or two before you get started. The most important term to know is rolling diameter. The rolling ... read more

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Tires

Are You Going Nuts? (Lug Nut Replacement)

If your vehicle has a few years on it, you've no doubt had your tires rotated a few times. That means, of course, that a technician has loosened the lug nuts (which hold the wheels on) to remove the wheels and then put them back on.  Many vehicles have lug bolts that go through the wheel into the wheel hub rather than bolts that are attached to the hub and poke out through the wheel.  For our purposes, we’ll simply refer to both styles as “lug nuts”.  Don't be surprised if your Service Advisor tells you it's time for several of those lug nuts to be replaced.  Here's why. There are different styles of lug nuts.  Many of them are constructed from two separate pieces.  One is the main part that is steel, and the other is a chrome, aluminum, or stainless steel cap that fits on top and makes it look pretty.  Time takes its toll on your lug nuts because they're exposed to the elements (salt, water, grime).  The st ... read more

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Tires

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

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Tires

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

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

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Tires

The Fallacy of Cheap Tires Sold in CHICO

New tires are a big ticket item for most CHICO drivers. You're not only concerned about the price, but you want to know that it'll be a long time before you need to buy new tires again. And of course there's the safety aspect as well. The tires do a lot of work – they carry the weight of the vehicle and you and your passengers around CHICO. They need to be up to the task. You want to be sure they hold the road and provide good traction. CHICO drivers who carry heavy loads or tow a trailer need a high load tires to be up for the job. The tire professionals at D AND E AUTO REPAIR think it's important that CHICO drivers understand the effect of price on a tire's performance and durability. The major tire brands sold in CHICO that you're familiar with are known in ... read more

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Tires

Scheduled Wheel Alignment at D AND E AUTO REPAIR

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

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Tires
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