Rockland & Rockport Auto Repair

You notice that suddenly your vehicle seems to be getting worse gas mileage than it did awhile back. Why? What happened? Like with most things on your vehicle, there can be numerous problems at the root of poor fuel economy. Let’s start with the simple ones and work our way to the more complicated issues: Tires: This one’s easy. Underinflated tires mean more rolling resistance (think about riding a bike with a low tire), and more rolling resistance means poorer fuel economy. Check your tire inflation at least once a month, while the tires are cold, using a good quality tire gauge. Even a pound or two of underinflation can be enough to cause problems! Air filter: The air filter is made of pleated paper or fabric elements which prevent pollen, dust and particulates from entering the fuel system where they could do some real damage and cause wear. A clogged air filter can literally smother the engine by restricting air flow. Take out the ai ... read more

Your tires are a big investment, and while it’s easy to just take them for granted, you want them to last through their entire warranty phase (at least). Here are some tips on how to get the most life out of a set of tires: Tire rotations: No vehicle has 50/50 weight distribution from front to rear, and front tires see a different set of stresses from braking and cornering. Rotating your tires at a 5,000-mile interval ensures even wear and good drivability and handling. Proper inflation: Underinflated tires are bad news! They’ll wear unevenly due to their altered footprint, they’ll cost you money in terms of higher rolling resistance and poor fuel economy, and the stress from overheating can lead to premature tire failure. Check your inflation levels at least once a month, using a good quality tire gauge. Wheel alignment: Think about someone who walks with one foot skewed out to the side. That shoe will wear unevenly, usually at the heel, and that’s not unlik ... read more

So you got a new set of wheels – congratulations! You’re going to want to hang onto it as long as possible, so you’ll want to keep it maintained as well as you can. Here are some suggestions: First, read the owner’s manual carefully and stick to manufacturer’s recommendations for service intervals. There are certain things that are critical enough that failure to adhere to recommendations can void a new car warranty. Don’t let that happen! For instance, just about every manufacturer recommends synthetic oil for their engines; it provides better protection in just about every respect, and it’s more stable at high and low temperatures. If your owner’s manual prescribes a 10,000-mile oil change, stick with that and be sure to use the brand and grade of motor oil called for in the manual. Apply a good coat of wax to your vehicle, and another one on top of that. A properly waxed vehicle does more than just look good, it helps repel grit and ... read more

So you’re in need of a set of tires for your truck? No problem! The question is, though, what kind of tires are going to be best? First, you’ll need to think about what you use that truck for. Will you regularly be hauling heavy loads or pulling a trailer? Do you expect to keep it on the pavement for the most part, or will you occasionally go off-road? If you go off-road, will it be on soft dirt or will you be plowing through brush, mud, and rocks? And finally…what’s your budget? If you’re wanting to keep it on the pavement most of the time and your truck is a daily driver for errands, school, soccer, and grocery runs, all-season tires are probably the right choice. All-season light truck tires can rival the best passenger tires when it comes to noise level, handling, ride quality and road manners while offering good, reliable traction on wet or dry pavement. All-terrain tires feature a more aggressive tread pattern than all-season tires and are capabl ... read more

In the old days, a tune-up was necessary about every 35,000 miles. It would usually consist of setting the ignition timing, replacing the mechanical breaker points in the ignition, cleaning and adjusting the carburetor and replacing the plug wires and spark plugs. Today, of course, the carburetor’s job is done by fuel injection and the ignition timing and spark are controlled by the engine computer. Few vehicles still have plug wires anymore either, as the distributor was replaced by the computer and a coil-on-plug design which delivers a spark at each spark plug. But what about the spark plugs themselves, though? How often do they need to be replaced now? Manufacturers tout an 80k-100k mile service interval on spark plugs now, thanks in part to improvements in plug design and materials. That might be stretching it, however. Remember that if you have a 100,000-mile spark plug, its electrode is worn down 4/5 of the way at 80,000 miles. A worn electrode means a wider spark plug g ... read more