May 15, 2012

Get The Right Tires And Wheels At Carworks of Longmont

Filed under: Tires — carworkso236 @ 8:13 pm

Get The Right Tires And Wheels At Carworks of Longmont

A lot of Erie drivers get custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes, once they’re mounted, they just didn’t fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don’t want that.

Consulting a tire professional at Carworks of Longmont can ensure you get the right fit. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs in Erie and what you want in your new wheels.

At Carworks of Longmont, we advise Erie tire buyers that not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub.

If you don’t want to make any modifications to your minivan, you need to focus on the wheels that fit. With trucks, some Erie people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most Erie people don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s, like the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The minivan’s computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong speed. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your minivan’s engine control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. For information on reprogramming the engine computer, call us at 303.776.1888.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in Erie. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your Carworks of Longmont tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs.

At Carworks of Longmont in Longmont CO (80501) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.776.1888. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 10, 2012

Deciphering The Menu Board At Berthoud Service Centers : Part 2

Filed under: Diagnostics — carworkso236 @ 9:25 pm

Deciphering The Menu Board At Berthoud Service Centers : Part 2

Berthoud auto service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Berthoud auto owners may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.

Carworks of Longmont fuel system cleaning: Over time, the minivan fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.

Carworks of Longmont headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It’s usually good to change them every year or so.

Inspections: Berthoud drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they’re leaving Berthoud and going on a trip or just want to make sure their minivan’s ready for summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used car in Berthoud and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or are getting close to having a problem.

Carworks of Longmont oil change – there are several options: Some Berthoud centers offer just an oil change and new filter as an option. Most will also check and top off all of your other fluids and do a quick visual inspection with a full service oil change. In my way of thinking, the full service option is best because it makes sure you have adequate fluids in your minivan and may uncover an emerging problem. There may also be options for higher mileage fluids or an upgrade to synthetic oil.

Carworks of Longmont PCV valve service: PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It’s a little part that releases pressure from the engine. It can get gummed up and that can lead to engine damage. Just needs to be changed now and then.

Carworks of Longmont power steering service: Often overlooked. The Berthoud auto technician will evacuate the old fluid, clean out the system and replace it with clean fluid. Keeps the system running well for a long time.

Serpentine belt: That’s the belt that powers the minivan’s engine’s accessories like the alternator, air conditioner, power steering and brakes. You’ll want to replace the serpentine belt before it breaks, because that’ll shut you down.

Shocks and struts: This starts with an inspection of the suspension components in your minivan. Shocks last a long time and wear out slowly, so many Berthoud people don’t notice when it’s time to change them. If they’re worn or leaking, they need to be replaced.

Berthoud transmission service: This involves removing the transmission fluid and replacing it with clean fluid. It’s like an oil change for your transmission.

Tire rotation and wheel balancing: The minivan tires are rotated from front to back using the recommended rotation pattern. This helps tires wear more evenly. Wheels need to be balanced from time to time to keep them turning without any wobble or bounce. Helps the ride and saves tire wear for Berthoud car owners.

At Carworks of Longmont in Longmont CO (80501) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.776.1888. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 1, 2012

Battery Replacement In Longmont

Filed under: Battery — carworkso236 @ 8:34 pm

Battery Replacement In Longmont

Car batteries wear out just like any other battery and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things Longmont minivan owners should know when looking for a new car 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 minivan engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live around Longmont, 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 minivan engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with. The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient in the cold.

So the colder it gets in Longmont, more power is needed, but the available power drops.

If you live where it’s cold, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it’s moderate or hot. You should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as the manufacturer recommends, but may want to upgrade at Carworks of Longmont if you live where it gets real cold.

An important note: Batteries may also list the Cranking Amps – CA – number. It is the Cold Cranking Amps – or CCA – that is the important number here. CCA is the number to use in your comparisons.

Now with all this talk of cold temperatures in Longmont, it’s important to note that heat is the real enemy of long battery life. In other words, the damage that’s done over the hot summer months in Longmont shows up with the increased demands on the minivan battery when the weather turns cold.

Now on to reserve capacity: It’s a measurement of the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has at a given load. The number is more important these days because of parasitic drain. Parasitic drain is the battery energy that’s used when the key is off. So the power drawn by the minivan security system, the remote start system, even the power the minivan computers require to maintain their memory.

Reserves are also needed when you make very short trips around Longmont. You’re not driving long enough for the battery to recover the energy it used to start the minivan engine.

So go with the minimum recommended by your manufacturer and upgrade if you need more. Talk with your personable Carworks of Longmont service advisor about options. If you need more from your battery, a larger capacity battery may be called for.

Batteries are a big ticket item for most Longmont motorists, so the warranty gives peace of mind. Be sure to ask about the car battery warranty at Carworks of Longmont so you know what you’re getting. At Carworks of Longmont, we have been providing quality auto service in Longmont for 2 years.

Give us a call

Carworks of Longmont
1406 Coffman Street
Longmont, CO 80501

At Carworks of Longmont in Longmont CO (80501) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.776.1888. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 27, 2012

Viva la Differential At Carworks of Longmont

Filed under: Differential Service — carworkso236 @ 7:51 pm

Viva la Differential At Carworks of Longmont

With front-wheel drive being so common in Longmont these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Longmont folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive minivan differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for CO people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many minivan differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and Carworks of Longmont technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Carworks of Longmont service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Longmont four wheel drive minivans need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at Carworks of Longmont at different intervals.

Your Longmont service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your minivan owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Carworks of Longmont
303.776.1888
1406 Coffman Street
Longmont, CO 80501

At Carworks of Longmont in Longmont CO (80501) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.776.1888. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 20, 2012

Why Is My Check Engine Light On? Carworks of Longmont Has Answers

Filed under: Check Engine Light — carworkso236 @ 9:22 pm

Why Is My Check Engine Light On Carworks of Longmont Has Answers

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some Longmont drivers and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us in CO.

First, if your minivan check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. Get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at Longmont highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to Carworks of Longmont in Longmont.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn’t go off, schedule an appointment with your Longmont service advisor to get it checked out.

Some more information from Carworks of Longmont on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative. Most of your minivan engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive in Longmont.

In order to make these adjustments, the minivan computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range the computer runs some tests and may turn on the Check Engine Light.

The minivan computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it’ll then turn off the Check Engine Light.

If the problem can’t be resolved then the light will remain on and you should get your minivan looked at at Carworks of Longmont. Your personable service technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give your Carworks of Longmont technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

At Carworks of Longmont, we also offer brake service and tire rotation.

Give us a call

Carworks of Longmont
303.776.1888
1406 Coffman Street
Longmont, CO 80501

At Carworks of Longmont in Longmont CO (80501) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.776.1888. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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