Author: Big Oak Citgo

All You Need to Know About Antilock Brakes

You have to drive in a snowstorm, or maybe on a rain-slick highway. The car in front of you suddenly slows down. What do you do? If your car is equipped with antilock brakes, the answer is simple—just step on the brake and steer away from danger!

 

Originally conceived in 1929, antilock braking systems are now available on just about every new car sold. In fact, the National Transit Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that they be required on all new cars and trucks, possibly as soon as the 2018 model year.  

 

Our Yardley, PA auto mechanic shop is equipped to handle all of your braking system maintenance and repair. Read on to learn more.

 

What Are Antilock Brakes?

 

Antilock brakes consist of a computer-controlled system that takes over braking in the event of wheel skid. They work by rapidly pulsing the brake at each individual wheel, preventing wheel skid.

 

Major components include wheel speed sensors, a hydraulic pump and valve system, and a controller to make braking decisions.  

 

The system uses a yellow warning light on the dashboard, often in the shape of a tire tread with a wavy line under it. When you start your, car the system runs a self-test, and if that’s successful, the yellow warning light goes out and you can expect the system to function normally.

 

Why Do I Need Them?

 

Because they make driving safer. Say you’re heading down the highway at 65 MPH on a rainy day. You’re chugging along, and all of a sudden there’s an accident just ahead. You have to slam the brakes hard so you don’t rear end the cars in front of you and cause a pile up. Without an ABS system, your brakes could easily lock, causing your car to skid uncontrollably. Talk about a dangerous situation…

 

Other Things to Know About Driving an ABS-Equipped Vehicle

 

  • Go out and practice! Find an empty parking lot and try to skid, you’ll find that it’s impossible!
  • The system only works if you are pressing the brake pedal hard enough to cause the wheels to skid. Go ahead, jam on the brakes, use steady pressure, don’t pump.
  • When the system is activated you will feel a vibration in the brake pedal and you may hear a buzzing noise. This is the system working, and completely normal.
  • In most cases the, antilock system becomes operational when the car reaches 10 MPH.
  • When the yellow dash light remains illuminated, your antilock system is not functioning and requires service; perhaps it’s time to take it to a great repair shop like Big Oak Citgo in Yardley, PA…

Overall, if your car is equipped with ABS, they’ll only help keep you safer, provided you use them appropriately. However, it’s important to make sure that they’re in working order. To have your brakes repaired or inspected, please schedule an appointment by touching base with our Yardley, PA car repair shop. See you soon!

Is it Time to Replace That Timing Belt?

Your vehicle’s engine is a complicated machine with a lot of moving parts—we all know that. But, the other thing to consider is that those moving parts have to be in sync with one another. If they aren’t, it’s a sure bet that catastrophic and often unfixable damages will occur.

 

That’s where your timing belt comes in. They’re relatively simple, yet crucial components of engines, so it’s important to make sure they’re always working properly. Chances are, if you aren’t proactive, yours will break at least once during your vehicle’s lifespan.

 

As the premier car repair shop serving Yardley, PA, we cover timing belt replacements on a  regular basis. If your car is somewhere in the 60,000 to 100,000 mile range, it’s time to check your maintenance schedule for timing belt change intervals. Until then, read on to learn more about what they are and why they’re important.

 

What’s a TIming Belt and Why Is it Important?

 

Your timing belt—unsurprisingly—is a rubber belt that runs between the engine’s camshaft and crankshaft. Its job is to drive the camshafts, and sometimes water pumps and other belt-driven accessories from the crankshaft. In today’s engines tolerances are extremely close. A timing belt that skips one tooth, about ¼ of an inch, is enough to cause the valve to crash into the piston, often with catastrophic results.

 

What Does the Replacement Process Look Like?

 

Timing belt replacement is dependent on your vehicle make and model, but in general requires removal of the serpentine belts, timing belt cover and often engine mounts to gain access. If the water pump is timing belt driven it should be replaced along with the belt. In some applications, a belt tensioner and cam seals are replaced as well.     

 

How Much Do They Cost

 

Like with any repair or replacement work, there is no universal fixed timing belt rate. As always, we encourage you to bring your car in for an evaluation, and if we think you need a new belt, we’ll give you an estimate before starting any work.

 

Timing belts are not as cheap as, say, getting your tires rotated, or your oil changed. Conversely, if you fail to replace your timing belt, and it breaks and damages your engine, the ensuing repairs will be much more costly than if you had replaced it preventatively in the first place.

 

Price depends heavily on your vehicle’s year, make and model, and whether a new water pump will be necessary, but jobs usually fall in the $300 to $600 range.

 

Signs That Indicate a Replacement Is Necessary

 

Like many maintenance items, timing belts will continue to operate perfectly right up until they fail. That means you get no warning. It’s rare for a timing belt to make noise, or give any indication of pending failure. The labor to visually inspect a timing belt is often nearly the same as replacing it. No manufacturer recommends inspecting the timing belt, but all require timing belt replacement at specific mileage, usually between 60,000 and 100,000 miles.

 

If it’s time for a timing belt replacement, we encourage you to bring your car to Big Oak. As your trusty auto mechanic shop serving Morrisville, PA, you can count on us to get the job done right at the best prices around!

How to Get the Most Life Out of Your Tires

Step 1. Stop doing donuts in the parking lot every day when you’re leaving work. We see you.

 

In all seriousness, it’s important to take care of your tires. While they’ll never last a lifetime, with the right love and care, a new set of wheels will survive and thrive for more than a couple of years. By following a few simple steps (or spins, so to speak), you can optimize on lifespan, save money and most importantly, keep your vehicle all the safer while you’re operating it.

 

After you stop by our auto mechanic shop that serves Fallsington, PA, Yardley and nearby areas, follow these steps to lengthen the life of your tires!

 

Tire Pressure Matters

Driving a vehicle with the correct amount of tire pressure is just as crucial for maintaining safety as it is for optimizing gas mileage. By not maintaining the proper psi (pounds per square inch), your braking and handling could become out of sync, which can affect your overall safety. Luckily, ensuring the right tire pressure is easy! Many people will probably tell you to consult the tire itself, but we recommend consulting your owner’s manual to find out the best psi at which to keep your vehicle’s tires (because the tires themselves list maximum numbers, not necessarily ideal medians).  Furthermore, many gas station air pumps have digital psi displays now, so you don’t even need a manual device!

 

Get them Rotated

If you’re thinking, “I rotate my tires every time I drive the car!” you’re considering a different kind of rotation. We’re referring to switching the placement of those tires around. As you use your vehicle, its tires will not wear evenly. So if you leave them in their same spots for a long time, some of the tires will wear down completely before the others even come close. By switching placement, you’re simply allowing them to wear down at a more even rate—which gives them a longer overall life!

 

Alignment Is Everything

Properly aligned axles are also crucial to your tires’ lives. If they’re unaligned, you’ll probably notice that the ride starts to get especially bumpy around 60 MPH. If that’s happening, bring your car to us ASAP, because they could blow out at any time. Unaligned axles cause the sides of your tires facing into your car to wear down very quickly, and that will reduce their lifespans by thousands of miles.

 

Come in for Mileage-Based Maintenance

When you come to us for mileage-based maintenance, we’ll take a look at your tires to make sure they’re in good shape.

 

These things should help you get the most out of your tires. They’re not the cheapest things to replace, but as long as you take good care of them, your tires will last for thousands of miles. Give us a call today if you want to learn more about how we can help you!

 

Are you looking for a PA auto inspection in Morrisville? We’ll take care of yours!

Mileage-Based Maintenance: Is it Necessary?

Even though your teeth don’t hurt, you go to the dentist every six months. And although your body feels like it’s functioning properly, you go to your physician once a year for a checkup. Why? Because even if you don’t think you’re sick, issues could be quietly hiding, so it’s smart to consult a professional who can discern any potential impending problems, giving you peace of mind.

 

The same ideology should be applied to your vehicle.

 

Thus, a question we regularly hear is, “Do I need to take my car in for mileage-based maintenance, and if so, how often?” The answer to the first part of that question is a definite “yes!” But as for the “how often?” part, well, that depends on a few factors.

 

Whether you need a wheel alignment in Yardley, PA, a tire repair, or a more extensive task completed, you can count on us to get the job done right at an affordable price.

 

Picture this: You just finished what felt like the longest work week of your life. Glad that’s over, right? To unwind, you decide to take a trip down the shore for a relaxing day at the beach. You get in your car, and soon enough all your work woes will be far behind as you bask in the sun while sipping gin and tonics. You make it 40 minutes down the turnpike and all of a sudden your car starts smoking and dashboard lights you haven’t seen before begin to flash violently like strobe lights. It’s official—your car broke down. No shore for you.

 

Let’s go over some information about mileage-based maintenance, so operating your vehicle can always be a day at the beach:

 

Why it’s Smart

In the old days your car would start to act up and you knew it was time to bring it to your trusty mechanic. Those days are gone. In today’s high tech world, your car will often continue to run perfectly right up to the point when it breaks down and suddenly needs expensive repairs.  Here’s why; computers control all aspects of vehicle operation allowing adaptive strategies in the event of component failure. The computer will adapt to the deteriorating condition of your car’s maintenance items (like its filters and spark plugs) until it no longer can. That’s when the car stops!

 

How Often Should You Take it in?

It’s best to follow the mileage-based maintenance schedule recommended by the manufacturer. This can be found in your owner’s manual, or we’ll be happy to print you a copy. It details mileage and time requirements for each service. If you’re not sure what’s been done, we can take a look and advise as to how to bring your maintenance up to date.

 

What Will We Do?

Maintenance items are specific to the manufacturer, but generally minor services include oil and filter changes, tire rotations and various inspection items such as checking brakes, hoses, belts and other similar things.

 

Major services may include things like spark plugs, timing belts, filters and fluid changes, as well as other vehicle-specific services.

 

How Much Will It Cost?

  • Minor services rarely cost more than $100.00, although there are exceptions!
  • Major services can range up to $1,000.00 or even more, but usually are under $500.00.
  • Of course, we’ll let you know exactly how much your maintenance will cost before we start.

 

All in all, if you’ve never taken your car in for mileage-based maintenance, it’ll be in your best interest to give us a call. Once you bring the vehicle in, we’ll be able to take a good look and discern what it needs, and answer these questions more thoroughly. We look forward to seeing you soon!

 

Did you know we also in auto detailing in Morrisville, PA? Get in touch to find out more.

Don’t Let the Dealer Fix Your 4-Wheeler

When it comes to buying a car, sure, the dealership is going to be a WAY better and far more reputable bet than going down to a used car lot. Go ahead, and buy your car from the dealer, but then remember these three words. Repeat them as many times as you need to:

 

Stop right there.

 

The dealership is going to try to convince you why it’s “imperative” that you take the new car to them for maintenance whenever the need arises, but the plain hard fact of the matter is, that’s not true. They’ll cost a lot more, likely will take longer, be less personable than your regular trusty mechanic, and most importantly, they won’t do a better job than anyone else.

 

Sure, there’s that stigma that trustworthy mechanics can be few and far between, but as we delve further into the age of computers—internet virality, Yelp reviews, Google Maps ratings, etc.—any private shop owner trying to run a successful business would be remiss not to emphasize honesty and customer service these days.

 

Here are a few reasons why you’re better off bringing your beloved bundle of steel down to a place like Big Oak Citgo:

 

Familiar Faces

Dealerships have enormously high turnover rates among their mechanics, so you won’t get a guy or girl there who really gets to know your car. Conversely, local shops seem to keep the same 4 or 5 employees around for years and years. Think of coming to a place like ours as like the barber for your car. Find one you like, and the more you stick with him, the better they get to know.

 

Price

This one is plain and simple. Dealerships are notoriously expensive. Expect to pay 20 percent more than what we’ll charge you, for identical parts and labor.

 

Breadth

Dealership mechanics know a lot about one kind of car. Local mechanics know a lot about many kinds of cars. Having an extensive wealth of knowledge when it comes to cars allows one to be a better overall mechanic, because he or she can be a better critical thinker. You know, like a become the car young grasshopper type of thing.

 

All in all, the dealership is going to be more expensive and less personable. Sounds like they have their priorities flipped upside down to us. Get in touch today to learn more about how Big Oak Citgo can help your car!

The Benefits of Having Your Car or Truck Regularly Maintained by Your Yardley ASE Master Certified Automotive Technicians

In our previous article, we were exploring the benefits of having your car or truck regularly maintained by your Yardley ASE Master Certified Automotive Technicians. In order to keep your car or truck running at peak efficiency and extend the life of your automobile, several maintenance measures need to take place on a regular basis. Here is a detailed list.

Oil and Filter Change

Regular oil changes are one of the most common maintenance requirements for the performance of your car or truck. Regular oil and filter changes are critical to the life of your engine. While the oil in your vehicle lubricates and reduces wear and friction, it also carries heat away from critical areas and helps engines run cooler. Regular oil changes also help combat corrosion and rust and reduces engine noise. Changing your oil and filter has proven to be key in a long and trouble-free engine life.

Brakes

It is fairly obvious that having properly functioning brakes are essential in ensuring your safety. Newer cars have many improved features in regards to braking systems, but they should still undergo regular maintenance checks to avoid failures that could be costly and dangerous. If you notice operational issues with your brakes, seek our help as soon as possible.

Tires

Here is something you rarely think about while driving to work, the entire weight of your car or truck is resting on your tires. Therefore, your tires play a vital role in the overall performance of your vehicle. By having regular tire checks, we can look for faulty issues including underinflated tires, overinflated tires, and uneven wear. Part of tire maintenance includes tire rotation, which leads to longer lasting tires and increased safety.

Regular auto maintenance is important and should not be overlooked. Give us a call and schedule an appointment today.

 

 

Reasons to Have Your Vehicle Serviced on a Regular Basis at Big Oak Citgo, Your Yardley Auto Repair Shop

There is nothing more frustrating than encountering an issue with your car or truck or having it break down at the worst possible time. When you think about it, there is really never a good time or place to have a breakdown. But this doesn’t have to be the case. There are ways you can improve the odds of not suffering an auto breakdown and that is to have your vehicle serviced on a regular basis at Big Oak Citgo, your Yardley auto repair shop.

When you purchase a new or even a used car, it is a costly investment that requires care and scheduled visits to your auto mechanic as a way to protect your assets. After all, you will want to do what you can to avoid expensive repairs and the frustrations of breakdowns. Regular car maintenance will also increase the life of your vehicle, which will also save you money in the long run.

You might be on a tight budget and hesitate at the idea of scheduling a maintenance appointment. But consider that a poorly maintained vehicle will cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in repairs when something does go wrong, something that could have been prevented with routine maintenance. The Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association discovered that Americans spend about $62 billion annually on repairs for vehicles with underperformed maintenance. It would be a shame to be part of that statistic.

In order to keep your car or truck performing at peak efficiency and extend the life of it, there are several maintenance measures you need to take including oil and filter changes, tire checks, brake checks and more.

Check back and we will get into detail why each of these maintenance measures is critical for peak performance of your car.