Boulder Auto Repair

Today’s John’s Auto Care auto maintenance article focuses on your serpentine belt. Your serpentine belt is a long belt that’s driven by your engine. It winds around several accessories that power important automotive systems. Let’s go over them. First, the serpentine belt drives your family car air conditioning system. It spins the compressor that makes the cool air that takes the edge off the summer heat in Eldorado Springs. Next, the belt powers the alternator. The alternator creates electricity that’s used by your family car’s electrical systems and also charges your car battery. All Eldorado Springs drivers know that without the alternator, the battery will go dead in a few miles. The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering and power brakes. And, on many f ... read more

It’s important for Boulder drivers to know battery basics. First, let’s talk about which is harder on a battery – hot or cold CO weather. Most Eldorado Springs drivers think it’s cold weather because that’s when we call on our batteries to have enough power to start a cold family car engine.However, heat does more damage to a battery than cold. Truth is, our batteries start to die a little from day one. Keeping a full charge slows the process, which is hard with short Boulder trips because the alternator doesn’t have time to fully recharge the battery from starting the engine. Boulder drivers can top off the charge with a computer controlled battery charger – say, once a month in the summer and every three months during the winter. As far as how long a battery will last, statistics show that 70% have given up the ghost within four years. By ... read more

Don’t you hate it when you hear that squeal from under the hood when you’re zipping down a busy Eldorado Springs freeway? It usually means there is a problem with the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine accessories. It runs the alternator – which charges the battery; the water pump – which cools the engine; the air conditioning and the power steering pump. All pretty important parts. It is called a serpentine belt because it snakes around a bunch of engine components.Serpentine belts are amazingly tough. They can last for years and go for tens of thousands of miles. Like all moving parts, however, they eventually wear out. If your belt breaks while you are driving, everything will come to a halt within minutes. You need to stop the car immediately or it will overheat, potentially causing major engine damage. You can be sure that it won’t happen at a convenient time or place. (As if t ... read more

When your car breaks down in the Boulder CO area, or just needs some routine service, it can make you a little nervous. Because your car’s so important to your life, you need to be back on the road as soon as possible. And, with the problem fixed right the first time. We’ve been checking into some of the training our Boulder CO technicians receive, and we’re very impressed. It’s amazing how much knowledge and skill goes into diagnosing and repairing a modern car. So it’s not like when your uncle worked on his hot rod over weekend. Today there are four cylinder engines that make more power than the V-8’s in luxury cars 20 years ago. A new V-6 Toyota Camry could beat Sonny Crocket’s Ferrari in a race to 60 mph. Our engines are more and more powerful and at the same time their fuel economy keeps inching up. And they’re so reliable. This is all due to engineering. But the adva ... read more

Most Eldorado Springs car owners have experienced a flat tire. You know it’s inconvenient and a pain. Our tires are important. Keeping them in good working order isn’t just a big safety issue – it also has a financial impact. With high gas prices, we’ve all heard about the importance of keeping proper tire pressure to get the best possible fuel economy. In addition, proper inflation promotes even tread wear so your tires last longer. There’s another danger to under-inflated tires. Low tire pressure puts added stress on the structure of the tire itself, causing it to break down prematurely. Also, under-inflated tires generate more heat which also reduces tire life. So get those slow leaks fixed quickly – don’t just keep airing them up every few days. You want to avoid serious tire damage. Tires can also be damaged by road hazards in and around Boulder. Punctures, cuts and unfortunate encounters with curbs or potholes can also cause damage that ... read more