Boulder Auto Repair

In our auto video today we’ll be talking with Alan Peterson about myths surrounding automotive maintenance. You can lump these myths into the statement that “modern cars are so reliable, they are virtually maintenance free”. Any good myth has some elements of truth. No offense to Boulder Bigfoot fans, but this maintenance-free myth has more evidence than most. If we look at some isolated areas of auto maintenance, we could conclude that maintenance isn’t so important. But other areas would just as easily lead you to believe that maintenance is more important than ever. Here are some examples for our friends in Boulder.-Chalk one up for the myth. On the other side, some vehicles come with sophisticated variable valve timing. A lot of complicated parts up in the valve train that didn’t even exist not that many years ago. These parts are very vulnerable to oil sludge.-A point to maintenance.-Myth gets a point ... read more

One topic that hits the news in Boulder on a regular basis is the price of gas. The answer for some CO auto owners is to buy a vehicle that gets better fuel efficiency. For those of us who don’t want to add a car payment to our monthly expenses, we need to improve our fuel economy any way we can. Following recommended service intervals by coming into John’s Auto Care is one of the best ways Boulder car owners can keep their truck running efficiently. That means better gas mileage. When you give it some thought, it only makes sense. Dirty oil or transmission fluid can’t lubricate or clean. That means more drag which reduces fuel economy. Keeping up with scheduled oil changes and transmission services will save gas. Dirty engine air filters are another efficiency pirate. They rob your family car engine of enough air to effectively burn the fuel, so you need more gas to get the job done ... read more

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