Margate City Auto Repair

Thermostat: What is it? Every car has a thermostat. The thermostat in you car regulates the engine coolant temperature to cool off your engine. Thermostats don’t have an average lifespan. So there is no real recommended time to replace them. That is why it is important to get your check engine light read as soon as you can when it pops up or know what to do if it suddenly goes bad. How does it work? As the car heats up to 200 degrees, the thermostat opens (heat causes things to expand) and opens to allow circulation of the coolant thru the coolant system (which is a series of pipes that are housed around/ thru the engine) when the engine cools down enough (cold causes things to contract) it closes. When the thermostat goes bad it gets stuck, or doesn’t open which causes your car to overheat, or if it gets stuck in the open position it causes the car to be too cool which causes bad emissions, and bad efficiency, and accelerates wear. What are signs I need to get mine fixed ... read more

Overheating What does it mean when your car is overheating? Ruh roh, your gauge is climbing to the dreaded red H. What is causing it and what can you do to fix it before it destroys your engine or causes some very expensive bill? Cars start to over heat as they reach 250 degrees. (Cars usually run at 195-220 degrees. Just to give you an idea.) Now keep in mind that the boiling point for your coolant is 250–260 degrees. Not much wiggle room, is there? Why is it important? Cooling your engine is very important. As it is with most machines, like your computer, keeping things cool as they do their job keeps every thing from breaking down due to heat and friction. Here are some things that happen to your car as the temperature climbs. Lowers your fuel combustion efficiency Causes corrosion Starts to heat and warp the metal in and around your engine. Causes the viscosity of the liquid in your engine to change to gunk (oil, Co ... read more

So, your precious babyies are off to college! You want to make sure they’re prepared and safe. You have their dorm room supplies, class schedules, and you have all the emergency numbers tattooed to their arm. (ok, so maybe not tattooed). Have you checked on their car? Teenagers are notorious for letting car problems slide until the last minute. So, is their car up to scratch? Let’s see. ENGINE- Does the car have any check engine lights on? FUNCTION-Does everything work properly? (AC, Radio, Seat belts, turn signals?) WIPER BLADES-Do the wiper blades wipe away the rain? LIGHTS-Headlights, Brake lights, cabin lights, running lights? All glowing brightly? EMERGENCY CAR KIT-Do they have jumper cables and an emergency kit? BASIC CAR CARE-Do they have the know how to change a car tire? Can they read tire pressure? Can they execute basic car care? FLUIDS ... read more

Air Filters Cars can have one or two air filters. One is for your engine and new models have one for your breathing air. Your cabin air filter is located usually behind your dash on the passenger side of the car. Your air filter for your engine is located at the top of your engine in its own housing. Why do air filters matter to you? Air filters prevent debris from getting into your engine and damaging it. It also helps your car to run. Cars work on a combustion system. You need a spark and you need oxygen. Having clean filters also increases fuel economy. Cabin air filters protect the breathing air from pollen and dirt. Signs something is wrong: You’ve notice a drop-in fuel efficacy Your car sounds funny Your car has a check engine light Reduction of horsepower Your car is misfiring Smell of gasoline Black smoke and/or flames coming out of the exhaust Below are examples of clean and dirty engine air filters

So, you’ve been with your car a little over a year now. Your mind is beginning to wonder about what’s in store for you down the road. Your thinking about what could go wrong, and if you’re going to make it thru the rough times ahead. If you are anything like me you’re going to want to know what to expect. Usually if you do your routine maintenance you shouldn't have many problems (aside from a flat tire here and there, that darn nail!) Important flushes: Brake fluid Flush- 30k or every 2 years Coolant Flush- 30k or every 5 years Transmission Flush= CVT every 2 years (type of fluid) or 15 k for Honda and Acura Power steering Flush- 75-100k Rear differential- 30k-60k Induction Cleaning- 30k (15k with a lot of city driving) Important parts replacements: Timing Belts-60k-105k Shocks-4-5 years Water pump- 100k if you have a good one, a cheap one can go at 30k, also should be changed with timing belt if its driven by timing belt ... read more

Hello my friends! I'm taking a break from my love story to help you help keep our furry friends safe during our loud, proud holiday. While we can get caught up in our celebrations (and since we now can legally purchase fireworks in NJ) I would like to remind everyone that our dog friends are usually pretty scared of the big bangs that fireworks produce. Dogs tend to react the same way humans do when scared, fight or flight. So while some dogs may bark back and think they can take on that loud noise a mono y a mono, others may try with desperation to get away. Try to keep your dogs inside tomorrow in the nice air conditioning. If they need to go out try to supervise them, because if someone sets off a firework they will Loony Toons their way out of the back yard and run like the road runner. *Meep meep* With everyone traveling tomorrow, this can get ugly. The last thing you want to do tomorrow is chase your fur baby down hot streets trying to wrangle them to come home. Its usuall ... read more

So, you’ve found your mechanic. That is wonderful news. Congrats! I’m so happy for you both. As happy as you guys are, do you find your conversations beginning to lag? Why don’t you ask him about regular maintenance that your cars going to need? My mechanic calls these 3k, 6k, 9k and yearly maintence. (I did warn you that its going be 4-ish times a year.) I like to call them my seasonal visits. If you would rather get a break down from me, well buckle up honey. You’re in for a ride. The first one that’s due is fondly called the 3K maintenance. Now this ideally should be your 1st date with your mechanic unless you had him peak at your car before you bought it. Why is it called a 3K you ask? That would be because this visit should be scheduled right around 3,000 miles traveled in your car. This one varies depending on what oil you use in your car. Conventional or synthetic. If you run on conventional you’re going to need an oil change. Run on syntheti ... read more

So, your car is making weird noises. Yikes! Now its time to find a mechanic. Going to the mechanic can be right up there with going to the dentist or the doctor. Yet it must be done. Even worse than going is not going. Picture it if you will… you’re driving down the Garden State Parkway and to your horror on top of the noise there’s now a rumbling and some shaking, and its not from you wiggling and moving to the beat. So, you pull off to the side of highway that cars travel down at high speed. Terrified of going on you call a towing company, but they are at least 3 hours out and you’re late for work. This usually ranks as a bad day. The best way to avoid bad days caused by car troubles? Have your car looked at each season. The price and the headaches are way less if you just bite the bullet and go, like the dentist. Now how do you find a mechanic that you want to see four-ish times a year? I’m Lucky enough to have found my shop. So, I’ll give ... read more

We ask you for your e-mail address and cell number because this allows us to contact you quickly during the day. We understand that answering the phone at work can cause problems, but if we have your cell phone number we can send a text with an update on your vehicle, your preventive maintenance inspection and alert you to any issues or concerns. We can then schedule a phone call at your convenience to go over the recommended work and answer any questions. We are then able to send you estimates for any recommended work to your e-mail for you to review and approve or decline work. Also we send out special offers thru e-mail that are only available for a short time. As always you can choose to decline these methods of contact and we can always call you. It is always our hope to be transparent and clear with our communication - so whatever works best for you is how we will communicate

Why do some shops recommed a timing belt and a waterpump not just a timing belt? Depending upon the vehicle if the timing belt drives the waterpump we recommend replacing the timing belt, waterpump and the tensioners all at the same time. This also includes flushing the coolant system if called for... Yes we can just change the belt but all of those components have been in the vehicle the same length of time. This increases the cost, some labor not usually alot and the cost of the additional parts. I really don't want to tell a client that we saved you money but now the water pump is leaking and we need to remove everything again in several months. Ouch. We base our recommendations on experience so that you the client gets the best value for your time and money