Margate City Auto Repair

Rotors   What are they? Rotors, with assistance from the brake pads and calipers, cause your car to slow down and/or stop. They are the circular metal part that the brake pads rub against to cause the wheels to stop spinning. They are as important as brake pads for stopping.   Why do they go bad? Heat isn’t a friend of metal parts. Heat from friction can cause warping and wear. For those of you that remember LP records, think of records that were left in the sun.   Signs you need new rotors. Squeaking, rough stopping, vibrating when slowing, When your rotors go bad you will hear it and feel it. Make it over to your mechanic as soon as possible.   Helpful Info Rotors should be replaced every 30-70 thousand miles. And when you change the rotors you should change your brake pads too. Since the rotors and brake pads rub together the brake pads are ‘mated&rsquo ... read more

TPMS Tire Pressure Monitoring System What is it? TPMS is a monitoring system that lets the driver know if they have a flat tire or if the tires are low on air. There are 2 types of TPMS. Direct TPMS- more expensive, more accurate, doesn’t have to be reset after filling the tire or replacing tires. Battery tends to last a decade. Once the battery goes they need to be replaced, about every 10 years. Indirect TPMS- counts rotation of tire against the other tires. Under-inflated tires need to rotate more to keep up. Does not use a pressure sensor. Has to be reset after filling tires. Not as accurate. Making a comeback as technology improves. If ALL tires are under inflated by the same amount the TPMS alert won’t be triggered. TPMS came about in the 1980s in European luxury cars and became mandatory in the United States in 2009 for light passenger cars. The thought was that it would decrease the amount of accidents due to poor tire care and pressure. All cars 2007 or newer ... read more

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