Margate City Auto Repair

A brief introduction to Car Coolant: This picture shows the worse consistency your coolant can have. Coolant fluid should flow like water. Coolant keeps your car operating at the temperature it needs to be at. Under the hood, it keeps your car from overheating and causing serious damage, like destroying the engine or causing leaks that can damage other systems. In the cabin where you spend most of the time, it affects your air conditioning and heating system.   What and Where is the coolant system? The coolant system works to keep your engine from overheating. It absorbs the heat and pushes the now-hot coolant toward the radiator where it is cooled. Major parts of the coolant system include the coolant reservoir, water pump, radiator, thermostat, hoses, and cylinder head in the engine. The Coolant system is in the front end of your car and around your engine block.   What can go wrong if you do not change your coolant or if the ... read more

Kinds of key fobs There are quite a few types of key fobs in the market today. The most common today is the switchblade or flip-style key fob, this one gives you the ability to hide the key when it is not in use. Key fobs range from aftermarket fobs to key fobs to ones that link directly to the Vin of your car, to the keyless fob. Key Fobs are getting more technologically advanced as time goes on. Some have remote start; some can summon your car and even park it! How often do the batteries need to be changed? For most key fobs the batteries last 3-4 years. Sometimes key fobs die without warning but usually, they start with not locking or unlocking the car with a single push of the button and build to it taking multiple tries to open or lock your car. Depending on the type of key fob you have you may be able to change the battery on your own with the battery size for your fob and a small screwdriver and the help of YouTube. If that sounds tedious t ... read more

It is important to check the fluids under your hood regularly. Sometimes it can be confusing under there and it is important to get the fluids into the right place. Colin and Pooh Bear walk you through what to look for in this video to take all the guesswork out of figuring out what fluid goes where.  https://youtu.be/S_towp5Q0WM The fluids you should be checking at least once a month are:  Oil Windshield wiper fluid Power steering fluid Brake Fluid Coolant Transmission Fluid- This may or may not be in your car. Some cars have an electric transmission, which does not need fluid.  The reason for the monthly check is to catch a leak and to check the color and quality of the fluids. For warned is forearmed and catching things early can not only help your car but your wallet as well. 

Summer is here and living is easy! After the long cold year of 2020, we are ready to get out and live a little bit more. If you, like most Americans this summer, are planning on a trip by car make sure you get your car checked before you go. Unfortunately, due to covid, the car repair industry is still scrambling to get parts. This is forecasted to last into 2022. Parts that use to take us 2 days to receive now have taken as long as 6 weeks.  This is also useful to keep in mind as you plan to send your kids off to school and/or tailgating season approaches. If you suspect something is wrong with your car, try to bring it in right away so we can order the parts you need in time for your big trip. Being preemptive instead of reactive is more important now than ever to keep your life running as smoothly as possible.  As always, we here at Sunny Service Center, are here for you and look forward to seeing you

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

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

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