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THANK YOU

THANK YOU

A dear friend of mine has been doing this for years for the month of November on her facebook, On her facebook page each day she mentions something she is thankful for. I've  decided to try this. I know that I've missed the first day of November, but I'm not going let that deter me. Thanks to all of our loyal families who have made Ricks Auto Service their home. Many have been coming with their cars, their childrens cars & now their grandchildren continue on with the tradition. We at Ricks Auto Service here in Mishawaka IN, continue to strive for excellence in all the work we do on your cars. If you have any questions or concerns, about anything with your vehicles, please call us so we can continue to care for you. Thank YOU  

"Are we there yet?"

"Are we there yet?"

Whether your car trip is 1 hour or 12 hours long, a parent will hear this dreaded 4 word phrase many times from their kids.            “Are We There Yet?”                “Are We There Yet?” How many times have you said it as a kid!! Does your car have a cassette player or CD, if not to buy one is not an expensive fix and could be your best investment. The local library has some great books on CD(don’t know how many tapes they still have). You can also download a number of different items.The list runs from Preschoolers to High Schooler & Adults, have a summer reading list, great way to get that in. I spy with my little eye, running thru the alphabet will not get you thru 4+ hours of driving but I know the books/movies on cd will.                Making a ... read more

OIL LEAK

OIL LEAK

Have you been ignoring the small puddle of oil that’s been on the garage floor? Have you been smelling a burnt oil smell from your engine? How about the smoke coming out of your tailpipe? Is it blue? An oil leak, if ignored can become a huge problem that could cost you lots of money. The oil can get on your hoses and seals which causes them to degrade prematurely. They can also be a fire risk to your engine compartment or cause catastrophic engine failure. So you see taking care of it now is important, what color is the lead? Red is probably transmission fluid, green or orange and has a sweet smell that would be coolant fluid, if it is brown that indicates an engine oil leak. What is the cause? Majority of leaks are because the gaskets, oil seals, oil pan drain plug are old and cracked. How is the timing cover seal and the valve cover gaskets? Some of these you could fix yourself, don’t have the time or the know how? Lucky for you we at Ricks Auto Service here in Mishawa ... read more

"Why do my brakes pull?"

"Why do my brakes pull?"

“Why do my brakes pull to the right or left when I brake?” Are your “rotors” worn or warped? That can cause car to vibrate when you brake, sometimes it may even pull to one side. Do you from a visual inspection see and grease or oil present? Check both sides. Worn or warped rotors: Worn or warped rotors can cause the vehicle to vibrate when the brakes are applied and in some cases the car will pull to one side when braking. ... Collapsed brake hose: A brake hose that has collapsed can cause calipers to move unevenly, also causing the vehicle to pull to one side when braking. --How are the tires are they wearing evenly and what is the overall condition? --Are the tires inflated the same and to specifications. --What about the brake pads are they worn evenly? --The rubber brake hoses that connect to the calipers they should be inspected. Call us at Ricks Auto Service here in Mishawaka In, we do a free brake inspection, Let you know the problem and fix it ... read more

Changing Weather Conditions.

Changing Weather Conditions.

Did you know that driving on wet leaves can be dangerous? Read on. Wet or frozen leaves can reduce your cars’ traction, which causes skidding or losing control of the leaves. Often the leaves can cover painted road markings, making it hard to know where the lanes are. Slow down if you are driving on a road covered with leaves, especially when driving around turns. Allow yourself plenty of room to stop in an emergency. Keep a greater distance between you and the car in front of you. Leaves make it difficult to see potholes and bumps in the road. A pile of leaves raked to the side of the road is an inviting place to a child. Children enjoy jumping into the leaf piles or burrowing down into them and hiding. Never drive through a leaf pile. Use caution going around turns and where children are playing. Keep your windshield leaf free to avoid wet leaves getting stuck under the windshield wiper blades. In order to avoid the possibility of a fire hazard from the exhaust system or ... read more

"Why is my car idling rough?"

"Why is my car idling rough?"

  My Car is idling rough-what could it be. Does your car feel rough and bouncy when the engine is running? Some common causes – and easy fixes are a loose or broken vacuum hose. It wears easily over time, if not working properly over time it can cause serious engine damage. Clogged filters are another component of rough idling. It’s hard to tell, regular maintenance, is one of your sure fire ways to get this taken care of. The job of an air filer is to clean the air entering the engine and preventing debris from getting to the engine and causing damage. As the capacity to filter air is reduced, the engine performance is altered. Bad spark plugs wires and/or a bad distributor cap are also causes of rough idling. These parts are important to smooth running of your vehicle. The plugs provide the spark that ignites the air and fuel mixture within the cylinders. These are just a few parts that can cause your vehicles rough idling. It’s past as I said to get your v ... read more

"How to Recognize Problems using your senses?"

"How to Recognize Problems using your senses?"

“How to recognize problems using your senses?” “what’s that smell?”                                      Smell ​Antifreeze or coolant leak              Sweet odor, usually accompanied by steam from under the hood Burning oil                                  Thick, heavy odor, sometimes accompanied by smoke from                                                                                 under the hood or exhaust Electri ... read more

"When do I get my Oil Changed?"

"When do I get my Oil Changed?"

When do I get my Oil Changed? That is a common question asked especially with newer models. For most newer makes and models, oil changes are recommended approximately every 6,000-7,500 miles However, if you drive in a dusty area, be sure to change your oil and filter every 3,000-5,000 miles Many vehicles are equipped with computers that alert drivers when it’s time to change their oil Listen to the warnings. For most of us, all we need to do is follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule for oil change intervals. Their guidelines are designed to keep your car in good running condition for a long time.  

ONSTAR

ONSTAR

ONSTAR Did you know that vehicles equipped with OnStar have an Automatic Crash Notification System? This System can automatically alert the OnStar Call Center when an air bag deploys during a collision. If emergency assistance is needed, OnStar will contact an emergency who travel alone or with children. If your car has an OnStar-equipped system, it would be wise to teach your children to respond to an OnStar after a crash

How do I drive in the rain?

How do I drive in the rain?

Turn on those headlights. In reading up on the material, I didn’t realize that it’s the law in all states for your headlights to be on. Your visibility is low, also, in many states when your windshield wipers are being used your headlights need to be on. Think. How often do you just drive, driving is often done out of habit. If your driving conditions are less than ideal, we need to be alert and focused to what is going on around me. Beware of hydroplaning. When your tires are getting more traction on the layer of water then on the road (called Hydroplaning) your car slides uncontrollable. Let off the accelerator slowly & steer straight until you get control Turn off cruise control.  This is important for me, because on rain or snow slick surfaces, you may lose control because of cruise control. If hydroplaning while in cruise control your car goes faster. Slow down. Your spe ... read more

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