Mishawaka Auto Repair

Have you cleaned your Car lately? Spring Vehicle Maintenance, Spring Clean your Car, click the link if you need to make an appointment:  https://ricksautoservice.org/ 5 Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Vehicle As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, many of us start to feel the urge to declutter and deep clean our homes. But what about our Vehicles? Just like our homes, our cars and trucks could use a good spring cleaning. Here are 5 tips to help get your vehicle ready for spring: CLEAN THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR Wash and wax the exterior. Vacuum and shampoo the interior. Not only will this help your vehicle look its best, but it will also protect the paint from dirt, road salt, and other elements. Vacuum and shampoo the interior. Get rid of all the dirt, dust, and crumbs that have accumulated over the winter months. Don’t forget to vacuum under the seats! Feels good to Spring Clean your Car ... read more

What You Need to Know About a Failing Fuel Pump Is your car not running as smoothly as it used to? Are you having trouble getting it to start? If so, your Fuel Pump may be going out. Here’s what you need to know about the signs, causes, and effects of a failing Fuel Pump. How does a car act when the Fuel Pump is going out? When your Fuel Pump starts to go bad, you may notice that your vehicle has difficulty starting up. This can be due to a lack of fuel pressure or an inability of the Fuel Pump to deliver enough gasoline. Other symptoms include the car stalling or sputtering while you drive and the Engine not reaching its normal operating temperature. You may also hear loud noises coming from the tank area or smell gasoline in or around the car when you get out of it. Finally, if your check engine light comes on, this could also be a sign that your fuel pump is failing. What Causes Fuel Pump Problems? There are several reasons why a Fuel Pump might be failing. One common ... read more

How long can you drive on a noisy Wheel Bearing? That’s a hard question to answer, the average life of Wheel Bearings is about 5- 10 years or about 100,000 miles. When the Bearings go bad they affect other areas of your Vehicle. For example, the wear on your Tires may be uneven and need to be replaced sooner then later. Also, the ride can become pretty rough and bumpy. That can compromise yours and others on the road. Ignoring the grinding, or rumbling sounds, (Wheel Bearing Sound) or the clicking that can occur during acceleration. Are you noticing a vibrating or loose Steering Wheel? You might also experience a pulling when applying the Brakes. Which can cause uneven Rotor and Brake Pad wear, so ignoring the noise can cost you a lot more.   

How do I know if my Wheel Bearing needs replacing? Great question!!  Can you drive a car with a bad Wheel Bearing? It is not safe to drive with a bad Wheel Bearing. When you drive if one of the bearings are worn out it could cause the wheel to stop while driving. The Wheel of your Vehicle is not a simple part. For the Hub, Tire and assemblies to work well the Wheel Bearings are an integral part to the whole. The Wheel Bearing is a set of steel balls held in place by a metal ring. Which then fits into a Hub, fitting tightly inside, and ride on a metal Axle Shaft. The most common symptom is an audible one: you may hear a grinding or grating noise coming from your tire or wheel. The noise gets louder when you accelerate. The other symptom is a loose feeling r less responsive action from the steering. Another aspect with the Steering is that you may notice a pulling or veering to the right or left, not always the Wheel Bearing but a good possibility. Your Tires should be rotated regu ... read more

When should Rotors be Replaced? Have you noticed a loud noise when braking? When brake the brake pads squeeze the rotor, thus stopping your vehicle. But when the Brake Pads are worn exposing metal it will grind down the Rotors. It may cause warping which when braking your vehicle may wiggle when braking. It is considered very dangerous when your Rotors get to this stage. Your braking becomes less effective. When your vehicle is in our shop we can to a free Brake assessment.  Here are some warning signals of bad brakes. As I said earlier noise when you brake. In the brake pads is a built-in metal tab, when the brakes wear to that point the noise, irritating isn’t it! You can still drive but it is best to have a Technician detect the source of the sound. Does the brake pedal feel different? You may notice that you have to press harder on the pedal. A Soft Pedal could be an indicator of worn pads and rotors. It could also be a problem with the ... read more

Do Struts need to be replaced? Some people would say no, but in all honesty I personally prefer a smooth ride. It could also be a matter of safety. If experiencing a bumpy ride, or the Steering becomes stiff or harder to turn, it can also sway or lean to one side. You may also be hearing noises such as clunking or a knocking noise.  The Struts and Springs are part of your Vehicles Suspension System. They absorb all the excess bouncing of your Vehicles Suspension System. What the struts house are the Coil Spring, Spring Seats and Shock Absorbers. The Strut Bearing and the Steering Knuckle. The Struts provide the structural support – connecting the upper Strut Bearing to the lower Ball Joint. The Picture below is the  Vehicle that had the Struts and Springs replaced.   

Can I drive with a Coolant Leak? Sometimes this question is asked to late, driving with a Coolant Leak that is left unattended will cause major damage to the Engine. On this particular Vehicle the Coolant was left to almost run out. When this happens your Vehicle can not properly cool your engine to a normal running Temperature. When your Engine overheats, damage can occur to the Block and Heads of the Engine. The Gaskets were blown. When this happens further damage can occur. There was a deep crack in the Head, we had to replace the Engine. #Engine Repair #Engine Replacement  

Symptoms of a bad or worn Ball Joint: One of the Symptoms of a bad or worn-out Ball Joint, is your tire will show excessive wear on the inside or outside of the Tire.. Tires may also show wear from any problems with the Steering or it has been a while since you have had the Vehicle Aligned. You may also be hearing odd sounds such as a faint bang, grinding or popping noise coming from the corner of the Vehicle. With a worn Ball there is to much free motion. You may also feel the Vehicle pull from side to side, or a Steering Wheel shaking excessively. The Ball Joint connects to the Steering and Suspension. Any of these above signs may be a red flag, give us a call or go online to make an appointment so we can keep your family safe driving on the road

Why does my car vibrate when I drive? Unfortunately, a customer of ours hit a huge pot hole, and broke the control arm, that was an easy diagnosis. But your cars vibration can be your tires, wheels, brakes, steering suspension, axle or engine. That is why it is key to get your vehicle into the shop. We will talk about what a bad control arm can do. Signs of a bad control arm: Popping sound when going over bumps. Unstable Steering the vehicle will pull either right or the left. Affected driving performance when worn out the vehicle can vibrate while driving. Uneven tire wear the tire tread will show uneven wear. Control arms in a car are vital parts of the front suspension. If a control arm is worn out or damaged beyond what a car manufacturer considers acceptable, the vehicle is deemed unsafe to drive. 

How do I know when my Honda brakes need to be changed? Having your brakes regularly checked can make a difference between small brake job, to a large payment. Here are some of the things we check first: Sometimes steering wheel vibration is because your tires need balancing. Brakes squealing-could be dirt or water on your brake pads. Brake fade may be due to brake fluid contamination. It is serious, but doesn’t necessarily mean new brake. Those are real problems and do need to be checked. Honda brakes last a different length of time for different drivers. Do you mostly drive highway or in town?  Do you ride your brakes and stop sharply which means your brake pads could wear out thousands of miles sooner. And how you brake affects their life expectancy. Honda brakes last between 25,000 and 60,000 miles. If you have any questions or symptoms you might need new brakes, don’t chance it. Stop by anytime : Ricks Auto Service, 405 W. Jefferson Blvd, 574. ... read more