AUTONET TV

Keeping Your 'Old Faithful' Auto Running

At Lakeside Certified Auto we've had a lot of Willoughby customers asking how they can make their vehicles last longer. These questions are actually a reflection of a trend that's been building for several years in OH. The median age of personal vehicles is now over nine years. And 33 percent of all vehicles on the road have over 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. It looks like it's going to keep heading in that direction for a while. With high fuel prices, a lot of OH folks are putting off buying a new car. 

So let's say you're one of the average in the Willoughby area; you've got a nine-year-old car with 80,000 miles (130,000 km) on the odometer. What can you do to make it last another year or two?

Let's start with the premise that there's no reason that a modern car can't run for 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care in Willoughby. The engineering and manufacturing quality is there.

Of course, some parts will wear out along the way, but there's no reason for a catastrophic meltdown if Willoughby drivers stay on top of their recommended car maintenance. The maintenance schedule in some vehicle manufacturer's owner's manuals runs out at 60,000 miles (100,000 km) or so: how do Willoughby vehicle owners know what to do when they're way past that?

It is a challenge, for example: If a service is recommended every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) for the first 60,000 miles (100,000 km), you can just keep getting it done at least every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) after you hit 60,000 miles (100,000 km). But, it gets more complicated because older engines lose some efficiency, are dirtier inside and are just more stressed. That means it's very important to not miss any scheduled services. Skipping just one oil change at Lakeside Certified Auto in Willoughby, for example, leaves an opportunity for sludge to build up. Talk to your service advisor at Lakeside Certified Auto for more details.

So all the usual things like oil changes, transmission service, coolant service, brakes, power steering, fuel system cleaning – all that stuff needs to be maintained. People responsible for fleet vehicles around Willoughby are sticklers for scheduled maintenance. They know that money spent on maintenance saves them three ways:

1. it keeps efficiency from decreasing;
2. it prevents repairs, and;
3. they can postpone purchasing new vehicles.

Having the oil changed may be the most important thing Willoughby drivers can do. A full-service oil change at Lakeside Certified Auto means that all of your other fluids get topped off so they are never low enough to cause damage. It also gives your friendly and knowledgeable Lakeside Certified Auto service advisor a chance to spot problems in the early stages so that you can fix them before they get worse. And it gives you a touch point with an automotive professional along the way to remind you of things that aren't scheduled as often – things like differential service and timing belt replacement.

If you live in the Willoughby area and have an older vehicle, you may need to follow the severe service maintenance schedule. Check your owner's manual and talk with us at Lakeside Certified Auto. Conditions inside an older engine, transmission and cooling system can arguably be considered severe – so shorter intervals could well be called for.

And, the team at Lakeside Certified Auto strongly encourages Willoughby drivers to consider using high mileage formulation fluids. They're fluids like engine oil, transmission fluid and coolant that are formulated for older engines. They have special additives to clean deposits, and to condition and restore seals and gaskets that dry out with age. Some Willoughby auto owners start using higher mileage formulations at around 50,000 miles (80,000 km) as a preventive measure.

Of course you also want to still look marvelous in your older car as you drive around Willoughby. Salt and road grime wreak havoc on your paint job and can lead to body rust – so regular washing is very important. Also, a good quality waxing is recommended at least twice a year.

Give us a call for more information:

Lakeside Certified Auto
38525 Lakeshore Blvd
Willoughby, OH 44094
(440) 946-0076
www.lakesidecertifiedauto.com

Fuel Injection Basics for Willoughby

All modern Willoughby vehicles come with fuel injection systems, so it's a topic Willoughby drivers need to know something about. The mighty fuel injector is a valve that delivers the gas or diesel fuel to the right place, in the right amount at the right time—to be mixed with air and burned in the engine.

So how many fuel injectors does your vehicle have? There's one for each cylinder. So four, six or eight for most folks in Willoughby, OH. Some vehicles have 10 or 12 cylinders. The engine control computer makes adjustments to the fuel injector as it monitors the engine and other sensors. Fuel injectors are a pretty high-tech.

Lakeside Certified Auto can help Willoughby drivers with a fuel injector cleaning service. What's the benefit? In order to work right, the fuel injectors have to deliver the fuel at a precise pressure at a very precise time. It's important that the fuel is sprayed in a particular pattern as determined by the engine design.

Over time, varnish can start to build up in the fuel injectors, effecting the pressure, pattern and timing of the fuel charge. The result is that the fuel doesn't get burned as efficiently as it could. That robs performance and hurts fuel economy.

What about dirty fuel? How does that affect the fuel injectors? The fuel injectors are the last stop in the fuel system. It starts at the fuel tank. Frankly, the best way to keep your fuel injectors working well is to use high quality fuel. It's tempting to shop for bargains in Willoughby with fuel prices as high as they are, but major brands in the Willoughby, OH, area have better detergents and additives and deliver consistent quality.

What about a good fuel filter? The fuel filter is component of the fuel system. Its job is to filter out the dirt and rust that collect in the fuel tank. If it's clogged up, the dirt will bypass the filter and head upstream to the fuel injectors.

It's important to replace the fuel filter when your manufacturer recommends it. That's part of a comprehensive fuel system cleaning.

There are different kinds of fuel injection systems. Port fuel injection systems, the kind most gasoline engines have, operate at 60 pounds per square inch. The injectors for the new gas direct injection engines Willoughby drivers are starting to see require 10 to 30 times as much pressure. And some diesel engines for passenger vehicles have injectors that operate at 30,000 pounds or more per square inch. There's no room for dirt and gum in a precision part like that.

There are a lot of good products available in Willoughby, OH, that can clean fuel injectors. They're best used to prevent fouling in the fuel injectors. Many can't clean a seriously gummed up injector – that requires a professional deep cleaning, like those we offer at Lakeside Certified Auto in Willoughby. But putting the cleaner in the fuel tank after you've had Lakeside Certified Auto take a look at your fuel system will help keep it clean. Be sure to read the label for directions.

Give us a call if you think your vehicle may be ready for a fuel injector cleaning.

Lakeside Certified Auto
38525 Lakeshore Blvd
Willoughby, OH 44094
(440) 946-0076
www.lakesidecertifiedauto.com

E-85 Fuel Safety Advice from Lakeside Certified Auto

Today at Lakeside Certified Auto we want to talk with you about a very important safety issue. This automotive safety warning is coming from a very unusual source: fire fighting experts. You've probably heard of E-85 gasoline being offered in the Willoughby area. Some newer vehicle models are specifically built to run on E-85 – the rest are not.

Does your vehicle use E-85 gasoline? Bring it down to Lakeside Certified Auto at 38525 Lakeshore Blvd in Willoughby, OH 44094, to find out, or give us a call to make an appointment by calling (440) 946-0076.

E-85 gasoline has been developed to fight air pollution and reduce oil consumption. E-85 fuel is a mix of 85% ethanol, a grain-base alcohol, and 15% gasoline. So-called Flex-Fuel vehicles are designed to use either normal gasoline or E-85 gas. The result is lower exhaust emissions to our local Willoughby community.

All gas engines can run with up to 10% ethanol, and in fact a lot of gasoline sold in the Willoughby, OH, area does contain some ethanol. The problem comes when well-meaning residents without Flex Fuel certified vehicles put E-85 into the tank.

At a 15% concentration, the potential for problems arises. Because of the chemical differences between ethanol and gasoline, special seals and gaskets are needed for Flex Fuel vehicles. In a normal engine, the ethanol in E-85 gas will eat away seals and gaskets. This leads to gas and oil leaks.

You Willoughby auto owners can imagine the fire hazard caused by leaking gasoline. OH fire fighting experts caution drivers to only use E-85 if they know their vehicle is certified to handle it. They expect vehicle fires to increase because of using the wrong fuel in non-Flex Fuel vehicles.

Lakeside Certified Auto
38525 Lakeshore Blvd
Willoughby, OH 44094
(440) 946-0076
www.lakesidecertifiedauto.com

Battery Basics for Willoughby

It's important for Willoughby drivers to know battery basics. First, let's talk about which is harder on a battery – hot or cold OH weather. Most Willoughby area drivers think it's cold weather because that's when we call on our batteries to have enough power to start a cold vehicle engine.

However, heat does more damage to a battery than cold. Truth is, our batteries start to die a little from day one. Keeping a full charge slows the process, which is hard with short Willoughby trips because the alternator doesn't have time to fully recharge the battery from starting the engine. Willoughby drivers can top off the charge with a computer controlled battery charger – say, once a month in the summer and every three months during the winter.

As far as how long a battery will last, statistics show that 70% have given up the ghost within four years. By that time, they aren't capable of taking a full charge like they used to, and your vehicle alternator has to work overtime to keep up. This causes your alternator to wear out early.

If you're pushing 4 to 5 years on your battery, see your friendly and knowledgeable Lakeside Certified Auto service assistant for a battery test to see if it's recommended to replace it. Not only can you avoid getting stranded with a dead battery on a OH road, but you'll save unnecessary wear and tear on your vehicle alternator.

Give us a call.

Lakeside Certified Auto
38525 Lakeshore Blvd
Willoughby, OH 44094
(440) 946-0076
www.lakesidecertifiedauto.com

Does Your Car Have A Recall Item?

Recalls are pretty serious for Willoughby residents and don't happen all that often. But sometimes cars have less serious problems that Willoughby residents still might want to know about. For these less serious cases, the vehicle manufacturer issues what is known as a Technical Service Bulletin – or TSB. These bulletins tell Willoughby service centers (including Lakeside Certified Auto) how to repair a problem that occurs frequently or is especially difficult.

Your Willoughby service center receives updated information through subscription plans, which are sometimes available in consumer versions too.

Whatever your source, pay attention to Willoughby vehicle recalls to keep you and your passengers safe.

No matter how well they're made, vehicles are bound to have problems with their design or manufacturing. Think of all the moving parts. When the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the vehicle manufacturer to issue recall notices to Willoughby residents and to fix the affected vehicles free of charge. The they try to contact all Willoughby residents who own that type of car so they can have it taken care of at their Willoughby service center.

To find out if your car has any recall issues, give us a call:

Lakeside Certified Auto
38525 Lakeshore Blvd
Willoughby, OH 44094
(440) 946-0076
www.lakesidecertifiedauto.com