AUTONET TV

Why Does My Battery Go Dead (The Silent Battery Killers Under Your Hood)

It’s a sound you don’t want to hear when you turn your ignition key or push your ignition button: silence, except for a click. It can signal that your battery doesn’t have enough power in it to start your engine.  There can be many things that cause batteries to lose their power, and they’re called “silent battery killers” because they can happen slowly without much warning.

One is what they call parasitic electrical draw. You might think when you turn off your vehicle that it’s not using any power.  But in modern vehicles, there are a lot of things that continue to use electricity, like clocks, alarms and various computers.  

Another major battery killer is a failing alternator. The alternator is supposed to recharge the battery while the engine is running. If it’s weak or has a bad diode, your battery won’t fully recharge.  The alternator could even drain the battery after the engine is shut off. 

Your battery connections may also cause a battery to die if they are corroded or loose.  You may not realize that corrosion creates resistance in wires, which can make it harder for your battery to charge properly and deliver power.
 
One of a battery’s worst enemies can be heat.  If your engine generates too much of it, it speeds up the chemical breakdown inside the battery and makes it harder for your battery to hold a charge.  Warm climates can make this worse.

If you don’t drive your vehicle often or only take it on short trips, your battery may not be getting enough of a recharge.  Starting a vehicle uses a lot of power, and short drives may not give the alternator enough time to replenish what was used.

So, if your battery keeps going dead, it’s important to find the root of the problem.  Bring it in to us so one of our technicians can test it with specialized equipment and track down the silent killer before they leave you stranded at the most inopportune time.

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

Ball Joint Replacement

Think about this the next time you’re driving.  Your front wheels can steer your vehicle and, at the same time, the wheels can move, even with all the irregularities in the road moving them up, down and in different directions. Pretty amazing engineering, wouldn’t you say?

What allows that are parts called ball joints.  Most vehicles have them only in the front, but there are some vehicles that have them in the rear as well.  When you consider all the bumps and turns your wheels are subjected to, it’s not hard to imagine the wear and tear these ball joints endure. After any vehicle has put on many months of road time, these ball joints will start to wear out. 

You may find your vehicle’s front wheels clunk when you are on the road, it may not hold the road as well when you go over a bump, or you may feel vibration in your steering wheel and your tires may start to wear unevenly.

When you start to notice any of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to bring it in to have one of our technicians look at what’s going on. If you keep driving with worn out ball joints, you can cause your tires to wear out more quickly.  And if you go even longer, you might find your suspension can collapse, meaning you won’t be able to keep your vehicle under control.  

Many vehicles have upper and lower ball joints, depending on what kind you are driving.  The upper ball joints usually don’t bear any weight while the lower ones do.

When our technician replaces your ball joints, they’ll take your wheels off, then remove the control arm(s).  After replacing the ball joints, they’ll inspect the rest of your suspension to make sure there aren’t any other components that need attention. In some cases, you’ll also need to have your wheels aligned after this service. 

So, when you hear those clunks or feel those vibrations, they may be signs your steering and control over your vehicle aren’t as good as they need to be for dependable, safe driving.  Heed the warning signs and keep your steering and suspension performing the way they’re designed to.  

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

Getting Off to a Running Start (Starter Replacement)

When you start your vehicle’s engine, there’s another motor that makes that whole process possible.  It’s called the starter, and it’s a small electric motor that gets your vehicle running.  

As you can imagine, it’s quite a chore for a little electric motor to turn over the big engine that powers your vehicle.  And after hundreds of successful starting missions, after a while, it will start to give out.

You’ll know the starter is starting to give up the ghost when it turns too slowly or sometimes doesn’t do anything when you turn on the ignition.  Maybe it makes funny noises like grinding when you try to start your vehicle or maybe there’s just a click. Those are all reasons to get your vehicle over to us so we can see what’s going on. 

A technician will make sure the problem is the starter and not in the battery, a switch, or other electrical component or connections.  If all of those are ruled out, your starter will be replaced.  The technician will also make sure all the cables and connections to the battery are clean and solid.  

Often starter problems come on gradually, and they often give you advanced warning that it’s time to have it fixed—before you find yourself frustrated— and stranded.

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

How Tired Are Your Tires? (Tire replacement)

Of the things you think about most, your tires are probably pretty far down the list. That’s understandable because today’s tires are engineered to do their job without needing you to pay too much attention to them. But they DO wear out, and worn tires can contribute to skidding in bad weather, not being able to stop, a ride full of uncomfortable vibrations and, even a sudden blowout. Yikes. Let’s figure out right now how to know if your tires need replacing!

Let’s face it. Most of us don’t know the first thing about tires. So, the best way to make sure what shape yours are in is to take your vehicle to a qualified service facility to have the tires checked out by a trained technician.  Here are things they’ll check:

• Tread.  Tread is the part of the tire that touches the road surface.  Different tires have different tread patterns and something called tread blocks - the raised rubber parts that contact the road. The longer a tire has been on a vehicle, the more of that rubber wears off.  The technician will check to see if there’s enough of that tread left on your tire for sufficient traction to accelerate, steer, and brake.
• Pressure. It’s important your tires be inflated properly so your tires will perform the way they’re designed while driving.  If your tires have low air pressure, the technician will check to see why, perhaps cracks in the sidewall from age, a nail in the rubber picked up on the road, or bulges. It’s also important your tires are not overinflated too.
• Wear.  Your tires should wear evenly.  If they haven’t, the uneven wear can cause vibrations that you can feel in the steering wheel.  Maybe the whole vehicle shakes at a certain speed.  Your vehicle may require other services such as balancing, alignment, or suspension repairs to prevent future tire damage.
• Age.  Your tires may have adequate tread, but if they’re too old, it’s time for new. Rubber gets old, and when it does, it loses its elasticity.  Ever find an old rubber band and tried to stretch it? It’s brittle and will break easily. Hotter climates will age rubber—and tires—faster. All tires have their date of manufacture stamped on them, so your service adviser will be able to see when your tires were made.

If it’s time to replace your tires, you’ll find you have many choices for new ones: different brands, models, designs, etc.  Your service adviser can help you figure out which ones are right for you. It’s much better—and safer—to do it before one of them fails at the least opportune time.

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