Archive for August 2023Round and Round (Wheel Balancing)Posted August 27, 2023 10:46 AMIn a perfect world, all wheels and tires would be perfectly round and weigh exactly the same at every point of the wheel. Unfortunately, they're not, and if they're out of balance, they can reduce the lifespan of your tires, make your vehicle shake like a carnival ride, and maybe even damage a few suspension parts along the way. You don't want that! Wheel balancing, sometimes known as tire balancing, is a process by which a technician makes sure your tire/wheel assembly has evenly distributed weight. If it isn't, it can give your ride bad vibrations. If you feel your vehicle's steering wheel shaking, it can mean unbalanced wheels in the front. If you can feel a vibration in your seats, it could be unbalanced rear wheels. In addition to your vehicle vibrating at higher speeds, there are other signs that your wheels are out of balance. You may see uneven tread wear, or you may notice you aren't getting the kind of fuel economy you used to. When you experience these problems, bring your vehicle in, and we can put your wheels on a machine designed to detect any imbalance. The technician will start your wheels spinning, and a computer will determine how much weight is needed where. Then, the technician can add small weights on the inside or outside of your wheel rim to precisely balance out the uneven weight. When the wheel is balanced correctly, it will spin evenly and smoothly. Sometimes your vehicle will hit a pothole or object in the road that dislodges one of those weights, which can throw that wheel out of balance again. If so, you'll have to bring it in to have that corrected Some drivers confuse wheel balancing with wheel alignment. Alignment is making sure the wheels are perpendicular to the road and parallel with each other. Sometimes your vehicle will need both balancing and alignment done at the same time. No vibrations are good vibrations when it comes to your wheels. Bring your vehicle to us, and we'll perform a balancing act to keep your vehicle riding smoothly down the road. Lakeside Certified Auto No Strain, No Gain (The Basics of Oil Filters)Posted August 20, 2023 8:40 AMEver wonder what one of the best things is to ever happen to your vehicle's engine? It's the little thing that usually looks like a can, the oil filter. Just like your kitchen sink strainer filters out errant particles of food from clogging your drain, the oil filter cleans out small particles that could cause your engine harm. Your engine operates in a dirty, hot environment and gathers a lot of tiny contaminants like dirt, dust, little metal shards and unlucky bugs that get sucked in. Get those things circulating in your engine and those little particles can cause friction, which starts wearing out those finely machined metal parts. You know how important it is to change your oil regularly. It's vital that you change your oil filter at the same time to keep the oil as close to brand new as possible. Most oil filters look like a metal can with some holes in the bottom. Inside there are carefully chosen materials that can screen out the contaminants while at the same time allow the lubricating oil to pass through. Early oil filters had steel wool, metal mesh or actual screens. Then they tried fabric filters using material such as linen and cotton. Finally, a less expensive disposable filter using paper and cellulose did the trick. Cellulose or other synthetic media are used in most oil filters today. Cellulose is inexpensive and effective. Fibers filter out particulates and let the oil flow. The other synthetic media have the ability to screen out even tinier particles while not significantly restricting the oil from getting through. Engineers continue to work on even more advanced filter material. Choosing the right oil filter is something our pros at Lakeside Certified Auto can help you with because there are a lot of them out there. Factoring into that decision are your driving habits, how far you drive and the temperatures to which your engine will be subjected. While some filters will cost more than others, they may be worth it to extend the life of your engine. But most important is remembering to come have your oil changed at Lakeside Certified Auto regularly at the intervals recommended by the vehicle's manufacturer. Just like you wouldn't want to have a plumber come over to fix a clogged kitchen drain, you certainly wouldn't want to have to pay for major engine repairs if they could be prevented by regular oil and filter changes.
Positive Crankcase Ventilation ? PCV Valve Service at Lakeside Certified AutoPosted August 6, 2023 10:18 AMHello Willoughby! Did you know that the first federally-mandated emissions control device was introduced in the 1960's? The Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve, or PCV valve, has been installed in OH vehicles since 1964 and represents the first legislation by the United States government to regulate harmful emissions as well as to improve performance in the country's vehicles. Lakeside Certified Auto | ||
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