Bristol Drivers: Get Fresh Air Inside Your Car

Let’s talk about air quality in Bristol. It’s a global issue, but affects us wherever we are. Many decades ago, we began to become aware of how air pollution negatively affects health. But what about the air inside your vehicle?

Cabin air filters are now coming on most new truck,suvs in Bristol. These filters clean the air in the passenger compartment. They can filter particles down to three microns, so that’s good enough to clean out dust, pollen and most pollutants. If you suffer from allergies in Bristol, this is very good news. Your car can be a haven during your Bristol commute.

Now, it’s only been in the last few years that cabin air filters have become common. You can look in your owner’s manual to see if you have one. If you do, there’ll be a recommendation for replacing it when it gets dirty. If you live in an area of Bristol where there’s a lot of dust, pollen or pollution, you may need to change it more often.

You can also ask your service advisor at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair in Bristol. How hard is it to change an air filter on a car? It depends on your vehicle. Some are quite accessible; others take some doing to get to them. They’re usually in the engine compartment or under the dashboard.

Because cabin air filters are so new on the scene, some Bristol people haven’t heard of them – even people who have cabin air filters in their truck,suv. Economy Transmission and Auto Repair service advisors have discovered that many Bristol customers who complained about an unpleasant odor in their truck,suv simply had a dirty cabin air filter.

Economy Transmission and Auto Repair: Why Replace Your Engine Air Filter?

Your truck,suv engine really needs clean air to operate efficiently. Let’s go egghead for a minute. For every gallon of gas we burn driving around Terryville, twenty pounds of carbon dioxide comes out the tailpipe. Question: how can a gallon of gas that weighs a little over six pounds produce twenty pounds of carbon dioxide?

The answer is that the carbon comes from the gasoline, but the oxygen comes from the air. You see, it takes about twelve thousand gallons of air to burn a gallon of gas in your engine. Clearly, your truck,suv needs a lot of air to keep going in Terryville. A lot of clean air is better.

You’ve seen the pictures of the crowds in Asia wearing face masks. They want some kind of filter to keep unwanted pollution and germs out of their lungs. Well, your truck,suv also works better when its internals are clean. When your truck,suv air filter’s dirty, it simply can’t trap any more dirt, so the dirt just passes through into your air intake system. From there it can clog your fuel injectors and even get into the engine itself. And burning dust and pollen in your truck,suv engine does you no good.

So, we’re talking potential damage for Terryville drivers. But another big thing is wasted fuel. Your truck,suv engine management computer tries to mix the correct amount of air in with the fuel. If the filter’s clogged, there isn’t enough air for the optimal fuel to air mix and that really messes with fuel efficiency.

In fact, replacing a dirty air filter at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair can improve your fuel economy in Terryville by up to ten percent. At today’s fuel prices in Terryville, you should be able to pay for a new air filter before your next oil change.

The verdict: When your truck,suv engine air filter needs to be replaced; it needs to be replaced. How often depends entirely on how dirty the air is where you drive in Terryville. A simple visual inspection at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair will tell you when you need a new engine air filter.

When you look at the air filter on your furnace at home and see it’s all clogged up with dust and dirt, you don’t hesitate to replace it. When your Economy Transmission and Auto Repair technician brings out your nasty engine air filter, you now know why you should go ahead and change it out.

Busted: The Maintenance-Free Myth In Terryville

There’s a segment of the Terryville population that’s not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Mistaken perceptions have crept into the Connecticut area over time. Many Terryville motorists think the root lies in the fact that modern cars are so reliable. Reliability has improved dramatically in recent years. Quality surveys report fewer problems with new cars than ever before.

Back when cars spent more time in the repair shop, Terryville drivers were more mindful of routine service. Now, it’s much easier to put it off.

Take tune-ups for example. In the days of mechanical ignition systems, an engine needed to be tuned-up every couple of years. The ignition points had to be replaced, spark plugs and coils replaced and the timing adjusted. If your engine was out of tune, you knew it. It ran poorly and got bad fuel economy.

Now, the ignition system in your truck,suv is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as a hundred thousand miles. So tune-ups used to force you in to Economy Transmission and Auto Repair for service and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.

Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new cars in Terryville have been leased. These folks plan on turning the car in after two or three years, so they haven’t focused on the maintenance that helps your car last longer.

Given all that, what’s the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your truck,suv will perform better and return better fuel economy.

Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that major repairs are prevented. And these aren’t just repairs that are a long ways off. Modern truck,suv engines are far more sophisticated and have many parts that are in critical need of proper lubrication. Missing just one oil change can allow oil sludge to start forming. Sludge clogs small engine passages, robbing parts of the lubrication they need. An expensive failure could easily occur within two or three years.

And modern engines require more sophisticated fluids. Because of the different types of materials that are used to make auto parts, things like aluminum, plastics and steel, different types of additives are required to protect automotive components from corrosion. These additives deplete with time as well as with use.

For example, your truck,suv engine coolant could actually become so corrosive that it eats holes in your radiator or other cooling system parts. Of course, that could lead to massive engine damage, all for the want of replacing the coolant on schedule.

Taking care of the little things now prevents big problems later. At Economy Transmission and Auto Repair, we have been taking care of all those little things for six years. Your truck,suv still needs to be taken care of – it’s just that some of those points of care have changed with automotive advancements. The need for proper maintenance in Terryville did not go away.

Wolcott Drivers: Is It Time To Replace Your PCV Valve?

The push for fuel economy has two benefits: using less gas, and fewer emissions. Wolcott cars and trucks run cleaner than ever. Wolcott people may not realize that the first federally mandated pollution control device came out almost fifty years ago.

Wolcott folks that were around in the early 60's may remember that the PCV valve came out on 1964 model cars. PCV stand for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The crankcase is the lower part of the engine where the crankshaft is housed and where the engine oil lives. The crankshaft is connected to the pistons that power the engine.

When fuel is burned in the truck,suv engine, it pushes the pistons down and the crankshaft rotates and sends power to the transmission. Some of the explosive gases from combustion squeeze past the pistons and down into the crankcase.

Now this gas is about 70% unburned fuel. If it were allowed to remain in the crankcase, it would contaminate the oil and quickly turn it to sludge. Sludge is like Vaseline and clogs passages in the engine leading to damage.

Also, the pressure build up would blow out seals and gaskets. So in the old days, there was just a hose that vented the crankcase out into the air. Obviously, not good for our environment in Wolcott.

Enter the PCV valve. It’s a small, one-way valve that lets out the gases from the crankcase, and routes them back into the air intake system where can be re-burned in the engine. Fresh air comes into the crankcase through a breather tube. This makes for good circulation in the crankcase. And that gets the bad air out. As you can imagine, the valve gets gummed up over time.

Wolcott drivers that skip oil changes now and then will notice that the PCV valve gets gummed up even faster. If the PCV valve is sticking in your truck,suv, the gases won’t circulate as well, leading to increased pressure in the crankcase. That, in turn, can lead to oil leaks. Fortunately, the PCV valve is very inexpensive to replace at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair. Some can even be checked for function by your honest service technician.

Manufacturer’s usually recommend they be changed somewhere between twenty and fifty thousand miles. Unfortunately, PCV valve replacement is left out of some truck,suv owner’s manuals, but at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair, we will make sure your PVC is replaced if needed.

All of us Wolcott car owners can do our part for the environment. Watch that lead foot, stay on top of our automotive maintenance and don’t forget to replace our PCV valve.

Keep Your Cool In Bristol

Bristol drivers rely on their car's coolant system to keep their engine cool. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your truck,suv engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it’s cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the coolant/water mix circulates back through the engine to absorb more heat.

There’s a reason we mix coolant and water. Water alone actually does a good job transferring heat from the engine. The problem is that water boils at a temperature that’s easily reached inside your truck,suv's engine, so it can turn to steam which does not conduct heat as well and is harder to contain.

Also, if it’s freezing outside in Bristol, the water in your engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the cold.

So, if you remember your Bristol high school chemistry, you’ll know that a mixture has both a higher boiling point and a lower freezing point than either component alone.

Coolant, or antifreeze, is specially formulated to keep your engine safe in a wide range of environmental and operating temperatures in and around Bristol.

Whenever the truck,suv is running, the coolant in the cooling system is working to keep your engine from overheating. When it’s cold outside, the coolant acts as antifreeze to keep the fluid from freezing in your engine.

All that exploding fuel in your engine creates a lot of heat. Without coolant, the metal truck,suv engine parts would expand so much that the engine would seize up and stop running. Expensive parts could be broken or warp so badly they would have to be replaced. It could even be so bad that the whole truck,suv's engine is ruined and has to be junked.

This is why it is critical that Bristol drivers check coolant levels frequently and have their truck,suv cooling system inspected for leaks. Also your truck,suv manufacturer has a maintenance requirement for draining and replacing your coolant. These recommendations can vary widely, so check your owner’s manual or ask us at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair in Bristol.

The reason you need to change the coolant is that it has additives in it to protect the cooling system. As you can imagine, with all the heat, the cooling system’s a pretty harsh environment. The additives keep the fluid from becoming corrosive and damaging the radiator and other truck,suv cooling system components. Over time, the additives are depleted and the coolant just has to be replaced.

Many Bristol auto owners ask Economy Transmission and Auto Repair why there are different colors of antifreeze. It is very important that you use the correct type of antifreeze. The different types of antifreeze – or coolant – are different colors so you don’t mix them up.

Auto manufacturers use different materials to make the cooling system, and they require different types of antifreeze to protect them.

So check with us at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair or your owner’s manual for the right kind because using the wrong coolant can void the warranty for your truck,suv cooling system.

Gas Savings In Bristol: Sharpen Your Pencil

High gas prices in Bristol have hit most of our budgets. You’ve probably budgeted a certain amount for vehicle related stuff. Increased fuel costs are now consuming a bigger portion of that budget and you may be tempted to skimp in some other areas – like scheduled maintenance.

According to news reports and industry studies, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten personal vehicles on the road have at least one maintenance or repair item that hasn’t been done. Some of these items are serious safety concerns. Others are just more likely to affect the cost of operating your vehicle.

In this area, we can take a lesson from professional Bristol vehicle owners. I’m talking about fleet owners and operators. You know, Bristol folks like the trucking companies and delivery services. Because their livelihood depends on it, they have gotten scheduled maintenance down to a science. And the last thing they skimp on is regular maintenance.

Why is that? Well, for one thing they know that routine maintenance prevents expensive repairs and costly breakdowns. They also know that a well-maintained vehicle uses less fuel. For them, even a small decrease in fuel economy may mean not being profitable.

So what does this mean to Bristol drivers? Well, there’s a ninety percent chance that you’re missing some service that would improve your fuel economy. Here’s a quick reminder list:

Fuel system cleaning, transmission service, differential service, engine air filter, wheel alignment, oil change, tune up.
Ring any bells? Can you honestly say that there isn’t at least one thing on the list that hasn’t been done?

Let’s suppose you chose to spend one hundred and fifty dollars and get caught up on some of these services at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair. Figure that they combine to improve your fuel economy by fifteen percent. What would that mean to your pocketbook?

Well, the average personal vehicle in Bristol is driven about twelve thousand miles a year. If you get twenty miles per gallon in your truck,suv, over the course of one year you would pay for the hundred and fifty dollars worth of service and save an additional hundred and sixty five dollars if gas is at three dollars and fifty cents. If gas is four fifty, you would save two hundred and fifty-five dollars. And you’d rack up savings of three hundred and forty five dollars with gas at five and a half bucks.

GAS PRICE	$3.50	$4.50	$5.50
20 MPG	$165	$255	$345

From this you can see that the more fuel costs, the more it pays to take care of your truck,suv. Some of us drive trucks in Bristol for work or recreation – or want a large SUV for family needs. A fifteen percent improvement in fuel economy can generate huge savings – six hundred and sixty dollars a year if gas is four fifty a gallon in Bristol. Take a look at this table to see where your savings could lie.

GAS PRICE	$3.50	$4.50	$5.50
10 MPG	$480	$660	$840
20 MPG	$165	$255	$345
30 MPG	$60	$120	$180

So catch up on those services you’ve been neglecting at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair. Get a couple done now and a couple next time. Chances are you’ll save a lot of money at Bristol gas pumps this year – and a lot more on repairs in years to come.

Serpentine Belt Service At Economy Transmission and Auto Repair In Bristol

If you’ve ever heard a squealing sound under your hood, chances are it was your serpentine belt. Your serpentine belt is a long belt that’s driven by your engine. It winds around several accessories that power important automotive systems in your truck,suv. Let’s go over them.

First, the serpentine belt drives your air conditioning system. It spins the compressor that makes the cool air that takes the edge off the summer heat in Bristol.

Next, the belt powers the alternator. The alternator creates electricity that’s used by your truck,suv’s electrical systems and also charges your car battery. Without the alternator, the battery will go dead in a few miles.

The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering (some are electric) and power brakes (some use vacuum boost).

And, on most truck,suvs, the serpentine belt powers the water pump. The water pump circulates coolant through the engine to keep it within normal operating temperatures. On some Bristol cars, the water pump is powered by the timing belt instead of the serpentine belt.

When they understand what it does, Bristol drivers realize that if it breaks, it affects a lot of systems. That’s why manufacturers have recommended that it be changed every so often so that it doesn’t fail.

At Economy Transmission and Auto Repair, we can perform a visual inspection of the belt to see if it has any cracks that signal the belt could fail soon. If the belt has more than three or four cracks every inch, has deep cracks that penetrate half the depth of the belt, is frayed, is missing pieces or has a shiny glazed look, it needs to be replaced regardless of age or mileage.

If it has lost a significant thickness, it also needs to be replaced. There’s a special spring-loaded pulley attached to the engine called the tensioner pulley. Its job is to make sure there’s a constant tension on the serpentine belt so that it doesn’t slip. The spring can become worn and no longer provide the necessary pressure to keep the belt tight. At Economy Transmission and Auto Repair, we recommend that the tensioner be replaced at the same time as the serpentine belt.

As mentioned, a squealing sound could be a sign that the serpentine belt needs to be replaced. It may be loose if you hear a slow, slapping sound when idling your truck,suv.

All in all, the serpentine belt’s an important part for the function of your truck,suv. And it’s not that expensive to replace at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair – so it’s good to do so before it fails.

Give Your Engine Clean Fuel With A New Fuel Filter From Economy Transmission and Auto Repair

Your truck,suv requires plenty of clean fuel to run. When your fuel isn’t clean, your fuel injectors can start to become clogged up. When this happens, your truck,suv engine may not get the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure to run efficiently. This hurts fuel economy and performance as you drive around Hartford. It can also lead to the buildup of harmful deposits on valves and in the combustion chamber.

That’s why all vehicles, including truck,suvs, come equipped with a fuel filter somewhere between the engine and the fuel tank. The job of the filter is to clean out little pieces of dirt and contamination. The filter captures the contaminants and holds them out of the fuel stream. Of course, the filter will eventually get clogged up and need to be replaced at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair.

If your fuel filter is clogged, the truck,suv engine can’t get all the fuel it needs, and it may sputter at high speeds or quick acceleration. Many fuel filters have a bypass valve that will allow unfiltered fuel through when they are clogged. This keeps your engine running, but doesn’t protect it from contaminated fuel.

You may find that you need to change your fuel filter at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair more frequently as your truck,suv ages. Over the years, additional sediment and rust accumulates in the fuel tank and can be drawn into the fuel system. Your fuel filter stands guard at the gates to your engine to protect expensive parts and to maintain performance and fuel economy.

Power Steering Service At Economy Transmission and Auto Repair In Bristol

Many Bristol drivers have been hearing about new advances in power steering technology, specifically, electric power steering. Some very high-end cars have been featuring electric power steering for a few years. An electric motor directly provides the power assist to make steering easier. Undoubtedly we’ll see much more of this in Bristol as full electric cars and electric hybrids become more common.

The vast majority of cars and trucks serviced at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair in Bristol use a hydraulic power boost system. With hydraulics, fluid is pressurized by a pump which actuates a hydraulic cylinder to reduce steering effort. Some of these pumps are powered by an electric motor. Most pumps are powered by the serpentine belt driven by the engine.

Power steering fluid has the necessary hydraulic properties and the ability to lubricate the internal parts. The power steering fluid also protects truck,suv components from rust and corrosion.

Bristol car owners should be aware that manufacturers recommend that the fluid be replaced on schedule. At Economy Transmission and Auto Repair, the old fluid is drained and the system cleaned thoroughly. Fresh fluid is then installed.

Unfortunately, many Bristol people don’t realize how important it is to service their power steering, or even that it should be done at all. A neglected power steering system can develop leaks and the pump won’t last as long.

Signs that you may be having problems with your power steering include the need to constantly add power steering fluid, a loud whining from the pump, erratic power assist or high steering effort. If you’re experiencing any of these problems, have your power steering checked out at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair in Bristol.

In addition to the pump and hydraulic system, there are mechanical parts in the steering system. The rods, arms, joints and knuckles that actually turn the wheels can become worn or damaged. A standard alignment service includes an inspection of steering components.

If you notice any play in the steering wheel, that the steering wheel is off center, or a noise coming from your front wheels, especially when turning, have your Economy Transmission and Auto Repair advisor do an inspection so the problem can be corrected. Waiting too long could cause uneven tire wear and may even lead to steering failure. Call Economy Transmission and Auto Repair today at (860) 589-1255.

Economy Transmission and Auto Repair Guide To Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle

Today's Economy Transmission and Auto Repair post focuses on using the proper fluids for your vehicle. Big advances in automotive technology have lead to the development of high-tech fluids to keep pace. Some because of engineering advances and others, advances in the materials used to build truck,suv automotive systems.

A simple example of this is the cooling system. For decades it was primarily made out of iron, steel and rubber hoses. There was one kind of coolant that protected these components from corrosion.

Now cooling system components are made with various metal alloys and plastics. These materials require different additives to protect them from corrosion. Since the materials used vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, we now have a number of different kinds of coolant.

And it’s important that Terryville car owners use the right coolant. If you pour in the wrong kind, it won’t protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Check your truck,suv owner’s manual. Of course, your Economy Transmission and Auto Repair advisor will know the proper coolant to use.

Brake fluid is confusing for some Terryville drivers. Back when we opened shop six years ago, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Terryville people mistakenly think the higher numbers are an upgrade. You know, if 3 is good then 4 must be better. That’s not how it works. They are different formulations to meet the demands of differences in brake systems. Only one of them is recommended for your truck,suv.

Transmission fluid is the same thing. For decades there were two basic types of tranny fluid used at Economy Transmission and Auto Repair: friction modified or not. With the tremendous engineering advances in truck,suv automatic transmissions, there have been several new types of fluids developed to protect and lubricate them.

Nowhere are the advances in automotive fluids more evident to Terryville motorists and Economy Transmission and Auto Repair professionals than in motor oil. Many new weights and formulations have been created to meet the demands of today’s modern truck,suv engine design. Modern engines have more parts and much tighter tolerances. Every year, engines make more power and get better fuel economy. And with all the complication and sophistication, they still have to be durable.

That’s where the new grades of engine oil come in. They have to be formulated to lubricate, protect and clean all of those truck,suv engine parts, big and little. The oil has to be thin enough to get into little passages, yet resistant to vaporization.

At Economy Transmission and Auto Repair, we believe that in some ways modern automotive fluids are just as great feats of engineering as the new engines. Because weights of oil and types of coolant and transmission fluid are so carefully matched to the vehicle, take care to always use the proper fluid if you are topping off at home.

Check your truck,suv owner’s manual or ask your Terryville service advisor. The wrong fluid can cause damage. If you drive a car or truck with 75,000 miles or more, consider high mileage formulations. These fluids contain extra detergent to clean dirtier older engines as well as additives to condition seals and gaskets. That’ll help prevent leaks. Always be sure that the high mileage fluid is the same weight or type of fluid recommended for your vehicle.

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