Carthage Auto Repair

Why Is An Oil Change So Important? This is a question we get asked. Late model vehicles have a lot of new engine technology that older vehicles don’t have such as Turbo Charged, Variable Valve Timing Variable Valve Lift and the list goes on. Also, many new vehicles have GDI engines which have a High-Pressure Fuel Pump that uses a lobe on the camshaft to run the pump. All these technologies rely on a quality Oil and Filter Change. The way you drive your vehicle and the driving conditions all have an effect on the life of the Oil. When oil get to the end of its life it will start breaking down its not able to lubricate the engine as well. If you don’t change your often enough (I recommend changing your oil every 5000 to 7500 miles) it can start accelerating the wear on the timing chains, cam lobes, also the bearings in Turbo if your Vehicle has one. All these repairs can be very expensive and many of these things can be prevented if you maintain your vehicle correctly. All of ... read more

  Why Does My Auto Start Stop Not Work. There are many different reasons why this may happen. As automakers work towards improving the fuel economy of their vehicles, many have implemented start-stop systems in their cars. This technology allows the engine to shut off automatically when the vehicle comes to a stop, such as at a red light or in traffic, and then quickly restarts the engine when the driver lifts their foot off the brake pedal. While this system can be a great way to save fuel, there are a few reasons Why Does MY Auto Start Stop Not Work. We'll explore some of the most common causes of start-stop system failure. Battery Issues: The Start-Stop system relies heavily on the vehicle's battery to power the engine's restart after it shuts off. If the battery is weak or has a low charge, the system may not function properly. In some cases, the battery may need to be replaced or recharged to restore proper function to the start-stop system. Electrical Problems: T ... read more

      Why Does My Truck Keep Having Emission Problems. These issues can be frustrating to deal with whether this is your personal diesel pickup or it’s your Heavy Haul Truck that you use to haul freight. We realize that anytime the wheels aren’t turning on your vehicle your loosing money. We have the factory software to hook to most of Class 8 trucks and medium duty vehicles. We also invest in training so that we understand these emission systems and how they work so that we can fix them right the first time and get you back on the road. We will look at some of the most common problems we see. You may be driving your vehicle and dash lights up with SCR Fault Engine Derate in 4 hours. If you get this message on the dash and you ignore it and keep driving your truck it will go into Derate and you will notice a loss of power if you keep driving, you will end up at 5 mph and getting a tow to get your truck fixed. The best thing you can do when this happens i ... read more

Why Does My Engine Shake? This is a question we get sometimes and there are many different things that can cause an engine to misfire and create a shake that you feel inside the vehicle while its idling or driving down the road. It doesn’t matter if the engine runs on gas and it’s in a car or if it runs on Diesel and it’s in a Commercial Vehicle. We’re going to only look at one reason and that is the Camshaft and the Lifters that make the valves move. The Camshaft has to be timed with the Crankshaft if it gets out of time it will cause the engine to run poorly and misfire causing the engine to shake and if its bad enough to shake the whole vehicle. Another thing that can go wrong with a Camshaft is the lobe that the lifter rides on can get worn down and wear the bottom of the lifter when it gets bad enough it will cause a Misfire. What happens is as the Camshaft Lobe and Lifter get worn it can’t open the valve the correct amount if it’s the Intake Lo ... read more

Check Engine Light why does it come on? This is a question we hear a lot. Your vehicle’s engine light comes on for a lot of reasons. The main reason it comes on is for emission related faults. You can go to a parts store and get your car hooked to a Check Engine Light Reader and get the codes read. They can give you the code and sell you the parts that may or may not fix the problem. We have high end Scan tools and OEM Software so we can fix your “Check Engine Light” correctly. If your vehicle is exhibiting a “Check Engine Light Flashing” you want to stop driving the vehicle as soon as you can safely do so. When the Check Engine Light Is Flashing that is an indication of an Engine Misfire and if you keep driving it will damage your catalytic convertor. It is always best to get the Check Engine Light on your vehicle fixed as soon as possible. If your vehicle has a “Check Engine Light” on give us a call and we will diagnose it for you and let you ... read more