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Tip of the Month

Things that can make Brakes Noisy

Worn out brake pads or shoes can cause squealing or grinding noises coming from the brakes along with poor braking. Sometimes though the brakes can wear away and be into the metal without any noise. That is why it is good to inspect them periodically.

Other causes of noises can be glazed brake pads and/or shoes. This condition usually occurs after the brakes have been overheated, either because of excessive panic stops, riding of the brake, lots of city driving or in some cases living on a steep hill can cause this. The braking material must be soft enough to wear and grab hold of the drum or rotor to stop the car. This overheating hardens the braking material beyond its ability to do this.

Brake Material

Warped rotors or drums can also cause brake noises. Heat and mechanical wear thin out the brake rotor, or drum, causing some are as to be thicker than others. This causes a pulsation (up and down motion) of the brake pedal while applying the brakes. This condition can cause noise, excessive caliper wear and poor braking when the condition gets severe.

Poor quality lining or not machining a rotor with a compromised surface or warpage often causes noises and grabbing. The sound control quality of any brake friction material depends on the fillers and other ingredients that go into the mix when they are made.

Have your brake system thoroughly checked regularly, so there are no surprises. You can "head off high dollar brake work at the pass" by keeping a watchful eye on your brakes.

 

Cabin Air Filter

With all of the dust and smoke in the air lately our car’s Cabin air filter has been working overtime. Cabin filters are usually located under the dash and filter the air coming into the passenger compartment from outside dust, pollen, smoke and debris.

Cabin Filter

They should be replaced about once a year or every 12,000 - 20,000 miles. If they become plugged or restricted, poor heating or poor air conditioning performance may be experienced along with bad odors in the vehicle. This fall is a good time to get those changed after all the dirty air.

 

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Visit Wayne's Garage for your car repair and service in the Eugene and Springfield area. We are an AAA Approved Automobile Repair Facility and have been awarded the Blue Seal of Excellence by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Warning Lights

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Automotive Recalls

We often hear about auto recalls when they become big news, but recalls happen quite often and are not always publicized. Many cars running around out on the road have recalls that have never been addressed.

For those who bought used vehicles or have moved since a vehicle purchase, they may not get a notice.

How do you find out if there is a recall on your car? Go to Carfax and enter your make and VIN#. If your car is not listed you can check with a dealer or go to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA.

Millions of drivers could be endangered by operating vehicles that have been recalled but have not been repaired, according to an investigation conducted by Edmunds. They found there were at least 2.7 million vehicles listed for sale last year that still were subject to unfulfilled recalls. There are no laws that require a car's owner to notify a potential buyer that the car being sold is the subject of a recall. More about recalls and 14 of the largest.

Ignoring that Check Engine Light
Check Engine Light When the first GM cars with onboard computers and diagnostic capabilities came out in the early 80's, they could recognize a limited amount of problems and could store less than 20 trouble codes. It's not unusual for an average car today to recognize and set 125 codes or more just for the engine and transmission.

Then there is Anti-lock Brakes, Traction Control, Air Bag, suspension and other systems that have their own codes.

Some of these engine and transmission codes are for problems that usually won't cause problems we notice while driving. We often hear, "that light has been on for years, I don't worry about it anymore" or "Since this is a minor problem, can I continue driving it and not fix it right now?"
Unfortunately you only have one check engine light. If you ignore the light because of a problem that doesn't seem to affect the way the car drives, something else might crop up that will cause big problems and you may not know until it's too late because the light is already on.

Some problems that the light can come on to warn you about can cause poor mileage or be a warning that you may be left by the side of the road soon. Other warnings can be about things that can cause catalytic converter, transmission or engine failure.

See more Automotive Service and Repair Tips at Wayne's Garage

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Many of today's cars have more than 100 million lines of software code running everything from navigation systems to braking systems.

 

 

Wayne's Garage - serving Eugene and Springfield, Oregon car and light truck needs.

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333 Q Street
Springfield, Oregon