
The Edible Engine
April 10, 2022
You may have had a friend whose vehicle was the victim of hungry rodents. After all, mice, rats and squirrelseven rabbitshave been known to gnaw on wires in engine compartments, causing vehicle electrical systems to go haywire. They can disable a vehicle completely and be very expensive to fix.... More

Taking the Heat (Heater Hose Maintenance/Repair)
April 3, 2022
If you have an internal combustion vehicle, you know it has a lot of hoses that carry various fluids. And if you have a heater in your vehicle, you'll have heater hoses. A heater hose connects to and from the engine so some coolant can be circulated through a little radiator called a heater core... More

Trickle Down Technology
March 27, 2022
Recently, Nissan introduced the latest version of its Leaf, the company's electric car. It has many new features, including something called e-Pedal. It allows the driver to let up on the accelerator and, unlike a gasoline engine car, the Leaf doesn't just slowly lose speed; letting off the throt... More

When Your Air Bag Light Comes On (Illuminated Air Bag Light)
March 20, 2022
There are some dashboard lights you should pay more attention to than others. One is the air bag light. If it's on and your vehicle is in an accident, your air bags probably won't do their job. Automakers began installing air bags in the late 1990's since they were mandatory in the United State... More

It's Brake Time (Brake Calipers)
March 13, 2022
Race car drivers have demonstrated the advantages of disc brakes, so most modern vehicles use them. Sometimes just the front wheels have disc brakes, but many vehicles now have them all the way around. A major component of the disc brake is called a caliper. It works by squeezing brake pads ag... More

NOT JUST ANOTHER CUSTOMER (Finding the Right Service Facility)
March 6, 2022
You might remember a hit TV sitcom that was set in a bar, a place where "everybody knows your name." The idea, of course, is people feel more comfortable where they aren't just another customer among many; they're special because their relationship goes back a few years. That comfortable relat... More

Procrastination Prevention in Bloomington
February 27, 2022
Every one of us has a little procrastinator inside us. Some put off getting our teeth cleaned. Others put off answering our emails. Yet others put off calling friends and family (sorry, Uncle Joe). And there are those of us who put off getting our vehicle's service done, whether it's a repair or ... More

The Best Test
February 20, 2022
Would you buy a jacket without even trying it on? Probably not, but it might surprise you that one study shows about half the people buy a vehicle after a short test drive around the block or none at all. If you're in the market for another vehicle, make sure you check out the most important thi... More

Muffler: Victim of Winter (Muffler Repair)
February 13, 2022
So you almost got through the winter until, one day, your muffler started sounding like a dragster, loud and obnoxious. It's not surprising. All that road salt and brine can cause rust to punch holes in a muffler, and that should raise a big, red warning flag about the safety of your vehicle. O... More

The Byte Stuff (Your Vehicle's Computers)
February 6, 2022
Nobody has to tell you that computers are a part of so many things in our lives. Smartphones, kitchen appliances, vacuum cleaners, televisions. You name itit has a computer in it. And your vehicle is no exception. The earliest cars relied on the technology of their time, and there was no such ... More