Know the Danger Signs of a Potential Brake Failure.  




It's Important to check your vehicles Braking System Regularly.

If someone asked you, "What is the most important system on your car or truck?", what would you say? If you said, "The Braking System."... you would be right.  
We can do without many systems on the car, but one system we can not do without is the brake system. Brakes are one of the most neglected systems on our cars today. We often take them for granted. When it's time for brake repair, some people want the least expensive brake parts money can buy.  This is one system you don't want to skimp on.

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture) parts, or better, should always be used when servicing your braking system. Never trust your brake system to anyone other than a Certified Brake Specialist, and pay a little extra for the quality parts and workmanship. The peace of mind knowing that the job is done right, is far more valuable that the few dollars you will save with cheaper parts and workmanship. A quality repair will  insure the brakes last a long time.

Some of the danger signs that your brakes need immediate attention are:  Illuminated brake warning light, hard pedal feel, grabbing, low pedal, vibration while braking, metal to metal sound, and any other unusual brake noises. 

If you are experiencing any of these warning signs with your brakes, come to Kool Kar Auto Repair in Azle TX.  If we perform your brake repair the check is free.  Remember  "Sixty to Zero is Important too".

Dealing With Automotive Intermittent Problems

These problems are by far the most difficult  for the automotive technician to diagnose and repair.   

Because these types of malfunctions occur randomly, an intermittent problem may not occur while operating a particular system or even during a road test. This presents an extremely difficult situation for the technician working on the vehicle.  He must have some point of reference to know where to begin  his testing process.

Regardless of the type of problem or system at fault, certain aspects of diagnosis remain the same.  In order to diagnose the source of any problem the technician needs the fault to occur at least twice.  This is because the first observance provides the technician with some insight needed to plan a focused testing strategy.  A Focused Testing Strategy saves you money by decreasing the amount of diagnostic time needed to locate the problem.  The problem must occur a second time while the technician has special on-board testing equipment, attached to your vehicle, monitoring the system or components that may be at fault.  Although the technician is prepared to attempt to recreate whatever operating conditions are necessary to make the problem occur, if the problem does not surface, a focused strategy can not be planned.  The Focused Testing Strategy is the best to make an accurate repair at the lowest cost.

If you are experiencing  an intermittent problem with your car pay particular attention to when the problem occurs.  Write down such things as how fast you were going, what were the conditions when this problem occurred, what was the ambient temperature, was the A/C, Heat, lights and radio on.   These can all be  important clues.  keeping a log may lead you to predict  when the problem may occur, or maybe even learn how to make it happen. This information will go a long way toward saving you time, money, and most of all getting it Repaired Correctly The First Time.

If the  Focused Testing Strategy Method can not be used, another strategy is often used by repair shops called the All-Inclusive Systematic Method.  This is where the technician tests all the systems with the ability to cause the symptom, until the fault is found.  This All-Inclusive Systematic Method requires more time, and is more expensive.  plus there is no guarantee that a defect discovered in this manner will resolve the problem.  

The worse repair of all is the Educated Guess.  This can be risky business, because in most cases, if the guess does not repair the vehicle, the part can not be returned, and the labor for the installation is nonrefundable if a shop does it.  I am extremely happy to say we do not use this method at Kool Kar Auto Repair.

Diagnosing Intermittent Problems can be very time consuming and sometimes requires the customers patience, cooperation, and understanding for a shop to be successful  repairing this type of problem.  It may take more diagnostic time than originally estimated to recreate, or find the cause of a symptom.  It may also take extensive road testing of the vehicle, and leaving the vehicle for several days to observe the symptom, or judge the results of the diagnosis, and or repair.  This will insure the problem is repaired properly and the customer will be satisfied with the results.  Remember this, a repair can not be estimated until the diagnosis is completed. The most important part of automotive repair is being able to diagnose a problem correctly. 

Now that you are aware of some of the challenges that can surface while repairing intermittent problems, it's time to call or come by KOOL KAR AUTO REPAIR,  Azle Texas, to afford  us the honor and  opportunity to repair your car or light truck.
   

WHAT ARE CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINTS, AND WHAT ARE THEY USED FOR?

Constant Velocity Joints, or CV Joints as they are commonly called, allow a drive shaft to transmit power through a changing angle, without binding.  They are mainly used in front wheel drive vehicles and many rear wheel drive cars with independent suspension.

Your CV Joints should be inspected frequently for leaking grease to prevent failure.  CV Joints will wear out, that's a fact, and when that happens if the joint breaks, it can leave you stranded. plus you have the possibility of ripping off a brake line or other components under your car. When a joint breaks it can also cause structural damage under the car, and you could even loose control of the vehicle.
Common indications of damaged CV Joints can be a loud clicking noise when turning left or right or a vibration during acceleration.

If you have any questions concerning CV Joints call or come by KOOL KAR AUTO REPAIR in Azle TEXAS.

What To Do When Your Windshield Wipers Stop Working

Its raining, your driving down the freeway at 60 MPH and all the sudden your windshield wipers stop working...what do you do?  

First of all don't panic.  Take the first exit off the freeway and find a safe place to stop.

The first thing you should do is find your owners manual and look for the location of  the wiper fuse.  Check the fuse.  To do this remove the fuse and examine it. Most fuses you can look at the fuse and determine if it is burned in two because they are made from clear or colored plastic which you will be able to see through.  If the fuse looks OK, take a look at your wiper motor (if you know where it's located) and see if perhaps it came unplugged.  If all else fails and you can't find the problem (by this time your probable soaked) look in your car and see if you have any Rain-X or any type of rain repellent.  If not look for a nearby store where you may be able to purchase some.

Once you have the rain repellent apply it to the windshield.  This will place a protective coating on the window that will allow the rain to roll off, buying you some time to find a reputable repair facility to get your wipers going again. 

When in Azle Texas stop by KOOL KAR AUTO REPAIR... we will be happy to take care of all your automotive Repair needs.