AUTONET TV

Brandy Wants To Know, Is Your Los Altos Driving Severe?

Hello Brandy here and did you know that people near Los Altos, CA, often ask Allied Auto Works how often they should have a particular service done. It's a great thing to ask. You can look at your owner's manual or have your Los Altos, CA, service advisor at Allied Auto Works look up your vehicle in a service database. What you find is often a surprise to people – there are actually two service schedules. 

One is the regular schedule and the other is the severe service schedule. Service intervals are shorter on the severe service schedule. When asked, most folks in Los Altos will say that their driving is normal and that the 'regular' schedule probably applies to them. 'Severe service' sounds pretty extreme – 'I don't drive like that.'

Well, here is what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions; you can draw your own conclusions.

• Most of your trips are less than four miles (six and a half kilometers).
• Most of your trips are less than ten miles (16 km) and outside temperatures are below freezing.
• The engine is at low speed most of the time – not on the highway. You operate your vehicle in dusty areas.
• You regularly tow a trailer or carry heavy loads.
• You drive with a car-top carrier.
• You do a lot of stop-and-go driving.
• You drive in very hot or very cold weather.

If that's severe driving, what constitutes regular driving? Well, it would look something like this: I live somewhere with moderate temperatures all year round – I'm thinking San Diego here. And I live close to a freeway on-ramp. Everywhere I need to go is right off the freeway, at least 4 miles (6.5 km) from my home. I can drive at a steady 60 miles per hour (100 kph) when I'm on the freeway.

I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like my normal driving. It sounds more like ideal conditions. I live where it gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I run short errands around Los Altos. Occasionally, we load up for family trips.

For me, normal driving includes elements of severe service driving. So here's what I tell people: think about how you drive, where you live, where you go, and what you expect to do with your vehicle in the near future.

Picture a line with 'regular' on one end and 'severe' on the other, and make a judgment on where you fall. If your regular oil change recommendation is 5,000 miles (8,000 km) and the severe service recommendation is 3,000 miles (5,000 km), when should you change your oil? For me, it's closer to 3,000 miles (5,000 km). For my wife, it's closer to 5,000 miles (8,000 km). Your Los Altos, CA auto service advisor at Allied Auto Works will be happy to discuss this with you and help you sort it out.

Just a quick word on why severe service intervals are shorter. One has to do with heat. That can either be external heat from the weather, engine and transmission heat from stop-and-go driving, or working extra hard, moving heavy loads, or towing. The heat causes fluids like oil and transmission fluid to break down more quickly, making them less effective.

Another factor is water. Moisture naturally collects in fluids as they cool. In your motor oil, for example, if you don't drive long enough for the oil to fully heat up, the water won't evaporate. Water in the oil can lead to the buildup of damaging sludge.

If you live where the air is dusty or polluted, fluids will become contaminated and filters will get dirtier more quickly.

So make an honest evaluation of your driving conditions. You've made the commitment to take care of your vehicles, so it only makes sense to follow the right schedule.

I leave you with this scheduling quote,

"What gets scheduled gets done." — Anonymous

Brandy

Westmoreland Transmissions
2001 E LOOP 820 S STE 19A
FORT WORTH, TX 76112
817.466.7295
www.westmorelandtransmissions.com

I'm Cool With That (AC Exchange)

On a hot day, you want your vehicle's air conditioning to work.  When the air blowing out of your vents isn't cold, it's easy to think, "I'll just take it by the shop and have them top off my refrigerant." But while some people think air conditioning is that simple, it's actually not.

If your refrigerant is low, something has to have happened for it to be depleted.  Perhaps there's a leak in the system.  Or some hoses or clamps have failed.  If the system isn't evaluated by someone who knows air conditioning, it's possible that adding refrigerant will just be a band-aid solution.

It's also possible that contaminants have gotten into the refrigerant, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, or air.  Some of those gases do not condense like refrigerant does which can increase the pressure inside the system and strain the lines and other components. At that point, the best course of action may be to have the old refrigerant (with its contaminants) bled from the system and have your AC recharged with new refrigerant.

Bring it to us, and we can inspect and test the system and all its components.  That will include a pressure test for leaks.  Most vehicle manufacturers don't have a service schedule for air conditioning systems, so one way to know when you should have it looked at is when it's not behaving the way it used to.  For example, it may not get cold as fast as it did before or even at all.

So, when hot air is exiting your vents when you want it to be cold, schedule an appointment and have a trained technician take care of it.  Are you cool with that?

Westmoreland Transmissions
2001 E LOOP 820 S STE 19A
FORT WORTH, TX 76112
817.466.7295
www.westmorelandtransmissions.com

Why Is My Check Engine Light On?

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some FORT WORTH drivers, and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most people.

Let's get the urgency issues out of the way first. If your Check Engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause engine damage. Naturally, you need to get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn't drive at high speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to your FORT WORTH service center.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn't go off, schedule an appointment with your friendly and knowledgeable pros at Westmoreland Transmissions to get it checked out.

Some more information on how the Check Engine light works may be helpful for FORT WORTH drivers. Most of your engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive.

In order to make these adjustments, the computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range, the computer runs some tests and may turn on the vehicle's Check Engine light.

A simple example is a loose or missing gas cap. This may cause one of the sensors to read out of range. The computer doesn't know if it's a serious condition that caused the reading or just a loose gas cap, so it stores a trouble code and turns on the Check Engine light.

Now when you tighten up the gas cap, the sensor readings will be in the correct range. The computer will keep checking on the report for a day or two. Since a bad reading didn't come up again, it turns off the Check Engine light. The computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it'll then turn off the Check Engine light.

If the problem can't be resolved then the light will remain on, and you should get your vehicle looked at. Your friendly and knowledgeable pros at Westmoreland Transmissions will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give the technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

Westmoreland Transmissions
2001 E LOOP 820 S STE 19A
FORT WORTH, TX 76112
817.466.7295
www.westmorelandtransmissions.com

It Wears on You (Tire Rotation)

If someone told you there was a fairly inexpensive way to improve your vehicle's handling, fuel economy and extend the life of your tires, you'd probably ask, "What do I have to do?" The answer is to rotate your tires.  But you have to do it regularly.

A lot of drivers think skipping tire rotation is a way to save money.  But when you don't rotate your tires, they will almost certainly wear unevenly.  That's because when your tires touch the surface of the road, the friction and traction causes miniscule parts of the rubber to come off.  And that process isn't exactly the same on each corner of your vehicle.  Some vehicles have the drive wheels in the front, some in the rear and some on all wheels.

Rotating your tires at regular intervals minimizes the differences in the way the tires wear.  The amount and pattern will be spread out equally if your tires spend time at all different positions.  The more even the wear, the more consistent traction, handling and braking will be.  All four tires will last longer this way, and when it is time to replace your tires, they'll all be worn out the same so you can replace all four with the same model tire.

Some people who choose not to rotate their tires find that one or two will wear much faster than the others, and often they'll replace just the worn ones.  While you can find similar tires, they won't all be the same and will certainly not have the same amount of wear. 

There are different tire rotation patterns depending on several factors: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, directional tires/wheels, different sized wheels/tires on front and rear axles.  Also keep in mind that when your tires are new, some tire manufacturers require you to rotate them or else they won't honor the warranty. 

Your manufacturer recommends intervals for tire rotation, so it's best to follow their suggestion.  Your vehicle service facility can advise you when you need to get your tires rotated.  And many facilities include free tire rotation for as long as they're on your vehicle if you buy your tires at their shop.

Westmoreland Transmissions
2001 E LOOP 820 S STE 19A
FORT WORTH, TX 76112
817.466.7295
www.westmorelandtransmissions.com