AUTONET TV

Keeping Your Cool (Water Pump Replacement)

No matter what the temperature is outside, it's important for your vehicle's engine to remain cool, calm, and collected.  Well, cool, anyway. If your vehicle has a gasoline engine, it's powered by a bunch of explosions involving spark plugs, pistons, gasoline, and air.  And the by-product of all those things working together? HEAT.

There's a whole cooling system to keep everything at a tolerable temperature for your engine's parts, and a key part of that is the water pump.  Technically, it's pumping more than water. It should actually be called the "coolant" pump since the liquid that circulates through the system is a mixture of water and coolant. 

Basically, the water pump keeps this coolant moving through your engine, where it picks up the engine heat, and then is pumped into the radiator where it gets rid of that heat.  When a water pump fails, the engine heat can build up.  When you get a warning light on the dash (either a gauge or a light) that shows the temperature is too high, it could mean a bad water pump. 

They can fail for many reasons. They have bearings in them that wear out, as does the seal between the pump and the engine. They're often driven by a belt or chain that can go bad.  Corrosion can spell the end of a water pump, too. 

If a technician determines your water pump has failed, it's time to replace it. In addition, other components of the cooling system will be inspected.  The best way to avoid a water pump failure is regular maintenance of your cooling system which includes regular draining and flushing of the coolant. 

Just like it's important for you to keep your cool, the same goes for your vehicle's engine.

East Coast Automotive Services
134 Fern St
Jupiter, FL 33458
(561) 743-1178
http://www.eastcoastautoservices.com

The East Coast Automotive Services Guide to Proper Fluids for Your Vehicle

The automotive professionals at East Coast Automotive Services would like to give Jupiter drivers an update on some of the things happening in automotive fluids. You know, vehicles are becoming more sophisticated every day.  Fluids such as, oil, coolant and transmission fluid are becoming more specialized at about the same pace.

The Jupiter do-it-yourselfer has to be pretty careful so that they do not actually harm their vehicle with the wrong type of fluid. That is why so many FL ] owners rely on the advice of their friendly and knowledgeable East Coast Automotive Services service advisor to not only get the correct family of fluids, but to suggest the formulation that is best for their vehicle and their driving habits in the Jupiter area.

Let's start with engine oil. Jupiter drivers who have been paying attention will have noticed a number of new oil weights on the FL scene in the last several years. Modern engines are built to much tighter tolerances and have very complicated valve trains. The oil must be thin enough to lubricate complicated parts when the engine is cold. The weight of an oil is expressed in terms like 20-W-50 or 5-W-30. The vehicle manufacturers recommend the weight of oil for each vehicle they make. The recommendation is based on engine design. Your Jupiter service center will know what weight your vehicle manufacturer recommends - and it's important to follow those recommendations. Your service advisor at East Coast Automotive Services can also offer suggestions for special formulations and can tell you all about conventional and synthetic oils.

Antifreeze, or engine coolant, is another area that has become more complicated. For a long time, vehicle manufacturers only recommended a couple of different types of coolant. Now, several different formulations are needed because of the high-tech materials that vehicle manufacturers are using to build the cooling system. Using the wrong type of coolant in your vehicle can actually void your warranty, so it's important to get that right.

Transmission fluid is becoming specialized for Jupiter vehicles as well. New transmission designs have particular requirements that require specific formulations. Recently, new, somewhat confusing, standards for brake fluid have also been released.

Not too long ago, there was a good chance that all of the vehicles at your house would use many of the same fluids. However, as automotive technology advances, the array of basic automotive fluids FL drivers need will grow. And, some of the formulations will cost a little more for Jupiter drivers. Fortunately, East Coast Automotive Services will continue to update their training to keep pace with technology so that you'll get the right fluids your vehicle needs. It's all part of the commitment we make to your driving peace of mind.

 East Coast Automotive Services
134 Fern St
Jupiter, FL 33458
(561) 743-1178
http://www.eastcoastautoservices.com

Them's the Brakes (Brake Rotor Resurfacing)

Your vehicle's brakes wear out.  It's inevitable. You'll notice it when you step on the brake pedal and feel it harder to stop, or there's vibration when you are braking. 

Most modern vehicles have disc brakes that each use a brake pad that press on a disc (disc brakes!) called a rotor.  The friction between them enables you to stop, and each time you do a little bit of the pad and the rotor wears down.

The original brakes on vehicles used a rotor that was thick enough to last through at least two replacements of the pads.  But vehicle manufacturers who want to save costs and weight now make them thinner, and sometimes the rotors have to be replaced after the first pad replacement.  But not always.

Vehicle manufacturers specify a minimum thickness to provide safe braking.  Sometimes rather than having to have your rotors replaced, they can be put on a lathe and resurfaced.  In other words, the surfaces of the disc can be slightly shaved off so the surface is flat and doesn't wobble. 

Whenever you bring your vehicle in to have the brakes checked, the technician will measure the thickness of the rotors to see if they can be resurfaced without leaving them too thin for safe braking. If they can, with the right tools and skill, the rotors can be resurfaced.  If not, the rotors should be replaced. 

Discuss the options with your service advisor.  Our service center can recommend replacements that are designed to help stop your vehicle as well as or better than the vehicle's original rotors.

Either way, keep in mind that keeping your brakes in top condition can supply the margin of safety that may one day save your life or the lives of those around you.

East Coast Automotive Services
134 Fern St
Jupiter, FL 33458
(561) 743-1178
http://www.eastcoastautoservices.com