For 2021 we posted several blogs on car care tips to help with vehicle maintenance and safety. Here are the most viewed articles on the Openbay blog throughout 2021 – in ascending order of most viewed.
Why Does My Car Air Conditioner Smell When I Turn It On?
It could be a few days, a week or even a month before you finally get behind the wheel of your car. It’s hot outside. You start your car, turn on the air conditioner (AC) and then an unpleasant odor takes over the cabin.
There are a number of causes for odor emanating from a car’s AC system. This article goes over a few tips on what to do about it and prevent the smell from coming back.
What Does it Cost to Replace Spark Plugs?
Your car’s spark plugs serve a critical function in your car. They ignite the mixture between air and fuel in your engine’s combustion chamber by delivering a electric current from the ignition system. This all translates to powering your engine and making your car go. Find out what it cost to replace spark plugs.
What To Do If You Run Out of Gas
Running out of gas in the middle of nowhere is among drivers’ biggest fears, and it’s also one of the easiest things to prevent.
If you have run out of gas, read these tips – they could mean the difference between having to cancel your plans and arriving safely to your destination – albeit a little late.
How to Tell if Your Car AC Needs Freon – AC Recharge Explained
In the warm summer months, the last thing you want is for the car’s AC to stop working. Here’s a quick review of your AC system, and how to keep it in tip-top shape.
Car Battery Dead: What to Do When Your Battery Dies
Car battery dead? Let’s take a guess: it’s an inconvenient time, right? Car batteries always die at the wrong time. Not that there’s necessarily any good time for a battery to give up the ghost. But you usually only discover it’s dead when you’re in a rush to get somewhere and your engine won’t turn over. Here are tips on what to do.
100,000 Mile Service – What’s the Cost?
Let’s say you own a six, seven, eight-year “young” car. Your odometer reads between 100,000 – 120,000 miles. Your dash is illuminated with a wrench or a display that says “Service.” Your car’s telling you it’s time for service, but you’re not sure what’s involved in a typical 100,000 mile service checklist. Let’s have a look.
About Your Vehicle’s Ball Joints: What they Do, When to Replace & Cost
Ball Joints are the automotive equivalent to the human shoulder. Think of a ball and socket design with a base that mounts onto a control arm, and a stem that fits into the tire/wheel assembly.
As the control arm moves up and down with changing road conditions, the stem (socket) moves so the wheel assembly stays on the ground. This stem is able to rotate independently of the base.
This pivot point allows the the tire/wheel assembly to rotate smoothly when we turn the steering wheel. Here is a post on what they do and the cost to replace them.
What do Mechanics Look for When Performing a Vehicle Inspection?
One of the big pains in the neck about owning a car is having to re-register each and every year (depending on your state, you’ll renew either annually or biennially through the state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles). A big part of that is taking your car in for a mandatory vehicle inspection. Although not required in every state, it’s important. Its purpose isn’t just another hoop to jump through. It’s intended to be a way for the DMV to ensure that your car is safe to be on the road. Have a look at what the inspectors inspect.
Got a p0420 Code? You May Need an Oxygen Sensor Or You May Need Something Else Entirely
When check engine lights are scanned, a p0420 code is a very common result. It’s actually a generic code, meaning it can be thrown from any vehicle after 1996. Commonly, people think the p0420 code indicates that the oxygen sensors need to be replaced, but that’s definitely not always the case. Read on for yourself.
How Much Should it Cost to Replace Your Tires?
You hop in your car, back out of your driveway, and hear an odd dragging sound on the pavement beneath your tires. Ignoring it, you begin to drive off – and notice that your steering wheel is almost impossible to turn. Pulling over and stepping out of your car to investigate, you find that one of your tires has gone mysteriously flat overnight. Dollar signs begin to float before your vision as you ponder just how much a tire replacement costs. What you’ll pay out-of-pocket is entirely determined by what kind of tire you need and what kind of vehicle you drive.
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