Maintenance Tips 163
What Do Spark Plugs Do? Functionality, Replacement Needs, And More
What Do Spark Plugs Do? Spark plugs are the piece that provides the spark to ignite the air/fuel mixture that keeps your engine running. They allow your car to move from point A to Point B. They’re a small component that packs a large punch. Without this little piece, you’re not going anywhere! Spark plugs are a […]
Drum Brakes vs. Disc Brakes – What You Need to Know
How to Tell if You Have Pads and Rotors or Shoes and Drums Vehicles on the road today can have two different types of braking systems, known as “disc brakes” and “drum brakes.” Each wheel on your vehicle has its own brake, and virtually all modern cars have disc brakes in front. Disc brakes are […]
What Does a Muffler Do? Explanation of the Function, Maintenance, and Repair
Your exhaust system, and namely the muffler, are crucial to your vehicle’s performance. Therefore, it’s important to have some understanding of the muffler’s basic function. Otherwise, you’re at a higher risk for muffler damage, and all of the repercussions that come along with that.A defective muffler can cause excessive noise pollution, a decrease in fuel efficiency, and lowered engine performance. It […]
Pre-Holiday Road-Trip Checklist
This year, AAA predicts nearly 49 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles to celebrate Thanksgiving, with 89% of those planning to drive. Before you head out, here’s a quick road-trip checklist. Bring your vehicle to the shop, to ensure it’s up to the task of enduring stop-and-go traffic, which is probably about as taxing to […]
Easy DIY Car Repair
So easy a kid could do it? Not quite, but if you’re handy with a wrench, you might be able to try your hand at the below repairs. Owning a car can cost you a lot of money, even after you’ve paid it off. Even with gas prices hovering around $3.00 these days, filling up […]
How Does a Car Battery Work? Everything You Need to Know
As the fall weather rolls in, your car battery may be losing its zest for life. The dead of winter is inconveniently the peak online-search season for car batteries — just the time of year you don’t want to be stranded. There’s no better time than the present to have your vehicle’s battery tested (and […]
Why TPMS Lights Are Such a Pain in the You-Know-What
Here we are, November again, and it’s already getting below freezing here overnight in Boston. You know what that means don’t you? It’s the time of year that my wife starts hassling me about how her low tire-warning light, or tire-pressure monitoring/TPMS light is coming on every morning. I have a couple of tricks up my […]
Why Booking a General Diagnosis (or two) For My Car Was Worth It
We all know that car repair is a nuisance; that’s why Openbay is on a mission to make it less painful. Here’s the story of how one recommended auto repair turned into a more complicated scenario, which was quickly remedied by a general diagnosis. Yes, that means I had to diagnose my car twice. But in the […]
What Does a Car Radiator Do? And Tips to Prolong Its Life
A car radiator is simply a device that exchanges heat from the engine with the surrounding, cooler air. The failures are slightly more complex, but preventable. What Does a Car Radiator Do? Hot coolant enters the radiator through the upper hose, then moves down a series of small tubes built into a large, flat surface area. The […]
Common Maintenance Question: How Often Do I Need a Brake Flush?
When a mechanic suggests you need a brake flush, many drivers fear that their wallets are being flushed instead. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact of the matter is now that cars have advanced braking systems that contain lots of expensive components, so it makes sense to periodically flush the system. How Often Do I […]
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