AUTONET TV

The autoclinic of brandon Guide to Caring for Your Transmission

Most vehicles have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of brandon drivers only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in brandon. You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down shift for hills, stuff like that. Think of your legs as the engine – there's an ideal speed you can pedal and you change gears to leverage the work you're doing.

Lower gears for power on hills or for starting out. Higher gears for more speed. That's what the automatic transmission does – it automatically starts in lower gears and shifts up to higher gears to go faster on florida roads. And it automatically shifts back down to climb brandon hills, pass or start up again.

Vehicle automatic transmissions have certainly gotten more sophisticated in recent years. They have more speeds than before: the base is four speeds, five is very common.

At autoclinic of brandon, we routinely service transmissions with six speeds and several have seven or even eight speeds. As you can imagine, this means more parts. Any they all have to fit into roughly the same space.

Transmissions are computer controlled these days, with some high end transmissions having two or three computers. Transmissions are engineered to last. But they are also engineered to tighter tolerances. If a portion of the transmission is starved for lubrication, it can lead to failure.

Not enough fluid can starve the transmission, or dirty transmission fluid can clog small passages in the transmission. Then the lubricant is blocked and can't get to all the parts to protect them, so they wear out prematurely. The technicians at autoclinic of brandon see far too many transmissions that needlessly failed due to neglect.

And, as you can imagine, repairing one of these new transmissions at any brandon service center can be quite costly. That's why owner’s manuals have a schedule for how often you should change the fluid and what type of fluid to use.

It's really important for brandon area drivers to carefully follow the manufacturer's transmission service schedule.

At autoclinic of brandon in brandon, we hope you never become shiftless in brandon because you didn't take care of your transmission.

autoclinic of brandon
901A WEST BRANDON BLVD
brandon, florida 33511
813-654-8686

Getting the Right Tires and Wheels in brandon

A lot of people get custom wheels in brandon. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you're not careful. Sometimes, once they're mounted, they just don't fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don't want that.

Consulting your autoclinic of brandon tire professional can ensure you get the right fit. First he'll ask you a series of questions about your brandon driving needs and what you want in your new wheels. Now, not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub.

If you don't want to make any modifications to your vehicle, you would need to focus on the wheels that would fit. With trucks, some people in brandon like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most brandon drivers don't realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your vehicle's anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn't know what changes you made so it can't tell how fast you're going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong speed. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your vehicle engine control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in florida. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your friendly and knowledgeable autoclinic of brandon tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and how to select the right tire for your vehicle. Your autoclinic of brandon service advisor will help you find the best tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs in brandon.

autoclinic of brandon
901A WEST BRANDON BLVD
brandon, florida 33511
813-654-8686

Why Is My Check Engine Light On?

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some brandon 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 brandon 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 autoclinic of brandon to get it checked out.

Some more information on how the Check Engine light works may be helpful for brandon 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 autoclinic of brandon 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.

autoclinic of brandon
901A WEST BRANDON BLVD
brandon, florida 33511
813-654-8686

autoclinic of brandon Helps You Decipher the Menu Board: Part 2

florida service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some brandon drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.

autoclinic of brandon fuel system cleaning: Over time, the vehicle fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.

autoclinic of brandon headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It's usually good to change them every year or so.

autoclinic of brandon inspections: brandon drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they're going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle's ready for a florida summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used vehicle and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or are getting close to having a problem.

autoclinic of brandon oil change: There are several options: Some brandon centers offer just an oil change and new filter as an option. Most will also check and top off all of your other fluids and do a quick visual inspection with a full service oil change. In my way of thinking, the full service option is best because it makes sure you have adequate fluids and may uncover an emerging problem. There may also be options for higher mileage fluids or an upgrade to synthetic oil.

autoclinic of brandon PCV valve replacement in brandon: PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It's a little part that releases pressure from the engine. It can get gummed up and that can lead to engine damage. It just needs to be changed now and then.

autoclinic of brandon power steering service: Often overlooked. Your friendly and knowledgeable autoclinic of brandon technician will evacuate the old fluid, clean out the system and replace it with clean fluid. Keeps the vehicle system running well for a long time.

autoclinic of brandon serpentine belt service: That's the belt that powers the vehicle engine's accessories like the alternator, air conditioner, power steering and brakes. You'll want to replace the serpentine belt before it breaks, because that'll shut you down.

autoclinic of brandon shocks and struts: This starts with an inspection of the suspension components. Shocks last a long time and wear out slowly, so many brandon drivers don't notice when it's time to change them. If they're worn or leaking, they need to be replaced.

autoclinic of brandon transmission service: This involves removing the transmission fluid and replacing it with clean fluid. It's like an oil change for your transmission.

autoclinic of brandon tire rotation and wheel balancing: The tires are rotated from front to back using the recommended rotation pattern. This helps tires wear more evenly. Wheels need to be balanced from time to time to keep them turning without any wobble or bounce. Helps the ride and saves tire wear.

autoclinic of brandon
901A WEST BRANDON BLVD
brandon, florida 33511
813-654-8686