May 16, 2012

Get The Right Tires And Wheels At Davie Garage

Filed under: Tires — daviegar233 @ 5:08 pm

Get The Right Tires And Wheels At Davie Garage

A lot of Opa Locka drivers get custom wheels. 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 didn’t fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don’t want that.

Consulting a tire professional at Davie Garage can ensure you get the right fit. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs in Opa Locka and what you want in your new wheels.

At Davie Garage, we advise Opa Locka tire buyers that 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 minivan, you need to focus on the wheels that fit. With trucks, some Opa Locka people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

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

The minivan’s 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 minivan’s engine control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. For information on reprogramming the engine computer, call us at 954.587.2310.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in Opa Locka. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your Davie Garage tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs.

At Davie Garage in Davie FL (33314) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 954.587.2310. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 11, 2012

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Davie Garage In Davie

Filed under: Air Conditioning — daviegar233 @ 9:33 pm

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Davie Garage In Davie

Most Davie area car owners don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. Maintaining your minivan air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well.

Along with the refrigerant, a special oil circulates in the system. The oil lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and we all know that air conditioning repairs can be costly in Dania.

Air conditioning service at Davie Garage in Davie starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it’s inspected for cracks or wear.

The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation by your Davie Garage service advisor. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the minivan system is retested. Your Davie Garage technician will also perform a temperature drop test.

If needed, the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the air conditioner is working, and you’re on your way.

How often this should be done at Davie Garage varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your minivan owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your personable Davie Garage service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

Give us a call

Davie Garage
4301 Southwest 64th Ave
Davie, FL 33314

At Davie Garage in Davie FL (33314) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 954.587.2310. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 3, 2012

Cooling System Service At Davie Garage

Filed under: Cooling System — daviegar233 @ 8:22 pm

Cooling System Service At Davie Garage

Your minivan cooling system’s job is to keep your engine cool. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it’s cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the cooled mix circulates back through the minivan engine to absorb more heat.

Coolant, or antifreeze, is specially formulated to keep your engine safe in a wide range of environmental and operating temperatures in Davie.

Without coolant, the minivan’s metal engine parts would expand so much that the engine would seize up and stop running.  Expensive parts could be broken or warp so badly they would have to be replaced at Davie Garage in Davie. It could even be so bad that the whole engine is ruined and has to be replaced.

Also, if it’s freezing outside in Davie, the water in your engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the FL cold. This is why you check coolant levels frequently and have your cooling system inspected for leaks. Also your manufacturer has a maintenance requirement for draining and replacing your coolant. These recommendations can vary widely, so check your Davie owner’s manual or ask your service advisor at Davie Garage in Davie.

The reason you need to change the coolant is that it has additives in it to protect the cooling system. As you can imagine, with all the heat, the cooling system’s a pretty harsh environment. The additives keep the fluid from becoming corrosive and damaging the radiator and other Davie cooling system components. Over time, the additives are depleted and the coolant just has to be replaced. A simple pH test can measure the coolant’s acidity.

You may have noticed that there are different colors of antifreeze at Davie Garage: it is very important that you use the correct type.  The different coolant types are different colors so you don’t mix them up.  Manufacturers use different materials to make the cooling system, and they require different types of antifreeze to protect them.

So check with your personable Davie Garage service advisor or owner’s manual for the right kind because using the wrong coolant can void the warranty for your minivan cooling system.

Ask us about transfer case service, fuel system cleaning and power steering service.

Give us a call

Davie Garage
954.587.2310
4301 Southwest 64th Ave
Davie, FL 33314

At Davie Garage in Davie FL (33314) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 954.587.2310. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 27, 2012

Why Is My Check Engine Light On? Davie Garage Has Answers

Filed under: Check Engine Light — daviegar233 @ 7:11 pm

Why Is My Check Engine Light On Davie Garage Has Answers

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some Davie drivers and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us in FL.

First, if your minivan check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. Get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at Davie highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to Davie Garage in Davie.

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 Davie service advisor to get it checked out.

Some more information from Davie Garage on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative. Most of your minivan 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 Davie.

In order to make these adjustments, the minivan 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 Check Engine Light.

The minivan 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 minivan looked at at Davie Garage. Your personable service technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give your Davie Garage technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

At Davie Garage, we also offer brake service and fuel system cleaning.

Give us a call

Davie Garage
954.587.2310
4301 Southwest 64th Ave
Davie, FL 33314

At Davie Garage in Davie FL (33314) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 954.587.2310. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 19, 2012

Viva la Differential At Davie Garage

Filed under: Differential Service — daviegar233 @ 4:34 pm

Viva la Differential At Davie Garage

With front-wheel drive being so common in Davie these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Davie folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive minivan differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for FL people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many minivan differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and Davie Garage technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Davie Garage service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Davie four wheel drive minivans need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at Davie Garage at different intervals.

Your Davie service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your minivan owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Davie Garage
954.587.2310
4301 Southwest 64th Ave
Davie, FL 33314

At Davie Garage in Davie FL (33314) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 954.587.2310. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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