Automotive Repair

*Peace of Mind Warranty*

There's no greater peace of mind than knowing you have one less worry by having your vehicles serviced by the professionals at P&M Automotive. They stand behind their work with the NAPA AutoCare Peace of Mind Warranty.

It's a written warranty that is honored at more than 12,000 locations nationwide - more than any other automotive repair brand. So - no matter where your travels take you - if you ever experience a problem with a covered repair, you can count on a NAPA AutoCare Center being nearby.

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Engine oil cleans, lubricates and removes heat from internal engine components. The oil filter removes harmful deposits from the engine oil, preventing them from being circulated throughout the engine. Manufacturers differ in their recommended guidelines for when engine oil and oil filters should be changed. As a general rule, however, engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles to keep the engine healthy and to prolong its life. If engine oil is not changed regularly it breaks down and will build up as sludge on the internal engine components causing premature failures.

"Drivability" notes the running (driving) condition(s) of your vehicle. Through extensive training, equipment and experience harmoniously combined we can acurately diagnose your vehicles running problems. Through the use of diagnostic scan tools, oscilloscopes, lab scopes, multi-meters and gas analyzers we are able to us electronic digital data to isolate the failing system(s) and hands-on pin-point test the failing component(s). Once diagnosed the failure can be estimated and repaired minimizing the costs of guesswork.

*The word "tune-up" actually applies only to older cars, on which you can perform the traditional work associated with the term(s) spark plug replacement, ignition contact point replacement, dwell adjustment, ignition timing adjustment and carburetor idle and mixture adjustment.

*For most of today's cars, “engine performance maintenance” is a more accurate term. All modern cars and light trucks are equipped with electronic ignition (no points) and at least one on-board computer that automatically adjusts items like the ignition timing, fuel mixture and idle speed. In fact, on modern computer-controlled cars, it's impossible to adjust these yourself.

*An automotive tune-up is an orderly process of inspection, diagnosis, testing, and adjustment that is periodically necessary to maintain peak engine performance or restore the engine to original operating efficiency.

Once a "check engine" or a "service engine soon" light in your instrument cluster has illuminated the PCM has stored a diagnostic trouble code. This means the computer system on your vehicle has detected a problem with the various systems it controls. Your car or truck has many different sensors that monitor the various vehicle systems. If the trouble code light has been illuminated your vehicle enters into "limp mode" this means it is running on a predetermined program that causes poor mileage and increased emissions.

*It starts as a smell. The unmistakable odor of burning insulation. Shortly thereafter a wisp of smoke curls out from under the dash. Then comes the similarly unmistakable pop of a fuse blowing. At which point your radio cuts out.

Or maybe it's the windshield wipers that stop--or the engine itself. It may well be that the source of the short is obvious, like that wiring dangling under the dash. On the other hand, you may need to do some serious troubleshooting to find the source of the problem.

*A short circuit occurs when an energized conductor touches either the frame or body of the car or another wire. Shorts to ground usually will have low enough resistance to draw sufficient current to blow the fuse. If the short is to another circuit, you may see things like the dome light coming on when you hit the turn signals. You may discover a wiring harness or multiprong connector meltdown, caused by the heat liberated from a short or high-resistance connection.

*Moreover, not all wiring problems are shorts: Open and intermittent connections also can make your life difficult

* The electrical system in an automobile is said to be a 12 volt system, but this is slightly misleading. The charging system in most cars will generally produce a voltage between 13.5 and 14.4 volts while the engine is running. It has to generate more voltage than the battery's rated voltage to overcome the internal resistance of the battery. This may seem strange, but the current needed to recharge the battery would not flow at all if the charging system's output voltage was the same as the battery voltage. A greater difference of potential (voltage) between the battery's voltage and the alternator's output voltage will provide a faster charging rate. As long as the engine is running, all of the power for the accessories is delivered by the alternator. The battery is actually a load on the charging system. The only time that the battery would supply power with the engine running is when the current capacity of the alternator is exceeded or when engine is at a very low idle.
*A battery having a low / poor state of charge will place abnormal stresses on the starting system.
*A starter motor can become damaged if it operates too long at high temperatures. Damage to starting system components generally occurs when the starter motor is cranked for long periods.

The fuel injector "injects" gas under pressure into the intake manifold. The engine then sucks the gas in, and it is ignited. The ensuing explosion is part of the process the engine uses to create power called combustion. For an engine to operate, it needs gas (fuel) to burn. This burning gas is converted into energy.

*Millions of cars today run at a level of efficiency considerably reduced, due to the high concentration of carbon deposits accumulated in the fuel injection system, intake valves, combustion chambers, oxygen sensor and catalytic converter.
*Carbon build-up clogs fuel filters, reduces fuel flow, distorts fuel spray patterns, limits fuel atomization and decreases combustion efficiency.
*Carbon build-up gradually robs your vehicle of performance and fuel economy, and may cause numerous problems such as engine malfunction, high emissions, excessive fuel consumption, loss of performance, rough idling and hard starts. Harmful emissions are a common problem caused by carbon build up. If you are getting fewer miles of driving per gallon of gasoline, your car may be suffering from carbon build-up. Its time for a MotorVac CarbonClean Service. Unlike the traditional method of dealing with contamination or carbon build-up, which only cleaned the injectors, the MotorVac CarbonClean Service is a total engine cleaning and decarbonizing system that gently strips away the levels of carbon deposits in your vehicle from intake to exhaust, without disassembling the engine or removing any components.

*The MotorVac CarbonClean System cleans the entire air intake. fuel system and exhaust system.

Cruise control is an invaluable feature on Ameri­can ­cars. Without cruise control, long road trips would be more tiring, for the driver at least, and those of us suffering from lead-foot syndrome would probably get a lot more speeding tickets.

The timing belt connects the camshaft to the crankshaft and thus controls the opening and closing action of the intake and exhaust valves in the cylinder. Four strokes engines are designed in such a way that, the intake valves open at the start of the first revolution and close at the end of it. Similarly, the exhaust valve will open at the start of the fourth revolution and closes at the end of it, before the intake valve opens again. This synchronization is entirely controlled by the timing belt and it therefore plays an important role over here, by synchronizing the camshaft with the crankshaft. Common service intervals range from 60,000 -120,000 miles.

Replacing an engine is obviously a major repair that requires a sizeable investment in a vehicle. For some older vehicles, the cost of replacing the engine may be more than the vehicle is worth. Yet many owners will have the engine replaced anyway because they do not want to trade vehicles or they owe too much on the vehicle to trade it. When the engine reaches the end of the road, a painful choice has to be made. Engine replacement makes the most economic sense on vehicles that are four to 12 years old, and are still in good condition and worth repairing.

*A Car's transmission comes with a gear that helps the car to run faster. A faulty transmission needs to be either replaced or repaired. Replacement is quite an expensive option. However, if the problem is not relatively minor, replacement is the only option.
*It is more convenient to replace a transmission instead of attempting to repair it. You will know if it requires replacement or repair when it starts slipping or if the car stalls. There are two types of transmission: automatic and manual. An automatic transmission shifts by its own, whereas, a manual transmission is operated with a gear shift.

Like the human body, your vehicle runs on fluids: gas engine oil, lubricants and the lesser-known transmission fluid. Without a sufficient condition and supply of all the above, your vehicle can come to a grinding halt or, worse yet, a vital and expensive component completely dies. Even though your automatic transmission is one of the least conspicuous components in your cars, it's a prime example of the potential problem of ignoring those precious automotive fluids.

As you drive your car, you become used to noises, vibrations and the feel of the car in different gears. Any changes in these sensations may indicate the beginning of a problem. It's important to note what gear you are in, at what speeds the problem occurs, noise level and whether it disappears from one gear to another. Most problems in the clutch and transmission are a job for a certified technician, and usually require removal and service.

In its most basic form, a wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. The purpose of these adjustments is maximum fuel efficiency, tire life and a vehicle that tracks straight and true when driving along a straight and level road.

Today, there are two basic types of steering systems: 1) standard mechanical (reciprocating ball) steering and 2) rack and pinion steering. The standard mechanical steering can be either power-assisted or non-power. Rack and pinion is almost always power-assisted, although there are rare cases where it is not.

The suspension system has two basic functions, to keep the car's wheels in firm contact with the road and to provide a comfortable ride for the passengers. A lot of the system's work is done by the springs. Under normal conditions, the springs support the body of the car evenly by compressing and rebounding with every up-and-down movement.
·Shocks and struts can wear out and affect handling. If your car bounces excessively over bumps and leans hard in corners, your shocks could be warn. Look behind the wheel for the shock or strut and look for leaking oil. This is a sure sign of a worn shock or strut.
·Ball joints. Ball joints wear and can cause your car to wander while driving down the road. This is dangerous as they can separate and cause you to lose control.

A driving system is composed of the frame, axles, wheels and the suspension system of the vehicle. The main functions of a driving system are as follows.
1. The driving system accepts the torque transited by the transmission system from the engine, and converts the torque into the driving force through the adhesive action between the driving wheel and road surface.
2. It connects all parts of the vehicle as a whole and supports the whole weight of the vehicle.
3. It transits and bears various forces and moments the road surface gives the wheels.
4. It reduces the impact and shock the uneven road surface gives the body of vehicle to ensure the vehicle can drive smoothly.

Part of the beauty of being a AAA member is receiving member-only discounts. Save on everything from windshield replacements to auto parts and collision repairs to bed liners. With your AAA membership, you can enjoy additional savings at your local auto service and repair facility just by showing your AAA card.