Malvern PA Auto Repair

"The C.E.L., I was told it's nothing, don’t worry about it!"  Hi, I have heard this from customers countless times over the years. It seems as though either the internet is telling people, "don’t worry about it", or that someone in the automotive field is telling customers that, which I find hard to believe.  Or perhaps some people are choosing this line of thinking all on their own. One of the reasons for this may be a misunderstanding of what the C.E.L, SERVICE ENGINE SOON, OR PICTURE OF AN ENGINE, light is for. When talking to customers about that light being on, the first thing they say is this is going to cost a lot of money!  Well, maybe not. Through the years, there have been many times where these repairs turned out to be some of the least expensive repairs I've made. With that being said, there are some failed emissions components that are very expensive. This is what the C.E.L. is all about: the emissions of your ve ... read more

 As you might have derived from the title, I am at work on a snowy February morning in 2021. We here at ASM Auto are a new shop trying to establish ourselves in the automotive field.  The last thing we needed was 12 inches of snow!  Now I am not going to turn this article into a bitch session.  Instead, I would like to tell you about some of the things I am grateful for.  First of all:  I have an opportunity to write this blog.  Second:  I did not break my back shoveling.  Third:  we have some fantastic neighbors who have been in business for many years and remember what it was like just starting out.  They took it upon themselves to plow our lot.  That was the true definition of what it means to be a good neighbor. With all the things that happened in 2020, it is important that people can still rely on a good neighbor.  We have had our struggles with opening an auto repair shop in late 2020.  Some may have sai ... read more

One of the biggest misconceptions is that a check engine light is extremely detrimental to your vehicle. While a check engine light (CEL) can mean a pretty big problem, it could also be as simple as a loose gas cap. I know I have gotten fuel from New Jersey and afterwards my CEL would come on. All I would have to do is tighten the cap or even put it on correctly in the first place, and in two short trips the light would have cleared itself. Soooooo many times I have had a customer tow in their vehicle because of a simple issue like this.  They could have saved the tow bill and driven it to the shop themselves. When a CEL comes on, you can continue to drive but it is a smart idea to call your trusted repair shop and/or have your vehicle's trouble codes (DTC's) read with a scan tool to see what's causing the issue and the severity of said issue. That pesky little light may not mean the end of a road trip or that you're going to get a massive repair bi ... read more

Hi, today we will talk about gasoline and what Octane is best for your car. Is it all about the price? Is the higher number octane better for my car? Will I damage my car using the wrong octane gasoline?  Is there any difference? All good questions. The simple answer is yes it does matter. The bottom line is that your car is designed to run specific octanes.  All of this is dependent on the performance level of your engine. If your car is designed to run on 87 octane, that is the fuel you should use (note: your proper octane can be found in your owner's manual or on the inside of the gas door). Higher octane gasoline is designed to resist ignition and is therefore used in performance engines with a higher compression ratio than is typically found in your average family car. This resistance to ignition is to prevent PING or SPARK KNOCK from happening inside the engine. High performance engines usually require an octane of 93 or above.  Running a lower octane fuel in ... read more

Hi, I hope this has never happened to you, but if it has, we feel your frustration. The day starts with a cup of coffee as you get ready for work, you get into your car, and darn it, it won't start. When you get on the phone with your local auto repair center, they tell you the best way to resolve the problem is to tow the car in! When you arrive, you feel like you've entered a game of 20 questioins: Does the car crank over? Does the car crank but not start? What does that mean? Were there any running issues before this problem? And you think to yourself, why does all that matter? Just fix my car!  While these and other questions may be annoying, it is important for this reason: time is money. The more info gathered, the quicker the car can be diagnoised,saving you time and money.  So what is the difference, crank or start? Well crank is the rotation of the engine, a common example is, when you pull the rope on your lawn mower, you are cranking over the engine. Once ... read more