Malvern PA Auto Repair

Clean air quality is something that helps all of us thrive here on Planet Earth. And considering that motor vehicles are a contributor to air pollution, emissions tests in the U.S. and Canada are in place to keep vehicles from needlessly spewing dangerous gases into the air. While laws vary from place to place, the goal of an emissions test is the same: to make sure toxic gases are kept at a minimum. They often measure nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and hydrocarbons. Fail the test, and you may not be allowed to drive that vehicle on the road until it's rectified. Keeping your vehicle maintained is the best way to make sure you can pass an emissions test. Here are a few things that could be wrong with your vehicle that might result in it failing that emissions test. The mixture of fuel and air in your engine is heavy on the fuel. That can cause issues with the catalytic converter that is intended to keep emissions to a minimum. Your gas cap is leaking ... read more

Hello, Everyone! Today's ASM Auto LLC auto care topic is the serpentine belt. Your serpentine belt is a long belt that's driven by your engine. It winds around several accessories that power important automotive systems. Let's go over them. • First, the serpentine belt drives your air conditioning system. • Next, the belt powers the alternator. • The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering and power brakes. In some MALVERN drivers' vehicles, power steering may have an electric drive, and power brakes can be vacuum driven. • And, on many vehicles, the serpentine belt powers t ... read more

Question: Why isn't my air conditioner blowing cold air? ASM Auto LLC Answer: Your air conditioning system uses refrigerant to create cold air. The most common reasons drivers lose their cold air have to do with the refrigerant. The first is not enough refrigerant. Refrigerant is a gas in the system, and very small holes in a hose, seal or coupler can allow enough to leak out to prevent the creation of cold air. Another potential problem for auto owners is contamination. Over time the inside of the rubber hoses can deteriorate, and little bits of rubber can clog up various filters and other parts of the vehicle A/C system, p ... read more

Imagine you’re up in the arctic on a dog sled. Your dog team is pulling straight and true. You can cover a lot of ground fast. Now imagine what would happen if one or two of the dogs wanted to go their own way and were pulling off to the side. That would slow you down. You would have to work harder to keep the sled going where you want it. The dogs are all working as hard as before, but you’re covering less ground for the same effort. You’re wasting kibble. The same is true of your vehicle when the wheels are out of alignment. That wheel that’s pulling to the side is dragging down the rest of the car – so you push a little harder on the gas pedal to keep up your speed. You’re wasting gas. So have your wheel alignment checked at least once a year. Get it checked right away if you feel the car pulling to one side. Sometimes we bump a curb or hit a pothole and knock our wheels out of alignment. An accident can take the wheels out of alignment as well ... read more

Question What is synthetic oil, and should I use it? Answer Regular oil, also called conventional oil, comes from dead dinosaurs. Conventional oil molecules are long hydrocarbon chains of various lengths. Imagine a bunch of pencils – some used and some brand new. Synthetic oil is often more highly refined petroleum-based oil. The molecules are shorter and closer to the same length. Think a bunch of those little golf pencils. Some synthetic oil is man-made. The molecules are rounder and much more uniform. Think marbles. So, you can see that as you progress from conventional oil to synthetic blends (a mixture of conventional and synthetic) to full synthetic oil, there will be less friction in your engine. Less friction means less heat – so better lubrication and protection against wear. Synthetic blends and full synthetics also cost more. Synthetic oil is more resistant to thermal breakdown so less sludge (which can clog passages and really lead to damage). So, what s ... read more