Malvern PA Auto Repair

Let's talk about air conditioning service and repair issues for the area. Most of us don't give our air conditioning a second thought as long as it's making cold air. But it's a complex and expensive system that we should think about before it starts blowing hot air. The refrigerant in the air conditioner contains a special oil that lubricates and cools the A/C parts. When enough refrigerant leaks out, your air conditioner still makes cold air, but the parts don't have enough oil to protect them and they wear out faster than they should. So it's important to service the air conditioner as recommended by your service center. Replacing old refrigerant has another benefit: refrigerant tends to gather moisture and become corrosive. That causes leaks in the system which can be expensive to repair. Fresh refrigerant protects the air conditioning components and keeps the system operating at peak efficiency so it doesn't have to work ... read more

Let's address a very important maintenance item for everyone – timing belt replacement. It's important because letting this one slide can lead to very expensive engine damage. Your timing belt choreographs the timing of your combustion process. Your pistons travel up and down in the cylinder. Intake valves open at the right time to let in air and fuel; they close at the right time to allow the fuel to burn and then the exhaust valves open at the right time to let out the exhaust. All this happens thousands of times a minute and it's your timing belt that makes sure the valves are opening and closing at precisely the right time. If the timing is off, your engine won't run. And that's the best case. The worst case is that a valve is opening at the wrong time and collides with the piston. The result is bent valves and maybe even more damage to the cylinder head. Repairs can run several thousand dollars. Now, timing belt ... read more

Let’s talk about your suspension – you know, the system that connects your wheels to your vehicle, controls your handling and delivers a good ride. Your suspension is critical for proper steering, stopping and stability. Hey, it’s a rough world out there – every time you hit a pothole, a bump or an object in the road, your suspension system absorbs the impact and maintains control. As you can imagine, your suspension has a lot of joints and pivot points that allow your wheels to move up and down over bumps and to turn as you steer. These parts include ball joints, tie rod ends, the pitman, idler arms and the control arm bushing. They simply wear out over time. When a joint or other part is worn, the suspension parts don’t fit together as tightly as they should. Handling and steering have a loose feel and you may hear strange noises. Your tires will wear unevenly because they’re bouncing down the road a little off kilter. A loose joint has the effe ... read more

You expect your key to turn in your vehicle's ignition.  But sometimes it won't, and that's a problem, whether you're trying to start your vehicle or trying to leave it.  Several things can cause this.  One of the most common is that the steering column locking mechanism is stuck.  Locking steering columns are an anti-theft feature introduced in the 1970s.  If yours is sticking, try moving the steering wheel a little from side to side as you turn the key; sometimes it will release.  A key may also stick if the vehicle is in gear.  Most vehicles will only let you start in neutral or park.  If you have an automatic transmission vehicle, make sure it's in park. Move the shift lever through the gears and back into park to make sure. If the key still doesn't turn, you can try jiggling the shift lever as you turn the key.  Electrical and mechanical contacts sometimes don't line up properly, and a little jiggle might n ... read more

You've just taken your vehicle in to figure out why the air conditioning isn't working.  You remember a friend of yours just had to get a new evaporator, and your service advisor has told you it's the same part that needs to be replaced in your vehicle.  But when you hear the estimated price for yours, it's different than your friend's.  How can that be? The reason is that no two repairs—and no two vehicles—are alike.  Let's take the evaporator for example.  In one vehicle, the part may be fairly easy for the technician to access.  In the other, it requires that the entire dashboard to be removed.  Because of the way a particular unit is designed, the shop may also require special tools.  The parts for your vehicle may cost more or less than for your friend's.  Parts for newer vehicles and foreign nameplates can cost considerably more than parts for older or domestic vehicles.  So now you can se ... read more