Malvern PA Auto Repair

You probably figured out those shifty letters.  They're what you see on your automatic transmission shifter and stand for Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive and Low.  Your automatic transmission is one of the great automotive inventions; here are some ways you can keep yours working well. Maintain your transmission regularly.  A technician will check your transmission fluid's level and even its appearance and smell.  If it's dark or has an unusual odor, that could be a sign of trouble. Change from one transmission direction gear into another only when your vehicle is stopped.  So many drivers want to switch from Reverse to Drive quickly or the other way around.  If you do that when the vehicle is moving, you can damage your automatic transmission. Keep your vehicle's cooling system in top shape.  What does the cooling system have to do with the transmission? It helps keep the transmission fluid from overheating.   Follow the manufa ... read more

No matter how well they’re made, vehicles will have design or manufacturing problems.  And when the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the car free of charge.  The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone who owns that type of car to get the recall work done. These recalls always affect safety, so take them seriously.  It’s easy to see if a vehicle’s being recalled.  The government has links on its websites, such as http://www.nhtsa.gov, and there are many websites with free recall information and searches.  There’s carfax.com; autobytel.com; and dmv.org.   Recalls are serious, but not all that common.  Sometimes there are less significant issues, and for these, manufacturers issue a Tec ... read more

Your fuel system encompasses everything it takes to get fuel from your tank to your engine.  Starting with your fuel pump, which is in the tank, there are the fuel lines, fuel filter, throttle assembly and fuel injectors. When all these parts are clean, fuel flows at it should be giving you good fuel economy and strong engine performance.  But when your fuel injectors, valves and fuel intake are clogged or gummed up, your engine doesn’t run as efficiently, and performance and economy suffer. Now fuel just naturally gums stuff up over time.  The government requires all fuel to have detergent in it to help clean your fuel system, but all fuel is NOT created equal.  Bargain fuel may just have the minimum amount of detergent to meet governmental requirements.  Using good quality fuel that may have several times the minimum amount of detergent will help keep your fuel system clean and put off the day when a professional fuel system cleaning is needed. If yo ... read more

Tires By the Numbers (What Tire Numbers Mean) Dec 8th, 2024 You may have noticed your tires have a pretty long number on them.  Yours might start with a letter, then a 3-digit number, followed by a few more numbers and letters.  That string of letters and numbers is very important for your vehicle because it contains useful information on what tires will give you the performance to meet your vehicle’s original design specifications. These numbers can be found in most owners' manuals and usually on the driver's side doorframe.  Generally, it's a good idea to stick with the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations. Let's look at an example.  One customer's SUV has this number on her tires: P245/70R17 108T.  The first letter, P, means it's intended for passenger vehicles.  Some tires don't have any letter at the beginning, which means it's a metric tire. Some tires may also have LT at the beginning or end, which mea ... read more