Auto Repair in Mint Hill – Is it Time for New Shocks & Struts?

Shocks and struts are an integral part of driving comfortably. The main purpose of shocks & struts is to absorb kinetic energy (objects have kinetic energy due to being in motion, in this specific case, it’s the vehicle’s suspension system) and dissipate it as heat energy so that the cabin of the vehicle has a smooth ride as possible. Shocks have a piston & hydraulic fluid inside of them, and control bounce & sway by only letting a small amount of fluid through the piston on bounces. This slows down the piston, and in turn, the suspension. Struts perform the same basic function, but also act as structural support, unlike the shock. Because of this this, wheels with struts don’t need an upper control arm or ball joint. This compact setup is popular on front-wheel drive cars. Though you may have shocks and struts on the same car, like one kind in front & the other in the rear, you’ll never have shocks and struts on the same wheel.

“So how do I know if I need new ones?”

The basic signs usually are one (or multiple) of these:

• Poor steering & handling
• Noise coming from the general area of the shocks and struts
• Tire wear that an allignment cannot fix
• The vehicle sways & bounces “like a boat”
• The vehicle leaks fluids onto the ground that clearly aren’t coming from the engine or transmission.
• visible damage to the shocks & struts such as dings or dents.

Please note that, while these symptoms can be signs of bad shocks and struts, every vehicle is different and more than one issue can cause some of the above listed symptoms. To avoid unnecessary spending, please have diagnostic work done by a professional.

For more information on shocks, struts, suspension and everything that goes with it, don’t hesitate to call Manchester Auto & Tire of Mint Hill, LLC at 704-545-4597, email us at kenmanchester1@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ManchesterAutoandTireOfMintHill.

Auto Repair in Mint Hill – The Most Common Ways Cars Fail State Inspections

State inspections are a staple of North Carolina Car Ownership, and you’ve most likley been through the process of getting one before. If you want to keep your visit short and sweet, try to avoid these common mistakes so you don’t have to spend extra time trying to pass.

Safety

All vehicles are required to go through a safety test. Vehicles model year 1995 and older, as well as vehicles less than three model years old and with less than 70,000 miles, require a Safety Only test. This test is $13.60 ($23.60 with window tint), and cannot have sales tax applied to it. This test covers all safety components such as brakes, headlights, wipers and tires.

Common Fail Methods: Bald Tires, Non-Functioning lights, Aftermarket Lights.

• Tires cannot go below 2/32″ at their worst point. So even if the inside of the tire looks brand-new, if the tire has worn improperly and is below 2/32″ at any point, it fails.
• Turn signals (with the exception of the rear turn signals which can be red and part of the brake light) must be amber in color. even if they function but are not amber, they fail.
• All headlights, including high beams, must function, even if you only drive during the day. Sometimes high beams burn out, and you may not even know because you only use them on occasion. As always, check before you go to the test!
• Aftermarket lights are cool, but unfortunately fail every time If it didn’t roll off the assembly line with them, the vehicle fails. That means no aftermarket LED headlights and no underglow. Many shops are petitioning this rule though, so don’t give up hope yet, tuners!

Emissions

Vehicles model year 1996 and above, with the exception of vehicles less than three model years old and with less than 70,000 miles, require a Safety & Emissions test, which is $30 ($40 with window tint) and cannot have sales tax applied to it. Safety & Emissions have all aspects of the Safety Only tests, as well as common emissions checks such as checking to make sure OBDII functions are not imapred, that vehicles have not had emission components tampered with, and that the vehicle does not have a the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light or CEL for short) in the “on” position.

Common Fail Methods: CEL on, Non-functioning CEL, tampered emissions components.

• Removing emissions components, like “Straightpiping” a car (removing the catalytic converter for a mean, deep rumble) are immediate fails.
• When the car’s key is in the “on” or sometimes the “acc” position, most dash lights come on – they do this so you can check to see if the bulbs are still good. If the CEL does not illuminate here, the vehicle fails.
• Check Engine Lights on vehicles that qualify for emissions tests cannot be on for any reason and still pass said emissions tests. Any vehicle with a CEL fails, even if just for a loose gas cap. Have it checked first!

Window Tint

In North Carolina, window tint can only be as dark as 35%, with exceptions being made for medical purposes. On cars, every window applies. On SUV’s, Trucks and everything else, only the front two have to be 35%, the rest can be as dark as desired. The windshield on any vehicle cannot have tint pass below the “AS1” line (check on the driver’s side of your windshield about 1/5 of the way down, you’ll see a small “AS1” printed.) Again, this can only be at most 35%. Any state inspection where tint was tested is required by law to have a $10 window tint fee.

Common fail methods: Too dark

• On most vehicles, the back windows are already darker than the fronts off the assembly line. While 35% tint on the front may make those windows 35%, it may make the rear ones 30% or 25%. When  tinting rear windows on vehicles that have their rear windows tested like sedans, remember – use lighter tint on the rear!

Auto Repair in Mint Hill – What Do Oil Grades Mean?

Have you taken a peak at your oil change sticker or owner’s manual to see what kind of oil you’re running in your car? No, not standard or synthetic, but the grade of oil? It usually reads like 5W30 or 0W20. Sure, you’ve probably seen that combo of letters and numbers before, but what does it mean? Today, we’re going to talk about just that and why using the right kind is important.

Today’s oil grading system was created by a group called the Society of Auto Engeneers (SAE). The need for a new grading system came to be when “year round” oil was invented around about half a century ago. Previously, Cars needed thinner oil in the winter, and thicker oil in the summer. Oil thins at higher temperatures and thickens at lower ones, and the numbers (0, 5, 10, 20 etc.) measure just how the oil reacts to different temperatures. Thanks to additives, modern oil can be used in both hot and cold seasons. For example, a 5W20 oil acts like an SAE 5 oil at 0°F and an SAE 20 oil at 212°F – in other words, you don’t have to switch to “winter” or “summer” oils to properly lubricate parts – one kind of oil can do both.

So why is it important to use the factory reccomended kind of oil?

The short answer is that your engine is engeneered for it. While it is true that modern oils can lubricate in both hot and cold seasons, everything in your engine that touches oil wasn’t just designed to be lubricated – It was designed to be lubricated certain ways in certain temperatures – and the oil your manual calls for is the best way to do that. If your car calls for 5W30 and you use 5W20, for example, the oil’s viscosity may not be adequite for how your engine was designed, so if your owner’s manual calls for 5W30, you should stick to that. Don’t substitiute because a different grade oil is on sale one week – while you may not see or feel any changes immediatley it could be detremental to your engine in the long run.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to call Manchester Auto and Tire at 704-545-4597, email us at kenmanchester1@gmail.com, or message us on facebook at facebook.com/ManchesterAutoAndTireofMintHill

Auto Repair in Mint Hill – How to Keep Up With Recalls and See if Your Car Has Been Recalled.

Recalls are a dime a dozen. Sometimes recalls are issued in small batches, like when Volkswagen recalled just 250 cars earlier this year, and sometimes they’re huge, like when Takata had 35-40 Million inflators recalled by more than a half-dozen different manufacturers including Honda, Ferrari and Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles. While quality control on today’s cars are, for the most part, better than vehicles of the past, no company is perfect and recalls happen. This ultimately rases one big question; “How do I know if my car was recalled?” Fortunatley, theres many ways to check.

Mail

If the manufacturer of your vehicle has a current address for you, they can send you recall info right to your mailbox. This isn’t the most reliable source, however, as mail delivery can be inconsistent, and you even getting a recall letter is entirely dependent on the manufacturer having a valid address for you.

Primetime News

Major recalls, Such as the Takata Airbag recall, usually make national news, and recalls that effect certain geographical areas, like recalls for salt corrosion issues, usually make local news. Again, this isn’t the most reliable method since some recalls are small in nature, you may not see a recall for your vehicle in the news.

Automotive News Outlets

Unlike nightly news, magazines and websites based around the automotive industry rely on recall information to reel in readers. Some popular ones include Motor Trend, www.autonews.com, and Car and Driver. Again, these sites and mags may not run info on small batch recalls, but can be earlier in reporting than non-automotive focused sources.

www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

The National Highway Traffic Saftey Administration, or NHTSA, has an option on their site for checking if your vehicle has been recalled. You can check most accuratley by entering your vehicle’s 17 digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) which can be found under the windshield, on the door or door jam, and on your registration card. There’s also some other cool tools there like a tire-brand safety checker. This is ususally the best source because it finds recalls based on your exact vehilce thanks to the VIN tool.