Category Archives: Maintenance

Maintaining Your Older Car in Florissant, Missouri

Maintaining Your Older Car in Florissant, Missouri

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars in Florissant, Missouri: emission devices and control computers, safety equipment like airbags and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the Florissant motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new vehicle.Because new vehicles are more expensive, people in the Florissant area are driving their old vehicles longer. The average vehicle is now over nine years old. Two thirds of vehicles on the road in Missouri have more than 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. As cars age, their performance drops, they have difficulty idling for long periods and are more sensitive to weather extremes. Fortunately today's cars are up to the challenge – but they need a little help to keep on goin'.Give garysautorepair a call at 314-831-5843 to schedule your next maintenance.Some owner's manuals don't specify service requirements at higher mileage. That doesn't mean it doesn't have t ... read more

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Maintenance

Looking Down the Road - Headlamps

Looking Down the Road - Headlamps

If you've ever been driving around Florissant and had a headlamp go out, you've probably just wanted to replace the bad bulb. If your car uses halogen headlamps, they dim over time. So if you just put in one, they won't have the same brightness, which can be distracting and will affect your field of vision.To have your headlights inspected, visit us at garysautorepair. We're at 1779 N Hwy 67 in Florissant, Missouri 63033. Or give us a call at 314-831-5843.Experts at garysautorepair recommend replacing your halogen headlamps every year. It's easy to remember if you do it when Daylight Saving Time changes in the fall. That way you'll have bright headlamps for those long Missouri winter nights.There are other types of headlamps in addition to halogen. There are the old standard bulbs that have been around for decades. These are OK, but you can usually upgrade to halogen. They cost a little more but you can't believe the difference. If you do a lot of nigh ... read more

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Maintenance

garysautorepair On Your Serpentine Belt

garysautorepair On Your Serpentine Belt

  Today we're going to be talking about serpentine belts for our Florissant, Missouri, customers. Let's start by talking about the accessories that are driven by the serpentine belt. First is the alternator. That's the device that makes electricity to power the vehicle and recharge the battery. Then there's the air conditioning compressor that makes cool air for you while you're driving around Missouri in the summer.The power steering and power brake pumps are driven by the serpentine belt in most Florissant residents' vehicles. Those pumps provide pressure that assists your steering and braking.In many vehicles, the water pump is driven by the serpentine belt. The water pump is what circulates the coolant that protects your engine. In some cars around Florissant, Missouri, the water pump is driven by the timing belt.The radiator cooling fans on some vehicles are also driven by the serpentine belt. Some have separate electric motors. That's really a lot ... read more

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Maintenance

Clean Air for Your Engine: Engine Air Filters In Florissant

Clean Air for Your Engine: Engine Air Filters In Florissant

Every Florissant car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when the filter should be replaced. Now, most air filters purchased in Florissant don't cost a lot to replace. It's just that Missouri people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at garysautorepair can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in Florissant. Think about a dirty furnace filter in your Florissant home. When it's all clogged up, enough clean air can't get through. In your vehicle, that means that your engine can't get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around Florissant roads. Your vehicle actually needs about ... read more

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Maintenance

Keeping Your 'Old Faithful' Auto Running

At garysautorepair we've had a lot of Florissant customers asking how they can make their vehicles last longer. These questions are actually a reflection of a trend that's been building for several years in Missouri. The median age of personal vehicles is now over nine years. And 33 percent of all vehicles on the road have over 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. It looks like it's going to keep heading in that direction for a while. With high fuel prices, a lot of Missouri folks are putting off buying a new car. So let's say you're one of the average in the Florissant area; you've got a nine-year-old car with 80,000 miles (130,000 km) on the odometer. What can you do to make it last another year or two?Let's start with the premise that there's no reason that a modern car can't run for 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care in Florissant. The engineering and manufacturing quality is there.Of course, some parts will wear out along the way, but there's no r ... read more

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Maintenance

The Easy Way to Save Cash in Florissant

The Easy Way to Save Cash in Florissant

The hottest Missouri news story may be different every day, but there's one topic that seems to come up over and over again – the price of gas in Florissant. If you feel like most of your paycheck goes into your gas tank, this post is for you. Here are several basic things people in Florissant can do to greatly reduce their gas consumption, save money, and help the environment. You can really improve your fuel economy by how you drive – but first, here's a review of things you can do for your vehicle that'll save gas no matter how you drive.The first one for Florissant drivers is keeping tires properly inflated. That can save 2 miles per gallon/.85 km per liter. Driving on low tires is like driving through sand – your car just has to work harder. Most Florissant service centers will fill up your tires for free, so just ask garysautorepair. Also, make a habit of checking your tire pressure whenever you fill up. Many Florissant gas stations have an a ... read more

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Maintenance

Busting Automotive Myths in Florissant, Missouri

Busting Automotive Myths in Florissant, Missouri

Myths passed around our Florissant, Missouri community start with a grain of evidence and are then built up with a lot of imagination and very elastic logic. And the internet is a breeding ground for automotive myths. Some bloggers recall the vehicles of yesteryear and declare their modern decedents to be virtually maintenance free and that anyone who says otherwise is out to rip you off. To get the truth about auto myths you hear around the Florissant area, come over to garysautorepair. Let's examine a couple of the more popular rants and look at the truth behind them.The first one is that the chassis no longer needs lubrication for suspension, steering and the driveline. They declare that anyone who has charged you for lubrication is a charlatan.The truth on which this myth is based is that many new vehicles come from the factory with sealed joints and cannot be greased. However, there are still some grease points ... read more

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Maintenance

Commitment to Make Your vehicle Last at garysautorepair

Commitment to Make Your vehicle Last at garysautorepair

These days many people in the Florissant area are really committed to making their cars last a long time. First thing: you've got to start with what you've got. It'd be ideal if people started with a brand new car, never missed a scheduled service item, paid attention to the severe service maintenance schedule and had regular inspections. But if you've had the vehicle for a while or bought it used, its maintenance history is what it is; and that's where you start.Go through the maintenance schedule for your vehicle and see what's been done and when. Have your Florissant service advisor at garysautorepair do an inspection and come up with a list of stuff that needs to be done. Review the list and prioritize the work, talk about budget and make a plan to get caught up.Making a plan is so important. Suppose you go in for an oil change and learn you need your cooling system serviced, a transmission service and are coming up on a timing belt replacement in the next ... read more

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Maintenance

Can Your Car Last Another Year?

Can Your Car Last Another Year?

Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at Florissant car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of Florissant, Missouri, folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacturing, there's no reason a modern vehicle can't be made to last for a 150,000 miles (250,000 kilometers) or more for smart Florissant drivers.The old adage: 'a stitch in time saves nine' is really true for Florissant residents when it comes to car maintenance. A great example is coolant service.Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. Smart Florissant drivers have their cooling system service taken care of right on schedule at garysautorepair.Ditto for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. Of course, oil changes should be done right on schedule to avoid the ... read more

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Maintenance

Technician Training at garysautorepair

Technician Training at garysautorepair

Your vehicle is important to you, and keeping it running properly is important to your lifestyle. That's why you're smart enough to have it serviced regularly at garysautorepair in Florissant. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right by automotive professionals.It's also very important to your Florissant service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our Florissant auto service center spends annually to make sure our friendly and knowledgeable technicians are properly trained.garysautorepair offers a variety of automotive services for many kinds of vehicles. We need to be current on the latest techniques and parts so that we can give you quality service. Our Florissant service centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer.And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. garysautorepair technicians follow these procedures so th ... read more

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Maintenance
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