Towing, or using one vehicle to move a disable second vehicle, is a common and useful service. It’s also one that’s much more complicated than it seems, requiring lots of vehicle and industry specific knowledge to ensure safe transport. If your car is broken down at the side of the road, chances are good that you do not have time to call around for referrals, but choosing the right auto shop or towing service is important in getting the job done well. That’s what makes knowing a few tips before you call so important.

When it comes to towing services, what you know and do before the tow can save you a lot of hassle later. It’s always important to consider these tips:

Know Your Situation
Before you call the auto shop or towing service, collect as much information about the situation as possible and provide  it to the service. Things like location, type of vehicle, condition of the vehicle, and whether or not the vehicle is stuck can help the service decide what type of tow truck to send and what equipment to bring.

Choose Your Auto Shop
When possible, choose to use the auto shop that does your car maintenance for your towing service. Not  only do you already know that they are reputable, they can also tow your vehicle directly in for service.

Find Out if the Towing Service Has the Right Tow Truck for the Job
There are three main types of tow trucks: flatbed, hook and chain, and wheel-lift. Not every company has each kind of truck. Some car problems might require one type, and not be fit for another. Improper towing can create additional damage, and not asking the right questions or providing enough  information could cause delays in waiting for another vehicle to show up.

Contact Your Insurance Company
If your insurance company is involved, find out with which towing service companies they already have an agreement or which they prefer. This information not only keeps you covered if it’s a provided service, it gives you a great idea of reputable tow providers.

Find Out About Fees and Payment
Before you contract for towing services, find out about the fees, how far they will tow, and accepted payment methods.

Needing a tow can be pretty stressful. The best way to minimize the frustration is by investing a little time in getting the right facts and providing the best information.

Knowing when to take your vehicle into the auto shop for struts and shocks repair can be kind of tricky. The damping characteristics of shocks and struts diminish slowly over time, making it difficult to detect a problem. Usually when a driver notices that there is a problem, it’s well past the time of needing replacement.

Shocks and (or) struts are part of your vehicle’s suspension system. Not all vehicles have both shocks and struts; some only have one or the other. Each aid in the vehicle’s stability and handling. There’s no strictly set time for shock and strut replacement as part of it depends on driving conditions such as how you drive and the condition of the roads. Some need replacement at 30,000 miles, and others can go as long as 60,000 miles. There are however some good indications that it’s time to get into the auto shop and have them looked at by service technician.

Signs that it’s Time to Replace or Repair Struts
Shocks and struts are responsible for keeping you on the road, so you’ll want to know the signs of wear. If you notice any of theses signs, it’s important to take your vehicle into the automotive repair shop to ensure that it’s working safely and properly.

• The vehicle is not running as smoothly as it once did or showing difficulty in handling while on the road.
• The ride is excessively bumpy.
• The vehicle bottoms out when going over a bump or dip in the road.
• When driving on a curvy road, the vehicle tends to sway.
• You notice fluid leaking from the shock or strut
• You notice a poor steering response or noise when steering.
• The shocks or struts show signs of physical damage.
• The vehicle makes an excessive nose dive when braking.
• Tires show cupped or uneven wear.
• The drive feels “shaky.”
• You notice instability when braking.

Finally, it’s important not to ignore the warning signs. The shocks and struts make your vehicle manageable to drive and interact with other systems such as steering and alignment. Neglecting them can lead to the need for additional future repairs, adding to repair costs. Driving on worn shocks and struts can make the vehicle difficult to drive which could lead to unsafe driving conditions. Replacing shocks and struts regularly can keep your vehicle performing optimally and help extend it’s life expectancy.

Having the correct tire pressure is an important part of regular maintenance of your car, and it’s also a necessity for being a good driver. The amount of air pressure in your tires has an immediate effect on the quality of your driving, especially when braking and turning. Aside from these concerns, seasonal temperature changes can also effect the performance of your tires, and the overall pressure within them.

Let’s start with the basics, of tire pressure.

Like most maintenance suggestions and requirements, always check the user manual and manufacturer’s schedule for when to have certain repairs and what is required. Your car’s user manual and maintenance handbook will also tell you the exact psi requirements for your tires, and you can also find this information on the tires themselves.

Always check the psi in your tires regularly, during scheduled maintenance and tune-ups (your mechanic should always do this for you), and it’s a good idea to go it before going on long car trips too. If your tires are under-inflated, or have a low psi, this can create unnecessary drag on the car and can cause decreased fuel efficiency.

How does weather affect my tires?

When the seasons change and temperatures begin to rise and fall, so does the air pressure in your tires. Because air that is colder contracts, the air pressure inside your tires falls and the tire may become under inflated. In the summer, the reverse is true. When air starts to get warmer, the volume of the air expands, so for air trapped inside the tires, it begins to expand and increases the overall pressure and potentially causing the tire to become over inflated.

In extreme cases, this can damage the tires and cars if not taken care of. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your tires and check the pressure when the temperature starts to rise and fall dramatically like in summer and winter.

Winter tires, tires designed especially to deal with winter weather precipitation like snow and ice, may have their own specific psi requirements that differ from the average tire. Be sure to check these when getting new winter tires, and check regularly to make sure that the correct psi is maintained throughout the season to deal with fluctuating weather and temperatures. This is especially important when driving in adverse weather conditions, so you always want to make sure you are fully prepared to drive in anything!

Having trouble with your tires? Feel free to stop by any one of our Metro Homestead Area locations to talk to a mechanic about your car’s tires and get everything checked out!

We all fear that time of spring when everything turns yellow in color and everyone we know seems to come down with hay fever. The effects of pollen on air quality during spring are obvious in indoor and outdoor settings, but it’s really important not to neglect the effects of pollen on your car.

When you think about it, our cars are on the front lines of the war on pollen. Imagine if you went out for a jog one spring day, but you magically acquired a new super power that enabled you to run at 50 miles per hour. It’d be a total blast at first, but after the first few blocks you’d be wheezing and sneezing from all the pollen suddenly rushing into your face and lungs.

Why are air filters so important?

We tend to think of our cars as solid, and totally protected from the elements like rain and wind. But lots of air flows through our vehicles when we drive, both into the interior cabin of the car where we sit, and under the hood into the engine and machinery. That’s why there are a number of different air filters to protect you and your car from the elements, and keep out large particles of dust and dirt that build up with frequent driving.

When your filter is dirty, and trust me, we see it all the time, your car’s performance really suffers.

Side effects of a dirty filter:
-A dirty, oversaturated filter lets in less air, so your engine has to work twice as hard to burn fuel and get the job done.
-A dirty filter is a less-effective filter. Too much dust and dirt can wear it down, and let in more dirt, pollen and you-name-it into your engine, leading to inefficiency and possible long-term damage.
-A dirty cabin filter negatively affects your heating and air-conditioning, and in some cases will produce some terrible smells.
-A dirty engine air filter lowers your fuel economy!

Now that pollen season is just around the corner, it’s time to check on your filters, and get them replaced as a preventative measure. The longer you wait between each engine filter replacement, the more damage and wear you can expect to see in your vehicle. Stop by Tyre’s Auto Service in Homestead to hear how our team of experts can assist you with your air filters.

Air Filters and Your Vehicle’s Performance

A lot of people are surprised to hear that regular maintenance and replacement of air filters in your car increases your fuel economy! Your engine needs clean and pure air to function efficiently, and gas mileage is one of the first things to be affected by a dirty filter.

Air filters are important for fuel economy!
The average family car needs about 12 thousand gallons of air to burn just one gallon of gas! That’s a LOT of air!

Engine air filters are necessary because they prevent fine particles like dirt and dust from getting inside your engine and causing damage to the walls, pistons and piston rings. Air filters are your main line of defense from the hazards of daily driving.

Many drivers neglect to change air filters regularly, thinking that a dirty filter is better than no filter at all. A dirty, clogged filter starves your engine of the air it needs to work properly and causes stress on the engine- making it work harder and significantly raising the overall fuel economy of the vehicle.

With an old, dirty filter, your engine will burn much more fuel to compensate for the lack of air flow. Your mechanic isn’t just trying to sell you another part, he’s trying to help you save some of that gas money.

High pollen counts have a very negative effect on the overall performance of your engine. That’s why it’s really important to check and replace your car air filters during the spring months.

There are a number of air filters that go into your car.

-Cabin air filters – protects and cleans the air that flows into where you sit. If you or someone in your family suffers from allergies, high performance filters and regular replacements are a must. Cabin filters should be replaced every year, or every 12,000 miles.
-Engine filters – these protect the flow of clean air into your engine. During pollen season, it’s best that you replace your air filter more often than the manufacturer’s 15,000 mile recommendation.

Air Filters- Your Main Line of Defense against Pollen

Spring into early summer are prime months for pollen season. Last year, pollen counts broke records with over 8,000 particles per square meter. Technically, a “high” pollen count on the scale is 120 particles per square meter.

To make matters worse, pollen counts ebb and flow as different species of plants bloom and release their pollen. The overall count and increase and decrease over the course of spring as different trees, weeds and flowers come into bloom. Pine pollen is generally the culprit behind massive pollen counts – just think about all the pine trees in your neighborhood!

While it’s important to keep you and your family safe and healthy during the miserable pollen season, don’t forget that your family vehicle is also a prime location for pollen saturation. As your car drives along during the day, plant particles in the air are drawn into the engine and ventilation system by the tens of thousands.

So how can you combat this massive assault of pollen during the spring?

The first place to start is to maintain a clean filtration system. Just like the air filters in your home ventilation system, or air purifier, cabin air filters in your car block harmful particles from getting into the passenger area of your car. A high quality cabin air filter will block almost all of the harmful pollen in the air, only if it’s replaced regularly.

Cabin air filters protect and clean the air that flows into where you sit. If you or someone in your family suffers from allergies, high performance filters and regular replacements are a must. Cabin filters should be replaced every year, or every 12,000 miles.

Replace Your Air Filters Before Spring Comes

Be sure to check and replace both your engine air and cabin air filters before the pollen surge hits. A dirty cabin air filter will quickly become a health hazard once pollen counts reach extreme levels again.

Stop by our Tyre’s Auto Service in Homestead to get one of these filters for your vehicle. We look forward to seeing you!

As a car owner, there are many things that you can do to extend the life of your vehicle. These forms of preventative maintenance can include changing your oil, checking your tire pressure, and getting regular check ups. Preventative maintenance saves you money and helps you catch small issues before they become a big problem. Just like performing routine activities like going to the gym or taking a shower, maintaining your car takes time and effort but will ultimately benefit the health of your vehicle. For your convenience, every time you visit Tyre’s Auto Service, in Homestead we will check under the hood to make sure all of your vehicle’s vital fluids are in proper condition. We will then make recommendations based on these observations.
Make sure you check your owners manual for an appropriate maintenance schedule for your specific vehicle, this will help you know when you need to bring your car in. Here at Tyre’s Auto Service we can help you keep your car running smoothly and safely.