Posted on Tuesday10February 2015
Everyone in Greenwood Village, Colorado knows we are advised to go to our local dentist twice a year. Oral-conscious people have both a teeth-cleaning and examination. Once a year, we get x-rays to look for problems that can’t be seen with the naked eye. When our dentist is done, he/she tells us what was found – “Everything’s fine, see you in six months.” Or “You’ve got a small cavity starting, let’s schedule an appointment to take care of it.” By the time you leave, you have a plan for addressing any necessary issues. This system works so much better than waiting for a painful problem before going into the dentist. Small problems are fixed before they turn into big expensive problems. And you avoid those huge bills. If Denver folks understand the wisdom of using this system for handling dental care, why do many resist when facing the same system for our vital car maintenance? Following the auto manufacturer’s reco ... read more
Posted on Tuesday03February 2015
Our vehicles are not massage chairs. While we may enjoy a good vibration in an overstuffed recliner, we Centennial car owners generally want as smooth a ride as possible in our vehicles. One way to achieve this is to keep a vehicle’s wheels in balance. When a tire is mounted onto a wheel, it is usually out of balance. This means that as the wheel spins, there is a slight wobble to the path of the tire. For best handling performance and safety on the road, drivers want to minimize this wobble as much as possible; so we balance our tires. To balance a tire, your honest and friendly Davis Repair service advisor spins it on a machine or drum to determine where it is off-balance. He then attaches weights that counter-balance the uneven weight. Most car owners are surprised at how much balancing improves the smoothness of their ride. High-quality tires generally hold their balance well. But over time, wear and tear take their toll and tires can become unbal ... read more
Posted on Thursday29January 2015
Today we’re going to talk about following recommended service intervals. Your vehicle isn’t the only aspect of your life with recommended intervals: Let’s start with twice yearly dental check-ups and regular physical exams. How about laundry, watering your lawn, and paying your bills? Now, what would happen if you didn’t follow these intervals? Well, you’d probably get more cavities. You may not discover health conditions that could be more effectively treated with early detection. And you’d have to wear dirty clothes, be embarrassed by your brown lawn, and have your utilities shut off. Clearly, there are some things in life that we have to take care of regularly. If we don’t, there are negative consequences. Our quality of life takes a hit and it inevitably costs more money. So why is it so hard to remember to follow regular preventive maintenance on our vehicles? Probably for a couple of reasons. One is that au ... read more
Posted on Thursday13March 2014
Today at Davis Repair we want to talk with you about a very important safety issue. This automotive safety warning is coming from a very unusual source: fire fighting experts. You’ve probably heard of E-85 gasoline being offered in the Denver area. Some newer vehicle models are specifically built to run on E-85 – the rest are not. E-85 gasoline has been developed to fight air pollution and reduce oil consumption. E-85 fuel is a mix of 85% ethanol, a grain-base alcohol, and 15% gasoline. So-called Flex-Fuel vehicles are designed to use either normal gasoline or E-85 gas. The result is lower harmful exhaust emissions to our local Denver community. All gas engines can run with up to 10% ethanol and in fact a lot of gasoline sold in the Centennial Colorado area does contain some ethanol. The problem comes when well meaning people without Flex Fuel certified vehicles put E-85 into the tank. At a 15% concentration, the potentia ... read more
Posted on Saturday01March 2014
Did you know that most of the cars driving around Centennial Colorado carry more computer power than the Apollo 121 Lunar Module that landed on the moon in 1969? New cars sold in the Denver area have as many as twelve networked computers and over five miles (eight kilometers) of wiring. In fact, for the last decade or so, auto computers have been controlling about 85 percent of your vehicle’s functions. Cars have sensors for manifold air temperature, coolant temperature, manifold air pressure, airflow, throttle position, vehicle speed and oxygen content. All of this electronic wizardry is pretty complicated. So how do you know when there is a problem? It’s simple; the Check Engine light comes on. The computer monitors all the sensors and uses that information to decide what to adjust such as the fuel mix, spark timing and idle speed. In addition, the computer monitors its own circuits. When it finds a fault, it turns on t ... read more
Posted on Monday24February 2014
Warm weather or cold, Centennial drivers still need to think about their Ford’s air conditioning. Most Centennial people don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. At Davis Repair, we can advise you on your vehicle manufacturer’s preventive maintenance schedules for air conditioning service, just as we do for transmission service, oil changes and so on. Maintaining your air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the Ford’s air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well. We see that a lot at Davis Repair in Centennial. The refrigerant also contains a special oil that lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and all Centennial car owners ... read more
Posted on Thursday13February 2014
Today Davis Repair is talking about the proper fluids for your vehicle. It’s become more complicated with changes in automotive design and manufacturing. It’s not that people in Colorado are confused as much as they don’t realize how much things have changed in recent years. Let’s take engine oil. Twenty or thirty years ago, there were just a handful of different weights of oil. The weight of an oil is a scientific measure of its properties, particularly its viscosity or thickness. It was common in those days to use a lighter weight oil in the winter when it’s cold outside. That way the oil would be able to splash around inside the engine and protect the parts before it was fully warmed up. And a heavier weight oil would be used in the summer. The thicker oil wouldn’t thin out too much in the summer heat and vaporize in the engine. Modern valve trains have become very complicated with more moving parts and small passages than ever before. The ... read more
Posted on Monday27January 2014
We find that a lot of Centennial service and repair at Davis Repair are a little tentative when they talk with their automotive advisors. They want to ask questions, but don’t want to be embarrassed or to seem pushy. Cars are very complicated and there’s more to know about them than most of us have the time to learn. Maybe it’s because cars have become so much more reliable that the average person just doesn’t need to know as much to keep their vehicle on the road. You know, your local hospital has a Patient’s Bill of Rights that they post throughout the hospital. We think our Centennial automotive service customers also have a right to ask any question they need to understand what is wrong with their car and what it will take to fix it. They need to feel free to ask the cost and benefits of recommended services. And they certainly have a right to understand the financial end of the transaction. It’s all about the com ... read more
Posted on Thursday09January 2014
Brakes really aren’t optional equipment. And taking care of them isn’t optional either. A regular brake inspection is on every car’s maintenance schedule. An inspection will check your brake system and let you know if there are any problems. Of course, if you’re having trouble with your brakes, get your car into a Centennial or Greenwood Village service center right away. And watch out for these problems: Low or spongy brake pedal Hard brake pedal A brake warning light that stays on Constantly squealing or grinding brakes Vibrations or clunking sounds when you apply your brakes There are two types of brakes: disc and drum. Disc brakes have a rotor that’s attached to the axle. Calipers straddle the rotor, kind of like the brakes on a bicycle. Drum brakes are more common on back wheels. Pads, called shoes, push against the inside of the drum to slow the vehicle. There are several things that need to be serv ... read more
Posted on Thursday09January 2014
Flood Damage in Cars, what to do if your car has been affected by the Colorado floods With the floods in Colorado reaching what experts are calling ’100 Year Levels’ we are getting a lot of questions about car repairs due to flood damage. Here are a few things to keep in mind. First Things First: Call your insurance agent and check to see if your car is covered for flood damage, also check for details on towing insurance and rental car insurance. Get the details on reimbursement ask if using your own mechanic is okay or if there’s someone they recommend. You may have towing insurance, be sure to ask, then have it towed to a mechanic you trust… Like us Don’t attempt to start a flooded car! you can do much more harm than good. If there’s water in the transmission, file system or engine, you’re only going to compound the damage. Assessing the Damage: Any vehicle can be repaired if you want to spend enough mo ... read more