Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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The exhibit “Dream Cars: Innovative Design, Visionary Ideas” was held at the High Museum of Art Atlanta in 2014, and it featured the world’s most stunning concept cars built between 1934 and 2001. In many instances, seemingly futuristic cars like the ones in this exhibit influence what’s to come in the automotive industry. For instance, William Stout’s Scarab, built in 1936, was inspired by the shape of a scarab beetle. While it seemed radical at the time, the shape eventually gave way to a classic automotive style: the minivan. Here are some...
Oil plays a key role in the health of your car’s engine. It helps keep the engine lubricated and prevents all the moving components from building up too much heat. Over time, you may observe signs of your car burning oil. It’s important to identify and remedy this problem, as it can diminish your car’s oil levels, wear your engine prematurely and eventually cause serious damage if it isn’t addressed. Here we’ll explain what factors can cause a car to burn oil and help you determine whether this is happening to your vehicle. We’ll also offer...
Regular tuneups go hand in hand with diligent vehicle maintenance, as they play a key role in keeping your car healthy. So, what is a tuneup? Learn about why tuneups are important, the steps in the process and how often you should get one. Why are tuneups important? Essentially, a tuneup is preventative vehicle maintenance. Tuneups protect some of your car’s most important components and may also optimize fuel economy. For example, regular tuneups can help prevent engine damage that could lead to repairs later down the road. Sticking to a r...
Catalytic converter failure can be caused by a number of problems and can be a pain to fix. This essential emissions system component can sap miles per gallon and drive up your fuel consumption as it gradually loses efficiency and impacts your engine’s power production. Your vehicle’s catalytic converter sits ahead of the muffler in its exhaust system. It’s a small, oval-shaped chamber packed with materials such as platinum and/or palladium in a honeycomb-type design. This ensures that as much exhaust gas as possible passes over these metal...
Heater cores are part of the engine cooling system that provides heat to the passenger compartment. Though it’s relatively easy to spot the signs of a bad heater core, the fix is a bit of a headache. Unfortunately, it’s also something that will get worse with time, so it’s worth taking care of as soon as failure is evident. Here’s what you need to know. Warm-ups Heater cores are essentially mini-radiators. They use the same heat dissipation technology, with coolant flowing through the core to...
One of the few things that can make a morning commute worse in the winter is if the heat stops working inside your car. Have you ever turned on the fan for it only to blow cold air and wondered, “Why is my car heater not working?” If the answer is yes, then you know the struggle is very real. Not only is it terribly uncomfortable driving in a cold car, but it can actually be dangerous, as you can’t defrost the windshield either. Here are some things that could be causing your heat not to work. 1. Coolant System Your engine’s cooling system...
Did you know that there is more to getting good fuel economy than just watching how hard your right foot presses the go-pedal? Automobiles are a system, not just a bunch of parts thrown together. Each subsystem must be functioning at its peak in order to maintain the vehicle’s overall peak performance. Some components have large effects, such as the engine and transmission, while others contribute less, such as tires. Regardless of how much the component system contributes does not matter if you are looking at saving every drop of that p...
Car alignment might feel like a set-it-and-forget-it maintenance item. The reality, though, is that rough roads, potholes and worn-out suspension components can all conspire to pull your vehicle’s alignment out of spec. Fortunately, there are a number of signs that your vehicle may have an alignment issue. When you discover one, you usually can get to a garage well before your vehicle incurs serious damage. Let’s take a look at three symptoms that indicate an alignment problem. 1. Uneven tire wear This is the big one — the most common clue...
When I was a kid, my dad would have to take the car down to the garage every few months for a chassis lubrication, usually at the same time as the oil and filter change. Now, apart from a few components, the chassis lube is now a thing of the past. That kind of progress has been making its way to fluids, which are now commonly labeled as lasting for a “lifetime.” What does lifetime fill mean? The words “lifetime fill” raise a few questions, including whose lifetime — mine or my car’s? It’s a good question and one reason to read the fine prin...
Knowing if there’s a timing chain versus a timing belt in your car, and what exactly they both do, can help you save on expensive maintenance, costly repairs or both. Although it might seem like an overly technical subject, understanding a timing belt versus a timing chain is a fairly simple concept to grasp once you strip away all the jargon. What is engine timing? Your car’s engine needs to breathe air to produce power, so the heads sitting on each of the cylinders are packed with a series of valves. Each cylinder has its own set of val...
Most people don’t concern themselves with the status of their radiator until a problem occurs, but many of these issues can be prevented with some annual maintenance. While most of us add some antifreeze to the cooling system right before the first hard freeze of winter, summer time provides the best opportunity to flush the system. Your vehicle’s cooling system There are a lot of things happening inside your engine’s cooling system besides just transferring heat from the block to the radiator. There are different metals that interact with...
All new cars and light trucks since 2008 have come equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, or ‘TPMS’. The TPMS system detects when a tire becomes under-inflated and lights up a warning light on the dash. So what’s the big deal? Well, under-inflated tires can be a real safety concern for everyone. First of all, they don’t handle properly and that can lead to an accident. Second, under-inflated tires can overheat and cause the tire to come apart, which can also lead to an accident. Government regulations requiring TPMS systems aim to...
Protech is a full-service automotive service center. Profit margins are a lot narrower than many people imagine. Cars are far more complex, thus the tools and diagnostic equipment are also more complicated. Diagnosing why your Check Engine light is on may require a machine that costs 18k. Ask any senior technician how much he/she has invested in tools, initial education and ongoing training. For example, a carburetor used to be a pretty simple part to maintain and repair. Nowadays, an electronic fuel system repair requires a technician to have...
The thermostat is an important part of your cooling system. Your vehicle's thermostat performs a similar function to the thermostat in your home. At home, you set your thermostat to maintain a comfortable temperature range. When your home gets too hot, the air conditioning kicks on and when it gets too cold, the heater turns on. Now your engine also has an optimal temperature range: warm enough to run efficiently and not so hot as to cause engine damage. Your vehicle's thermostat is a valve betw...
Let's talk about your brakes. Basically, the power brake system helps you provide braking power so that you don't have to do all the work with your brake pedal. The brakes themselves are applied at the wheel using hydraulic pressure. When we step on the brake pedal, we create pressure in the power booster that's multiplied by vacuum from the engine. The resulting pressure pushes through the master cylinder into tubes and hoses that run to the brake at each wheel. When there's a problem, it's usu...
Let’s debunk some of the myths about diesel powered vehicles. 1. Diesel Burns Dirty This was true years ago. Since 2006, however, U.S. diesel vehicles have been required by law to use ultra-low-sulfur diesel or USLD. Modern diesels are soot-free and have a smaller carbon footprint. 2. Diesels Are Sluggish Not any more. They are as fast off the line as similar gasoline-powered cars. If your idea of fun is to spend an afternoon test-driving new cars, go take a spin in a diesel BMW or Porsche. 3. Diesels Are Loud Back in the day, you could hear a...
It’s always exciting to get a new car – even when it’s used – but it can feel like you’re going out on a limb a bit when you buy a used vehicle. I mean, people sell vehicles for a lot of reasons. Maybe they just wanted a new car, maybe there was something wrong with it, and maybe there was something really wrong with it. It’s a great idea to order a report from a vehicle history service. This can uncover title problems and may reveal serious accidents or flood damage, as well as any recall notices for the vehicle. Maintenance and repair records...
Emergencies drivers may encounter can range from a flat tire in downtown to being stranded in a snowy ravine for three days. So you may want to consider a basic car emergency kit to keep in your vehicle at all times and a travel kit tailored to a specific trip. Your close-to-home kit would have some basic items to work on your car: everything you need to change a tire, gloves, a couple of quarts of oil, some antifreeze and water. A can of tire inflator is a great temporary fix for minor flats. You’ll also want jumper cables or a booster box, f...
All of us have those days when we've got a bunch of errands. Suppose on your day off you need to get gas, pick up some groceries, swing by your ATM and get the kids from school. Now you could make four trips, but that would be a waste of time and money – totally inefficient. Instead you get organized and hit the ATM first and get some gas next. Then you go to your supermarket and pick up the kids on the way home. Way better use of your time. Now you may wonder what this has to do with your vehicle. Well, back in the day, each of your e...
Question: My friend just had a very costly transmission repair in Bakersfield. How can Tehachapi auto owners like myself avoid transmission trouble? Protech Auto Service Answer: Next to your engine, your transmission is the most pricey component in your vehicle – so you and your fellow motorists want to do all you can to avoid pricey transmission repairs. Tehachapi auto owners may have noticed a trend of engines becoming more and more powerful in recent years. At the same time, fuel efficiency has been improving in nearly every motor vehicle s...
Question: I'm confused about when I should get my spark plugs replaced. What's the deal? Answer from Protech Auto Service: Well it can be confusing for car owners because there are several types of spark plugs and some last longer than others. Your owner's manual will have a recommendation for when your spark plugs should be changed. Here's a little background from Protech Auto Service. Spark plugs are in the combustion chamber of your engine. They send a little spark between two electrodes at...
Question: How do I know when I should get my tires rotated and balanced? Protech Auto Service Answer: The interval for tire rotation could depend on a recommendation from either the tire manufacturer or the auto maker. The interval is typically around 5,000 miles but could range from 3,000 to 8,000 miles. The background question for Tehachapi auto owners is why do tires need to be rotated? Front tires wear differently than the rear tires because steering wears the shoulders faster up front....
Question: My battery in my minivan keeps going dead. I had it tested and it is fine – what could be the problem? Protech Auto Service Answer: Well, your problem could be caused by several things. Let’s start with a likely suspect: your alternator. The alternator is like a little electrical generator. It is spun by the serpentine belt on your engine and makes electricity. This electricity is used to power the important electrical systems required to run your minivan. It also powers all of your electronic accessories like your stereo, nav...
