FALCONER AUTO REPAIR

                                                                           Fall auto care is essential to ensure safety and reliability as the seasons change and holiday travel is quickly approaching. Tire Maintenance: As temperatures drop, your tires can lose pressure. You may even see your TPMS light come on! Check your tire pressure regularly and ensure they are properly inflated. Consider switching to winter tires if you need reliable and safe travel in our area with its cold, and snowy winters. Brake Inspection: Have your brakes inspected to make sure they are in good working condition. Fall weather often brings wet and slippery road conditions, so reliable brakes are crucial. Remember to watch for leaves building up on roads - they’re super slippery! Stopping distances will increase ... read more

4 Important Things I’ve Learned About Car Tires – Be Informed! Part 4 – Tire Inspections Rotating tires and having tires inspected at every oil change is a good rule of thumb. If not for this process, my mechanic would not have quickly identified a rear shock that went bad during the covered manufacturer warranty period. I would have had advanced damage to my almost-new tire on that side! How did he know? The left rear tire was wearing unevenly! A trained mechanic can spot things like this during a simple Vehicle Check-up like is performed at every visit, at no charge, for all I-86 Truck & Auto Service customers. A digital Check-Up report will be texted to you by your I-86 Service Advisor, including photos, videos, and tech notes. You should always know the condition and safety status of your vehicle! Thanks for following our 4-part series on tires. Until next time! Ronda Whitford, Owner I-86 Truck & Auto Repair 1739 Lindquist Drive Falcon ... read more

4 Important Things I’ve Learned About Car Tires – Be Informed! Part 3 – Tires have a “shelf life” Are you a low-mileage driver or do you own multiple vehicles? Here’s something you should be aware of for tire safety!  Vehicle manufacturers recommend tire replacement at 6 years, and tire manufacturers say tire life should be limited to no more than 10 years – regardless of mileage on them. How do you know the age of a tire? The US DOT NHTSA requires the full Tire Identification Number be stamped on one sidewall of a tire. Look for the letters DOT, followed by eight to thirteen letters and/or numbers that identify: the manufacturing location, tire size and manufacturer's code, along with the week and year the tire was manufactured. Find the last 4 digits of the ID number on your tire. The first two are the week number of the year, and the last two are the year. Stay tuned for our final part in this ser ... read more

4 Important Things I’ve Learned About Car Tires – Be Informed! Part 2 – Are New Car Tires Winter Worthy? Don’t assume that your new car is outfitted with tires that are suited for our Winters, no matter how much tread they have. Coming home thru Ohio with my brand-new Ford Escape on a late Fall trip, I felt confident that the half inch of snow and slush we came into would be no problem. Wrong! The new all-season tires on my SUV did not have the proper tread for even the slightest amount of Winter traction, we were all over the road! All season tires are designed for a smooth, quiet ride on most dry and wet conditions. Specifically designed Winter tires improve traction, handling, and control on snow, slush and ice. That was a hairy ride the rest of the way home, but you can bet I got new tires immediately when we got back. I-86 Truck & Auto Repair can help you with tire needs, just ask when scheduling your next appointment! Stay tuned for ... read more

4 Important Things I’ve Learned About Car Tires – Be Informed! A 4-part Series… Part 1 – Tire Pressure and Temperature Fluctuations If you notice your car’s tire pressure sensor (TPMS) light come on, it doesn’t always mean your tire is going flat. Certain times of the year our daily temperatures can swing 40 degrees or more! Tire pressure sensors are very sensitive and temperature fluctuation will increase or decrease the volume of air in your tires. If your TPMS light comes on, visually check to see if you have a flat tire, check your tire pressure with a gauge, and adjust your tire pressure accordingly. You may need to add a pound or two of air for colder weather temps so that the sensors don’t continue to trigger the dash light. But never ignore the TPMS light, it’s trying to tell you something! Customers at I-86 Truck & Auto Repair can receive this simple tire pressure service free of charge without an appointme ... read more

In case you haven’t flipped your calendar to next month yet to look ahead, Spring Break travel dates are just around the corner!! I know that feeling all too well… “Wow, there’s SO MUCH on that checklist!” and panic sets in. One of the biggest things for travel is peace of mind, right? You want your trip to be smooth sailing, with your family arriving at your destination and back home safely. Examples of good surprises you’d be excited about might be: a huge whale pops up near your sightseeing boat… the storm holds off and you get the amazing photo of the sunset you dreamed of. And then there are surprises that can ruin your whole experience: the check engine light you’ve been ignoring suddenly strands you along the side of a busy interstate miles from anywhere… the exhaust leak you hadn’t noticed is now allowing dangerous fumes into your vehicle as you sit in traffic. If you travel any amount at all, you may have already ... read more

5 Things You Should Do in Winter Months – Car Maintenance 101   As we are in the throws of Winter right now, I’m reminded to take good care of my own vehicle - a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek – so I thought I’d share these 5 important tips: We live in the rust belt, and one of our customers asked us just the other day – “How can we keep rust at bay?” The short answer is, you can’t. But you can slow it down with some simple steps. Don’t give up on exterior maintenance in the Winter. My excuse personally was that it will just be messy an hour later because it’s wet and sloppy. This year I’ve got a new car and want it staying nice for as long as possible so I’ve promised myself I will get car washes when it’s warm enough to do so. It removes the build-up of salt and mud, giving your car a fighting chance. I always look for a car wash that has an undercarriage wash! I also prefer a car wash where ... read more

The Adventure Continues in 2023 – A New Year! Most new businesses don’t make it to Year 5, and we‘re still here 18 years later. Wahoo!! While this was not our first business, the others were operated from our home. Purchase of an old yellow Dodge service truck started our repair service in March of 2005. Desiring brick and mortar for the first time, we purchased an old building that was in disrepair, but the location near I-86 and reduced price lured us to Falconer. Renovations began June 2005, and we opened for business under construction destruction. The old flat roof leaked horribly so we draped plastic over the office ceiling to channel rainwater into buckets. My husband Nate and our nephew Justin Benjamin did all the roof demo themselves using a front loader and a rented saw during that blazing hot Summer! At one point we had customer vehicles in the repair bays and there was no roof! Fall 2005 masonry work was completed, huge roof trusses were l ... read more

Yes, I am an owner of a car repair shop. But even after 15 years I’m still learning about technology in today’s vehicles as it’s changing all the time!  This week my  journey takes us into the Battery Management System on my own 2016 Ford Escape.     Being observant about changes in your vehicle is as important as noticing changes in your own health. And just as important is not ignoring those signs. A few days ago my car started shutting down the radio and dash almost immediately after turning off the vehicle. In the past it would stay on for a very long time so I could continue to listen to the radio or finish up a phone call unless I opened my car door. And then I noticed a message on my Ford Escape SYNC screen, “System Off to Save Battery… turn ignition off or start engine”.  Thoughts flooded my mind – Does this mean my battery is failing? Is my battery charging properly? Does it just need serviced? I’m ... read more

New York State vehicle inspections which have lapsed since March  have again been extended and will be valid through November 3. What does that mean for you? Availability - Will you be able to quickly get an inspection when the extension suddenly expires?  Inspection Stations are expecting an onslaught of drivers needing their vehicles inspected. The DMV is urging drivers to get their vehicles inspected even while the extension remains in place. We will do our best to work State Inspections into our daily schedule, but we recommend making an appointment as soon as possible. An unexpected number of inspections in a short period of time could also lead to inspection sticker shortages across all Inspection Stations, with shipments from the State often taking 7-14 days under normal circumstances. We have made sure our supply is adequate thru year-end! Your Safety - This time has affected use and condition of vehicles. Those not driven can have ... read more