FALCONER AUTO REPAIR

Have you ever gone to listen to an orchestra? The musicians take the stage early and tune their instruments. Each individual instrument must be in tune, but the critical thing is for the entire orchestra to be in tune with each other. That's why they tune up together.Now this is no surprise; I'm going to relate the orchestra to your vehicle. Your engine has many component systems that each need to be working properly. And the components need to be working in sync, all timed up together in order for the engine to work efficiently.We call this... (ta-da) a tune-up. When an orchestra's out of tune you get a bad concert. When your vehicle's out of tune you get bad performance and bad fuel economy.So check your owner's manual for recommended tune-up intervals. Or ask your Falconer service advisor at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service what he thinks....Just be careful not to say you want to make beautiful music together – that kinda makes us uncomfo ... read more

Weight is the enemy of fuel economy. Everyone from Falconer knows this makes sense.Some of us in the Falconer area carry a bunch of unnecessary weight, and I'm not talkin' what you see in the mirror.Guys: sports equipment and tools. Ladies: well, just take a look around the passenger compartment and trunk. I think my car has about 45 pounds of french fries on the floor.All that extra weight wastes gas as you drive between here and there, and everywhere else.Lose the junk and save some money....And you really only need one of those spare tires. I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service 1739 Lindquist Drive Falconer, New York 14733 716

When all of your vehicle's wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Hitting a road hazard or even just the normal bumps and bounces of everyday driving in Falconer can cause your vehicle's wheels to be out of alignment.Driving for an extended time around Falconer when your wheels are out of alignment results in uneven tire wear. This is dangerous … and expensive. Worst case scenario, you have a blowout on a crowded New York highway. It can also cause premature wear to your suspension system, which can be really expensive to repair. At the very least, you may have to replace your tires years too early. The ideal alignment for your vehicle was designed by its engineers. Alignment service at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service starts with an inspection of the steering and suspension – to see if anything's bent or broken. Then your friendly and knowledgeable I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service technician will look at ... read more

All those automotive fluids can be confusing for Falconer drivers. Recent years have brought new grades of engine oil, types of transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid. The right fluid protects your vehicle and helps it perform at its best. The wrong fluid won't work as well and could even cause damage.In addition to new grades of engine oil, many vehicles now leave the factory with synthetic oil. People in Falconer should always use the grade recommended by their manufacturer. All coolant, also called antifreeze, used to be green. Now there are several other colors of coolant sold at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service in Falconer. Each type is designed to protect the cooling system components that are particular to your vehicle. The wrong stuff can void your vehicle cooling system warranty and could even cause engine damage.Most passenger vehicles on Falconer roads today use either DOT 3, DOT 4 or DOT 5 brak ... read more

Everyone in Falconer, New York, knows we are advised to go to our Falconer dentist twice a year.  Oral-conscious Falconer residents have 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 problems. And you avoid those huge bills.If Falconer folks understand the wisdom of using this system for handling dental care, why do many resist when facing the same system for our vehicle maintenance? Following the vehicle manufacturer's recommended intervals can be confusing. Firs ... read more

We find that a lot of Falconer drivers are a little tentative when they talk with their automotive advisors. They want to ask questions but don't want to be embarrassed or seem pushy. Vehicles are very complicated and there's more to know about them than most of us have the time to learn. Maybe it's because vehicles 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 Falconer 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 communication. It's a little harder when you're trying to find the right ... read more

Today's I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service post focuses on using coolant. If you pour in the wrong kind, it won't protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Check your vehicle owner's manual. Of course, your I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.Brake fluid is confusing for some Falconer drivers. Back when we opened I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Falconer residents mistakenly think the higher numbers are an upgrade. You know, if 3 is good then 4 must be better. That's not how it works. They are different formulations to meet the demands of differences in brake systems. Only one of them is designed for your vehicle.Ditto for transmission fluid. For decades there were two basic types of tranny fluid used at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service: friction modified or not. With the tremendous engineering advances in vehicle automatic transmissi ... read more

So you have some exciting plans for the weekend. You're going to take some of your friends out on the boat for some water skiing. Of course, you've gotten the boat all ready. And you haven't forgotten about your tow vehicle. You've gassed it up and even vacuumed it out. However, there is something even more important than the cleanliness of the interior: you want to make sure that your vehicle maintenance is up to date. Think about it – heavy traffic on the way out of Falconer. There's hilly terrain as you get to the lake. Some dirt roads – and it's going to be pretty hot in New York this weekend. And all the time you'll be towing around a lot of extra weight. That all adds up a lot of severe strain on your engine, brakes and transmission. Let's just consider the transmission. It's going to be working overtime, spending more time in lower gears. The internal transmission temperature is going to be much higher than normal. A fun little blast to the loc ... read more

Power steering is standard on nearly every vehicle in Falconer, New York, these days. Now there are some exotic, new types of power steering systems, but for the most part, the general setup is a pump that's driven by a belt powered by the engine. Contact the automotive professionals at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service in Falconer for questions about your power steering. The pump generates power that assists drivers as they steer their vehicle around Falconer, New York. Power steering systems use hoses to move pressurized fluid back and forth. These hoses can develop leaks so it's a good idea to have I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service inspect them at every oil change. A check of the power steering fluid level is on the list for every full service oil change at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service because low fluid can damage the power steering pump. And the fluid needs to be compatible with the hoses and seals, so it's important to use the c ... read more

It's important for Falconer drivers to know battery basics. First, let's talk about which is harder on a battery – hot or cold New York weather. Most Falconer area drivers think it's cold weather because that's when we call on our batteries to have enough power to start a cold vehicle engine. However, heat does more damage to a battery than cold. Truth is, our batteries start to die a little from day one. Keeping a full charge slows the process, which is hard with short Falconer trips because the alternator doesn't have time to fully recharge the battery from starting the engine. Falconer drivers can top off the charge with a computer controlled battery charger – say, once a month in the summer and every three months during the winter.As far as how long a battery will last, statistics show that 70% have given up the ghost within four years. By that time, they aren't capable of taking a full charge like they used to ... read more