FALCONER AUTO REPAIR

Today we want to talk about a system in our vehicles – the cooling system. It's one of those things that Falconer auto owners don't give much thought to until it fails and then they're stranded by the side of a road in New York.Cooling systems fail more often than any other mechanical system – usually because of neglect. Don't you hate it when something breaks and you could have done something to prevent it?The good news is that if Falconer drivers take care of their cooling systems, they can keep working for the life of their car.Here at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service in Falconer, we emphasize preventive maintenance services like replacing your coolant according to the factory schedule. But the various parts that make up the cooling system need attention too. The major components of the cooling system are the water pump, freeze plugs, the thermostat, radiator, cooling fans, the heater core, the pressure cap, the overflow ... read more

One Falconer automotive service issue that doesn't get much attention is driveline service. Drivelines don't get talked about very much around Falconer, but they're very important. First let's define what the driveline is:Taking a small step back, the power plant is comprised of the engine and transmission. The driveline starts there and includes all of the components that transfer power from the transmission to the wheels.That's not really a lot of components, but they handle the full force of the engine. Without the driveline you're not moving. So Falconer residents need to take good care of it. The driveline components differ depending on whether your vehicle has front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive or four wheel drive. For purposes of our discussion, we're going to have to oversimplify a bit. If you are ready to have your drive train looked at, give us a call at 716-665-2501. Let's start with front wheel drive. The point where the t ... 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

Hey Falconer - this is something really amazing: Your vehicle uses 12,000 times as much air as fuel when you drive it. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.That's like 100 gallons (380 liters) of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very important but inexpensive part that has to do a tremendous amount of work. And when it works, everything goes well. But, when it doesn't, well, it can lead to problems. Of course, your vehicle manufacturer recommends how often to change your air filter. But like most service intervals, where and how you drive your vehicle in New York affects when your filter needs to be changed.Dusty conditions around Falconer or polluted city driving means you'll need to change your filter more often. Our trained professionals at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service can check your filter for you. In fact, it's often a routine part of an oil change.When you think about it, a c ... read more

Your wheel bearings may be something to which you've never given a thought while driving around Falconer, New York. Wheel bearings are what enable your wheels to spin freely. Since they bear the entire weight of the vehicle, they have to be tough. Wheel bearings can last well over 60,000 miles or 100,000 kilometers. They do wear out though and must eventually be replaced.You might hear a groaning sound from your wheels. The sound might disappear at some speeds and reappear at others. Your Falconer, New York, service technician at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service can quickly tell if your bearings are bad by raising the vehicle and wiggling the wheel. When you grasp the top and bottom of the tire, it shouldn't move along the vertical axis.Many vehicles these days have wheel bearing assemblies that cannot be serviced at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service. When the bearings go bad, we simply replace the entire wheel bearing assembly.For those vehicles w ... read more

Did you know that most of the cars driving around Falconer, New York, carry more computer power than the Apollo 121 Lunar Module that landed on the moon in 1969?New cars sold in the Falconer area have as many as 12 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 Falconer drivers 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 the Check Engine light and stores a trouble code in ... read more

Don't you hate it when you hear that squeal from under the hood when you're zipping down a busy Falconer road? It usually means there is a problem with the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine accessories. It runs the alternator - which charges the battery; the water pump - which cools the engine; the air conditioning and the power steering pump. All are pretty important parts. It is called a serpentine belt because it snakes around a bunch of engine components. Serpentine belts are amazingly tough. They can last for years and go long distances. Like all moving parts, however, they eventually wear out. If your belt breaks while you are driving around Falconer, everything will come to a halt within minutes. You need to stop the vehicle immediately or it will overheat, potentially causing engine damage. You can be sure that it won't happen at a convenient time or place. (As if there was a convenient time or place!) You might even need to get your v ... read more

Myths passed around our Falconer, New York community start with a grain of evidence and are then built up with a lot of imagination and very elastic logic. And the internet is a breeding ground for automotive myths. Some bloggers recall the vehicles of yesteryear and declare their modern decedents to be virtually maintenance free and that anyone who says otherwise is out to rip you off. To get the truth about auto myths you hear around the Falconer area, come over to I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service. Let's examine a couple of the more popular rants and look at the truth behind them.The first one is that the chassis no longer needs lubrication for suspension, steering and the driveline. They declare that anyone who has charged you for lubrication is a charlatan.The truth on which this myth is based is that many new vehicles come from the factory with sealed joints and cannot be greased. However, there are still some ... read more