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Yearly Archives: 2017

Automotive Tips from I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service: Serpentine Belt System Wear

The primary job of the serpentine belt for Falconer drivers is to provide important traction to spin the accessories. As the belt wears it loses some of its grip and the accessories may not spin at optimal speeds. For example, if your alternator doesn’t spin fast enough, the battery will not completely recharge while you’re driving and you could end up stranded around Falconer with a dead battery. In short, a worn serpentine belt will stress all of the accessories it powers leading to premature wear and possible early replacement. When as little as 5% of belt material is lost, the serpentine belt cannot provide the proper traction for the accessories. Your friendly and professional I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service service advisor can inspect your belt for excessive wear and replace your serpentine belt system if it’s excessively worn.Give us a call.I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service1739 Lindquist DriveFalconer, New York 1473371

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Serpentine Belt

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Wheel Bearings

Why are wheel bearings for Falconer vehicles important? It's simple: your wheel bearings keep the wheels on your vehicle. In today's I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service post, we'll discuss more about wheel bearings and how you can make sure they can do their very job while you drive around Falconer, New York. Wheel bearings are pretty simple parts. They're made of high quality steel and are engineered to last 100,000 miles (160,000)  or more if properly cared for. The bearings do two jobs: First, they allow the wheel to freely rotate with as little friction as possible. Second, they support the weight of the vehicle. For example, if your car weighs 3,600 pounds (1600 kilogram), each wheel has to support approximately 900 pounds (400 kilograms). That's a lot of heavy lifting over those long distances.Even though wheel bearings are pretty straightforward, they need to be in near perfect condition to do their job for Falconer vehicles. The bearings are packed with heavy ... read more

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Tires and Wheels

Tire Tread Depth for Falconer, New York Drivers

Driving on bald tires is like playing roulette. Though you may be fine today, eventually your luck is going to run out.The Feds don't have any laws for tread depth, but 42 of the states, and all of Canada, do have regulations. They consider 2/32 of an inch to be the minimum legal tread depth. Two other states, including California, consider 1/32 to be the minimum and six states have no standards at all. Call us at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service; (just call 716-665-2501) to find out what your requirements are in the Falconer, New York, area.Since 1968, U.S. law has required that a raised bar be molded across all tires. When tires are worn enough that this bar becomes visible, there's just 2/32 inch/1.6 mm of tread left. But does that older standard give Falconer vehicles enough safety?Consider this: Consumer Reports recommends tire replacement when tread reaches 4/32 inch/3.2 mm. And the recommendation is backed by some very compelling studies. Now before we go ... read more

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Tires and Wheels

Hitting the Brakes in Falconer

Safety should always be an element of your vehicle care. So even if you don't care about how your vehicle looks, you should practice preventive maintenance to protect yourself — and other Falconer drivers — on the road. And good safety starts with good brakes.Brakes need a regular inspection. There are  parts that wear out or wear down, and it's best to replace them before you have serious problems. Of course, if you are having trouble with your brakes, NOW is the time to fix them. If your brake warning light is on, that's a good sign that you need your brakes checked. You can also tell something is wrong with your brakes by the feel of the pedal or unusual sounds while braking. If the brake pedal is low, feels spongy when you press it or is hard to push, that indicates a problem with your brakes. If you hear squealing, grinding or clunking noises when you brake, that can also indicate serious problems. If vibrations accompany ... read more

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Brakes

Beware of Cheap Tires in Falconer

Do you like to shop for shoes in Falconer?When buying a running shoe, is quality important?Does durability matter as long as the shoes look fabulous?Would you rather have one pair of long lasting shoes or two pairs of lower quality shoes at the same price?Is the warranty important when buying tires? Falconer drivers should also think about the safety aspect of tires. The tires do a lot of work – they carry the weight of the vehicle and you and your passengers. You want to be sure they hold the road and provide good traction on New York freeways and surface streets. If you carry heavy loads or tow a trailer on New York highways, the tires need a high load rating.Ask your friendly and knowledgeable Falconer tire professional at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service. I think it's important that Falconer residents understand the effect of price on a tire's quality, performance and durability. When I was a kid, my dad would say, “Pay tw ... read more

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Tires and Wheels

Automotive Tips from I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service: Where Should New Tires Be Placed

When Falconer drivers need to replace tires, they need to know how many they should get and on which axle they should be placed. Replacing a damaged tire may leave you with three others with significant wear, which could affect your traction control, stability control and anti-lock brake systems.If you can’t afford to replace all four tires at once, you should at least replace two on the same axle. New tires should always be put on the rear axle for stability in slippery conditions. Your friendly and professional I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service tire professional can help you know when your worn tires should be replaced, if you can have a damaged tire repaired as well as selecting the right tires for your needs.Give us a call.I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service1739 Lindquist DriveFalconer, New York 1473371

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Tires and Wheels

What You Need to Know from Your I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service Service Advisor

Falconer drivers may feel intimidated when they take their vehicles to a service center. They have questions but aren't sure how to ask. They don't want to feel embarrassed about their lack of knowledge. They don't want to make the service technician feel that they don't trust him.If your service advisor at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service uses a term you don't understand, just ask him to explain. Remember, they are the auto service experts. If they came to your place of work, they probably wouldn't understand the jargon, either. When you take your vehicle in to be serviced, make sure you understand the financial issues up front. Ask about payment policies, warranties and, of course, the cost of the work being done.It helps to understand basic services your vehicle needs. Know the difference between a quick check-up and a thorough inspection, which you are getting and which you are asking for. Understand that diagnosing a problem takes time, and time isn't free. If you have conce ... read more

Good Service at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service Equals Good Fuel Economy in Falconer

Whether we're trying to save money, save gas or save the environment, most of us Falconer drivers have an interest in decreasing fuel consumption. We've all heard about ways to save money on gas in New York, but does it really add up to much? How much can we boost our fuel economy through preventive maintenance and more courteous driving?The US government has a website that actually answers that question. Let's look at some of the data and find out if any of these fuel-saving ideas are really worth the effort. We've all heard that a tune-up can improve gas mileage. It turns out that it can save us 4% at the pump. At $3.50 a gallon, that's 14¢ per gallon in savings, and at $4.00 a gallon, that's a 16¢ per gallon savings.Other common repair items can also save you at the pump. For example, if your oxygen sensor is faulty, it's not delivering the information to your engine's computer that allows it to calculate the right fuel-to-air ratio. The result ... read more

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Fuel Economy

Distracted Driving

When asked, most people think they are good at multi-tasking. Scientific studies, however, reveal that only around 2% of the population can truly demonstrate the capacity to effectively multi-task. For the rest of us who are not so biologically wired, no amount of practice can increase our effectiveness at multi-tasking. Turns out, multi-tasking is almost a superpower. Think of fighter pilots: capable of maintaining their orientation in three dimensional space and performing specific and highly complicated functions while accessing life threatening situations and coming up with an appropriate response. Admit it – you can’t do that. Yet when it comes to driving, we seem to think we are very capable of safely operating a motor vehicle with myriad distractions. 77% of young adults feel somewhat confident that they can safely text and drive while 55% claim it’s easy to text and drive. Can they possibly be right? Let’s look at some statistics. Nearly 23% of all accid ... read more

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Auto Safety

Vive la Differential at I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service in Falconer

There are a lot of drivers in Falconer who are due for a differential service, but had never heard of a differential before.With front-wheel drive being so common in New York these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Falconer folks don't even have to think about it. And rear-wheel drive differentials don't need to be serviced for years, so it's understandable that it's not something on the top of your mind. It's not uncommon for people in Falconer to not know they have a differential, let alone know that it needs service.To better understand what a differential does, think about a track at any New York high school. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That's to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each ... read more

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Drive Train