FALCONER AUTO REPAIR

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

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

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