In the greater Portland area our vehicles are required to pass the Department of Environmental Quality Test every other year, to be legal to drive. There are a few key things that need to be in proper working shape for the vehicle to pass this test, good tune condition, proper fuel/air ratio and the exhaust […]

Today’s vehicles are run by multiple computers or control modules. To give you an idea of what I am talking about, the engine is managed by an electronic control module or ECM. These control modules monitor and control the fuel, emissions, temperature, the timing of the engine, braking, starting, charging, transmission shifting and speed. The […]

With the frigid temperatures we have had in the past couple of weeks, many people are noticing that the heater in their car is not working at 100 percent. Or they expect their car to be instantly warm and cozy like the home they just left. Our vehicle heater is designed to warm the passenger […]

The US Department of Transportation has statistics that show more than 70% of vehicles on US Highways have not been prepared for winter driving. Is your vehicle in that 70%? If you want your vehicle prepared what needs to be done? Listed below is a quick check list of things to have tested or inspected […]

Battery/Charging System Indicator Light The Battery/Charging System Indicator Light is amber in color and looks like a battery. When this light illuminates or stays illuminated or comes on and off while driving, it is indicating that there is an issue in the charging or starting system of your vehicle. There are several things that this […]

The warning lights we will be discussing in this article have to do with the safety features of current and newer vehicles and may not apply to every vehicle that is being driven on the road. One thing to be aware of is that warning lights come in red or amber. The red color light […]

The heating system in your vehicle is designed to keep you warm while the temperatures outside are cold, wet and/or windy. The engine cooling system of the vehicle is directly linked to the heating system. If your heating system is not working properly it is important to have it checked out, because your engine cooling […]

Almost daily we receive inquiries about Check Engine Light Diagnosis. There are a lot of consumers that believe we can just hook a tool to your vehicle and it will tell us what is wrong with the car. A lot of times, the consumer has already retrieved the code and they would like to know […]

There are very few factors more important than good visibility when you are driving your vehicle. Having a windshield wiper and washer system that is in good working order is the key to visibility, especially living and driving in the Pacific Northwest. The windshield wiper mechanics consist of four basic parts – the wiper linkage […]

Many of the key components and systems of your vehicle are run or powered via a rubber belt that connects to the engine’s drive shaft. With the aid of pulleys, these belts drive the engine fan, water pump, air-conditioning compressor, power-steering system, and the alternator in most vehicles. The alternator is a very important component […]