May 18, 2012

Battery Replacement In York

Filed under: Battery — stouchsa918 @ 7:40 pm

Battery Replacement In York

Car batteries wear out just like any other battery and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things York SUV owners should know when looking for a new car battery: one is cold cranking amps and the other is reserve capacity.

Let’s start with cold cranking amps. This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold SUV engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live around York, specifically how cold it is where you live. The two factors are that the colder an engine is, the more power it takes to turn the SUV engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with. The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient in the cold.

So the colder it gets in York, more power is needed, but the available power drops.

If you live where it’s cold, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it’s moderate or hot. You should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as the manufacturer recommends, but may want to upgrade at Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop if you live where it gets real cold.

An important note: Batteries may also list the Cranking Amps – CA – number. It is the Cold Cranking Amps – or CCA – that is the important number here. CCA is the number to use in your comparisons.

Now with all this talk of cold temperatures in York, it’s important to note that heat is the real enemy of long battery life. In other words, the damage that’s done over the hot summer months in York shows up with the increased demands on the SUV battery when the weather turns cold.

Now on to reserve capacity: It’s a measurement of the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has at a given load. The number is more important these days because of parasitic drain. Parasitic drain is the battery energy that’s used when the key is off. So the power drawn by the SUV security system, the remote start system, even the power the SUV computers require to maintain their memory.

Reserves are also needed when you make very short trips around York. You’re not driving long enough for the battery to recover the energy it used to start the SUV engine.

So go with the minimum recommended by your manufacturer and upgrade if you need more. Talk with your courteous Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop service advisor about options. If you need more from your battery, a larger capacity battery may be called for.

Batteries are a big ticket item for most York motorists, so the warranty gives peace of mind. Be sure to ask about the car battery warranty at Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop so you know what you’re getting. At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop, we have been providing quality auto service in York for 53 years.

Give us a call

Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop
221 North East Street
York, PA 17403

At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop in York PA (17403) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 717.843.6236. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Share

May 8, 2012

Get Fresh Air Inside Your Car In York

Filed under: Cabin Air Filter — stouchsa918 @ 7:36 pm

Get Fresh Air Inside Your Car In York

Air quality affects us wherever we are in York. Many decades ago, York residents began to become aware of how air pollution negatively affects health. But what about the air inside your vehicle?

Cabin air filters are now coming on most new SUVs since the 2000 model year. These filters clean the air in the passenger compartment. They can filter particles down to three microns, so that’s good enough to clean out dust, pollen and most pollutants. If you suffer from allergies in York, this is very good news.

You can look in your SUV owner’s manual to see if you have a cabin air filter. If you do, there’ll be a recommendation for replacing it when it gets dirty. If you live where there’s a lot of dust, pollen or pollution, you may need to change it more often. You can also ask your courteous service advisor at Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop in York.

How hard it is to change a cabin air filter depends on your vehicle. Some are quite accessible; others take some doing to get to them. They’re usually in the SUV engine compartment or under the dashboard.

Because cabin air filters are so new on the scene, some York motorists haven’t heard of them – even people who have cabin air filters. Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop service advisors report customers complaining of an unpleasant odor in their vehicle and it turned out to be a dirty cabin air filter.

An important note for York hybrid owners: there is a special air filter that cleans the air that cools the hybrid battery pack. This filter should be inspected every time the cabin air filter is inspected and replaced if it is dirty so that the battery pack doesn’t overheat.

Give us a call

Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop
717.843.6236
221 North East Street
York, PA 17403

At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop in York PA (17403) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 717.843.6236. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Share

May 1, 2012

Getting The Right Wheels And Tires At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop In York

Filed under: Tires — stouchsa918 @ 6:44 pm

Getting The Right Wheels And Tires At Stouch's Auto Repair Shop In York

A lot of people in the York area want custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes they just don’t fit right: The tires rub in turns or over bumps. Consulting a tire professional at Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop in York can ensure you get the right fit for your SUV. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs and what you want in your new wheels.

Now, not every wheel can go on every vehicle. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside. If you don’t want to make any modifications to your SUV, you would need to focus on a wheel and tire combination that would fit. With trucks, some York people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most York people don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The SUV computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong sensor information. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your SUV vehicle control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop, we can give you information about control computer reprogramming.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in York. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your York tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs – and the best way to do all this is to have your courteous Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop tire specialist see your SUV in person so mistakes are not made.

At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop, we also offer emission & safety inspection and computer diagnostics.

Give us a call

Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop
717.843.6236
221 North East Street
York, PA 17403

At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop in York PA (17403) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 717.843.6236. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Share

April 24, 2012

Viva la Differential At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop

Filed under: Differential Service — stouchsa918 @ 8:54 pm

Viva la Differential At Stouch's Auto Repair Shop

With front-wheel drive being so common in York these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most York folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive SUV differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for PA people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. 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 runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many SUV differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

York four wheel drive SUVs need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop at different intervals.

Your York service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your SUV owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop
717.843.6236
221 North East Street
York, PA 17403

At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop in York PA (17403) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 717.843.6236. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Share

April 19, 2012

Why Is My Check Engine Light On? Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop Has Answers

Filed under: Check Engine Light — stouchsa918 @ 6:28 pm

Why Is My Check Engine Light On Stouch's Auto Repair Shop Has Answers

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some York drivers and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us in PA.

First, if your SUV check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. Get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at York highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop in York.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn’t go off, schedule an appointment with your York service advisor to get it checked out.

Some more information from Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative. Most of your SUV engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive in York.

In order to make these adjustments, the SUV computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range the computer runs some tests and may turn on the Check Engine Light.

The SUV computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it’ll then turn off the Check Engine Light.

If the problem can’t be resolved then the light will remain on and you should get your SUV looked at at Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop. Your courteous service technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give your Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop, we also offer emission & safety inspection and computer diagnostics.

Give us a call

Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop
717.843.6236
221 North East Street
York, PA 17403

At Stouch’s Auto Repair Shop in York PA (17403) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 717.843.6236. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Share
Next Articles »