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May 2020

auto repair in Philadelphia, PA

What Auto Repair Should You Do After An Accident?

By | Auto Service | No Comments

If you get into a car accident, whether it’s your fault or the other guy’s, one of the big concerns will be the continued safety of your vehicle. While you will exchange information with the other person and call the report into the police and your insurance company, you may also want auto repair in Philadelphia, PA. Here are a few steps to take to ensure that you are driving a safe vehicle, even after it has been in an accident.

Visually Inspect The Vehicle

Probably one of the first things you will do after the accident occurs, assuming everyone is okay, is take a look at your car and the other vehicle involved. You might be able to see some visible damage. Perhaps something is dented or scratched or maybe headlight or taillight is broken out. This can tell you that there’s damage you need to have repaired and your first stop might be a body shop to pop out dents, replace paint, and so on.

Watch Your Car For Changes

After you complete all of the necessary steps at the accident site, if your car is in working order, you can drive it home. Keep an eye and ear out for any changes in your vehicle. You know what it usually sounds like and how it usually handles. If you notice that turning a certain direction is hard or makes noise, that could become an issue. Pay close attention so you can assess any interior damage that you may not have noticed in looking around outside.

Have An Inspection

It’s best to make an appointment as soon as possible to have your vehicle looked over by auto repair professionals. Tell them about the accident, where you were hit, and if you noticed any noises or damage when you drove. They can look things over from door to door to make sure you are operating a safe, efficient vehicle. If there’s any damage that you weren’t able to see or hear, they can fix it for you before it gets worse and causes major issues. Your repairs may even be covered by insurance, so check on that as well.

These are a few things you will want to do after you get into an accident. Don’t feel like you are overreacting. Accidents can cause a lot of damage that you may not even see. For your own peace of mind and for the safety of anyone in or around your vehicle, have auto repair in Philadelphia, PA technicians look things over to see that everything is in working order. You can drive off the lot knowing that your vehicle is in the best working order, even after the accident ordeal. If you want to make an appointment with Schafer’s Auto Center, just give us a call and we’ll work you in at your earliest possible convenience. We can also listen to details when you call and give you a clue as to whether or not you need to rush in.

auto repair in Philadelphia, PA

Checking Out Pre-Owned Cars

By | Auto Repair | No Comments

Not everyone buys brand new vehicles. In fact, most people buy vehicles that are pre-owned at some point in their lifetime. And no one wants to get a vehicle that’s going to need a lot of auto repair in Philadelphia, PA. Those vehicles are called ‘lemons’ and they’re not something anyone wants. Here are a few tips for you to look into before you buy a vehicle that someone else owned.

Tip 1: Research

The first thing you want to do is research pre-owned vehicles, so you know more about them in general. You might already have in mind what type, make, and model you want. If not, look at different options and make some general decisions. There might be an issue with a particular model, and you will want to avoid that model in the pre-owned world. Other options, however, might have good ratings the second time around. The more you know in advance, the more likely you are to get something that works well for you.

Tip 2: Look At The Outside

Before you sink behind the wheel, check out the outside of the vehicle in full. Take a look at the body. Are there any dents, scratches, or dings? Do you see any rust? That can be a red flag as to the overall condition of the vehicle. You will also look at the tires. How do the treads look? Are there any cracks or bulges in them? Look at the lights as well and make sure they aren’t working correctly.

Tip 3: Look Around Inside

You will also want to check the inside and see how things operate. Can you get the chair to adjust easily? Turn the car on and look at the gauges. Are they working? You will want to drive the vehicle, of course, but you will want to take a look at how the interior is set up as well.

Tip 4: Have Professionals Take A Look

If things check out this far, it’s best to admit that you may not be able to see everything you need to know with your own eyes. Take the vehicle to a professional to see if there’s anything else you need to know. A full inspection will tell you the background you need to know about the vehicle. You can take your soon-to-be-new car to the auto repair shop for the inspection, and then take it in later for oil changes along the way. If there’s anything big wrong with it, or even anything mall, they’ll let you know.

If you need advice from auto repair in Philadelphia, PA, the professionals at Schafer’s Auto Center are here to help. We’d love to look at any vehicle you are considering purchasing. Anyone who is trying to sell should be more than willing to let experts look the vehicle over, or you should walk away from the deal for sure. Stop by and ask about our inspections and we’ll ensure your vehicle is safe for the road and a good deal for you.

auto repair in Philadelphia, PA

Pre-Summer Auto Repair Tips

By | Auto Repair | No Comments

With spring around the corner, summer is only a few beats away. That means traveling, vacations, and fun with the family. But you might need to have your vehicle to do any of that. Before you head out on the road and break down on the side of it, get auto repair in Philadelphia, PA that can help your vacation run as smoothly as you want it to. Here are a few tips to help your time away be great and not something you regret as you sit in a town you don’t know waiting for repairs.

Time Your Oil Change

You know when you’re planning to take off with the family on that cross-country trek, so plan your oil change to happen just before you hit the road. You can get the oil changed and ready to go, the tires filled properly, and everything else checked over so you have confidence in the vehicle you are planning to take such a long distance.

Air Conditioning Top Off

Things can get hot in most of the country over the summer months. The last thing you want is to be on some dry, dusty road with no AC and no water to cool you down. Get your AC checked out and make sure you have plenty of coolants to keep things operating smoothly no matter how hot things get outside.

Check The Brakes

The brakes are one of the most important safety items on any car and you want them to be in prime condition before you hit the road with your family. Brake pads wear out first so if they are starting to look worn, get them replaced so you don’t have to worry about anything else getting damaged along the trip.

Test The Battery

Your battery can wear down any season of the year, but when you are on the road, charging phones and running the air constantly, you’re using it quite a bit. Make sure it looks like it’s in good shape and holds a full charge with ease before you take it with you for a long trip.

Tire Checks

You won’t likely be driving in snow, but you may hit some rain and plenty of hot pavement along the way. You want your tires to be in good condition with the proper treat levels to make sure they can help you in whatever you drive through to get to your destination.

It’s exciting to plan a summer trip, but the whole thing can go awry if you end up needing unexpected auto repair in Philadelphia, PA along the way. Instead of leaving it to chance, get things topped off and checked out before you leave so you can have peace of mind that your vehicle is in good working condition for the duration of your trip. Contact the professionals at Schafer’s Auto Center to make an appointment for a tune-up and to get things looked over so you can head out knowing you’re in a safe vehicle that’s ready to roll.

auto repair in Philadelphia, PA

Why Isn’t The Car Starting?

By | Auto Repair | No Comments

Most people who have driven a vehicle for any length of time have had this issue. You’re late for work, you need to get going fast—and the car won’t start. What makes things lack operation at such a key moment? There’s never a good time to need auto repair in Philadelphia, PA, and if your car won’t start, you just want to know why so you can fix it and move on. If you’re in this situation, it’s nice to know some of the things that cause cars to fail to start so you can troubleshoot or, at the very least, understand when the mechanic explains things to you. Here are a few things that cause a dead vehicle, always at an inopportune moment.

Battery Problems

Have you left a door slightly open, so a dome light was on all night? In newer vehicles, that’s not a problem. Nor is leaving the lights on. But there are still plenty of cars that can drain batteries in that manner. If you have one of them, your battery may be drained and need a charge. You could give it a jump start and that could allow things to start up again. IF the battery is just dead because it’s old and needs to be replaced, you’ll have to get a new battery before you can drive again.

Key Won’t Turn

It’s frustrating to put your key in the ignition, just like you always do, only to have it refuse to turn. Before you panic, it’s usually easy to fix. The steering wheel might be in a locked position because the wheels are turned to the side. Just jiggle the wheel a bit and the key should turn. If that doesn’t work, the key or the whole ignition system could be the issue. Try the spare key and then get the vehicle serviced if that doesn’t work.

Starter Motor Issues

The starter motor has several components that can go out which can cause the engine not to engage. If the electrical current in there doesn’t signal the motor, things won’t crank off. There could be a bad connection or the starter motor itself could need replacement.

Ignition System Failure

The ignition system could fail in a number of locations. If you can turn the key with ease and the engine doesn’t start and if the battery is okay, it’s probably an issue in the ignition system. The switch could be faulty or worn out or it may not be aligned properly.

If your vehicle won’t start and you can’t figure out why, contact professionals in auto repair in Philadelphia, PA to get the help you need. You might be able to troubleshoot by phone with

Schafer’s Auto Center. If that doesn’t work, you might need a repair and diagnostic appointment to see what’s going on within your vehicle before they can make recommendations as to what you need to do. Visit our website at Schafersauto.com if you want to read more about our experience.

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