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July 2020

auto repair shop in Philadelphia, PA

Common Auto Repair Needs During Summer Heat

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Now that summer has finally arrived, you might feel relief as the sun starts to shine and heat things up. That is until you find yourself in need of one of the common summer auto repairs in Philadelphia, PA issues. Your vehicle makes a transition from winter into summer, just like you do. While it may not have a different wardrobe to consider, there are things you want to watch out for. Here are some of the common auto repair needs that occur over the summer months.

Flat Tires/Blowouts

Rubber is affected by temperature. In the summer, the ground is hot—especially blacktop and other roadways. Tires can get way hotter than the air temperature and when the air inside them expands, the tire pressure can increase and even cause your tire to blow out. You want your tires to be properly inflated at all times and keep them in good shape as well. Have them inspected when you get oil changes to ward off big issues by getting new ones when you need them.

Battery Trouble

The extra heat can have an impact on the charge on your battery as well. It could damage the wiring or even make corrosion that is already happening worse. You will want to have the battery inspected regularly as well because if the electrical system goes out and you can’t start the car on the hottest day of the year, it can be a real pain. Batteries don’t last forever, and they aren’t the most expensive element to replace. It’s best to get a battery in good shape rather than chancing driving with a drained one.

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Belt And Hose Damage

Hoses and belts can stretch, soften, and crack in the heat. The hotter the temperatures are, the more likely it is that these things will happen. Keep an eye on the belts and hoses or have professionals take a look to ensure they are in good shape to withstand any heat waves coming your way.

AC Failure

While blowing out a tire or enduing a drained battery is an ordeal, some people will say that having their AC fail is the worst possible auto repair need during the summer heat. You may have used too much freon or there might be a leak that is causing the AC to not have enough levels to get things going or to make the AC cool. You’ll definitely want to get that checked out rather than driving in your own sweat.

These are just a few of the common auto repair needs in Philadelphia, PA that the professionals at Schafer’s Auto Center often see during the summer months. In order to avoid huge problems, it’s best to bring your vehicle into us on a regular basis so we can look things over and help you avoid bigger issues. We can fix small things along the way and you don’t have to worry about larger problems that will end up costing you more.

auto repair in Philadelphia, PA

Does Your Vehicle Need AC Auto Repair?

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If you know anything about the air conditioning in your vehicle, it’s probably that it needs to have freon in order to keep things cool in your vehicle. Sometimes, it will need auto repair in Philadelphia, PA for recharging, which is basically adding more freon, so it can keep the car nice and cool all summer long. But how do you know when you need to take it in to get more freon added? Here are a few signs that will show you to get that auto repair so you can stay cool.

Sign 1: The AC is Blowing Room Temp Air

You know when cool air is coming out and when the air is more like the temperature already in the car. Any air is nice when it’s super-hot, but warm air won’t do you very much good. If you don’t have enough freon, you’re not going to get that cold air any longer and it’s time for recharging.

Sign 2: You Can See The Leaks

Freon is a thing greasy looking liquid. You may be able to see it leaking in certain areas or even pooling under your car. If you see leaks, you not only need a freon addition and recharging, but also a fix of that easy area so it doesn’t just leak out again and cause issues a second time.

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Sign 3: The Clutch Doesn’t Engage

When you turn the AC on, turn your radio off and see if you can hear the click of the clutch engaging. If you don’t hear that click, the freon levels might not be up far enough for the clutch to read them. They can’t be pressurized, and the system won’t engage. That click is important and won’t happen if you don’t have enough freon.

When you take your vehicle in because you’ve noticed any of these signs, they will check the system pressures with gauges and look for leaks. If they find a leak, they will fix it and then push new refrigerant into the system. They might also have to open certain components and change things out. Or, you might just need more freon to get things working again properly.

When you hit the summer months, you certainly don’t want to have to deal with a lack of freon and hot air blowing on your already hot face. Instead, get regular maintenance done so the professionals who do your auto repair in Philadelphia, PA can take note when you need more freon and add it instead of letting you get hot and have to make a second trip in. When you get regular maintenance from Schafer’s Auto Center, like oil changes and tire rotations, have them check the freon as well. We check lots of different things on a regular basis so we can anticipate small problems before they get too large and cumbersome. These regular checks will save you money in the long run and allow your car to operate better as well.

auto repair in Philadelphia, PA

Auto Repair To Make Cars Drive-In Ready

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Summer is the time to do things with the family and one of the most American things to do is enjoy a drive-in movie. It can be very fun to head out into the darkness and enjoy a movie while sitting in your car. However, you will want to make sure your car doesn’t need auto repair in Philadelphia, PA or that movie experience might turn into more of a nightmare. Here are a few things to check before you drive into that outdoor theater.

Check The Battery

In the past, you would pull into a drive-in theater and hang a little box on your car for the audio. But today, those no longer exist. Instead, you pipe the audio into your car yourself. You can bring a little radio along with you if you’d like. But most people use their car stereo. That’s fine if you have a good battery. But if not, it could drain, and you certainly don’t want to have to jump your car when the movie is finished and it’s late and you’re ready to go home.

Clean The Windshield

It’s not uncommon to have bugs and other things on the windshield during the summer months. Is that how you want to see a movie? Through the bug juice? Not exactly. You might want to take some cleaning supplies with you so you can get the window good and clean right before the movie begins. There will probably be awaiting form the time you get there until the movie starts, anyway.

Check The Headlights

Of course, you’ll want the headlights off when you watch the movie. But once the feature film is over, it’s going to be rather dark for your drive home. You don’t want one of your headlights to be out or for both to be yellowed and not giving you as much light as usual. Make sure the headlights are working well and have them replaced, restored, or cleaned when needed. It’s the best for your safety and for the others on the road around you.

The drive-in theater might be one of your favorite parts of summer. But it’s likely that you will need your vehicle for lots of other things as well. Whether you just drive to and from work or you’re planning a long-haul vacation, it’s important to keep up with auto repair in Philadelphia, PA so anything you want to enjoy will be that much more fun. Being on the side of the road with a broken-down vehicle is certainly never fun. Have regular maintenance checks and oil changes with the professionals at Schafer’s Auto Center and we will help you head off things that could go wrong and keep your car in top shape for all of your summer experiences. You know you need oil changes, but there may be other things that pop up that you don’t know that much about. And that’s okay! We’ll keep an eye on things for you, so you don’t have to worry about it.

auto repair in Philadelphia, PA

Clean Air Filters And Auto Repair Needs

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How often do you think about the air filter in your vehicle? Um, never?! There are plenty of regular needs for auto repair in Philadelphia, PA, like oil changes, tire rotations, and so on. But the air filter? It’s not at the top of most people’s minds. But did you know that your air filter (when it’s clean) can increase the fuel efficiency on your vehicle and prolong the life of the engine, too? It’s a huge job! The air filter was meant to give your vehicle 10,000 gallons of clean air every time you burn a gallon of gas on the engine. It’s a small component that delivers that air. And the filter plans a large role in how it all operates.

Car engines need the right amount of fuel and the right amount of clean air in order to operate smoothly and efficiently. If you want your engine to get the cleanest air, it can prevent damage from small, dirty particles that can get into the engine when the filter is able to take those out. Here are some of the biggest benefits you’ll get from clean air filters:

Better Fuel Economy

Cars get hit with all types of things…leaves, bugs, mud, salt, and so on. Some of those things are small, but they can cause big issues if they were to get into your engine. The filters stop that from happening, but if the filter gets too dirty itself, it can restrict airflow, which isn’t good, either. Having clean filters allows your vehicle to have the best fuel economy possible.

Overall Performance

When the air filter gets too dirty, the performance of the vehicle’s engine will go down. The engine might stop running completely. Your engine has to have air—clean air—to function ell. It won’t perform nearly as well without it.

Longer Engine Life

You change the oil on your engine to keep it operating well and running nicely for a longer time. But you also need to change air filters to prolong life. If too much debris gets into the engine, damage can occur to the internal parts.

Lower The Emissions

You want to do your part for the environment and that means keeping an efficient vehicle. Dirty filters can make the emission system work harder and not be able to do the job as well. Proper airflow can help you reduce the emissions on your vehicle.

If you want to get clean air filters installed, auto repair in Philadelphia, PA is necessary. The professionals at Schafer’s Auto Center can help you figure out what needs to be done on your vehicle at all times. Visit us for an oil change or whatever else you need, and we can keep an eye on your air filters at the same time. It’s important to take a look at the vehicle on a regular basis so you are able to keep up with needs and keep your vehicle running efficiently and effectively at all times.

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