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Signs of a bad manual transmission

In Transmission by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Transmissions play an important role in making sure your vehicle runs properly.

The transmission is responsible for taking the power from the engine and moving it to the wheels. 

They used to be three-speed. Now, it’s common to have four and five-speed transmissions. Some cars have up to seven gears.

How to tell if you have a bad manual transmission

A new manual transmission was installed in a Ford Fiesta.

The driver had noticed that it switched out of gear when they moved from a stoplight in first gear. They needed to hold it in gear until the vehicle picked up enough speed.

Typically, a grinding or crunching sound can be heard if a car has a bad manual transmission. It may also be difficult to switch gears. 

However, these symptoms don’t necessarily indicate that something is wrong with your transmission. They could also mean that your clutch is going bad.

Driving styles can impact the lifespan of a transmission. Some cars can go thousands of miles before they need a new one. They can go bad within weeks if you don’t know how to drive the car correctly.

Clutch Disc.

Clutch Disc

New clutch and flywheel needed

In addition to gaining a new transmission, the Ford Fiesta received a new clutch and flywheel.

The clutch disc links the transmission with the engine by engaging the flywheel and pressure plate.

When you press in the clutch pedal, it disengages the clutch disc from the flywheel.

When you release the clutch pedal after switching gears, the pressure plate engages the clutch disc engaging the flywheel.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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How complicated is a BMW alignment?

In Alignment, Tires and Wheels by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Potholes, curbs and normal wear and tear can throw off your wheel alignment. Overtime, they can also cause abnormal tire wear, which will shorten the life expectancy of your tires.

Here are a few signs that your BMW needs a wheel alignment:

  • Your vehicle is pulling to one side
  • You notice abnormal tire wear
  • If your Automatic Driver Assist System (ADAS) is engaging when it’s not supposed to 
  • Your steering wheel isn’t centered

Wheel alignments should be conducted annually, and when new tires and steering and suspension components are purchased.

Things to keep in mind when getting a BMW alignment

When performing a BMW alignment, you need to make sure that the auto repair shop has qualified automotive technicians, up-to-date wheel alignment machines, and current software to give your vehicle the best alignment.

On today’s complicated vehicles, one thing that often gets missed is recallibrating the steering angle sensor after performing a wheel alignment. This can affect steering, handling and braking.

Another thing to be aware of is to make sure that you may need to recalibrate the ADAS, which includes lane assist and vehicle avoidance systems. With all of the electronic systems tied together to make sure that everything is safe, a simple tire alignment isn’t so simple anymore.

Discount alignments are not always the best, as you may not have a knowledgeable mechanic working on your vehicle that would know about these systems. Setting the toe and letting it go is not a good alignment.

On many BMW models, there may not be an adjustment for camber and toe, but there are aftermarket parts that can be installed that will bring the alignment into specification. This will help your tires last a long time and allow your vehicle to provide the best handling.

Even when a BMW is new, they are set up to basic specs, but may not have an accurate alignment. After that, it’s recommended that when you get new tires — or every 30,000 miles — you should get your BMW alignment checked. If you live in the Northern Virginia area, your alignment should be checked once a year.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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Is my radiator coolant leaking?

In Uncategorized by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

There are many parts that keep an engine running properly.

The radiator is one of them. This component is critical, because it prevents the engine from overheating and keeps you from getting stuck on the side of the road.

How the cooling system works

In the cooling process, coolant flows through the radiator. Some of the heat disappears and the coolant flows back to the engine.

There are cooling fans that come on to pull air through the radiator to keep the air flow coming across the radiator. Some fans are belt driven while others are electric. The computers of vehicles with electric fans turn them on and off.

When the engine needs to heat up during colder weather, the computer will prevent the fan from turning on. In warmer months, the fan operates at a faster speed. 

Old Radiator.

Old Radiator

When to replace the radiator

You generally only need a new radiator if it’s clogged, there’s coolant leaking, the radiator is damaged, or the cooling fins have become bent and are preventing air flow from going through.

Oil coolers and transmission coolers that are sometimes built in the radiator leak, which leads to replacing the radiator.

Depending on how the radiators are made, some manufacturers are more prone to coolant leaking at the plastic end caps.

The radiators of some vehicles never need to be replaced.

Newer cars may need a new one if the plastic and metal components that are fused together don’t seal properly. As temperatures decrease outside, any cracks in the radiator are going to become worse.

There are a few symptoms you may notice when the radiator should be changed.

Drips near a vehicle’s bumper and the smell of coolant are a couple of signs that you need a new radiator.

If you smell something sweet when you get out of the car after driving it for a while, you probably have coolant leaking. 

Coolant fluid exchanges and different types of coolant

Every 30,000 miles, it’s a good idea to have a coolant fluid exchange, also known as a coolant flush — which is when coolant is drained from the system and replaced with new coolant. 

This service offers many benefits, including extending the lifespan of coolant and improving how well a vehicle performs.

How often you need a coolant fluid exchange also depends on the vehicle. Some manufacturers recommend them more often.

You can learn more about coolant flushes by reading this article we wrote.

We use the correct coolant for a vehicle. Even though the green coolant is pretty universal, not all vehicles work the best with it. Some European vehicles and Diesels use a different type of coolant. 

Sometimes, you might see Asian vehicles, such as Toyotas, with red coolant. Dye isn’t the only component that changes the coolant color. The type of antifreeze that helps protect the type of metal also impacts it. 

Getting a coolant flush or coolant exchange with a coupon may damage your car, unless the correct coolant is being used, like it is at Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire.

Like other parts and systems in your car, the cooling system needs to be maintained. Doing this and replacing your radiator when it’s needed can save you a lot of headache in the future.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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New differential housing needed after lack of maintenance

In Maintenance by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

A Chevy Tahoe is in need of a new differential housing.

The driver of the vehicle heard a grinding sound and decided to have it checked out.

Differential housing problems

Its differential gear lube was too low and the vehicle hadn’t been checked over a long period of time.

There wasn’t enough fluid to push up to the pinion bearing, which seized up on the pinion shaft and began to spin in the differential housing.

The pinion bearing also started hitting the carrier of the ring and pinion, which move the axles of the rear differential tires.

Having your vehicle checked regularly can prevent this issue and many others from occurring. It can also save you money by addressing minor problems early on.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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Cooling systems on a BMW engine

In Cooling System by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Checking a BMW 650i Twin Turbo for a coolant leak or an engine overheating problem is a little more complicated than other vehicles.

They have a very tight engine compartment with lots of components close together, making access limited.

BMW 650i Twin Turbo cooling systems

There are two cooling systems on the BMW 650i Twin Turbo, so if you’re checking one, you want to make sure you’re checking the correct one or both of them.

On this particular vehicle, the small coolant hoses to the turbos is a common place where they leak engine coolant.

The parts from the dealer come with metal tubes that run down to the turbos, and that can be an 8 hour job.

Sometimes, you can get away with just replacing the rubber hoses that are visible on the top of the engine.

The BMW 650i Twin Turbo even has coolant hoses going to the injector drivers — which is an electronic component — and there are two under the hood.

So, if your BMW does have a coolant leak or the engine is overheating, you do need to get a proper pressure test, and this could take a little bit of time to find the leak.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.