Yearly Archives: 2017

Bouncy Bouncy ? Are My Shocks Bad?

When ROSEVILLE drivers think about preventive maintenance, what usually comes to mind is oil, fluids and brakes. We don't generally think about our shocks or struts, but these auto parts keep our tires on the road.ROSEVILLE drivers don't think about shocks as often as oil changes because shocks and struts last a long time and wear out slowly. They don't need to be checked as often as our brake pads or air filters. By the time your shocks have 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometers) on them, their performance will have noticeable degraded. If you want to restore the handling and ride designed for your vehicle, try replacing your shocks and struts.Of course, if you drive off-road around ROSEVILLE, carry heavy loads, tow a trailer or put in a lot of mileage on poor driving surfaces, your shocks or struts will wear out more quickly. You'll need to replace them more often or upgrade to better shocks.Your suspension system uses springs and shocks to absorb the “shocks” a ... read more

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Shocks & Struts

Cooling System Components

Today we want to talk about a system in our vehicles – the cooling system. It's one of those things that ROSEVILLE auto owners don't give much thought to until it fails and then they're stranded by the side of a road in MI.Cooling systems fail more often than any other mechanical system – usually because of neglect. Don't you hate it when something breaks and you could have done something to prevent it?The good news is that if ROSEVILLE drivers take care of their cooling systems, they can keep working for the life of their car.Here at Gordie's Garage Inc in ROSEVILLE, we emphasize preventive maintenance services like replacing your coolant according to the factory schedule. But the various parts that make up the cooling system need attention too. The major components of the cooling system are the water pump, freeze plugs, the thermostat, radiator, cooling fans, the heater core, the pressure cap, the overflow tank and the hos ... read more

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Cooling System

ROSEVILLE Tire Repair

Most ROSEVILLE residents have experienced a flat tire. You know it's inconvenient and a pain. Our tires are important. Keeping them in good working order isn't just a big safety issue for ROSEVILLE drivers – it also has a financial impact. With high MI gas prices, we've all heard about the importance of keeping proper tire pressure to save on gas. In addition, proper inflation promotes even tread wear so your tires last longer.  There's another danger with under-inflated tires for ROSEVILLE residents. Low tire pressure puts added stress on the structure of the tire itself, causing it to break down prematurely. Also, under-inflated tires generate more heat which also reduces tire life. So get those slow leaks fixed quickly – don't just keep adding air every few days. You want to avoid tire damage. ROSEVILLE residents should only hire qualified tire professionals to perform repairs - we have a whole team of them at Gordie's Garage ... read more

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Tires and Wheels

The Gordie's Garage Inc Guide to Caring for Your Transmission

Most vehicles have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of ROSEVILLE drivers only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in ROSEVILLE. You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down shift for hills, stuff like that. Think of your legs as the engine – there's an ideal speed you can pedal and you change gears to leverage the work you're doing.Lower gears for power on hills or for starting out. Higher gears for more speed. That's what the automatic transmission does – it automatically starts in lower gears and shifts up to higher gears to go faster on MI roads. And it automatically shifts back down to climb ROSEVILLE hills, pass or start up again.Vehicle automatic transmissions have certainly gotten more sophisticated in recent years. They have more speeds than before: the base is four speeds, five is very common. At Gordie's Garage ... read more

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Transmission

Time for Differential Service at Gordie's Garage Inc?

Hello ROSEVILLE - let's talk differentials. If you have a rear-wheel drive vehicle, your differential is on the back axle. With front-wheel drive cars, the differential is up front. All-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive vehicles have three differentials - front, rear and in the middle. So you see, you've got a differential (or two or three) and it needs service now and then.What does your vehicle differential do? Well, it compensates for the differences in speed between your outer and inner wheels in a turn. Using the dimensions of a typical car, let's compare the distance the wheels travel from the start of a turn through to the completion of the turn.The inside wheel travels about 12.6 feet/3.8 meters. How much farther does the outside wheel travel? About 18.8 feet/5.7 meters – over 6 feet/1.9 meters more. This means the outer tire has to rotate 9 times in the same amount of time that the inner tire has to rotate only 6 times - so the ... read more

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Drive Train

Improve Fuel Economy with Proper Maintenance at Gordie's Garage Inc in ROSEVILLE

With ROSEVILLE gas prices being what they are, many of us in MI are driving less and looking into purchasing smaller or more efficient vehicles. ROSEVILLE area residents who have to drive a lot, have large families or need four-wheel drive are particularly hard hit by the cost of fuel in MI. But there are things all ROSEVILLE drivers can do to save fuel: We can improve our driving habits and stay on top of preventive maintenance at Gordie's Garage Inc. These things make small savings possible, but they can really add up.Let's start with driving habits. One major gas-eater is jackrabbit starts. A smooth, gradual acceleration uses a lot less fuel. It's also easier on your engine and drivetrain, so you'll prolong their lives as well.If you drive with one foot on the brake, stop. That creates drag, increasing fuel usage and reducing the useful life of your brakes.Slowing down can really add up on gas savings over time for ROSEVILLE drivers. Driving five to ... read more

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Fuel Economy

Straight and True in ROSEVILLE: Wheel Alignment

Most ROSEVILLE folks worry about running out of gas or having a breakdown on the side of the road. That is why we practice preventive maintenance on our vehicles — that and to keep our repair bills down. But one important part of preventive maintenance that may get overlooked by drivers in ROSEVILLE is a periodic alignment inspection. Poor alignment causes tires to wear rapidly, unevenly or both. This means they will have to be replaced early, and new tires are more expensive than an alignment check in ROSEVILLE. Bad alignment can also cause damage to suspension and steering systems, which can be expensive to repair in ROSEVILLE. Tire wear on misaligned wheels can also lead to blowouts, which are dangerous, can lead to serious accidents and can seriously damage your vehicle. Also, poor alignment itself can be the cause of an accident since the vehicle may not steer properly. One or more wheels on your vehicle can be knocked out ... read more

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Alignment

Automotive Tips from Gordie's Garage Inc: When to Replace a Damaged Tire

Repair or Replace? That’s a question ROSEVILLE drivers ask when they have tire damage. Some punctures cannot be repaired because of their size or location. Punctures larger than a quarter of an inch (6.4 mm) are considered too large to be safely repaired. Punctures in the sidewall or near the shoulders may not be able to be repaired. And sometimes there is internal damage revealed on inspection that indicates the tire should not be repaired. Run flat tires should not be repaired. Repairing high performance tires may make them unsuitable for motorsports. Your friendly and professional Gordie's Garage Inc service advisor can inspect your damaged tire and tell you if it can be safely repaired or if it should be replaced - and then help you get back on the roads around ROSEVILLE.Give us a call.Gordie's Garage Inc29046 CALAHAN RDROSEVILLE, MI 4806658

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Tires and Wheels

How Does Gordie's Garage Inc Know What to Recommend?

When you drop your vehicle off at Gordie's Garage Inc in ROSEVILLE, they don't just poke around under your hood looking for stuff to do. Gordie's Garage Inc professionals have lists and procedures they follow for different types of service. First of all, your ROSEVILLE service center will note the mileage on your vehicle. They'll then check to see what inspections and services the vehicle manufacturer recommends for a vehicle of your make, model and mileage. If you are a regular customer, they will also check your vehicle's history.If the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations go beyond the services you've ordered, they'll let you know. They'll also indicate whether those services are urgent or if you can wait a while to take care of them. The Gordie's Garage Inc pros won't do work that you don't agree to.They will, however, perform inspections while they're servicing your vehicle. They'll check belts, filters and fluids. They'll check your windshield wipers for w ... read more

A Cold Day in ROSEVILLE ? Air Conditioning Service at Gordie's Garage Inc

Most ROSEVILLE drivers worry about a breakdown or a tire blowout on a busy MI highway, but don't worry too much about failure of their air conditioning system. A breakdown on the side of the road can be a miserable and dangerous affair during ROSEVILLE rush hour, but so can a long ride in a hot vehicle.A lot of ROSEVILLE drivers judge their vehicles' air conditioning systems as “non-essential” and so may neglect them in favor of repairs and maintenance that keep the vehicle running. But preventive maintenance of an air conditioning system is simple and inexpensive, while auto a/c repair can be very expensive.ROSEVILLE drivers should have the refrigerant in their air conditioning system checked regularly to ensure it is adequate and clean. Air conditioning systems often fail because air and water have contaminated the refrigerant. Air reduces the efficiency of the ref ... read more

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Air Conditioning
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