Yearly Archives: 2017

Differential Service at Gordie's Garage Inc: Viva la Difference

Every vehicle on MI roads has a differential, and it is important to the proper operation of the vehicle.  But most ROSEVILLE residents don't have a clue what it is.The differential compensates for differing wheel speeds. For example, when you turn, the inside tire on the turn travels a much shorter distance than the outside wheel. So the inside wheel of the vehicle must move at a slower speed than the outside wheel. Without a differential, the wheels would hop and scrape while turning.Have you ever seen the large bulge in the middle of the rear axle of a truck? That's the differential. In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the differential is located on the back axle. Four-wheel drive vehicles and SUV's have differentials on both the front and the rear axle.You might expect that the differential is located on the front axle of a front-wheel drive vehicle. You'd be right. But the differential is called a transaxle on a front-wheel drive v ... read more

Automotive Tips from Gordie's Garage Inc: Rotor Problems

The brake rotor, or disc, is attached to your wheel. The brake pads rub on the rotor to slow your car when you are driving in ROSEVILLE.Rotors can warp, crack or become misaligned. They can also be damaged by worn out brake pads that scratch grooves into the surface. These conditions result in less contact surface for the brake pads, leaving you with reduced braking power.Over time and miles, rotors can also wear down below safe specifications. It is important for ROSEVILLE drivers to know that simply replacing brake pads on a wheel with a bad rotor will not solve the problem. Depending on their condition, rotors may be resurfaced or replaced.Brake noise or a pulsation in the brake pedal are signs of potential brake problems that should be addressed right away. If you have any brake concerns, please have your friendly and professional Gordie's Garage Inc tech perform a thorough inspection.Give us a call.Gordie's Garage Inc29046 CALAHAN RDROSEVILLE, MI 4806658

Categories:

Brakes

Go Big or Go Home: Upsize Your Wheels at Gordie's Garage Inc

A lot of us ROSEVILLE drivers like our vehicles to reflect our personalities. We're picky about color and body style. We'll customize anything from floor mats to window tints to license plates. One popular way for MI motorists to customize a vehicle is to get new wheels.Wheels come in thousands of designs. Custom wheels can add personality, style or sass to a vehicle. Many of these customizations involve getting a bigger wheel.Fifteen or 16-inch wheels used to be the factory standard, but today, because a lot of ROSEVILLE drivers like the look of larger wheels, many vehicles are available with 17 or 18-inch wheels. Optional wheel packages of 20 inches or more are also available in ROSEVILLE.If you want to upsize the wheels on your current vehicle, however, you should know it's not a do-it-yourself project. There are factors involved in ensuring your wheel change doesn't jeopardize the safety of your vehicle.First of all, you need to understand rolling diameter. The roll ... read more

Categories:

Tires and Wheels

Hey ROSEVILLE Drivers, How Many Miles Are on Your Car?

Nowadays, ROSEVILLE drivers are paying more at MI gas pumps. For some families it adds up to several hundred dollars every month. That's got to come out of the budget somewhere. This is one of the reasons many MI drivers are putting off buying a new car. They plan on keeping their old vehicle for a year or two longer than before.Even now, 2/3 of the personal vehicles on our local ROSEVILLE, MI, roads have over 75,000 miles (120,000 kilometers) on them. The average age of vehicles is over nine years. And most people in the ROSEVILLE area can't afford to be stranded or inconvenienced by a breakdown. So following a regular maintenance schedule, like personal diet and exercise plans, is actually critical to preserving your investment.Determining what to do for a higher-mileage vehicle can be challenging because many owner's manuals don't publish service intervals after 60,000 miles (100,000 kilometers). Thus, ROSEVILLE drivers need to be better at keeping records and planning for prev ... read more

Gordie's Garage Inc: Good Service and Good Fuel Economy

Most ROSEVILLE auto owners want to save on gas and seek our advice on improving economy. At Gordie's Garage Inc, we are frequently asked, however, if it is really worth the extra effort. Just how much money can ROSEVILLE drivers actually save?In today's Gordie's Garage Inc article, we're focusing on the things you can do to improve your vehicle’s economydriving around MI. We'll tell you the potential savings per gallon of gas at $3.50, and we'll show a chart that also shows the savings at $3.00 and $4.00.   DOLLARS PER GALLON $3.00 / $3.50 / $4.00 TUNE UP 4%.12.14.16 The next item is replacing a clogged engine air filter. Your engine needs enough air to burn fuel efficiently for the best mileage. A clean air filter means you get plenty of air. The fact that the air's clean protects your engine. That can save you up to 10 percent or 35 cents a gallon.   DOLLARS PER GALLON$3.0 ... read more

Categories:

Fuel System

Fuel Filter Service in ROSEVILLE, MI

There are a surprising number of small, inexpensive parts that can lead to expensive engine damage when they fail. It doesn't seem right.Fortunately a lot of those things can be taken care of in routine maintenance. They may not be easy to remember because it is a long list, but your service center at Gordie's Garage Inc can help you know what's scheduled to be taken care of.Some of us in ROSEVILLE, MI, really don't look forward to going in for an oil change and then getting a list of the other things the manufacturer recommends.But automotive maintenance is all about prevention and addressing small problems before they get big. Let's take the fuel filter for example.You may not know this but the median age for private vehicles on our ROSEVILLE, MI, roads is over nine years. When vehicles get older, five years or so, they've accumulated a lot of dirt and rust in their gas tanks. If that dirt gets into the engine it can cause thousands of doll ... read more

Categories:

Fuel System

Are There Blind Spots in ROSEVILLE?

  All ROSEVILLE drivers have blind spots – and no, I'm not talking about the fact that you really don't sing like Adele. I mean the areas of the road that you can't see when you're driving around ROSEVILLE.First let's talk about our own blinds spots, and then we can talk about others...To begin, we can greatly reduce blind spots by properly adjusting our mirrors to give the widest coverage possible. Make the adjustments in your vehicle before you start to drive.First, ROSEVILLE drivers should adjust their rear view mirrors to give the best possible view directly to the rear of their vehicle. ROSEVILLE folks don't need it to get a better view of either side of the car, the kids in the back seat or their dazzling smile. It's pretty obvious, the rear view mirror should reflect the rear.Next, lean your head until it almost touches the driver's side window. Adjust your side mirror so that you can just barely see the side of your car. Now, lean your head to the middle of ... read more

Categories:

Automotive News

Why Is My Check Engine Light On?

Why Is My Check Engine Light On?

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some ROSEVILLE drivers, and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most people. Let's get the urgency issues out of the way first. If your Check Engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause engine damage. Naturally, you need to get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn't drive at high speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to your ROSEVILLE service center. 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 friendly and knowledgeable pros at Gordie's Garage Inc to get it checked out.Some more information on how the Check Engine light works may be helpful for ROSEVILLE drivers. Most of your engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, ca ... read more

Regular Schedule or Severe Service Schedule at Gordie's Garage Inc?

Today's Gordie's Garage Inc article focuses on severe service maintenance. Many ROSEVILLE drivers are not aware of them and yet there are also very vocal advocates in MI who think that severe service schedules apply to everyone. Somewhere between a complete lack of awareness and the dire blanket statements lies a reasonable approach to severe service maintenance at Gordie's Garage Inc.To back up a little, vehicle owner's manuals have schedules for preventive maintenance: things like oil changes, transmission service and so on. They say you should change your oil after a certain distanced traveled or after so many months. ROSEVILLE drivers understand this very well. What they may not know is that there are actually two service schedules: the regular schedule and the severe service schedule. The mileage and time intervals are lower on the severe service schedule.Now when you hear 'severe service,' you may think it doesn't apply to you because you d ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance

The Straight and Narrow: Power Steering Service at Gordie's Garage Inc

Service to a vehicle's power steering system is part of preventive maintenance for  ROSEVILLE auto owners. This system provides power to the steering wheel so you can turn it with ease. Without power steering, all of the power to turn your vehicle's wheels would have to come from you.The central element of most power steering systems is a pump. The pump pressurizes the power steering fluid, and it is this pressure that provides auxiliary steering power. A belt connected to the engine usually powers the pump, although some systems use an electric pump. Some newer vehicles have an electric motor that directly provides the power steering boost.Pressurized fluid moves from the pump to the steering gear through a high-pressure hose. A low-pressure hose returns fluid to the pump. Power steering fluid cleans, cools and lubricates the system.ROSEVILLE drivers should remember that fluid levels in the power steering system should be checked at every o ... read more

Categories:

Steering
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