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New New Jersey Inspection rules
| Posted on May 16, 2017 at 1:46 PM |
comments (49)
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New NJ inspection rules Are you a vehicle owner in the state of NJ? New Jersey no longer checks
basic safety items during the biennial inspection of passenger
vehicles. Vehicles that are from MY 1995 and older with a gross vehicle weight
of less than 8500 lbs. now are no long required to be inspected at all. It is
now up to you as the vehicle owner to properly maintain all of your safety and
emission components on your car. This is a quote directly from the NJ MVC
website. “Vehicle owners are still required to maintain all safety and emissions
equipment and may be at any time be cited for malfunctioning or missing required
equipment”. Here are a few tips to help you maintain a safe car and help reduce the
chance of getting a citation from your local friendly law enforcement officer.
Frequently check all exterior lighting. Head and tail lights, turn signals,
marker lights and don’t forget the often overlooked rear license plate
light. Tire pressures should be check at least twice a month. Don’t rely on the
Tire Pressure Monitoring light only (For cars equipped with TPMS warning
lights). Use an accurate gauge, not the one on the air pump. Tire wear. Tires may be considered for replacement between 4 and 5 /32”
and require replacement at 2/32”. Also look for signs of dry rotting of the
rubber. Tires do go bad over time just from age. Consider replacing tires that
are more than six years old even if remaining tread is good. If you are
unsure of the tires age have your locale tire expert check the date code to see
when they were produced. Check all fluids at least once a month. Oil, coolant, brake fluid, power
steering and washer fluids are all important for your safety and your cars long
life. See your owner’s manual if you are unsure of how to check any level and
what type of fluids are needed for your car. Low brake fluid may indicate that it’s time to have your brakes inspected.
As the brake pads wear on a disc brake system the fluid in the brake reservoir
will drop down as the caliper pistons move out to take up the place of the worn
pads, this will happen gradually with normal wear. If you are adding fluid
frequently you may have a hydraulic leak and will require immediate attention.
If you notice any unusual noises, vibrations or pulling to one side or the other
during braking it is also time to have your brakes looked at. Keep an eye on dash warning lights and gauges. If your car is equipped with
gauges get to know were the normal range is so you will be well informed when
something does go wrong. Don’t ignore the Check Engine Light, it can be trying
to tell you anything from a minor emissions system malfunction like a loose gas
cap to something more severe that can cause farther engine damage. Don't forget those wiper blades. Replace them at least once a year. This will prevent poor visibility and keep your windshield from getting damaged. Remember as a New Jersey motorist it is up to you to be sure your car is
safe for public roads. Don’t take this responsibility lightly, your safety and
the safety of fellow driver’s is in your hands. |
When is it time for a new car?
| Posted on December 26, 2015 at 9:18 AM |
comments (29)
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One question that comes up repeatedly in the car repair business is “ Do
you think it’s time for a new car?” This question usually comes up just after
someone has spent a good chunk of money on a large repair and now is faced with
another looming expensive repair. The thought of continuously dumping money
into an older car month after month gets people thinking a new car payment may
be less in the long run and I would have a new car with no issues and a
warrantee. With proper maintenance and repairs when needed almost any car can
be kept on the road for many many years. So what would be the killer failure
that would render your car up for replacement? One thought comes to mind and
that is rust. Any rust that compromises the overall structure of the vehicle
will make it unsafe to drive and much less safe in a crash as the structure will
not protect the passengers as the engineers intended. Rust repair when done
correctly is very expensive and can quickly overtake the value of the car
itself. Replacement or rebuilds of large components like the engine and
transmission can also be very expensive. The bottom line here is what works
best for you financially. Remember to always do all of the service at the
intervals mapped out in your owner’s manual to get the longest life possible out
of you vehicle in the first place. Never put off servicing main safety items
like tires, brakes and suspension. It doesn’t make much sense to compromise
your safety on the road to save a few bucks. One of the main advantages to
going with a new or newer model vehicles is advanced design. Newer cars are
cleaner, safer and more efficient with every passing model year, interior
comfort and convenience has also improved vastly over the past few years. On
the other hand there is always a certain amount of pride in ownership of an
older car that you maintained and cared for decades, some even consider an old
car part of the family. So what’s it going to be? New or stick with the old
car? , it’s up to you. |
Common repair complaints
| Posted on December 10, 2014 at 1:38 PM |
comments (612)
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Common automotive repair complaints. Today we will touch upon some common complaints that will have the customer
bring the car in for repairs and their most likely causes. These are the types of
complaints that many times have the customer trying to imitate the noise when
explaining what they want check, this can be quit entertaining at
times. Remember a complete inspection of your car will be needed to verify the
exact cause of your complaint. This list is just intended to give some insight
on the common causes of these problems. 1. Noises from suspension. Suspension noises are mostly noticeable when
going over bumps. One of the most common is a broken or worn anti- sway bar link
pin. Sometimes the sway bar frame mount bushings also fail. Both will produce a
rattle of clunk noise. Broken springs, worn out control arm bushings, worn
shocks and struts are also high on the list of probable suspects when looking
for suspension noises. 2. Rumble noise that changes with your speed. An easy check here that you
can do yourself is check tire ware. You are looking for a cupped rough
ware pattern on the tread of the tires. Tire cupping can be caused by worn
struts and shocks, but most likely it’s from poor tire design. Have your
suspension checked as well as the alignment. If all is well suspect poor tire
design. Bad wheel bearings can sound very much like cupped tires, this is why you
should eliminate the tires first as a potential cause of this kind of
noise. Does the rumble noise change pitch or get a lot quieter when turning left
or right? If so, a closer look at the bearings are in order. Weight transfer of
the car during turning or pitching the car side to side will make the loaded
side (the one on the outside of the turn) noisier if it’s the culprit. 3. Rattling or buzzing noise from under the car. This one will change or go
away as you rev the engine in neutral. Take a look at your exhaust heat shields.
Most of the time you will find one that the mounts or clamps have rusted out on
and the tin shield is now just hanging on the pipe or converter just waiting to
drive you nuts. Most techs will just cut them off to eliminate this annoyance.
These shields should be kept in place if at all possible as they do serve a
purpose. They don’t just shield the surrounding areas from the exhaust’s heat,
they also are intended to keep the heat in allowing the converter to reach light
off (operating temp) faster lowering cold start emissions. 4. Grinding or rubbing noise. If you hear a grinding noise when you apply
the brakes you have worn the pads down to the metal backing of the pads and
require brake service immediately. You would think this is a no brainer, but I
see brakes worn through to the middle vented part of the brake rotor more than
enough times to wonder how such a noise can be ignored. If you have grinding
brakes don’t put off a brake inspection any longer! A squeak on the other hand
may be an indication you have worn brake hardware of just glazed pads, squeaks
are almost normal on some cars and are very difficult if not impossible to
completely eliminate. Some brake pads have a ware indicator built into them that
will cause a squeak when the brakes are applied to warn you that you are in need
of service very soon. Remember, when in doubt have your brake system inspected.
5. Fluid leaks. Leaks when small can be very hard to locate. If you think
your engine is leaking something, but unsure of what it can be, start by
identifying what fluid it is. Place some white or light colored paper or
cardboard under the car overnight. Once the car makes it’s deposits on the paper
look at the color of the fluid. Green, yellow or orange can be coolant. Brown or
black is oil and red is transmission fluid. Also take note of the location of
the deposits so you can get a general idea of the location of the leak. |
Some overlooked general maintenance tips
| Posted on October 7, 2014 at 10:18 AM |
comments (27)
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Some overlooked general maintenance 1. Brake flush. Your brake system is one of the most important safety
features of your car, but also has one of the most overlook maintenance items on
the car. The brake fluid itself. Everyone knows to periodically have the brakes
check for wear, but did you know the brake fluid must be changed too. All non
silicone brake fluids like DOT 3 & 4 are hydroscopic and absorbed moisture.
Over time this will lower the boiling point and effectiveness of the fluid. Most
manufacturers recommend changing the fluid every two years. 2. Gear oil. If you own a rear wheel drive car or truck or a four wheel
drive vehicle your differential level should be check at major service intervals
to ensure it’s not low. Always top up with the recommended fluid for your car.
Look for leaking axle seals if the fluid is low. Check your owner’s manual to
see if the manufacturer recommends changing the fluid at a certain mileage.
3. Manual transmission fluid. Most people know they must service their
automatic transmission fluid, but many forget about the fluid in their manual
transmission. Once again it’s very important to check the manufacture’s
maintenance schedule to see if there is a change interval on the trans fluid as
well as the type of fluid to be put in. 4. Lighting. On todays cars with composite headlights it’s not good enough
to just check that the bulbs work, you also have to make sure the plastic lenses
are not cloudy to the point hardly any light is getting out. Cloudy headlight
lenses will greatly reduce the distance you will see at night. There are many
commercially available headlight restore kits on the market and most do a good
job of returning the lights back to working condition. If your on a budget and
don’t want to spring for a restoring kit you can try some very light polishing
compound on a clean soft cloth. Try a small area first to make sure what your
using works safely before doing the entire light. This will clean the lenses
nicely, but does nothing to seal them as the restoring kits do, but it will get
you by for a while. |
No Start Basics
| Posted on July 14, 2014 at 11:43 AM |
comments (14)
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Basic no start checks Before you throw in the towel and call AAA or your best friend that knows
all about cars, take the time to do a few basic checks on your no start car. Who
knows you may get it running, you will gain some insight on what's wrong at the
very least. First we can break down the no start complaint into two
categories. First is the engine that cranks normally and doesn’t start and then
there is the turn the key and nothing happens no start.
Lets start with the turn the key and nothing happens situation. When you
turn the key and attempt to start the engine do all the dash lights come on for
their normal bulb check? If not the battery may be completely dead or you have a
bad connection at the battery. A good place to start looking is making sure
there was nothing left on that would have drained the battery since you last
used the car. Headlights left on, dome light on due to a door not closed all of
the way, glove box light, anything obvious. Next give the battery cables a
little twist to make sure they are tightly connected to the battery terminals.
If they are loose tighten them up and give it another try. Still nothing? now
it’s time to get an idea of what the battery voltage actually is. If you have a
volt meter its time to break it out. A fully charged battery will have about
12.6 volts on a static no load test. If the voltage is low you may just want to
charge the battery or jump start it at this point. No voltmeter available, try
turning on the headlights and see if they illuminate at their normal brightness,
if they do your battery probably has close to 12.6 volts. If they are dim its
time to recharge or jump start. If your car starts now make sure the charging
voltage is good. Once the jumper cables are removed or the battery charger is
disconnected and the car is running you should have around 13.5-14 volts at
idle. 12.6 or less would indicate your charging system is not functioning and
the car is not going to stay running for long without it.
The battery charge or jump still yielded a no start condition, you may have
a starter or wiring problem. Don’t overlook the stupid things, like is the car
in park or neutral, clutch pushed down all the way? Anything that will cause the
neutral safety switch to prevent the engine from cranking. Don’t laugh, I have
seen cars towed in for things like this on more than one occasion.
Now lets take a look at the car that cranks normally, but will not fire up.
All gas spark ignition engines need three basic things to run, fuel/air,
ignition and compression. Start from the easiest position first, the driver’s
seat. Turn the key to the on position and look and listen. You should hear the
fuel pump prime for a few seconds and shut off. You should see the check engine
light come on during the bulb check. Now crank the engine. Does the engine crank
faster than normal? Your looking for clues to the problem here. If the engine
cranks faster than normal you may have a compression problem. A broken timing
belt will cause this. Can’t hear the fuel pump prime? could be an electrical
problem to the pump or more commonly a failed pump. If you have a helper try
banging on the bottom of the fuel tank as your helper cranks the engine. This
will sometime bring a stuck electric fuel pump to life temporarily. Keep in mind
this only works on in tank pumps. If it fires up, you need to replace the pump.
If you don’t see the check engine light come on during cranking you may have a
power problem to the computer. Now its time to get a little dirty if you want to
keep going. If you can access a spark plug lead you can check for spark. Pull
the lead off of a spark plug and hold the end of the lead to a good safe ground
like the engine block. You want to have the metal part of the lead about a half
inch from the ground. A good ignition system will jump this gap easily with a
nice bright spark when your helper cranks the engine. Be careful that you are
not a better ground than the one you chose or you will find out what 30 thousand
volts feels like as it shoots through you, it wont kill you, but it will wake
you up! If you have good spark and still no start you can add some fuel to the
intake to see if it will fire on that. Again be careful here, you want to try
and diagnose the problem, not burn the car and you to the ground. Pull off the
duct going to the throttle. Spray a little carburetor cleaner in there, you may
want to open the throttle a little so it gets into the intake. Give it a crank
now, if it sputters to life you can be pretty sure it’s a fuel problem.
Depending on the make and model of your car there can be many different
causes of lost fuel or spark. I’m not trying to give the fix for the problem
here, just some direction to narrow down the cause of your no start condition.
Your mechanical ability and tools available will be the determining factor in
how far you will take your diagnoses and when you will give AAA a call for the
tow to the shop. Also never overlook the basics. Is there fuel in the tank? is
there an alarm system installed that is killing the ignition? Sometimes a no
start is a minor problem, give it a look before you send out that SOS, you may
surprise yourself and get back on the road quickly and save a few bucks in the
process.
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Check Engine Light basics
| Posted on July 3, 2014 at 2:09 PM |
comments (35)
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Check Engine Light Basics People have different reactions to the Check Engine Light (CEL) when it
suddenly illuminates for what seems to be no reason. These range from, if I
ignore it, it will go away, to stopping dead in their tracks thinking the car is
going to explode. These days its easy to have the codes read for free at your
local auto parts store or you can purchase an inexpensive code reader to the
job. Keep in mind the codes only give direction in diagnosing and don’t always
indicate what part has failed. Lets explore some of the basics of why your Check
Engine Light may come on and what to do about it. Your On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system consists of many components that
monitor and control engine and transmission functions. When something goes wrong
that will cause the car to emit excessive emissions the light will come on.
There is probably thousands of possible causes that will do this, but we will
cover some of the most common problems here. It is also important to understand
that there are continuously monitored systems and other systems that are only
tested after a certain drive cycle is completed. This is why if you have the
light cleared without fixing the problem it will stay out for a short time, once
the drive cycle is complete for the failed system the light will return. 1) Evaporative or EVAP codes P0440 - P0459, These codes are telling you
your fuel system may be leaking raw fuel vapor into the atmosphere or the system
itself is failing the ability to self test. The problem can be as simple as a
loose or defective fuel cap or a more complex problem with the systems switching
components or even a rusty filler neck. Your car can still be driven safely with
EVAP codes stored, but should be repair to meet federal emission laws. 2) Misfire codes. P0300 – P0312. This is a continuously monitored system.
If you have a misfire you will see the light blinking as the misfire is
happening. P0300 is a random misfire and P0301-12 indicate what cylinder is the
offending one. This condition will cause your car to run poorly and possibly
damage other components like the catalytic converter. You should have this check
immediately to prevent further damage. 3) P0420- P0439. These are your catalyst efficiency codes. The cat has to
be at peak efficiency to do it’s job. As the cat ages or is damaged from a
misfiring engine and the efficiency drops to 92% or less the CEL will come on.
This can be a very costly code to fix as it almost always results in cat
replacement, but sometimes something as simple as an exhaust leak or the ECU
needing a reprogram will cause the codes. It is very important do have these
codes diagnosed properly before any parts are replaced due to the expense. Your
car can be driven safely with these codes until repairs are made unless the cat
is completely melted down causing an exhaust restriction. 4) Oxygen sensor codes P0130- P0167. There are many O2 sensor codes because
there are several sensors on your car and they are responsible for reporting
fuel mixture to the ECU as well as how efficient the cat is , a very important
job. Depending on the engine configuration you will have two or four O2 sensors.
There are upstream sensors mounted in front of the cat and downstream sensors
mounted after the cat. The sensors themselves have heaters to aid warm up. O2
sensor heater failure is very common. Once again the code must be diagnosed to
get to the true cause of the problem. Your car can be driven with O2 heater
codes, but if the engine is running poorly with a large fuel economy drop due to
sensor failure it should be driven directly to the repair shop to prevent
further damage. Please keep in mind this is just general information and not manufacturer
specific. This is meant to give a basic idea of why your CEL may have come on.
We always recommend having your OBD system properly diagnosed before any parts
are replaced. |
Spring A/C Check Up
| Posted on May 2, 2014 at 10:19 AM |
comments (53)
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Spring Time A/C Check Now that the hot weather is very close it’s time to start thinking of your
air conditioning system. Most people think you just turn it on and if it works
your good to go. That’s only part of the story, there is some maintenance that
should be done to ensure the system is at it’s full capacity. First lets take a
quick look at the system itself. Open the hood and take a look at all the hoses
and compressor, is there any trace of oily deposits at hose connections or
anyplace in the system? If so you may have a leak at that point. The refrigerant
in the system carries oil in it to lubricate the compressor, as the refrigerant
leaks out it will leave a tell tail sign in the form of an oily deposit. Check
the condenser to make sure it is clear of dirt and leaves. A blocked condenser
can lead to excessively high, high side pressure, reducing cooling efficiency.
Make sure the compressor drive belt is in good condition and not loose. You may
also want to check the evaporator drain tube for any blockage. A clogged drain
tube can lead to some very wet carpets and a musty smell inside the car. This is
also a great time to check and replace the cabin air filter if your car is
equipped with one. If the system still does not cool properly or not at all it’s
time to check system pressures. Low or no pressure would indicate a low or empty
system. It is extremely important to have the correct type and amount of
refrigerant charge in the system, to little or too much refrigerant will
adversely effect performance. It is highly recommended taking your car to a
trained pro to take care of the recovery and charging of refrigerant. It is
against the law to vent CFC refrigerants into the atmosphere. Remember White
Horse Auto is fully equipped to service you’re A/C system. |
Spring Check up.
| Posted on April 3, 2014 at 11:48 AM |
comments (79)
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Now that Spring is finally here it’s time to give your car it’s Spring
check up. Stop in for a complete vehicle inspection. Make sure all of your cars
vital systems are in good condition and ready for the added driving most of us
do in the nicer months ahead. This is also a great time to treat your car to a
good cleaning, especially the undercarriage. For those of us living in the snow
belt now is the time to remove all remaining traces of road salt to prevent rust
and corrosion. If you are unable to do it yourself look for a carwash that
offers undercarriage cleaning, also make sure all of you body drains in the
doors and fender areas are clear of dirt. Blocked drain holes allow water and
salt to remain trapped in the car’s body causing sever rust. A little maintenance now will go a long way in keeping you car or truck in top condition. |
Maintenance Schedule
| Posted on August 23, 2013 at 10:14 AM |
comments (49)
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 Did you know one of the best ways to keep your car running it's best and lasting for years to come is to follow your manufacturers maintenance schedule. The best place to find it is your owner's manual. If you don't have one please stop by or call and we can provide you with this valuable information. |