Auto repair tips

Answer: This is a very serious problem – if your car overheats you can quickly damage your engine. As soon as possible, find a safe place to pull off the road and shut the engine off! Do not attempt to check the fluid level in the radiator as it is under high pressure and the escaping liquid and steam can burn you. The best thing to do is have your car towed to a repair shop.

Hoover Street Auto Repair performs cooling system repairs, radiator repair, water pump repair, over-heating repair, and coolant leak repairs in Ann Arbor MI.

Answer: There are many sensors and computerized engine components that manage your vehicle’s engine performance and emissions. When one of these parts fail, the “check engine” light is switched on. Although your vehicle may appear to run fine, it is important to have a check engine light repair or check engine light diagnosis to prevent serious, long-term problems.

Answer: YES! The failure of a timing belt in most cars can result in serious engine damage. The cost of repairing an engine with a broken timing belt is much greater than the cost of a timing belt replacement. Timing belts also deteriorate over time regardless of mileage. Even if your vehicle gets little use the materials used in the belts ages and should be changed. Oil and coolant contamination can accelerate belt deterioration and failure.

Answer: tires should be rotated every other oil change, or every 6000 miles. Rotating tires is an easy and economical way to extend tire life and prevent premature tire wear.

Hoover Street Auto Repair will rotate tires in Ann Arbor MI. We also offer wheel balancing, tire balancing, wheel alignment, and tire rotation Ann Arbor MI.

Short answer: every 3,000 to 5,000 miles or 3 - 6 months depending on the type of driving you do.

Long answer: Oil change intervals varies with driving habits and type of vehicle. I’m assuming we share the goal to minimize the need for major auto repairs. If you’re driving 20 miles one way to work and 15 of those miles are on the highway, most vehicles should have the oil changed every 5,000 miles. If you’re like me, drive 8 miles to work, never go more than 2 miles without stopping, most vehicles should have the oil changed every 3,000 miles or every 3-4 months. If you ride the bus to work and only drive your car to run a few errands on the weekend, that is the hardest type of driving on an engine. You may need to change your vehicles oil every 3-6 months regardless of the mileage.