Archive for October, 2011

Wiper Blades In Florida

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

If you’re gonna drive around the Tallahassee area, you’ve got to be able to see! So having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely important. We’ve all experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm, or when our windshield is just dirty.

It seems like your wiper blades are always at their worst when you need them the most. But windshield wipers are like most other vehicle parts– they require regular attention in order to work their best.

You really ought to replace your wiper blades twice a year; in the spring and the fall. If it’s going to be a particularly harsh winter in Tallahassee, you may even want to get special winter blades in the fall. Winter blades are designed to resist freezing.

Speaking of winter and freezing conditions, if your car has been sitting for a long time and the windshield becomes frozen, don’t use your wipers to clear off snow and ice. That’ll just tear up the blades and cause them to wear out more quickly. It may even damage the wiper motor.

Over time, wiper blades become hard and brittle, and then tear. They also lose their flexibility and just don’t cover the windshield effectively.

Worn wiper blades aren’t just a safety hazard; they can also scratch your windshield. That may require replacing the entire windshield; a big cost for such a little part.

Replace worn blades right away. Your local service center can provide you with a quality replacement blade. They cost about the same as they would at the store; but installation is included at Auto Super-Service Center.

Of course you also need washer fluid to help your blades do their work. Even though your local Tallahassee service center will top off the washer fluid with a full service oil change, it is a good idea to have some extra fluid at home, or in the car if you are on a long trip.

Always use windshield washer fluid. Plain water, even that fancy bottled water, may freeze in the fluid reservoir or on the windshield itself, making things worse. Besides, water won’t do a good job of cleaning your windows.

And remember that some vehicles have two reservoirs: one for the windshield and one for the back window – which may be under the hood or somewhere in the back.

So follow these tips to keep your windshield clear and your eye on the road, and give us a call at Auto Super-Service Center or come by our shop at 3781 N. Monroe St., Tallahassee, Florida 32303. Call to make an appointment at 850-562-4608

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Keep Your Cool In Tallahassee: Air Conditioning Service

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011


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Most Tallahassee drivers wait for their air conditioning to fail before they service it at Auto Super-Service Center. That’s because many Tallahassee and Quincy motorists don’t really understand that automotive air conditioners need periodic service. Let me share some of the reasons why they fail.

First, like every machine, the all passenger cars & light trucks air conditioner parts need lubrication. The lubricant is actually mixed in with the refrigerant (that’s the stuff that makes the air cool). So sometimes, even though the air conditioner is still making cool air, the oil that lubricates the parts has just been used up: and unlubricated parts can fail in all Florida cars.

Keep Your Cool In Tallahassee: Air Conditioning Service

Now here’s a tip for Tallahassee drivers: You should run your air conditioner every so often during Florida winters. This circulates the lubricant to help keep the seals from drying out.

The air conditioner actually removes some of the moisture in the air. So if you have trouble with fogging on your windshield during Florida winters or during a rain storm, running the A/C on the defrost setting should help. Now on some Tallahassee cars you can’t run the A/C at the same time as the defroster. Don’t ask me why, but I suspect lawyers were involved.

Also, air and water can get into the A/C system. That can reduce the efficiency of the system and also lead to corrosion that causes damage. Tallahassee drivers should periodically purge the system and replace the refrigerant to clear out the air and water.

Tallahassee drivers should be aware of early warning signs of trouble: One might be that the air’s not as cold as it used to be. You may hear an unusual noise when the A/C cycles on. Those are signs to get your vehicle into Auto Super-Service Center in Tallahassee before the damage gets worse.

So following the recommended service intervals in your all passenger cars & light trucks owner’s manual can help prevent mechanical failure of your air conditioning system. You’re A/C system contains some expensive components like the compressor, condenser, dryer, etc. Anything Havana and Quincy car owners can do to lengthen the life of their A/C is well worth it.

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Your Well Trained Technician At Auto Super-Service Center

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011


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When your all passenger cars & light trucks breaks down, or just needs some routine service, you might get a little nervous. Your car’s so important to your life in Quincy, you need to back on the road as soon as possible – with the problem fixed right the first time.

If you’ve ever checked into some of the technician training Auto Super-Service Center professionals receive, you may be surprised at how much knowledge and skill goes into diagnosing and repairing a modern car. Let me give you some perspective. Today there are four cylinder engines that make more power than the V-8’s in luxury cars twenty years ago. I mean a new V-6 Toyota Camry could beat Sonny Crocket’s Ferrari in a race to sixty.

Your Well Trained Technician At Auto Super-Service Center

Our engines are more and more powerful and at the same time their fuel economy keeps inching up – even with steep Quincy gas prices. And they’re so reliable. This is all due to engineering. But the advances come at the price of simplicity. The modern cars driving around Quincy roads are so much more complex from a mechanical standpoint that it makes your head spin – not to mention the electronics.

Some cars have several networked computers controlling most of the engine functions and many other vehicle functions as well. Quincy motorists take all of this sophistication for granted – but somebody has to fix it when it breaks. It’s a real challenge for Auto Super-Service Center technicians to keep up, but we work hard to stay ahead of the technology. It requires a high level of commitment on the part of the technician and the Quincy service center as well.

In addition to the training, there’s the financial commitment to purchase the diagnostic and repair tools. Auto Super-Service Center technicians receive training through a combination of formal classroom training, training provided at Auto Super-Service Center by parts and equipment manufacturers, on-line courses and home study courses.

There are many independent certifications available at Auto Super-Service Center all the way up to Master Technician. The ability to repair your all passenger cars & light trucks requires a strong combination of training and resources. No one can know everything, so Quincy auto service centers subscribe to data services, technical libraries and even on-line communities that can help them when they run into a difficult problem.

It’s like those medical diagnosis shows on TV. Here are the symptoms – what’s the diagnosis and treatment? Diagnosis is every bit as much an art as a science. At Auto Super-Service Center, we want everything to be simple, straightforward and cheap – but sometimes it just isn’t.

So try to be more relaxed next time you bring us your all passenger cars & light trucks. You’re in good hands.

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Clean Air for Your Engine: Engine Air Filters In Tallahassee

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011


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Every Tallahassee car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter’s dirty.

Here’s what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your all passenger cars & light trucks owner’s manual will have a recommendation of when to change the filter. Second, a visual inspection by your Tallahassee technician may determine that your filter it is visibly dirty and needs to be changed.

Clean Air for Your Engine Tallahassee Engine Air Filter

So between your owner’s manual and your Tallahassee technician’s inspection there’s really no guesswork involved.

Now, most air filters purchased in Havana, Quincy, or Cawfordville don’t cost a lot to replace. It’s just that Florida people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at Auto Super-Service Center can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in Tallahassee.

Think about a dirty furnace filter in your Quincy home. When it’s all clogged up, enough clean air can’t get through. In your all passenger cars & light trucks, that means that your engine can’t get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more expensive Florida gas to move your vehicle around Tallahassee roads.

Your all passenger cars & light trucks actually needs about 12,000 gallons of air for every gallon of gas it burns. Engine air filters don’t cost much in Tallahassee at Auto Super-Service Center. When it’s time to change yours, just get it done. You’ll save buy less expensive Tallahassee fuel, have better performance and protect your engine.

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