North Kansas City Auto Repair

There is a clear and vocal demand in North Kansas City and nationally for a reduction in air pollution and our dependence on fossil fuels. This is what is driving the Missouri market for alternative fuel vehicles. There are a number of these vehicles on Kansas City area roads today, and many more being developed. Yet each of these vehicles has its own advantages and disadvantages. North Kansas City motorists should learn what these advantages and disadvantages are before running out and purchasing one of these alternative fuel vehicles at your nearest Kansas City dealership. Kansas City auto owners should carefully research the car care before buying an alternative vehicle, as it may or may not coincide with the standards for gasoline vehicles. You should look at costs and fuel economy as well: these vehicles may help save our environment here in North Kansas City, but that might not represent a savings to your wallet. Y ... read more

The price of gas and the uncertain economy are both causing Missouri residents to review their finances. More and more North Kansas City auto owners are opting to keep their vehicles longer and put off purchasing a newer car. It is estimated that two-thirds of the vehicles on the roads of North America today have over 75,000 miles on them. And the average age of vehicles is now over eleven years. That translates to some car care issues that many North Kansas City men and women haven’t dealt with in the past. Older vehicles simply have different maintenance requirements than newer ones. Learning those requirements presents a challenge for North Kansas City auto owners because many owner’s manuals only publish maintenance schedules up to 60,000 or 90,000 miles. Vehicle owners have to keep good records and be more involved in planning preventive maintenance if they want to keep their SUVs on the road. First of all, any service in your owner’s manual that come ... read more

Today’s tires and wheels offer a lot of options for every North Kansas City driver’s style, habits and driving conditions. Tires are designed for high-performance in winter or summer and even come in a long-wearing variety for all Missouri seasons. North Kansas City off-roaders should be excited about the options available to them as well. The tread on off-road tires is designed to handle the wear from bumps and rocks. The tires’ high profile protects rims from damage. But what if you own an SUV but aren’t interested in off-roading around North Kansas City? You can change out those high-profile beasts for a lower, wider look if it suits your style. Northtown Auto Clinic tire professionals can offer great auto advice on how to choose tires that match your needs and style. The same goes for wheels. When North Kansas City motorists shop for new wheels, they can be hard-pressed to make a selection f ... read more

Screeching tires, crunching metal – it’s an accident! If you’ve ever been in a car accident in North Kansas City, even a minor one, you know how upsetting it can be. It’s hard to think straight and know what to do. Let’s review what North Kansas City drivers should do in case of an accident: When an accident occurs, you should always stop. Leaving the scene of an accident in North Kansas City is considered a crime – even if it’s not your fault. And hit and run penalties are fairly severe, possibly resulting in steep fines, loss of your Missouri driver’s license or even jail time. Your jurisdiction may require that you try to help someone who is injured by calling for help or performing first aid if you are able. Warn other Liberty and Parkville motorists by putting out flares, using your flashers or lifting your hood. Call Kansas City emergency services as soon as possible. Tell the operator if medical or fire help is neede ... read more

When you get an oil change, it’s always a safe bet to just use the type of oil the auto maker recommends. But sometimes we’re asked if we’d like conventional or synthetic motor oil. We glance at the price tags on the two options and choose the cheaper one. But in this case, the more expensive oil might be the better bargain for North Kansas City drivers. Conventional oil is made from petroleum. Its molecules form long hydrocarbon chains. Synthetic motor oil is either more highly refined petroleum or completely man-made. Its molecules are more uniform. This provides vital advantages over conventional motor oil. First of all, the molecular structure of synthetic motor oil makes it more slippery than conventional oil so it lubricates better. This translates to better wear protection for North Kansas City auto owners, cooler operating temperatures, more engine power and increased gas mileage. Fur ... read more

Most Kansas City motorists know that tires wear out and that the wear has to do with tread depth. Most of us have heard that “bald” tires are dangerous, but most of us picture a tire with no tread at all when we think of a bald tire. And when we take our vehicles in for preventive maintenance, the technician tells us they’re need to be replaced long before all the tread is worn off. Just how much tire tread wear is too much? And how can you tell? Tires are costly and their condition is important to the safe handling of a vehicle, so it’s critical for Kansas City car owners to know the answers to these questions. First of all, it’s vital to understand that there may be a legal limit to tread wear. If your tires are worn past this limit, you have to replace them to be in compliance with Missouri auto safety laws. That’s why measuring your tread wear is part of a vehicle safety inspection. In some jurisdictions, tread must ... read more

When it comes to preventive maintenance on our vehicles, most of us North Kansas City car owners remember to get our oil changed. But Northtown Auto Clinic services that occur at longer intervals — like transmission service — sometimes get overlooked. Yet transmission service is an essential part of car care for North Kansas City drivers. A poorly maintained transmission will impair fuel economy and lead to costly repairs. The transmission transfers power from the engine to the drive wheels. When it’s clean and well – lubricated, it gives maximum fuel efficiency. But when it gets dirty or worn down, your MPG will suffer. Your transmission relies on transmission fluid to keep everything running well. Transmission fluid has two jobs: to cool and lubricate the transmission. The transmission operates at high temperatures. It can get 100-150°F degrees hotter inside your transmission than inside your engine. Transmission fluid transfers some of the heat away f ... read more

Virtually all vehicles come with power steering so many North Kansas City auto owners have never driven a car or truck without it. Power steering assists you when you turn your SUV steering wheel. Without it, it would be very hard to steer. Now this power assist comes in a couple of forms. In recent years, a lot of Kansas City vehicles have an electric motor that reduces steering effort and helps improve MPG. The other kind of power steering is hydraulic. This is the kind most older Missouri vehicles, and a lot of newer ones, have. Power steering fluid is pressurized by a pump and is used to assist steering. Of course, Kansas City motorists need the right amount of fluid in the system. If it’s too low your steering is affected and you could damage your SUV pump. Also, power steering fluid can become corrosive over time and damage the pump, hoses and connectors; leading to leaks an ... read more

Hello North Kansas City motorists! Let’s talk about alignment. One of the most important parts of preventive maintenance for your vehicle is keeping the wheels in alignment. Poor alignment causes your tires to wear unevenly, which can significantly reduce their lifespan. This means you will have to replace them more often, which can be costly in North Kansas City. It can even damage your suspension system, which is a significant repair. But even more importantly, uneven tread wear can lead to blowouts on the road, a dangerous and potentially deadly safety risk for North Kansas City auto owners and their passengers. It may not take an accident or bad driving habits to “knock” your tires out of alignment. Tires can go out of alignment with just everyday Missouri driving. North Kansas City road hazards, pot holes, uneven or gravel roads, even the bumps and bounces of normal Kansas City highways and surface streets can gr ... read more

Blind spots may be a good thing when it comes to a spouse’s annoying habits, but when driving an automobile in North Kansas City, they are definitely to be avoided. So, while it’s not good marital advice, it’s good auto advice to minimize your own blind spots and stay out of other Kansas City car owners’ blind spots, especially when it comes to large, heavy vehicles like trucks and buses. First, minimize your own blind spots. Do this before you pull out of the driveway or parking space. Adjust your rearview mirror so that you see as much of the area behind you as possible. And, no, this doesn’t include the passengers in the back seat. The rearview mirror isn’t designed to be a baby monitor. Next, lean to the side until your head almost touches the driver’s side window. Now adjust the driver’s side mirror so that it just catches the side of the SUV. Then, lean to the middle of the c ... read more