Posted on 6/25/2015
Myths passed around our North Kansas City Missouri community start with a grain of evidence and are then built up with a lot of imagination and very elastic logic. And the internet is a breeding ground for automotive myths. Some bloggers recall the SUVs of yesteryear and declare their modern decedents to be virtually maintenance free and that anyone who says otherwise is out to rip you off. Let’s examine a couple of the more popular rants and look at the truth behind them. The first one is that the chassis no longer needs lubrication for suspension, steering and the driveline. They declare that anyone who has charged you for lubrication is a charlatan. The truth on which this myth is based is that many new cars come from the factory with sealed joints and cannot be greased. However, there are still some grease points on many cars around North Kansas City. A grease fitting may have been installed in conjuncti ... read more
Posted on 6/23/2015
A good suspension system gives a vehicle a smooth, even ride while providing North Kansas City auto owners with good handling and control. But like any system on your SUV, critical parts of the suspension system can wear out, leading to a lower ride quality and safety concerns. So it’s a good idea for North Kansas City motorists to remember an automotive analysis of their suspension system in their schedule of an important preventive maintenance. Springs do most of the work of the suspension system. The most common types of springs are coil and leaf, but air springs and torsion bars are becoming more common. The body of the vehicle is “suspended” by the springs. If springs were the only working component in your suspension system, however, you’d spend your travel time bouncing up and down like a bobblehead. That’s where your shocks come in. They keep the rebound, or bounciness, of the springs under control. Shocks also keep your tires on the road, which keeps the ... read more
Posted on 6/16/2015
Many North Kansas City car owners have found themselves in the following situation: they go to get their oil changed and their friendly Northtown Auto Clinic technician recommends a new engine air filter. They say yes, but don’t know what an air filter is or what it does. If this has happened to you, rest assured that you did the right thing by getting a new one. But you should never be too embarrassed to ask your Northtown Auto Clinic technician for more information. It’s your money and you have a right to understand what you’re paying for. Let’s review: “What does an air filter do?”: Air is the focus of this discussion. What is the air like outside in North Kansas City right now? Can you see any smog? Is it full of pollen? How about dust? Anyone in Missouri with hay fever can tell you that there’s plenty in the air that you can’t see. Well, the engine air fil ... read more
Posted on 6/11/2015
Hello North Kansas City, let’s talk about brakes. Braking, as all Missouri auto owners know, is slowing or stopping your vehicle. As you can imagine, brakes are engineered to work well on a particular vehicle application. For example, you would expect more powerful brakes on a heavy-duty pickup that routinely hauls big loads and pulls trailers, than you would on a compact car. And a Corvette that can go over 180 miles per hour would have much different braking needs than the family mini-van you drive around between North Kansas City, Kansas City and Parkville. But the mechanical aspects of the brakes themselves are just one issue. There’s also the power brake pump and brake fluid. And then there are the tires, which are critical to the effectiveness of the brakes. Let’s step back. A new SUV or truck rolls off a loca ... read more
Posted on 6/10/2015
When we shop for shoes, most of us know that we can get two pairs of cheap shoes or one good pair for about the same price. And since the two cheap pairs wear out in about the same time as the good pair, there really is no difference in cost. If you like having a closet full of shoes to match your moods and outfits, then cheap shoes can be what you want. But if you spend a lot of time on your feet, you probably know that cheap shoes can come with an added cost of sore feet and other foot ailments. When you add in the benefits of comfort and protection, the more expensive shoes are actually the better value. Buying tires at Northtown Auto Clinic in North Kansas City is a lot like buying shoes, except that North Kansas City drivers’ vehicles don’t have changeable apparel and don’t need a closet full of tires to match. Vehicles spend a lot of time on their tires—all the time, in fact—so they need tires that can stand up to t ... read more
Posted on 6/3/2015
The team at Northtown Auto Clinic in North Kansas City and Missouri car owners are all talking fuel efficiency right now. Better gas mileage. Fewer emissions. North Kansas City motorists want to save the environment and their pocketbooks. And we all know—or should know—that preventive maintenance will help maximize MPG. But is there something more North Kansas City auto owners can do? After all, some of us North Kansas City folks can’t cut back on our driving, and others would like to do more to economize. Weight is one major enemy of fuel economy. The more you lug around in your vehicle, the more fuel you have to burn to get from North Kansas City to We service the Northland area. And that means buying more gas in North Kansas City and producing more emissions. Of course, your SUV’s weight isn’t negotiable. And you can’t do much about the weight of your passengers ... read more