Crosse Auto Repair

Car batteries, like our cell phone batteries, can drain quickly. Keeping the car battery charged is to our advantage. But how can the life expectancy of the battery be preserved? Our friends, at NAPA, have given us some tips to help us with our batteries. Here’s their 6 suggestions: Make sure all lights are off when the car is turned off. Protect your car during extreme temperatures in the winter and summer. You can do this by using a garage, car port or simply protecting the car from the wind. Take an occasional long distance road trip. Have the alternator checked. This requires a voltmeter. You can do this yourself or bring your vehicle to Bob’s and we will check it for you. Inspect the battery for corrosion or loose connection. Clean and tighten as needed. Turn off all accessories. Newer vehicles have several; like Navigation systems, fog lights, security alarms and other accessories are available. When not in use, the systems that are not safety-related should be ... read more

So you have some exciting plans for the upcoming vacation out west to visit relatives. You’re plans include taking some of your family members out on your boat for some water skiing. You’ve got the boat and your tow vehicle all ready. You’ve gassed them up and even vacuumed both of them out. Now you are just counting down the days until you leave. Wait! Have you considered your vehicle’s maintenance schedule? Is up to date? You’ll be towing around several thousand extra pounds, possibly through heavy traffic, hilly terrain and dirt roads. That adds a lot of severe strain on your engine, brakes and transmission. Let’s just consider the transmission. The internal transmission temperature is going to be much higher than normal. What’s a fun little vacation for you is really severe duty for your transmission. Because the transmission fluid cleans, cools and lubricates the transmission; it’s important to have enough transmission fluid and that you have the transmission serviced according ... read more

My A/C is not cooling. Why would the A/C not be cooling like it should? The refrigerant in the air conditioner contains a special oil that lubricates and cools the A/C parts. When this refrigerant leaks out, your air conditioner quits working and doesn’t circulate lubricant. The parts don’t have enough oil to protect them so they wear out faster than they should. At Bob’s Auto Service we recommend checking your A/C system per your owner’s manual or annually in the spring

Ball joints are a very important part of your vehicles suspension. Virtually every automobile made has ball joints and work similarly to the ball-and-socket design of the human hip joint. Here are some indicators that there could be a problem with a ball joint. Some things to be aware of: 1. excessive vibration from the front of your vehicle, 2. a clunking noise while driving, 3. an uneven wear on a tire or tires or the vehicle is starting to pull to the left or right. An alignment is recommended after suspension parts are replaced to ensure good tire wear. You DO NOT want to ignore these indicators. If you’ve ever seen a car on the side of the road with a tire folded under the vehicle, you’ve seen a broken ball joint. Don’t let this happen to you! Drive Safe out there

April is Car Care Awareness month and the National Car Care Council (carcre.org) would like to remind you of ways you can give a little TLC to your vehicle during April. 1. Check all your lights for any burned out bulbs–this includes the interior and exterior. Many of us will be driving more now through the summer months, so being visible on the road is crucial. 2. Check filters and fluids–filters include: air filter, oil filter, cabin air filter and fuel filter. The fluids to check are: transmission fluid, power steering fluid, coolant (antifreeze), windshield washer fluid (you will use a lot of this), engine oil level, power steering, brake and transmission fluids. Dirty air filters can waste gas and effect your vehicle’s engine to lose power. 3. Check belts and hosesfor signs of excessive wear or if they have become loose. Particularly for the air conditioning, power steering and electrical systems