High Colorado gas prices have hit most of our budgets here in Thornton. If increased fuel costs are consuming a bigger portion of your budget, you may be tempted to skimp in some other areas – like scheduled maintenance. According to Colorado news reports and industry studies, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten personal…

Help your fuel pump last longer. One pump killer is contamination in the fuel tank. Sometimes this comes from the fuel itself. Buying fuel at a reputable Thornton station will help make sure you are putting clean fuel into the tank. Older vehicles tend to have more sediment in the tank from years of rust…

You know that long belt that snakes around the front of your engine? It’s called the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt is driven by the engine as it turns. It powers your alternator, air conditioning compressor and power steering pump. On some vehicles it also runs the water pump, radiator fan and power brakes. Sounds…

The axle assemblies in your vehicle transfer power out to the drive wheels.  On a rear-wheel drive vehicle, there is an axle shaft that goes from the differential in the center of the axle to each rear wheel.  On a front-wheel drive vehicle, the axle shafts go from the transmission to each front-wheel.  All-wheel drive…

Of all the parts of a vehicle we take for granted, the doors must be near the top of the list.  We open them to get in, lock them, and use the rear child locks to keep the kids safe.  But what in the world happens when you can’t open or close one or more…

Basically, the power brake system helps you provide braking power so that you don’t have to do all the work with your brake pedal. The brakes themselves are applied at the wheel using hydraulic pressure. When we step on the brake pedal, we create pressure in the power booster that’s multiplied by vacuum from the…

After they’ve had an accident, some people wonder why their airbags didn’t go off.  Movies and television lead us to believe that airbags go off with the slightest bump.  The reality is much more complicated.  First, airbags come out with great force and speed.  Now getting hit in the face with an airbag is way…

Many Thornton drivers have probably noticed a bunch of warning lights on their dash when they start their engine. They flash on to test the circuits and then go off if everything’s OK. One of the warning lights looks like a car battery. Its job is to tell you if your vehicle battery’s not charging…

Let’s debunk some of the myths about diesel powered vehicles. Diesel Burns Dirty This was true years ago. Since 2006, however, U.S. diesel vehicles have been required by law to use ultra-low-sulfur diesel or USLD. Modern diesels are soot-free and have a smaller carbon footprint. Diesels Are Sluggish Not any more. They are as fast…

All new cars and light trucks in Thornton, Colorado, since 2008 have come equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, or ‘TPMS’. The TPMS system detects when a tire becomes under-inflated and lights up a warning light on the dash. So, what’s the big deal for Thornton drivers? Well, under inflated tires can be a…

We’ve all been there.  You park somewhere only to return and find one of your tires is flat; you’ve picked up a nail on the road.  You’re hoping you can just have it patched and be on your way.  That beats the cost of replacing the tire, but will that patch hold up for the…

Question: What is power brake service and why do I need to have it done? Answer: Imagine: you pour a tablespoon of water in your hand and throw it as hard as you can.  Now, suppose you suck up a tablespoon of water into a syringe, push the plunger and squirt it out.  Which would…