General

Question What is the benefit of winter tires? Answer This is a good question.  Most new vehicles come with all-season tires that work pretty well in the winter conditions many people encounter.  First, let’s talk about the things that dedicated winter tires do really well, touch on all-seasons and then you should have some information…

Question My car failed its emissions test – what do I need to do? Answer Let’s get this out of the way: a leak in your exhaust system could be deadly.  If you smell exhaust in the passenger cabin or hear an unusual exhaust sound, get your exhaust system checked and repaired.  This is important:…

Air and fuel are mixed together to be burned in your engine. You request how much of each you need by how hard you press on the accelerator, by going up or down a hill or by how much you are carrying in your vehicle as your drive around Thornton. Based on how much air…

Question: What are the signs that I need a brake job? Answer: Signs of brake problems often fall into one of two categories for Thornton: making noise or a pulsation in the brake pedal. Let’s start with the noise. Most brake pads have an audible brake wear indicator. This is a small piece of metal…

All cars and trucks manufactured since 2006 are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems – or TPMS.  TPMS alerts you when your tires aren’t properly inflated with a warning light that looks like a cross section of a tire with an exclamation point in it.  Some vehicles may also have a digital readout showing tire…

When it comes to vehicle service, a lot of people procrastinate.  The reasons? Don’t want to spend the money, don’t have time to get it done, it’s not urgent.  Sound familiar? Here are the three service items you shouldn’t put off, no matter what. Oil Change.  Oil is one of those things that just quietly…

An oil change:  Sounds simple, but there’s some important things to know about preventing oil sludge. Oil eventually starts to turn into jelly.  Literally – petroleum jelly.  Sludge clogs up oil passages and keeps oil from getting to some areas of the engine, causing parts to wear out prematurely.  And that means expensive engine repairs.…

A driver got a surprise the other day when he took his vehicle to a service facility for an oil change.  He knew his owner’s manual schedules an oil and oil filter change every 5,000 miles/8,000 km, but when the Service Advisor suggested his cabin air filter should be replaced, he thought they were just…

Question: I need new tires. How do I know which tires to get? Mountain View Automotive Answer: Let’s look at selecting new tires in light of three factors: Function, Fit, and Value. Function: This gets at what your needs are for new tires: weather conditions, terrain, temperatures, etc. New family vehicles sold in Colorado come…

Heard of synthetic motor oil but would like to learn more information?  Well, synthetic oil is a substitute for conventional oil. Synthetic doesn’t gel or gum-up like conventional oil and it doesn’t vaporize as easily.  It protects better in severe driving conditions like stop and go driving as well as in very hot or very…