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Tips on When to Replace Your Tires

3 Easy Ways To Tell If The Tires On Your Car, Truck or SUV Need To Be Replaced Before It’s Too Late.

how to know when to replace your tiresTires. Of all the most common problems with cars, tires are often the most overlooked. But, if your car doesn’t drive smoothly, wobbles, or makes curious noises at top speeds, it could be because of your tires. Your tires are where your car meets the road. They’re your car’s first and only touchpoint to the street. When they wear down, they can cause all kinds of wearing problems that can lead to more expensive repairs than simply replacing them would have been. Tires can be underinflated, overinflated, worn down, leaky, and more. While you don’t necessarily need to replace your tires to solve these common problems, there are plenty more scenarios when replacing your tires is the most cost-effective and safe thing you can do.

Here are a few helpful tips from Greeley auto repair and tire experts:

The Penny Test

You may have heard of the ‘penny test,’ in which you insert an Abraham Lincoln penny into the tread groove of a worn tire. If the tread covers Lincoln’s head and you notice no adverse effects driving in snow, slush, or rain, you’re good to go. Mechanics test tires for remaining depth of tread grooves. When the remaining depth reaches 2/32 inches, it’s time for new tires.

You can do a penny test at home, obviously, but the main test you should pay attention to is how the car brakes and maneuvers on wet or slick roads.

 

What Are Tire Grooves for?

Tire tread grooves are mainly for managing wet conditions on the road. The treads direct water, snow, and ice away from the tires and out from under them. Driving on dry roads with worn-down or even bald tires won’t give you much trouble, usually. Just look at the racing slicks stock cars use in races.

If your tread is getting low, you might not notice a difference until you have to brake suddenly or you’re driving in wet or icy conditions. About nine percent of all collisions in the US are tire-related, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Which Tires Should You Buy?

That depends on the car and what you use it for. To help determine that, let’s run down a few tire terminology basics:

All tires have a speed rating, as denoted by the letters S (112mph) through Y (186mph). This is the tire’s maximum speed when carrying a load. Higher speeds require better grip. Aside from the speed rating, tires also come in different sizes, which are written like this: 215/60R16. The 215 in this example is the cross-section width, which is the widest distance from one sidewall to the other. The 60R is the ratio of sidewall height to tire width, and the 16 is the size of the wheel in inches. Most cars list recommended tire size and specifications in their owner’s manuals.

As for tire type, if you’re driving on rough roads often or carrying around large payloads, it’s a good investment to get a quality type of tire, or even a specialty tire that can help you in adverse conditions. Analyze how you use your car and how many miles it’s been since your last tire change to determine which kind of tires you need.

Looking for a trusted tire and mechanic shop in Greeley? Call us today.

Winter Service & Auto Repair For Your Vehicle | Autotailor in Greeley Can Help!

Winter auto repair and car service in Greeley COComplete Your Winter Auto Repair Or Maintenance Before The Cold Hits In Greeley, CO

Another Northern Colorado Winter is rapidly approaching and you know what that means: the necessity of a winter auto repair may creep up on you when you’re least expecting it! Extreme drops in temperature, subzero wind chill, snow and ice are just some of the challenges we as Colorado drivers face during the upcoming season and your vehicle takes the brunt of it all. If you’re due for routine maintenance or repair, it’s imperative that those items be completed before the weather gets worse as Front Range weather conditions and drastic weather changes can cause that small issue in your car to rapidly magnify into a much bigger issue. It’s also a good idea to complete a simple self-prep to your vehicle to ensure it’s in tip-top condition all winter long. Check out these auto service tips from the experts at Autotailor.

Tires Service Center & Sales

Check your tires for thread depth and air pressure. Overtime your tires become worn out and the thread depth becomes uneven. It’s important to check the depth to make sure your tire can keep traction and avoid slips on wet and icy roads. Air pressure is just as important! When the temperature drops by 10 degrees your tires drop a pound of air. Check your tires and spare tires when the temperature changes drastically. Need or replace the tires on your car, truck or van? Autotailor provides a complete line of brand name tires all competitively priced. Call us today to schedule your winter auto repair tire service appointment!

Car Battery Service

A battery tends to last up to 3 years. If you’re nearing that life cycle you should bring your car to our auto repair center in Greeley, CO to ensure it’s fully charged. If the battery isn’t fully charged it can freeze and die when the temperature drops. One of our certified Greeley Autotailor technicians can check if you need to recharge or buy a new battery.

Automotive Oil Change

You should regularly bring your vehicle in for routine auto repair services and an oil changes. However, if you haven’t kept up with it, the time to change it is now! The oil is what keeps your car running smoothly and efficiently! When first placed in your car it’s thin and a light honey color. Overtime the oil becomes contaminated, which causes it to thicken and become sticky. This makes the engine in your car work harder, and may lead to expensive auto service repairs.

Heating System Repair

When you have to get up early on cold mornings you want make sure you’re at least warm in the car. Now is the time to make sure that the air system is working properly and that your filters are changed. Not sure what to look for or think your car may be having issues? Give us a call or contact us online today! Autotailor in Greeley, CO can help!

Headlight Replacement

Cold and snowy weather can bring foggy, freezing visibility to your drive. Check and replace your bulbs and headlights at our Greeley auto service center. We even provide headlight restoration services to ensure you have clear sight of the road.

The Importance Of A Car Battery

Why Replace a Car Battery before it fails?

With all the computers and technology loaded into today’s cars, the car battery has never been more important. In recent years we see more and more cars that have a battery that will still crank the vehicle but will cause other problems because of its poor condition.

Years ago, when a battery failed, you usually realized it when the vehicle didn’t start. You replaced it, reset the clock and radio stations and you were back on the road. Today we see cars come in to our shop with symptoms of stalling, check engine lights, memory loss, and antitheft no-start problems all that have a relationship to a weak car battery.

When you get in your car and start the engine, the starter motor puts a huge load on the electrical system. Even though the car may sound normal as it starts, it’s that load of the starter can make the system voltage drop well below normal if the battery is getting weak. The low voltage is what causes issues with the many computers and modules that depend on a stable voltage. Because of this, we recommend replacing more car batteries today as preventive maintenance than ever before.

So, no need to panic. Autotailor can perform a starting and charging system test or a battery “health test” next time you’re in for service in Greeley. By performing regular inspections and reasonable maintenance, you’re less likely to have an unexpected failure. These are the  Importance Of A Car Battery maintenance.

Looking For a Good Mechanic?

Tips To Finding A Good Mechanic

The first trick to finding a good mechanic is understanding what your options are. If your car is still under warranty, most people would think taking their car to the dealership is their only option. What you may not know is that you don’t have to go back to the dealership to get outstanding service. Autotailor is a specialty repair shop that outshines the competition when it comes to customer service and value.

Good full service repair shops can be difficult to find. In fact, there are only a few good mechanics in Greeley. The key to finding an independent repair shop that does excellent work is to do the research before you need one. The last place you want to be is at the mercy of a broken down vehicle with no recourse. Ask around and see which repair shops your friends or coworkers go to, or ask people who collect cars which repair shops they use. If you ask anyone who’s used Autotailor, you’ll find a common thread: our customers can count on the job getting done right the first time. Don’t just take our word for it though, take a look at our online reviews to see what people are saying.  Are  you Looking For a Good Mechanic? please contact us.

Top 5 Most Expensive Automotive Repairs

Automobile repair jobs can be very expensive. Chances are, if you have gone more than three months without a routine check-up, there are some repairs you may have to pay for the next time you take your car in for servicing.  To avoid huge repair costs and damage to your car, take a look at the five most expensive automotive repairs and some tips to avoid paying for them in the future.

 

Hybrid Inverter Assembly.

Hybrid technology saves you money at the gas pump, but repairing systems in hybrid cars can be tricky. A good way to avoid this is to have the inverter assembly inspected before you reach 75,000 miles. This repair job is the most expensive auto repair in Greeley.

 

Transmission and Torque Converter Replacement.

Torque converters can wear out or sustain heavy damage over time. The best way to prevent a full replacement is to watch for the warning signs of torque converter damage: overheating, slipping, shuddering, dirty fluid, high stall speeds, and strange noises.

 

Transfer Case Shift Motor Replacement.

On some automobiles, you can switch between 2 and 4 Wheel Drive with a switch near the steering wheel. When this mechanism breaks down, it is very expensive to fix. One way to avoid a total replacement is to avoid using the switch frequently while driving.

 

Transmission Replacement.

The dreaded transmission replacement takes mechanics time and effort to replace, driving costs up. The best way to avoid total transmission system replacement is to frequently check the transmission fluid. Also, pay attention to any unusual sounds or behaviors when you’re driving. Take the car into the shop to catch the problem early.

 

Fuel Injection Pump Replacement.

You can avoid this problem with a can of fuel injector cleaner. Regularly flush this cleaner through your fuel system to remove particles that can gum up the whole system.

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