Art Ford's Service Station, LLC

Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC: Use The Correct Fluids In Your Vehicle

artfor936 — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:23:27 +0000

Big advances in automotive technology have led to the development of high-tech fluids to keep pace. A simple example of this is the cooling system. For decades it was primarily made out of iron, steel and rubber hoses. There was one kind of coolant that protected these components from corrosion.

Now cooling system components are made with various metal alloys and plastics. These materials require different additives to protect them from corrosion. Since the materials used vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, we now have a number of different kinds of coolant at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC in Islip. And it’s important to use the right coolant for your family car. If you pour in the wrong kind, it won’t protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Of course, your caring Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC advisor will know the proper coolant to use. If you’re concerned you may have use the wrong fluid, be safe and have your Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC technician flush the system and start fresh with the correct fluid.

Brake fluid is confusing for some people in NY. For a very long time, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Islip people mistakenly think the higher numbers are an upgrade. You know, if 3 is good then 4 must be better. That’s not how it works. They are different formulations to meet the requirements of differences in brake systems. Only one of them is recommended for your family car.

Transmission fluid is the same thing. With the tremendous engineering advances in automatic transmissions, there have been several new types of fluids developed to protect and lubricate them. Nowhere are the advances in automotive fluids more evident than in motor oil. Many new weights and formulations have been created to meet the demands of today’s modern engine design.

Modern family car engines have more parts and much tighter tolerances. Every year, engines make more power and get better fuel economy in Islip. And with all the complication and sophistication, they still have to be durable. That’s where the new grades of engine oil come in. They have to be formulated to lubricate, protect and clean all of those family car engine parts, big and little. The oil has to be thin enough to get into small passages, yet resistant to vaporization.

Your vehicle may have come from the factory with synthetic oil and/or transmission, brake, differential fluid, etc. If so, your recommended service intervals will be based on synthetic-type fluids and you should use the same type when your family car is serviced at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC.

Because grades of oil and types of coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, etc. are so carefully matched to the vehicle, take care to always use the proper fluid if you are topping off at home. Check your family car owner’s manual or ask your Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC service advisor. The wrong fluid can cause damage.

Give Andrew Ford a call at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC in Islip

Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC
631.581.9682
200 Main St
Islip, NY 11751

At Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC in Islip NY (11751) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 631.581.9682. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

PCV Valve Replacement At Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC

artfor936 — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:44:05 +0000

Today’s North Babylon car care article focuses on PCV valve replacement. The PCV valve is a little, inexpensive part that does a big job for your family car. PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation.

The crankcase is the bottom area of the engine that holds the oil. When the family car engine’s running, fuel is burned to generate power. Most of the exhaust from combustion goes out through the exhaust system. But some exhaust blows by the pistons and goes into the lower engine, or crankcase.

These hot gases are about seventy percent unburned fuel. This can dilute and contaminate the oil, leading to damaging engine oil sludge. It can also cause engine corrosion in your family car. At high speeds, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak.

North Babylon car owners need to know that over time, the vented gases will gum up the PCV valve and it won’t work well. That can lead to all of the problems I’ve already described, oil leaks, excessive oil consumption and wasted gas.

Fortunately, it’s very easy to test the PCV valve and quick and inexpensive to replace it at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC. Even so, it’s often overlooked because many North Babylon drivers don’t know about it.

Check your family car owner’s manual or ask your Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC advisor. If this is the first time you’ve heard of a PCV valve, you might be in line for a PCV valve replacement.

Please ask us about your PCV valve. For the price of a couple of burger combo meals, you can avoid some very expensive deep engine repairs.

ICE

artfor936 — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:10:33 +0000

Sometimes the unthinkable happens here in Babylon… A terrible accident and those involved aren’t able to provide our local Babylon rescuers with emergency contact information. There are people who must be contacted to arrange help, give consent to treatment, inform paramedics of medical conditions, allergies or medications.

Too often, Babylon police and rescue workers must sift through pockets, glove compartments, wallets, purses and cell phone directories for clues – often wasting precious time.

A brilliantly simple solution is now spreading around the globe: ICE. ICE – standing for ‘In Case of Emergency’, is a way of identifying emergency contacts in your cell phone directory.

Simply put ‘ICE’ before a contact name, like ‘ICE – Dad’, ‘ICE – Nancy’, or ‘ICE – Doctor Roberts’. Rescuers will be able to quickly identify your emergency contacts, saving valuable time.

It’s easy and just takes a few minutes to designate some ICE contacts in your cell phone. Remember to keep the listings current.

From your friends at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC in Islip NY, we’d like you to be as safe as possible while out on the road. Give us a call any time for great automotive advice.

Tracking True In NY; Wheel Alignment In West Babylon

artfor936 — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:12:29 +0000

Wheel alignment is often overlooked by busy West Babylon car owners until serious tire damage has been done. One wheel can be knocked out of alignment from the rest by hitting a curb or pothole on West Babylon roads.

The tires will wear out very quickly and will need to be replaced prematurely. It could also lead to suspension damage. Conversely, worn suspension or steering components can lead to alignment problems for West Babylon motorists.

But the big issue for West Babylon motorists is safety. When your family car wheels are out of alignment, the vehicle will pull to one side, which could lead to an accident. When you’re out of alignment, you should have it taken care of right away at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC.

Signs of alignment problems are: Your car pulls to one side. Also, your steering wheel may not be centered when you’re going straight. If you see the edges of one or more tires rapidly wearing down, you should have your technician at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC look it over.

If you’ve been in an accident in West Babylon that involved a wheel, you should get your alignment checked. A big jolt can seriously knock things out of alignment, but West Babylon drivers also need to understand that a series of smaller ones can add up. Worn steering or suspension components can also lead to alignment problems for West Babylon drivers. That’s why your family car manufacturer recommends periodic alignment checks.

If your family car owner’s manual doesn’t specify, once a year might be appropriate. Or check with Andrew Ford or your service advisor at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC in Islip. He’ll also be able to tell you if your vehicle requires a four wheel alignment or if just the front wheels can be aligned.

One thing’s for sure: the cost of the alignment at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC is cheaper than having to buy a couple of new tires because of neglect.

Viva la Differential At Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC

artfor936 — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:41:11 +0000

With front-wheel drive being so common in Islip these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Islip folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive family car differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for NY people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many family car differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Islip four wheel drive family cars need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC at different intervals.

Your Islip service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your family car owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC
631.581.9682
200 Main St
Islip, NY 11751

On-Board Diagnostics in Islip NY

artfor936 — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:48:34 +0000

Some people in Islip NY are confused by charges for diagnostic services for a vehicle repair, even though many other services in life include diagnostic fees – things like computer service and appliance repair in Islip.

Even when we go into the doctor for a medical problem, we’re paying her to diagnose our ailment and of course for the tests that go along with it. So receiving a diagnostic charge for a tricky automotive problem shouldn’t be a surprise.

Automotive diagnostics can cover quite a range. If you hear a noise in your brakes, a quick visual check is usually enough to know what needs to be done. If you’re having an intermittent problem with your engine, diagnosis may be much more involved.

Some think that when the check engine light comes on, the engine computer tells the technician exactly what the problem is. The reality is much different. The trouble code just tells your Islip technician what engine parameter is out of range, not what’s causing it. Your Islip technician at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC needs to determine the underlying problem that’s causing the symptom.

As you can imagine, some automotive diagnoses are quick and easy. Others are more involved and difficult. Of course, we at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC want to figure out what’s wrong with your vehicle and get you back on the road as quickly as possible.

Fuel Injector Cleaning In West Babylon

artfor936 — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:40:26 +0000

In very simple terms, a fuel injector is a valve that squirts fuel into your family car engine. Your engine control computer tells the fuel injector how much fuel to deliver as well as the precise time it should be delivered. Of course this happens thousands of times a minute.

High temperatures under your hood and variations in West Babylon gas quality cause fuel injectors to be fouled with wax, dirt, water, additives and carbon. Injectors can become partially clogged, preventing them from delivering the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure.

When your family car’s injectors are dirty, the fuel doesn’t burn as efficiently resulting in poor fuel economy and loss of power. So it’s important to keep your fuel injectors clean.

We can perform a full fuel system service for you at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC in which the fuel injectors are cleaned so that they operate properly and deliver the right amount of fuel at the right time.

NY drivers should remember that proper maintenance of their fuel system means that they will spend less on gas in West Babylon, enjoy strong performance and prevent costly repairs down the road.

Clean Air For Your Engine Engine Air Filters In Islip

artfor936 — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:55:40 +0000

Every Islip car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter’s dirty. Here’s what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your family car owner’s manual will have a recommendation of when to change the filter. Second, a visual inspection by your Babylon technician may determine that your filter it is visibly dirty and needs to be changed.

So between your family car owner’s manual and your Babylon technician’s inspection there’s really no guesswork involved.

Now, most air filters purchased in Islip don’t cost a lot to replace. It’s just that NY people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change.

Think about a dirty furnace filter in your West Babylon home. When it’s all clogged up, enough clean air can’t get through. In your family car, that means that your engine can’t get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around Islip roads.

Your family car actually needs about 12,000 gallons of air for every gallon of gas it burns. Engine air filters don’t cost much in Islip at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC. When it’s time to change yours, just get it done. You’ll save money, have better performance and protect your engine.

Visual Blind Spots When Driving Around Islip NY

artfor936 — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:43:39 +0000

When we drive on our Islip NY streets, we encounter blind spots. We can greatly reduce our blind spots by properly adjusting our mirrors to give the widest coverage possible. Make the adjustments to your family car before you start to drive.

First, adjust your rear view mirror to give the best possible view directly to the rear of your family car or other vehicle type. You don’t need it to get a better view of either side of the car, the kids in the back seat or your dazzling smile. The rear view mirror should look to the rear.

Next, lean your head until it almost touches the driver’s side window. Adjust your side mirror so that you can just barely see the side of your car.

Now, lean your head to the middle of the car and adjust the outside mirror so that you can barely see the right side of the car.

With your family car mirrors adjusted this way, you’ll have maximum coverage. Of course driving in Islip is a dynamic process – things change every second. So it’s wise to take a quick look to the side when passing to make sure that another vehicle hasn’t moved into an area you couldn’t see in your mirrors.

As you drive in the Babylon area, avoid staying in other diver’s blind spots. You can’t count on them to be watching their mirrors and looking out for you. Pass large trucks and buses on the left whenever possible. A trucks’ blind spot is much larger on the right.

Be attentive and wear your seat belts, and thank you for reading!

Tire Replacement For Bayport Drivers

artfor936 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:24:29 +0000

New tire choices can be overwhelming for Bayport car owners.

Suppose you have an SUV and are trying to decide between all season tires or some that are also rated for off-highway. How much do you drive off-road in Bayport? How important are looks?

Let’s suppose you have a sporty car. You may like to run a high-performance summer tire when the weather’s good in Bayport. When the weather turns cold, you can put on high-performance winter tires. For the kind of driving you like to do in and around Bayport, you want full on performance tires.

If all-out performance isn’t a big issue, all-season tires are a good compromise that works well for most Bayport people.

When it’s time for new tires for your family car, visit with a tire professional at Art Ford’s Service Station, LLC. Describe your needs and wants. He’ll come up with some selections for you to discuss. And once you settle on a type of tire, there are options for special needs: like pulling a trailer or carrying heavy loads on Bayport roads.

Tires are a big purchase for Bayport drivers. With so many choices, you’ll be able to get what’s best for you.