Blogs - Auto Repair, Automotive Service, Car Tips | Sergeant Clutch Certified Engine & Transmission Repair Shop

Don’t Get Schooled by Bad Brakes

It’s a busy time of year. Kids are back in school; chores need to get done around the house before the holidays sneak up on us. And traffic always seems to get worse! Not to mention the road hazards of wind, falling leaves, early darkness, and new potholes.

Now is the time to make certain that your vehicle’s brakes are in perfect working order. A brake inspection...

Whether you have a heater only, heater and A/C, or a fully automatic climate control system in your vehicle, they need periodic maintenance to perform correctly. Heaters are completely dependent on the operating condition of your engine’s cooling system, as they use the hot coolant as a heat source for your passenger cabin. Air Conditioning systems use an engine-driven belt to turn a...

Out of the blue, there’s suddenly green, red, or other color fluids under my car. WHAT’ S GOING ON!! No need to panic…yet.

Depending on the manufacturer, some coolants are red, some are green, and some are yellow.

Never mix colors, and always use the color your vehicle already has in the radiator. Also, many transmission fluids are red. If any of these are...

If you notice that your car, truck, or SUV is wandering, or pulling to one side of the road, that’s an indication of a safety issue with your steering. It may be caused by bad tires, a steering component failure, an alignment issue, or some other problem.

Once it starts, it’s likely to get worse, and could lead to a catastrophic failure and a collision. At the first sign of this, come...

The braking system on your vehicle is just as important as the drivetrain that moves it under power. While your engine and transmission provide the “GO”, it’s your brakes that slow you down when you’re ready to “WHOA”! On all vehicles, brakes take a beating every time they are applied.

They take the rotational energy of the turning wheel, and by hydraulic pressure...

At this time of year, there is less daylight each day. There is more rain in the forecast, and our trips for after-school and evening meetings are now ending at dusk or in the dark. This is the time to play it safe by changing all the wiper blades on your vehicle so you’re ready for any changes in the weather.

Also, it’s time to safety-check your exterior lights, to...

Your vehicle’s battery has a lot to do! It provides electrical power to start the engine. It sends power to operate all of the cabin accessories, such as the stereo, lighting, and the blower motor for the A/C and defroster. It powers the instrument panel so we can see what our vehicle is doing.

And as vehicles get more complex, even more systems are added, such as...

Keeping Your Cool in the Summer Heat We all love Summer activities, but the Summer heat can take a toll on your vehicle. Exposed to direct sunlight, the interior temperature of a vehicle can be as high as 30 to 50 degrees hotter than the outside ambient air! The law frowns on anyone who leaves a pet or child alone in a locked vehicle, in some cases allowing passers-by the ability to... Read more

Don’t Fear The Check Engine Light

Obey Your Check Engine Light Whenever your “Check Engine” or “Check” light comes on while you’re driving, you need to pay attention to it immediately. It doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something drastically wrong with your car, but that IS a possibility. One thing is for sure…nobody likes seeing this light on their dash. What Happened? The check engine light can come on for... Read more

A Good Tune Up Can Save You Thousands Of Dollars In The Long Run

Tune Up Your Vehicle For Maximum Performance Fifty years ago, vehicles needed a “tune-up” about every 25,000 to 40,000 miles. Electrical systems were very simple back then, but they had many parts that would wear out very quickly. It was not uncommon to have to replace the distributor cap and rotor, points and condenser, all spark plugs and in some cases all of the ignition wires.... Read more