FREE Car Battery Check

Should I Upgrade My Car Battery

Posted by Mechanic on with 0 Comment

Car Battery Upgrades

When that car battery finally gives up the ghost and it’s time to replace it, drivers have options. First, let’s be clear that you should always get a replacement battery that meets or exceeds your vehicle’s specifications. But you may have some special needs. When they first put the battery into your vehicle at the factory, they had no idea where it would end up over its life or how YOU would use it where you drive in New Mexico. That battery was chosen to meet the needs of a wide range of motorists. Replacement time is a good opportunity to talk to your service advisor at Dearholt AutoCare about how you use your vehicle so you can get just the right battery.

An obvious criterion is where you live, whether in or somewhere else. Cold starts require a lot of power from your battery. The colder the climate, the more power needed. This comes from a combination of cold sluggish oil and the slower chemical reaction within the battery itself when it is cold. If this sounds like you, talk to your service advisor Dearholt AutoCare about a battery with more Cold Cranking Amps (CCA).

The next consideration for drivers is reserve capacity. This is the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has under a particular load. If your driving is mostly short stop-and-go trips around Albuquerque, your battery may not have time to fully recharge while driving. You may need to tap into those reserves to get started again. Also, modern vehicles have a lot of always-on systems that draw on the battery – things like the security system, remote sensors, and vehicle computers. These combine with the electronic entertainment system, sensors, heated seats and even chargers for phones, tablets and computers to put a fairly high load on the battery. Your service advisor Dearholt AutoCare can give you advice on the reserve capacity you might need.

Most standard batteries are “wet-cell,” meaning they are filled with liquid battery acid. New Absorbed Gas Mat (AGM) batteries are “non-spillable” which makes them safer.  They also have a longer life span and greater cycle life than wet-cell batteries. Off-roaders like these batteries because their performance is not affected by steep inclines and odd angles. They are also well suited for RV and boat owners.

Lastly, consideration for drivers is warranty.  Premium batteries come with a longer warranty. Warranties are typically either full-replacement (the battery is replaced if it fails within the warranty period) or pro-rated (a partial credit is given for the failed battery depending on how far into the warranty period you are when it fails).

When the battery is replaced,  your friendly and knowledgeable Dearholt AutoCare technician may need to recalibrate some accessories such as power windows and sunroofs. Also, some vehicles may need to have the battery registered into the engine computer.

Your Dearholt AutoCare service advisor can help you know how to decide which battery is right for you and your vehicle.

Serpentine Belt

Serpentine Belt

Posted by Mechanic on with 0 Comment

Accessory Belt

You know that long belt that snakes around the front of your engine?  It’s called the serpentine belt.  The belt’s 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 like a lot of important stuff doesn’t it? They should call it the Accessory Belt!

If your serpentine belt were to break, your battery would die in a few miles.  If it runs your fan or water pump, your engine could overheat.  And steering and braking could be more difficult.  Obviously, the best thing is to replace your serpentine belt before it breaks.

Check your owner’s manual for when it’s recommended to replace your serpentine belt – or just ask your service advisor.  He can inspect the belt as well to see if it’s in trouble.  You may have been told to look for cracks in your belt to see if it needs to be replaced.  Of course, cracks are still a concern, but modern belt material doesn’t crack as often as old belts did.  What we look for these days is the thickness of the belt.  We have a special little tool that measures the depth of the grooves in the belt to see if it needs replacing.

A worn belt can slip or be misaligned, putting undue stress on the accessories it runs.

Now you can imagine it’s important for the belt to be tight, so there’s a tensioner pulley on your engine that puts pressure on the belt to keep it at the right tension.  The spring on the tensioner wears out over time so we recommend replacing the tensioner pulley at the same time as the serpentine belt.

Replacing your serpentine belt on schedule, or when an inspection warrants it, will keep you from an unexpected breakdown.

Winners

Winner Of Our Grill Master Sweepstakes

Posted by Mechanic on with 0 Comment

WINNERS UPDATE:

Congratulations to Felipe Marquez, he was the winner of the Traeger Grill

Runners up who received a FREE Oil Change:
Steven Alton
Jenn Lucero
Andrew Serna

Winner of the Traeger Pellet Grill

Celebrating Father’s Day All Month – This Father’s Day, we are making Dad a Grill Master whether he has skills or not! Every time you complete a repair or service at Dearholt AutoCare, we will automatically enter you to win a Tailgating Grill from Traeger. These awesome little portable grills have wood pellet smoke function that will add authentic grill master flavor to everything you cook. The more services we provide, the more entries you will automatically receive.* You can also enter by liking our post on Facebook, or visiting the shop to fill out a form. Runners up will receive a no cost standard oil change. No purchase is necessary. See shop for details.

Father's Day Grill Master Sweepstakes

OFFICIAL RULES

Do I need a Wheel Alignment?

Posted by Mechanic on with 0 Comment

Why total alignment?

  1. Reduce Tire Wear – Improper alignment is a major cause of premature tire wear. Over the years, a properly aligned vehicle can add thousands of miles to tire life. Many tire are replaced prematurely du to adverse wear.
  2. Better Gas Mileage  – Gas mileage improves as rolling resistance is minimized. Total alignment sets all four tires parallel, which along with proper inflation, minimizes rolling resistance.
  3. Improved Handling  – Does your car pull to one side? Do you have to turn the steering wheel to keep your car traveling straight ahead? Many handling problems can be corrected with an alignment service.
  4. Safer driving – A suspension system inspection is part of the alignment procedure. This allows worn parts to be detected before they fail and cause costly problems.

Our shop uses four precision cameras to measure the position and orientation of targets mounted on each wheel of your car.

The aligner uses this information to calculate your car’s current alignment measurements and then compares these measurements to the manufacturer’s OEM alignment specifications. Schedule your alignment check today.

Now Hiring

Now Hiring

Posted by Mechanic on with 0 Comment
NOW HIRING
Automotive Technician
We are an expanding full service NAPA AutoCare Center in need of a full time Automotive Technician.
$3000 signing bonus after probation period!
● Must be available 5 days/40 hours week
● Paid time off.
● Must be able to diagnose and repair most brands of automobile and light trucks
● Clean well run shop.
● Immediate positions available
● Busy shop
Dearholt Auto Care LLC
6401 Signal NE
Albuquerque, NM 87113
Ph: (505) 857-0868
BUSINESS HOURS:
Mon-Fri: 7:30 A.M. – 5:30 P.M.
Sat-Sun: Closed
Automotive Maintenance

Fall Maintenance Essentials

Posted by Mechanic on with 0 Comment

Fall is here and there are some important maintenance tasks that you need to do on your vehicle. As the seasons change, weather can effect the performance of your vehicle. Some of the basics you should pay attention to include:

  1. Battery Check. Summer heat is usually the cause of battery damage, but you may not realize it until it is too late. Get your battery checked as part of the season change.
  2. Windshield Wipers. The dry summer may have zapped the life out of your wiper blades, get them checked and replaced before a surprise autumn storm makes you realize how bad they are.
  3. Tire Pressure Check. You tire pressure goes down because cold air is more condensed. For every 10 degree drop in temperature, your tires go down by one pound of pressure. (1 PSI)

Get these items checked and more during your next maintenance visit to Dearholt AutoCare. Call us today to schedule your next service.