Monroe Auto Repair

It used to be as common as falling leaves in autumn for people to work on their own cars.  And while this red-blooded American pastime has not completely disappeared from our world, the expense and complexity of newer cars make some repairs best left to the professionals. Here is a quick list of, "Don't try this at home"' auto repairs:1.  Check Engine Diagnostics - With everyone from big box parts stores to smartphone app developers making it possible to talk to the computer in your car, many drivers think they can deal with a check engine light themselves. Here's the problem: many check engine codes are vague and require more sophisticated equipment to really get to the bottom of the story.  And please don't just turn the light off thinking you will fix the problem. This is like trying to cure a heart attack by unplugging the EKG. Let the pros read the codes, apply their educated ability to decipher the codes and get the root cause of the problem cured.2.  Tir ... read more

The cornering and rolling forces on each of your tires are different.  If you have a front wheel drive car, the power and most of the force is transmitted to the front tires while the rear tires pretty much just follow along like fixed wagon wheels.  A rear-wheel drive car or truck sends power to the back while steering forces are handled by the front wheels.  All-wheel drive and 4wd have their unique power, steering and cornering characteristics as well.  The point is, your front left tire is going to wear differently than your right rear tire, or for that matter, any of the other tires vary at each corner of the vehicle because of the force and friction. The solution to this problem is tire rotation.  Tire rotation involves removing your wheels and tires from the car and putting them in a different position on the car.  Many times, your tire service center will take the time to re-balance the wheels and tires while they have them off the car anyway.&nb ... read more

Your tires are a pretty big investment. Even with the cheapest set of tires, you’re going to be spending upwards of $400 on the tires, mounting, balancing, disposal fees and taxes. Since you laid down that kind of money, doesn’t it just make sense to make sure you get the most miles possible out of them? Here’s some advice on long tire life:• Regularly check your tire pressure. This one is really, really important. Underinflated tires will wear  unevenly and reduce your fuel economy due to increased rolling resistance. That increased rolling resistance also means more heat, which will break down the tires’ internal structure and shorten their lives. All it takes to shorten a tire’s service life by 25 percent is for it to be underinflated by 5-6 lbs.  • Rotate your tires regularly. No vehicle has even weight distribution from front to rear. The engine puts more weight over the front wheels; in addition, the front tires will wear d ... read more