AUTONET TV

Battery Replacement at Kingwood Service Center in Kingwood

Hello, welcome to Kingwood Service Center. Today's focus is batteries. It seems like everything in Kingwood runs on batteries. Of course, the batteries we're most concerned with here at Kingwood Service Center are those in our customer's vehicles. Just like the batteries in our smoke detectors or TV remote, they wear out and need to be replaced . This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold vehicle engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live in TX, specifically how cold it is. (Many Kingwood drivers have first-hand experience trying to start their car on a cold winter morning.) The two factors are that the colder your vehicle's engine is, the more power it takes to turn the engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with.

The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient when the temperature dips. Let's say it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees C) in Kingwood. At that temperature, 100% of the battery's power is available. At freezing, only 65% of battery power is available, but it requires 155% as much power to start the engine as it did at 80 degrees F (27 degrees C).

As you can see, the colder it gets, more power is needed, but the available power drops.

So if you live where it's cold in TX, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it's moderate or hot. The battery that originally came with your vehicle was based on averages. At Kingwood Service Center, we like to remind Kingwood drivers that they should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as their vehicle manufacturer recommends but may want to upgrade if they live where it gets real cold.

Kingwood Service Center
3318 Northpark Dr
Kingwood, TX 77339
(281) 360-7323
www.kingwoodservicecenter.net

BRANDY TAKES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VISIBILITY (Cleaning Vehicle Glass)

Hi all, Brandy here and you know there is nothing worse than not getting a clear picture.  You know what I mean.  We've all been through it. The vehicle ahead of us kicks up mud, slush, snow, or salt on our windshield, and we can't see a thing.  And not being able to see a thing when we're driving?  Not a good thing.  So today, I will bark about how to get a nice, clear picture of what is ahead of you.  Let's get barkin'!!

We've all been through it. The vehicle ahead of us kicks up mud, slush, snow or salt on our windshield and we can't see a thing.  And not being able to see a thing when we're driving?  Not a good thing.

Debris on a vehicle's glass can be blinding when driving directly into the sun.  And other things can ruin visibility: scratches on the glass, fogged windows, mineral deposits. 

So let's make one thing clear:  Your windows.  Here are some tips.

• Number one rule: don't use abrasives on glass. That means no gritty cleaners designed for metal.  Avoid at all costs those dark green abrasive pads on some kitchen sponges designed to clean metal pots and pans, UNLESS the manufacturer specifically says they can be used on glass.
• Use the appropriate cleaner for the substance being cleaned. Special automotive glass cleaners are available, and your Kingwood Service Center service advisor can make recommendations.
• Vinegar can work wonders. Sometimes you'll see hard, grayish water spots on your windows that nothing seems to take off. Distilled white vinegar (available in the grocery store) gets rid of them safely, quickly and easily.
• Use a microfiber cloth designed for cleaning glass; that's what professional detailers choose.
• Clean the insides of windows, too. The film that forms on the inside of vehicle windows can result from plastic interior surfaces decaying in the heat of sunlight (plastic contains oil). The film can also be caused by cigarette smoke. Clean that oily layer off thoroughly.

Now that you have clean windows, here's how to keep 'em clean.

• Replace your wipers at least once a year. Rubber deteriorates with age, even if you rarely use your wipers.
• You might consider a newer type called a "beam" blade. Most have an aerodynamic design that cleans your windshield better, especially at higher speeds.

Your service advisor at Kingwood Service Center can recommend quality wiper blades for your vehicle and install them properly.

Visibility.  See what we mean?  And if that doesn't work, get some glasses.....lol  

Brandy

Kingwood Service Center
3318 Northpark Dr
Kingwood, TX 77339
(281) 360-7323
www.kingwoodservicecenter.net

Clean Fuel – Clean Performance for Kingwood Drivers

Fuel filters clean the dirt, dust and debris out of your fuel. Both gasoline and diesel-powered engines have them. The fuel filter is located in the fuel line between the fuel tank and the vehicle engine.

Kingwood auto owners don't need to filter their fuel because it has lots of grit in it; they need to filter it because it has some grit it in. Any dirt is bad for your engine. The cleaner the fuel, the better your vehicle engine will run.

Over time, the small amounts of rust, dirt and contaminants in your fuel settle out inside the fuel tank. After about five years, this can amount to a quite a bit of sediment. This means that as your vehicle ages, your fuel filter has to work harder to screen your fuel: more sediment in your tank means more potential for grit in your fuel.

The harder your fuel filter works, the more often it needs to be replaced. Check with your owner's manual to find out how often it should be serviced and how long you can expect it to last. Kingwood drivers should change it before it becomes clogged. Your friendly and knowledgeable Kingwood Service Center service advisor can help you with recommended fuel filter replacement schedules.

Good vehicle care means following recommended schedules for preventive maintenance, including changing your fuel filters. Take the auto advice offered in every owner's manual and have your vehicle regularly inspected at Kingwood Service Center. It may save Kingwood auto owners money by preventing costly repairs, but it will also repay them in improved safety and peace of mind.

Kingwood Service Center
3318 Northpark Dr
Kingwood, TX 77339
(281) 360-7323
www.kingwoodservicecenter.net

Why Is My Check Engine Light On?

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some Kingwood drivers, and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most people.

Let's get the urgency issues out of the way first. If your Check Engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause engine damage. Naturally, you need to get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn't drive at high speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to your Kingwood service center.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn't go off, schedule an appointment with your friendly and knowledgeable pros at Kingwood Service Center to get it checked out.

Some more information on how the Check Engine light works may be helpful for Kingwood drivers. Most of your engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive.

In order to make these adjustments, the computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range, the computer runs some tests and may turn on the vehicle's Check Engine light.

A simple example is a loose or missing gas cap. This may cause one of the sensors to read out of range. The computer doesn't know if it's a serious condition that caused the reading or just a loose gas cap, so it stores a trouble code and turns on the Check Engine light.

Now when you tighten up the gas cap, the sensor readings will be in the correct range. The computer will keep checking on the report for a day or two. Since a bad reading didn't come up again, it turns off the Check Engine light. The computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it'll then turn off the Check Engine light.

If the problem can't be resolved then the light will remain on, and you should get your vehicle looked at. Your friendly and knowledgeable pros at Kingwood Service Center will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give the technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

Kingwood Service Center
3318 Northpark Dr
Kingwood, TX 77339
(281) 360-7323
www.kingwoodservicecenter.net

Serpentine Belt Service at Kingwood Service Center in Kingwood

If you've ever heard a squealing sound under your vehicle hood, chances are it was your serpentine belt. More importantly, the belt powers the alternator. The alternator creates electricity that's used by your vehicle's electrical systems and also charges the battery. Without the alternator, the battery will go dead after a short distance.

The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering (some are electric) and power brakes (some use vacuum boost).

And, on most vehicles, the serpentine belt powers the water pump. The water pump circulates coolant through the engine to keep it within optimal operating temperatures. On some Kingwood vehicles, the water pump is powered by the timing belt instead of the serpentine belt.

When they understand what it does, Kingwood drivers realize that if it breaks, it affects a lot of systems. That's why vehicle manufacturers outline recommended replacement guidelines in the owner’s manuals. If this important maintenance component is not included in your owner’s manual, come see us at Kingwood Service Center.

At Kingwood Service Center in Kingwood, your professional technician can perform a visual inspection of the belt to see if it has any cracks that signal the belt could fail soon. If the belt has more than three or four cracks every inch or couple of centimeters, has deep cracks that penetrate half the depth of the belt, is frayed, is missing pieces or has a shiny, glazed look, it needs to be replaced regardless of age or mileage.

If it has lost a significant amount of thickness, it also needs to be replaced. Talk to your service advisor at Kingwood Service Center. There's a special spring-loaded pulley attached to the engine called the tensioner pulley. Its job is to make sure there's a constant tension on the serpentine belt so that it doesn't slip. The spring can become worn and no longer provide the necessary pressure to keep the belt tight. At Kingwood Service Center, we recommend that the tensioner be replaced at the same time as the serpentine belt.

As mentioned, a squealing sound could alert you that the serpentine belt needs to be replaced. It may be loose if you hear a slow, slapping sound when idling your vehicle.

All in all, the serpentine belt is very important to the operation of your vehicle. And it's not that expensive to replace at Kingwood Service Center – so it's good to do so before it fails.

Kingwood Service Center
3318 Northpark Dr
Kingwood, TX 77339
(281) 360-7323
www.kingwoodservicecenter.net