Colorado Springs Auto Repair

Have you noticed an increase in price when you get a flat tire fixed in Colorado Springs, or have your tires rotated? It might be the result of your TPMS, or Tire Pressure Monitoring System.The federal government began requiring a TPMS system on 2008 model year passenger vehicles and light trucks. Some 2006 and 2007 models may have them as well. The system has a warning light that is mounted on the dashboard that will go on if one of the tires becomes severely underinflated.Why the new requirement? Because underinflated tires are the number one cause of tire failure. Tire blowouts cause crashes and sometimes fatal accidents. Underinflated tires also need longer stopping distance and can skid, both of which also present dangers on Colorado roads. Many flat tires can also be prevented by proper tire inflation, and though this may seem an economic consideration, Colorado Springs drivers who have changed a flat on the side of the road recognize that this has serious safet ... read more

If you're interested in customizing the wheels and tires on your vehicle, there are a few things you should know first.Most importantly, the wheels you buy need to fit your vehicle. Not all wheels are created equal. Too many Colorado Springs drivers have bought a set of wheels that caught their eye, then, after going to the work of mounting them, have found that the wheels don't fit right and the tires rub against the vehicle when they turn or go over a bump.To ensure a proper fit, you can consult with your Lighthouse Automotive tire professional. He/she can also help you find tires that are suited to your driving habits as well as your vehicle. You may find their auto advice invaluable, and you'll probably be happier with your new wheels once you purchase them.But if you just have to have that set of wheels, and you're willing to pay for them, you can modify your vehicle to fit the wheels. Again, yo ... read more

Sometimes busy Colorado Springs residents dream about going back to the “simpler” days of our grandparents. But if you could travel back in time and take a road trip around Colorado in a Model T, you might change your mind. The improved designs and quality of today's automobiles have significantly reduced the amount of time Colorado Springs residents spend at the side of the road during breakdowns. With proper maintenance, today's vehicles can stay on the road longer than ever before.Some of those improvements, however, have led to higher repair costs. For example, older cars often broke down from vapor lock. Gas vaporized while traveling from the gas tank to the fuel pump. No gas, no power. The car quits going. The solution was simple — you just sat by the road until the car would start up again. Today's Colorado Springs drivers would hardly tolerate that kind of inconvenience, and it's likely that yesterday's Colorado Springs drivers didn't care much for it, ei ... read more

Colorado Springs residents' vehicles have to operate in a wide range of Colorado temperatures which requires the engine coolant to be able to perform 'no matter what.' Think for a moment about the environment where the coolant does its thing. Very hot, high pressure, corrosive...And all the while, it has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. These components are made from steel and aluminum, plastics and rubber. The coolant has to be formulated to protect against corrosion for all of these different materials. That's why vehicle manufacturer’s recommend different types of anti-freeze for our Colorado Springs, Colorado, vehicles.There are several different 'families' of anti-freeze available to us here in Colorado Springs. Your owner's manual will tell you what kind you should use. Of course, the automotive professionals at Lighthouse Automotive will know the right kind for your vehicle.It's important to stay on top of this because coolant ... read more

Colorado service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Colorado Springs drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.Lighthouse Automotive fuel system cleaning: Over time, the vehicle fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.Lighthouse Automotive headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It's usually good to change them every year or so.Lighthouse Automotive inspections: Colorado Springs drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they're going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle's ready for a Colorado summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used vehicle and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things tha ... read more

Air quality has certainly become a hot issue in our modern world. We install air filters on our ventilation systems and in our vacuum cleaners. There's a filter that cleans the air going into our vehicle's engine — so why not one for the air in the passenger compartment?Foreign and domestic vehicle manufacturers haven't been ignoring the issue. Cabin air filters are becoming a standard feature on newer vehicles. These filters can clean particles out of the air down to three microns, which accounts for pollen, dust and most pollutants. Colorado Springs residents who suffer from allergies or have a respiratory disorder should be a lot more comfortable. And even if you don't have a medical need for the filter, the cleaner air in your car just might help you breathe better, figuratively as well as literally.Cabin air filters are still fairly new in the Colorado Springs area, so you'll have to check your vehicle owner's manual to see ... read more

If the fuel system in your vehicle is dirty, you will be hurting your engine and losing performance as you drive around Colorado Springs, Colorado.Unless they drive a vintage car, Colorado Springs auto owners have fuel injectors which need to be properly maintained. That is why your vehicle owner's manual has a schedule for cleaning your fuel injectors and other parts of your fuel system.Your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Lighthouse Automotive in Colorado Springs has the tools and chemicals to do the job right. Lighthouse Automotive uses a process that gives your car a deep, professional fuel system cleaning. The particles, gum and varnish that build up in your fuel system are removed so that it can run cleanly and efficiently.After a professional fuel system cleaning atLighthouse Automotive, you'll notice more power, improved and reduced exhaust emissions. We strongly recommend you follow your fuel system cleaning ... read more

A fuel injector is a valve that delivers fuel to a vehicle's engine. It has to deliver the precise amount of fuel to precisely the right place, precisely when the engine needs it. The fuel also has to be mixed with air before it can burn in the engine.Fuel injectors are engineered to spray fuel in a specific pattern into the engine. (The pattern varies by engine type and design.) In order to achieve these spray patterns, the fuel must be pressurized.The pressure in a fuel injection system varies depending on its type. Many gasoline engines use port injection systems, which operate with a pressure of 60 pounds per square inch. Newer direct injection systems operate at 10 to 30 times that pressure. Some diesel passenger vehicles have fuel injectors that operate at 30,000 pounds or more per square inch.Vehicles have one fuel injector for each cylinder in the engine. Your vehicle's control computer constantly monitors the engine and various sensors in the vehicle.  It ... read more

Colorado Springs residents know that engines need to burn fuel to operate. Fuel is pumped from your fuel tank to your vehicle engine where it is squirted—or injected—into your engine's cylinders. This is the function of the fuel injectors.There are two ways to inject fuel into an engine. Fuel needs air to burn, so in the first method, fuel is injected into a port and allowed to mix with air—before it is drawn into the cylinders. In the second method, fuel is injected directly into the cylinders and mixes with air after it enters the vehicle engine.Direct injection engines burn fuel more efficiently than conventional vehicle engines. Some models can deliver the power of a V8 with the economy of a V6.For example, in one family of engines, the conventional version (a V6) delivers about 250 horsepower. The direct injection version delivers over 300 horsepower and gets about the same gas mileage. The turbocharged version delivers 350 hors ... read more

Don't you hate it when you hear that squeal from under the hood when you're zipping down a busy Colorado Springs road? It usually means there is a problem with the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine accessories. It runs the alternator - which charges the battery; the water pump - which cools the engine; the air conditioning and the power steering pump. All are pretty important parts. It is called a serpentine belt because it snakes around a bunch of engine components. Serpentine belts are amazingly tough. They can last for years and go long distances. Like all moving parts, however, they eventually wear out. If your belt breaks while you are driving around Colorado Springs, everything will come to a halt within minutes. You need to stop the vehicle immediately or it will overheat, potentially causing engine damage. You can be sure that it won't happen at a convenient time or place. (As if there was a convenient time or place!) You might even ne ... read more