Colorado Springs Auto Repair

The median age for cars in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area was over nine years. And two-thirds had over 75,000 miles. At Lighthouse Automotive we hear reports that those numbers continue to rise. If you have a high-mileage vehicle in the Colorado Springs area, bring it into Lighthouse Automotive for high-mileage maintenance.2499 East Platte AveColorado Springs, Colorado 80909719.634.0005 Many people in Colorado are keeping their vehicles longer. The economy has influenced that, but the fact that modern vehicles are more durable and reliable means that owning a high mileage vehicle doesn't have to be a painful experience.Local car owners in Colorado Springs with over 100,000 miles on their vehicles often ask which service intervals they should follow. Let's start with the special needs of the older vehicle...The reality is that time and mileage will take its toll. The engine and transmission will have more sludge. The fuel, steering and brake system ... read more

Weight is the enemy of fuel economy. Everyone from Colorado Springs knows this makes sense.Some of us in the Colorado Springs area carry a bunch of unnecessary weight, and I'm not talkin' what you see in the mirror.Guys: sports equipment and tools. Ladies: well, just take a look around the passenger compartment and trunk. I think my car has about 45 pounds of french fries on the floor.All that extra weight wastes gas as you drive between here and there, and everywhere else.Lose the junk and save some money....And you really only need one of those spare tires. Lighthouse Automotive 2499 East Platte Ave Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909 719

So you love your job, and your family life is great. Congratulations! You have achieved balance. But can you say the same for your wheels? Colorado Springs drivers can tell if their tires are out of balance by vibrations at higher speeds on Colorado roads. If one of the front tires is out, you feel the vibration in the steering wheel. If it's a back tire, you'll feel the vibration in your seat.Tires and wheels are pretty heavy. When a tire is mounted on a wheel at Lighthouse Automotive, it is usually not perfectly balanced. So the technician will spin the tire on a machine to determine where it's too heavy. He will then place weights on the wheels in strategic locations to balance it out. When a tire is out of balance, it actually bounces down the road instead of rolling smoothly. Since the average size tire rotates at about 850 revolutions per minute at 60 mph/97 kph, it is actually slamming into the pavement 14 times a second. That's where you get your vibration.Most people in Color ... read more

The function of the fuel filter is pretty self-explanatory. It filters your fuel. The fuel filter is in the fuel line somewhere in between the fuel tank and the engine. Both gas and diesel vehicles around Colorado Springs use fuel filters. For more information about your fuel filter, visit Lighthouse Automotive at 2499 East Platte Ave in Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909.Please call 719.634.0005 to make an appointment. Generally speaking there's not a lot of dirt in our Colorado Springs area auto fuel supply, but there is enough that you want to screen it out. The problem actually gets worse the older your vehicle becomes. That's because dirt, rust and other contaminants will settle out of the fuel and onto the bottom of the fuel tank. After your vehicle is five years or older, it can actually have a fair amount of sediment built up.That just means that the fuel filter has to work harder as your vehicle ages. It'll get clogged soon ... read more

There's a segment of the Colorado Springs area population that's not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Now, the ignition system in your vehicle is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers). So tune-ups used to force you in to Lighthouse Automotive for service, and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new vehicles in Colorado Springs have been leased. These folks plan on turning the vehicle in after two or three years, so they haven't focused on the maintenance that helps a vehicle last longer.Given all that, what's the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy.Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that majo ... read more

Pop quiz: What is a cabin air filter? A. A filter for your Colorado Springs house?B. A fresh, piney scent?C. A filter for the passenger compartment of your car? Clever you, it's C.A cabin air filter cleans the outside air before it comes into the passenger compartment of your vehicle. It filters out common Colorado air particles like dust, pollen, spores, bacteria, pollutants, exhaust gas, odors and even sparrows.These high tech filters can block particles larger than 3 microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns.Not all Colorado Springs vehicles have cabin air filters. They are fairly new on the scene in Colorado. Last check, about 40 percent of new vehicles sold in Colorado Springs come with cabin air filters, but the number is growing every year. Cabin air filters make driving a lot more pleasant for people in Colorado Springs. Your vehicle can be a haven during our Colorado allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. Of course ... read more

There are so many tire choices in the Colorado Springs area that selecting the right one can be a bit overwhelming for drivers. And even though it's kind of fun to have new tires on your vehicle, they're a significant investment for most Colorado Springs area folks so you want do it right.Tip: talk with your friendly and knowledgeable Lighthouse Automotive tire professional. He'll help you sort through the choices.Here are some of the issues you'll talk about: One is size – you know, all those numbers on the side of the tire. The right size is . All new vehicles are required to have stability control which, along with other important safety systems, is calibrated to work with specific tire sizes. Your Colorado Springs tire professional can help stay within manufacturer's specifications or program a different tire size into your vehicle's computer.And you'll want to discuss how and where you drive to determine the type of tire you need: summer, wi ... read more

Tires do a lot of work for Colorado Springs drivers. They transfer engine power and braking forces to the road; they handle steering control; and they cushion all those bumps and jolts while driving around Colorado Springs. They also support the entire weight of the vehicle, including you and your passengers. With such important work to do, you want your tires to do their job well. And since replacing tires is fairly pricey, you want them to last as long as possible. There are three keys to long, even tire wear for Colorado Springs driving: Proper tire inflation Proper wheel alignment Regular tire rotation and balancing The front tires on a car take the brunt of the steering forces. As they push through turns, the shoulders of the front tires wear down more quickly than the rear tires. Rotating front and rear tires allows them to all wear at about the same rate. That's especially true of front-wheel-drive vehicles whose front tires steer and put the pow ... read more

Let's talk about air quality in Colorado Springs. It's a global issue, but affects us wherever we are. Many decades ago, Colorado Springs drivers began to become aware of how air pollution negatively affects health. But what about the air inside your vehicle?Now, it's only been in the last few years that cabin air filters have become common in Colorado Springs. You can look in your owner's manual to see if you have one. If you do, there'll be a recommendation for replacing it when it gets dirty. If you live in an area of Colorado where there's a lot of dust, pollen or pollution, you may need to change it more often.You can also ask your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Lighthouse Automotive in Colorado Springs. How hard is it to change an air filter on a car? It depends on your vehicle. Some are quite accessible; others take some doing to get to them. They're usually in the engine compartment or under the dashboard.Because cabin air filters are so new on t ... read more

Here's a travel tip that'll I'll bet you didn't know, and it might keep you safer...The average American commuter in Colorado spends two and a half hours daily in their vehicle.The government says 100,000 auto accidents yearly are caused by drivers who fall asleep at the wheel. (Aggressive driving is the number one traffic safety concern.)So what does this have to do with how your vehicle smells while you're driving around Colorado Springs?Well, which scent did you think makes drivers more alert? Is it: A. Strawberry B. New Car C. Pine D. Warm Vanilla Breeze It's C. Drivers are more alert and have less fatigue with pine scent in the vehicle, according to AroMetrics.And, drivers were less angry with overall improved driving performance with strawberry and pine scents.And you thought they just smelled nice. Lighthouse Automotive2499 East Platte AveColorado Springs, Colorado 8090971