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Monthly Archives: March 2012

When Are Your Tires Worn Out?

  Hey Colorado Springs area drivers, are your tires worn out? What is the standard for our Colorado streets? How can you tell on your vehicle?While there may be legal requirements for the Colorado Springs area, there are safety concerns that go beyond meeting minimum replacement mandates.Two-thirty-seconds of an inch is the depth of the tire tread wear indicator bars that US law has required to be molded across all tires since August 1, 1968. When tires are worn so that this bar is visible, there's just 2/32 of an inch – 1.6 millimeters – of tread left. It's that level of wear that's been called into question recently.We're referring to the tread depth on a tire, it can't move surface water out of the way and you start to hydroplane.In a safety study, a section of a test track was flooded with a thin layer of water. If you laid a dime on the track, the water would be deep enough to surround the coin, but not enough to cover it.A car and a full-sized pick-up a ... read more

Categories:

Tires and Wheels

Clean Air for Your Engine: Engine Air Filters In Colorado Springs

Every Colorado Springs car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when the filter should be replaced. Now, most air filters purchased in Colorado Springs don't cost a lot to replace. It's just that Colorado people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at Lighthouse Automotive can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in Colorado Springs. Think about a dirty furnace filter in your Colorado Springs home. When it's all clogged up, enough clean air can't get through. In your vehicle, that means that your engine can't get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around Colorado Springs roads. You ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance

Is Your Colorado Springs Driving Severe?

People near Colorado Springs, Colorado, often ask Lighthouse Automotive how often they should have a particular service done. It's a great thing to ask. You can look at your owner's manual or have your Colorado Springs, Colorado, service advisor at Lighthouse Automotive look up your vehicle in a service database. What you find is often a surprise to people – there are actually two service schedules.One is the regular schedule and the other is the severe service schedule. Service intervals are shorter on the severe service schedule. When asked, most folks in Colorado Springs will say that their driving is normal and that the 'regular' schedule probably applies to them. 'Severe service' sounds pretty extreme – 'I don't drive like that.'Well, here is what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions; you can draw your own conclusions. Most of your trips are less than four miles (six and a half kilometers). Most of your trips are less than ten m ... read more

The Maintenance Free Myth

Sometimes we hear people in Colorado Springs say, "What's up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don't break down." While it is true that today's vehicles are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials than ever before. All that complexity demands higher tolerances for everything. For example, most Colorado Springs drivers don't realize how high tech automotive fluids have become,  fluids such as engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid.Did you know that a modern engine would not run for more than a few months using motor oil formulas from 30 years ago? Today's automotive fluids contain a much higher percentage of additives to protect your vehicle's components from premature wear and corrosion. Time and distances march on for all of our cars. Please don't think we're using scare tactics to get you to take care of your maintenance - but here are some personal stories ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance
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