Colorado Springs Auto Repair

  There was a man in the Colorado Springs area who learned that most car accidents occur within a mile of home – so he moved. (Just kidding!)When we think of defensive driving, we often focus on our local Colorado highway situations. The fact of the matter is we need to be just as careful close to home in Colorado Springs, because that's where we do most of our driving. We can't let our familiar surroundings keep us from driving defensively.Defensive driving begins with the proper attitude. Have in mind that you won't let anyone take your safety away from you. You'll be aware of your surroundings, road conditions, other vehicles and hazards. And the first person to be concerned with is you: start with your own environment.Don't leave without securing all occupants including children and pets. Watch for loose items that can become projectiles during evasive maneuvers.Driving too fast or too slow increases the chance of an accident.Never drive impaired: A ... read more

Virtually all vehicles come with power steering, so many Colorado Springs drivers have never driven a car or truck without it. Power steering assists you when you turn your vehicle steering wheel. Without it, it would be very hard to steer. Now this power assist comes in a couple of forms. In recent years, a lot of vehicles have an electric motor that reduces steering effort and helps improve performance and handling. The other kind of power steering is hydraulic. This is the kind most older Colorado vehicles — and a lot of newer ones — have. Power steering fluid is pressurized by a pump and is used to assist steering. Of course, vehicles need the right amount of fluid in the system. If it's too low, your steering is affected and you could damage your vehicle pump. Also, power steering fluid can become corrosive over time and damage the pump, hoses and connectors, leading to leaks and repairs. P ... read more

Today we're going to talk about power steering service in Colorado Springs. If you took an informal poll around Colorado Springs you'd probably find that most vehicle owners have never heard of power steering service. That's not surprising. Even though power steering is standard on every vehicle, most people in Colorado Springs aren't aware that it needs periodic service.If you're younger than a certain age, you've probably never driven a vehicle without power steering. To get an idea of the difference; if you've ever cut a board with a hand saw, you know it's a lot of work. Using a power saw is easy-peasy by comparison.Without power steering, your arms have to do all the work to steer the wheels, and that's hard, especially around downtown Colorado Springs. That's why old cars had such big steering wheels: to get enough leverage to steer.Most vehicles in Colorado Springs have a hydraulic power steering system. The serpentine belt from the engine powers a pump. The pump pressurize ... read more

Power steering is standard on nearly every vehicle in Colorado Springs, Colorado, these days. Now there are some exotic, new types of power steering systems, but for the most part, the general setup is a pump that's driven by a belt powered by the engine. Contact the automotive professionals at Lighthouse Automotive in Colorado Springs for questions about your power steering. The pump generates power that assists drivers as they steer their vehicle around Colorado Springs, Colorado. Power steering systems use hoses to move pressurized fluid back and forth. These hoses can develop leaks so it's a good idea to have Lighthouse Automotive inspect them at every oil change. A check of the power steering fluid level is on the list for every full service oil change at Lighthouse Automotive because low fluid can damage the power steering pump. And the fluid needs to be compatible with the hoses and seals, so it's important to use the correct ty ... read more