Fort Madison Auto Repair

The fundamentality of a car to a family is most times belittled if not disregarded. However, your vehicle is one of the essential things that ensure the functionality and safety of your family. From playdates, taking your kids to school, and going to work, it takes care of your family more than most other aspects. Therefore, it is essential to ensure its operation is top-notch through regular maintenance and checkups. Below are some of the regular maintenance your car needs apart from an oil change. Checking and Topping Off Fluids An oil change is one of the most known fluid changes that most people relate to regular maintenance. However, apart from oil, your car has several other fluids that need regular checking from time to time. For example, the coolant fluid helps your vehicle cool down even on long trips. Therefore, it is vital to check on it monthly to ensure it is of the required quality and quantity. On the other hand, the transmission fluid lubricates your car's transm ... read more

You know how annoying it is when driving on hot days and your car A/C blows warm air. You can't get cool. You are sweating. Least, not about anything but a spoilt summer fun.  A car A/C is one of the essential components in your vehicle. If it feels warm, there might be several different reasons. Here are some of the common ones  Leaked refrigerant A car A/C blowing can feel warm as a result of leaked refrigerant. Refrigerant is a liquid that circulates in your car's A/c system, contracting and expanding to eliminate humidity and heat from the cabin. If the refrigerant isn't pressurized well, it can turn into gas. So, you can imagine how easily it can disappear from the vehicle. Several reasons can cause refrigerant leaks, including worn valves, punctured evaporators, or loose joints. If you identify a refrigerant leak, contact an expert technician as soon as possible. Faulty or broken condenser The work of the condenser is ... read more

Whether you're on the highway, in a car lot, or in your garage, you've probably noticed that damaged tires are quite common. While some types of damage are more frequent than others, it's important to be able to identify all the different types of tire damage so that you can make sure your tires are safe to drive on. Learn more about the various types of tire damage below! Flats Riding on a flat tire may seem like it's no big deal, but it can cause a lot of damage over time. It can destroy your rim, leading to an expensive replacement and repair. If you do have a flat, your best bet is to replace that tire with a new one as soon as possible. It doesn't matter if it's been driven on or not; tires go bad when they're driven long enough. Bursts A burst is a hole in a tire, usually caused by driving over a piece of sharp metal, a nail, or some other object. Bursts are particularly damaging, and they can cause you to lose all or most of your air within second ... read more

The battery in your vehicle is especially vulnerable to damage from the high temperatures of summer. When the temperature rises, your car's engine and battery are put under a lot of stress. As a result, if your car's battery isn't in peak condition, you may have to deal with a breakdown. Keep an eye on your vehicle's battery in hot weather since temperatures are steadily increasing each year. Use a premium battery Battery issues may cause significant downtime for you. High-quality batteries are essential for keeping a vehicle functioning to full capacity. When extreme temperatures and extra loads can't be avoided, new battery technology for high-quality batteries are recommended as it work best with less maintenance than older batteries. Park under the Shade Longer battery life may be achieved by parking in garages, which are often shaded or covered. If you're going to store the battery, make sure you follow the battery's manufacturer's storage tempe ... read more

If you're in the market to buy a pre-owned car, SUV, or truck, a pre-purchase inspection is highly recommended. This type of inspection helps you unveil the true condition of the vehicle and whether or not it is a good investment for you. Oftentimes, the party selling the vehicle is someone you don't know. A pre-purchase inspection can help confirm their claims and inform you of any underlying conditions of the car that may require repairs in the near future. At Griffin Muffler & Brake Center LLC, we are a trusted and honest source for pre-purchase vehicle inspections in Fort Madison, IA. We provide accurate and thorough evaluations to help you make an educated decision. A pre-purchase inspection at Griffin Muffler & Brake Center will... Help you better understand the conditions of the car's various systems and components Reveal any underlying or hidden problems Identify any error codes present Help detect any faulty parts Provide you with an estimate of serv ... read more

Getting the best possible fuel mileage is essential for your wallet and the environment in this day and age. There are several things that can go wrong with your vehicle that can cause the MPG to plummet. Below is a list of potential problems that can hurt your mileage: Exposed Gas Cap - While it may sound silly, ensuring your gas cap is secure and free of any damage is essential in ensuring the gas doesn't leak. Make sure you tightly close the lid every time you fill-up. Under-inflated tires - Driving with too little air in your tires is not only dangerous but also requires power output from your engine. To avoid spending more money on gas, please make sure you monitor your air pressure and adjust to its recommended psi accordingly. Old spark plugs - These little things should always be changed as per recommendation by your automaker. Worn and deteriorated spark plugs will cause misfires, leading to an increase in gas consumption. Dirty engine air filter - The engine air filte ... read more

Your car's brakes are one of the most important safety components, which is why you should have them serviced as soon as you notice unusual signs. Typically, brake pads can last anywhere between 20K - 50K miles, depending on the road conditions, how often you use them, and how easy or rough you are on them. A considerable factor is the last one: driving habits. There are specific precautionary steps you can take to preserve the life of your brakes. Here are some important braking tips to keep in mind when driving: Avoid Hard Acceleration & Braking Speeding never leads to good things, including premature wear on your brakes. Brake pads wear down a lot faster when there is more power to dissipate. If you decelerate smoothly, your brake pads will last longer. Remove Excess Weight Off Your Vehicle Hauling heavy items in your car, SUV, or truck all time can not only put extra strain on your engine, but they can strain your brakes as well. Try to keep your vehicle load at a minim ... read more

We expect the driving conditions to worsen as the season changes to winter. Just like the first few flakes of a snowstorm start building up, so is traffic. Avoiding the road during winter is a good idea. But if you live in an area where winter weather is full of snow and ice, avoiding using the road can be unrealistic. It will be helpful to winterize your car before winter strikes. Plan a maintenance check-up for the car's tires, battery, brakes, radiator, oil, lights, wipers, belts and hoses. Ensure the tires have the correct pressure before hitting the road during winter. Here are additional tips to help you drive safely during winter Ensure you have a Survival Kit Your car should have your survival kit all the time, but ensure you have it readily during winter. The kit should contain gloves, Booster cables Mall shovel First aid kit Water bottles Windshield wiper fluid First aid kit Torch Snowbrush Candles Safety vest Non-perishable energy foods. Check the Weather ... read more

Your vehicle's brakes are essential to your safety whenever you step into the car. Many people will wait until it's too late with their brake issues to have their brakes inspected and replaced. If you think about it, it's a significant risk to take, and we don't want you in that kind of scary situation. The most reliable way to go about brake maintenance is to have your brake system routinely inspected and serviced and understand the bad brakes symptoms.   Brake pads are one of those car parts that will often need to be replaced. They experience a ton of heat daily basis and are the most used component of the entire brake system. Here are five symptoms that indicate your car needs new brake pads: Squealing Brakes - If you catch a squealing noise when braking, it could very likely be the brake pad indicator letting you know that the brake pads are worn down and need to be restored.  ... read more

Your car relies on many different fluids to keep its internal systems properly lubricated and functional. The six essential fluids of every automobile include motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, coolant, and windshield wiper fluid. If these solutions run low or the liquid is not in good condition, your vehicle could start to show significant problems. Fluid Maintenance Mechanics stress the importance of routine fluid checks for a good reason. The most critical (and frequent) fluid service of all of them is an oil change. The others don't need to be changed or flushed as often. You may hear several phrases concerning fluid maintenance: fluid change and fluid flush. The average individual is likely to use these two terms mutually, which is fine. But you should know that there's a difference between the two. Fluid Change Versus Fluid Flush A fluid change is exactly what it sounds like. It involves draining some or part of the fluid currently in t ... read more