Category: Engine Service

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

Gasoline has been around for decades and the changes to the formulation have been incredible.

The basic refined crude is mostly the same. What makes each brand unique is the additives and detergents package mixed in. Regular fuel has fewer additives than the premium blend.

One of the biggest changes to gasoline is the introduction of ethanol. Ethanol has brought us lower emissions and a little better MPG, but it also has caused some new drivability issues. Most fuels started with a small amount of ethanol; now the base amount is 10%. As we randomly test fuel from the tanks we see as much as 30% ethanol.

What that means is the ethanol and the detergents added do not work together! Ethanol washes the detergent away that is supposed to help stop carbon build up inside the engine. Type “engine carbon” into a browser and there are many articles to scan. The tough part for you, the driver, is you don’t know it’s happening until it gets bad.

How Do You Know When There Is Build-Up?

Hometown Service You Can Count On

Here are the symptoms of carbon build-up:

  • Drivability issues; engine not running smoothly or stalling
  • Engine vibration or shaking
  • Car jerking or surging at stops
  • Check engine light may be on
  • Cold start misfires

The cure is to be proactive by cleaning the fuel injectors and air intake system every 15,000 miles. For most drivers that is once a year. This is great insurance to protect the investment you drive. Previous year cars did not have the carbon concern, so this will be something to be educated on. If ignored the cost to disassemble the engine to clean out the carbon is not pretty.

Cars, year 2000 and newer, have a different type of fuel system than previous years and 2010 and newer have gasoline direct injection (GDI) that is even more susceptible to carbon build-up.

Certified Auto Specialists wants to be your GO-TO place! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions and we will be glad to help!

Is Your Engine Gasping for Air?

Your car is chock-full of expensive, complicated devices. It also carries very valuable cargo—like you, your family, and friends. Filters may not seem like the most critical technology in your vehicle, but filters protect all that costly equipment from harmful debris. It also ensures you get that precious payload where it needs to go.

Think about the furnace in your house for a minute. If you don’t change or clean it every so often, it gets clogged. Ignoring it, your heater stops working efficiently over time. This costs you in fuel and potential future repair bills. The air filter in your car or truck works the same way. It stops damaging dirt and dust from harming the motor.

Your engine demands a precise ratio of air and fuel to run at peak efficiency. The longer you wait to change your air filter, the more fuel mileage and acceleration decreases. Waiting to change your air filter can also increase emissions. When the system has operated with a prolonged poor air-fuel mixture, you may even get a “Check Engine” or “Service Engine Soon” light. This is avoidable. In addition, in the long run, you’ll be protecting your investment by changing out the filter. Something as small as a grain of salt can disrupt and damage cylinders and pistons.      

Air filters should be changed every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. But when you decide to change your air filter depends on how and where you drive. Do you live in a rural or desert location that has lots of dirt and dust in the air? Do you drive through construction zones every day? Then you’ll need to have your filter replaced more often than other drivers. Fortunately, the air filter is just one of the components we check when you bring in your vehicle for regular maintenance. Keeping up with maintenance improves vehicle performance and reliability—crucial for safely transporting your priceless loved ones to work, school, errands and safely back home!