The Ambler Tire & Auto Service Guide To Vehicle Diagnosis
Posted May 21, 2013 10:55 AM
Modern Ambler vehicles have several computers on board that control all kinds of things like engine functions, transmission shifts, traction control, anti-lock brakes, stability control, emissions – and on some vehicles, even steering, braking and the throttle.
Think about that for a minute – things that used to be controlled by simple mechanical connections now have electronic controls that rely on computers, software and sensors. It’s no wonder that when something goes wrong with their Honda or Toyota it can be pretty complicated for Ambler motorists to track down the source of the problem.
To help your Ambler Tire & Auto Service service specialist figure out what’s wrong, your Honda or Toyota is equipped with on-board diagnostics. The Check Engine Light comes on to tell you there’s a problem and the engine management computer stores a trouble code. Your friendly, honest, grateful & professional Ambler Tire & Auto Service service specialist connects a scan tool to your vehicle’s diagnostic port and retrieves the trouble codes as well as other important data.
Trouble codes are like clues for the Philadelphia technician to follow as he diagnoses what’s wrong with your Honda or Toyota. In a way, it’s like going to your Ambler doctor with a problem. She’ll run some additional tests and gather the information she needs to make a diagnosis and form a treatment plan. How much a vehicle diagnosis costs at Ambler Tire & Auto Service in Ambler depends on how much time it takes to sort out the symptoms and find the underlying problem.
Give us a call
Ambler Tire & Auto Service
215-646-9150
123 South Main Street
Ambler, PA 19002
Posted in the Diagnostics category
Differential Service At Ambler Tire & Auto Service: Vive ala Difference
Posted May 16, 2013 1:34 PM
Every Honda or Toyota on PA freeways has a differential, and it is important to the proper operation of the vehicle, but most Ambler motorists don’t have a clue what it is.
The differential compensates for differing wheel speeds. For example, when you turn, the inside tire on the turn travels a much shorter distance than the outside wheel. So the inside wheel of the Honda or Toyota must move at a slower speed than the outside wheel. Without a differential, the wheels would hop and scrape while turning.
Have you ever seen the large bugle-shaped object in the middle of the rear axle of a truck? That’s the differential. In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the differential is located on the back axle. Four-wheel drive vehicles and SUV’s have differentials on both the front and the rear axle.
You might expect that the differential is located on the front axle of a front-wheel drive vehicle. You’d be right. But the differential is called a transaxle on a front-wheel drive vehicle because its location allows it to be combined with the transmission.
In an all-wheel drive vehicle, an additional differential or transfer case is located between the front and rear axles. Differentials are strong: They have to be because of the important job they do. But those tough parts need proper lubrication. You don’t want your differential to seize up. That results in pricey damage to your Honda or Toyota.
So you need to have your Honda or Toyota differential serviced regularly. It’s not a complicated job. At Ambler Tire & Auto Service in Ambler we've been servicing differentials for 30 years. The used lubricating fluid is simply drained and then replaced. Some vehicles require specific additives in the differential fluid; your Ambler service center will ensure you are getting what your Honda or Toyota needs.
The intervals in time or mileage for servicing your differential vary greatly from vehicle to vehicle. Check with your owner’s manual or Ambler Tire & Auto Service to find out how often your Honda or Toyota differential needs to be serviced.
Generally, however, front-wheel drive vehicles need their differential serviced more often than rear-wheel drive vehicles. Also, if you spend a lot of time off-road or on Philadelphia area dirt or gravel roads, or if you drive through water, you will need to service your differential more often than the standard recommendation – check with your friendly, honest, grateful & professional Ambler Tire & Auto Service service professional.
Preventive maintenance for your differential is good car care that can spare you pricey repair bills. Knowing what your differential is and how it operates is important and will help you understand why this is good auto advice. Remember, take care of your Honda or Toyota, and it will take care of you.
Posted in the Differential Service category
Deep Clean Your Fuel System At Ambler Tire & Auto Service
Posted May 8, 2013 10:46 AM
Having trouble with your fuel system? Bring your Honda or Toyota into Ambler Tire & Auto Service for a check up.
123 South Main Street
Ambler, PA 19002
215-646-9150
Today we're talking about fuel system cleaning. The first thing to know is how important it is to have a clean fuel system. You need fuel to go, and the cleaner your fuel system, the more efficiently the fuel will burn. That means more power and better fuel economy.
A clean fuel system saves money at the pump. We guess you could say, it all starts and ends at the pump. One of the most important things you can do to keep your fuel system clean is to buy good quality gas. Major brands have detergents that keep gum and varnish from rapidly building up in the fuel system.
So buying cheaper gas can actually cost you in the long run. Now, most cars on the road are more than five or six years old. That means they've had time for some dirt and rust to start accumulating in the fuel tank. This junk needs to be filtered out of the fuel before it hits your engine. That's the fuel filter's job.
When the fuel filter is clogged, the dirty fuel will bypass the filter and go on up to the engine where it can clog fuel injectors and get into the cylinders. That could do some damage. So you should have your fuel filter changed when recommended. Check your owner's manual or ask your service advisor if your fuel filter is due for replacement.
The fuel then goes up into the throttle body. This is another area where varnish and gum can accumulate. A professional fuel system cleaning will use a combination of special cleaning chemicals and old fashioned swabbing to clean out the throttle body. Now, the fuel injectors are the last stop in the fuel delivery system.
It's real important to keep those fuel injectors clean. The fuel injectors need to deliver a precise amount of fuel, at exactly the right time, in a particular spray pattern. They just can't do that if they're dirty. Dirty fuel injectors really rob power and waste fuel.
It is important for the fuel system proper, but there are a couple other things that will help keep your engine clean as well. Of course, air is mixed with the fuel before it's burned. Dirty air means dirt gets into your engine, so you need to replace your engine air filter when it's dirty.
The PCV value routes unburned fuel that escapes into the lower engine back up into the intake system to be burned. A sticky PCV valve needs to be replaced to make sure that system is working properly and the breather filter needs to be replaced if it's dirty as well.
Do all these things and your engine's air and fuel will be as clean as possible. You'll get much better fuel economy and better power
.
Posted in the Fuel System category
Which Item is Most Stolen from Vehicles in Ambler?
Posted May 1, 2013 10:44 AM
Which item is most often stolen from vehicles in Ambler?
Is it:
- Stereo
- Wheels
- Air Bag
- DVD System
Well, if you said stereo – you used to be right. But airbags have now surpassed stereos as the biggest target for theft in Ambler – approximately 50,000 a year are stolen across the country. New airbags cost about $1,000, but go for $50 to $200 on the black market in Ambler.
Stolen airbags are making their way back into cars that have been in an accident. Of course, the danger to the consumer of having a stolen airbag installed is that you can never be sure what may have previously affected them and if they will work right when you need them.
Contact Ambler Tire & Auto Service for more information about where to get your airbags checked or replaced.
Find us at 123 South Main Street, Ambler, PA 19002
You can reach us by phone at: 215-646-9150
There are reports that 1 in 25 airbag replacements are stolen or salvaged airbags – or no airbag is installed at all.
That is definitely one car part you don't want to take a chance with, so Ambler Tire & Auto Service recommends following these guidelines:
- Use a reputable collision repair center that employs ASE certified mechanics (we can offer recommendations at Ambler Tire & Auto Service).
- Inspect the invoice to ensure that the repair shop purchased the airbag from a manufacturer, dealer, or recycler. If you can inspect the airbag prior to installation, it should be packaged in a sealed container from the manufacturer.
- You will see the SRS light (Supplemental Restraint System) when you first start your vehicle up. This tells you that the airbag system is activated. If you do not see the SRS light, there is likely a problem with the airbag system.
For more information, contact Dave at Ambler Tire & Auto Service by calling 215-646-9150.
Posted in the Maintenance category
Ambler Tire & Auto Service On Your Serpentine Belt
Posted April 25, 2013 10:02 AM
Today we’re going to be talking about serpentine belts for our Ambler PA customers. Let’s start by talking about the accessories that are driven by the serpentine belt. First is the alternator. That’s the device that makes electricity to power the vehicle and recharge the battery. Then there’s the air conditioning compressor that makes cool air for you while you're driving around Ambler PA in the summer.
The power steering and power brake pumps are driven by the serpentine belt in most vehicles. Those pumps make the pressure that assists your steering and braking.
In many vehicles, the water pump is driven by the serpentine belt. The water pump is what circulates the coolant that protects your engine. In some cars around Ambler PA, the water pump is driven by the timing belt.
The radiator cooling fans on some vehicles are also driven by the serpentine belt. Some have separate electric motors. That’s really a lot of work for one belt.
But modern engine design has a single belt that snakes around the front of the engine and drives most if not all of these accessories. Serpentine belts do a lot of work, but they’re tough and can last for thousands of miles.
Just how long will they last? That’ll vary for each individual car in the Ambler PA area. Your manufacturer will have a recommendation for when it should be changed, but it could need it sooner. The good news is that a visual inspection can reveal a belt that’s getting close to failing.
Ambler Tire & Auto Service can look at the belt: if it has more than three or four cracks per inch it needs to be replaced. A deep crack that’s more than half the depth of the belt - replace. Frayed, missing pieces, a shiny glazed look? It’s out of there.
What’s involved in replacing the belt? First the old belt is removed. Then a new one is fitted around all the pulleys for the accessories and the drive. There’s a special pulley called a tensioner.
This pulley is mounted to the engine block with a spring loaded arm. Its job is to apply the correct amount of tension to the belt to keep it from getting loose and maybe slipping off. Because the spring in the tensioner pulley wears out, AutoNetTV recommends replacing them at the same time as the belt. It just makes sense.
What are the warning signs that there’s a problem with the serpentine belt? You may hear a squealing sound from under the hood when accelerating around our Ambler PA streets. A loose belt might give you a slow, slapping sound.
What do you do if your belt breaks? If you’ve actually had that happen on our local Ambler PA freeway, it can be a little scary. Often the first thing you notice is that you have no power steering or power brakes. Don’t panic – you can still steer and brake, but you’ll have to do the work. It’ll be harder to steer and you’ll need more time and effort to stop, so plan accordingly.
Your dashboard will light up will all kinds of warnings. You’ll see a warning about your cooling system if you have a water pump that’s driven by the serpentine belt. This is very critical because without your cooling system working, your engine will overheat. If you don’t stop you’ll have massive engine damage, maybe to the point that you need a new engine. Pull over as quickly as you safely can. Open your windows and turn the heater on full blast to provide a little engine cooling and pulled over as soon as possible.
The battery light will come on because the alternator isn’t working. If your car’s water pump isn’t driven by the serpentine belt, you’re not in danger of overheating so you can drive a little further if necessary. But the battery will run down to the point where the car won’t run and will just shut off. You don’t want that to happen while you’re driving in our local Ambler PA traffic.
Remember, this does not have to happen if you replace your serpentine belt on schedule. Ask your technician at Ambler Tire & Auto Service to check your belts and hoses from time to time so you can take care of them if they need to be replaced prematurely.
Ambler Tire & Auto Service
123 South Main Street
Ambler, PA 19002
215-646-9150
Posted in the Maintenance category
Gas Savings In Ambler: Sharpen Your Pencil
Posted April 19, 2013 1:21 PM
High gas prices in Ambler increase the cost of living for PA motorists. You’ve probably budgeted a certain amount for vehicle related expenses. Increased fuel costs now consume a larger portion of our incomes, causing some Ambler vehicle owners to skimp in other areas – like scheduled maintenance.
According to PA news reports and automotive industry studies, this is becoming increasingly more common. In fact, nine out of ten personal vehicles on the road have at least one maintenance or repair item that hasn’t been done. Some of these items pose serious safety risks. Others are just more likely to make it more expensive to drive.
In this area, we can take a lesson from professional Ambler vehicle owners. I’m talking about fleet owners and operators. You know, Ambler folks like the trucking companies and delivery services. Because their livelihood depends on it, they have gotten scheduled maintenance down to a science. And the last thing they skimp on is regular maintenance.
Why is that? Well, for one thing they know that routine maintenance prevents expensive repairs and costly breakdowns. They also know that a well-maintained vehicle uses less fuel. For them, even a small decrease in fuel economy may put their Philadelphia business in the red.
So what does this mean to Ambler drivers? Well, there’s a ninety percent chance that you’re missing some service that would improve your fuel economy. Here’s a quick reminder list:
Fuel system cleaning, transmission service, differential service, engine air filter, wheel alignment, oil change, tune up.
Ring any bells? Can you honestly say that there isn’t at least one thing on the list that hasn’t been done?
Let’s suppose you chose to spend one hundred and fifty dollars and get caught up on some of these services at Ambler Tire & Auto Service. Figure that they combine to improve your fuel economy by fifteen percent. What would that mean to your pocketbook?
Well, the average personal vehicle in Ambler is driven about twelve thousand miles a year. If you get twenty miles per gallon in your Honda or Toyota, over the course of one year you would pay for the hundred and fifty dollars worth of service and save an additional hundred and sixty five dollars if gas is at three dollars and fifty cents. If gas is four fifty, you would save two hundred and fifty-five dollars. And you’d rack up savings of three hundred and forty five dollars with gas at five and a half bucks.
GAS PRICE
$3.50
$4.50
$5.50
20 MPG
$165
$255
$345
From this you can see that the more fuel costs, the more it pays to keep up on scheduled maintenance. Some of us drive trucks in Ambler for work or recreation – or want a large SUV for family needs. A fifteen percent improvement in fuel economy can generate huge savings – six hundred and sixty dollars a year if gas is four fifty a gallon in Ambler. Take a look at this table to see where your savings could lie.
GAS PRICE
$3.50
$4.50
$5.50
10 MPG
$480
$660
$840
20 MPG
$165
$255
$345
30 MPG
$60
$120
$180
So catch up on those services you’ve been neglecting at Ambler Tire & Auto Service. Get a couple done now and a couple next time. Chances are you’ll save a lot of money at Ambler gas pumps this year – and a lot more on repairs in years to come.
Posted in the Maintenance category
Another Couple of Years: Making Your Vehicle Last At Ambler Tire & Auto Service
Posted April 9, 2013 3:08 PM
A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the news. Ambler people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better fuel economy and receive a government rebate.
A lot of Ambler motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They’re good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they’re paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their Honda or Toyotas for 200,000 miles or more – as long as it’s economical to do so.
There are plenty of Ambler drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles. We can learn from what they’re doing to keep our own Honda or Toyotas on the road in PA.
Ambler drivers of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. 
That may sound a bit unsophisticated, but it’s really not. First off, oil is the life blood of your Honda or Toyota's engine and it needs to be clean to properly lubricate. Skipping oil changes leads to clogged oil filters and sludge that can damage your engine.
There’s another reason why the scheduled oil change is so important for Ambler car owners. It’s simple – a Ambler Tire & Auto Service professional is going to be looking at your car. All of your fluid levels will be inspected and topped off so they won’t get so low that damage can be done. If there is a significant fluid loss, let’s use brake fluid as an example, your Ambler Tire & Auto Service technician can look for the cause of the loss and find the problem before it leads to an accident or costly repair.
Your Ambler Tire & Auto Service advisor will also visually inspect your Honda or Toyota for worn belts and hoses, uneven tire wear, leaking shock absorbers and more. Problems get addressed before they lead to repairs that cost more than the car’s worth.
And your Ambler Tire & Auto Service advisor will be able to remind you of other services that the factory recommends you get done. Just think of that oil change the same way as you do about going to your Ambler dentist for your six month cleaning and checkup. Don’t skip it.
Realistically, things are going to wear out as your Honda or Toyota gets older. On the way to 200,000 miles you’ll go through several batteries, probably a couple of alternators and water pumps, a set of shocks and likely some brake rotors.
Of course, these things cost money, but they are far cheaper than new Honda or Toyota payments. With proper service at Ambler Tire & Auto Service and regular inspections, you’ll keep surprise repairs to a minimum and more money in your wallet.
Posted in the Maintenance category
Nighttime Visibility In Philadelphia
Posted April 3, 2013 9:38 AM
There are a number of factors that contribute to the high nighttime accident rate in the greater Philadelphia area, things like drowsy driving and a higher rate of impaired driving. Without a doubt, visibility is a major contributor. Let's focus on visibility…
It's said that 90 percent of our driving decisions are based on what we see. Nighttime driving has the effect of reducing 20/20 vision to the equivalent of 20/50 vision. What you could clearly see at 50 feet in daylight can't be seen until you are just 20 feet away at night.
Too make sure your headlights are giving you the greatest visibility, visit us at Ambler Tire & Auto Service. you'll find us located on 123 South Main Street, Ambler, PA 19002. Please give us a call to make an appointment: 215-646-9150.
Accident avoidance is dependent on reaction time. Reaction time deteriorates measurably in low light conditions. One thing we can do to improve visibility is to make sure our headlights are as bright as they can possibly be.
Headlamps dim over time. They dim so gradually that you may not notice it. Many experts suggest replacing your standard or halogen headlamps once a year.
If your vehicle has standard headlamps, consider upgrading to halogen lamps. They make a big difference. And there are upgrades available within the halogen category as well. This once-a-year expense is very modest compared to the safety benefits.
Some Honda or Toyotas come with high intensity discharge – or HID – headlamps. These lamps should last for the life of your car. They are very bright and are clearly the best option for nighttime driving. Depending on your vehicle, you may be able to upgrade to HID headlamps. Talk with your Philadelphia service advisor at Ambler Tire & Auto Service about options for your car.
Another startling fact is that 90 percent of Honda or Toyotas on the road have dirty or yellowed headlight covers. Dirty is easy to fix. Just run the window washer over the headlight cover when you stop for gas. Get those bugs and dirt off the cover.
Now plastic headlight covers can yellow or become hazy over time. They can be restored to clarity with a special polishing process. Ambler Tire & Auto Service can help you with this service.
It's also vital to keep your windshield clean and streak free when driving at night. Make sure you have plenty of washer fluid and that your windshield wipers are in good working order.
We recommend replacing wiper blades twice a year – in the spring and fall. Fall is also a good time to replace headlamps so you'll be ready for those long winter nights.
Posted in the Headlamps category
Ambler Tire & Auto Service Guide To Using the Correct Fluids in Your Vehicle
Posted March 29, 2013 12:24 PM
Today's Ambler Tire & Auto Service post focuses on using the proper fluids for your vehicle. Significant advancements in automotive technology have lead to the development of high-tech fluids to keep modern cars operating at peak performance. This is due to both engineering advances and new high-tech materials used to build Honda or Toyota automotive systems.
A simple example of this is the cooling system. For decades it was primarily made out of iron, steel and rubber hoses. There was one kind of coolant that protected these components from corrosion.
Now cooling system components are made with various metal alloys and plastics. These materials require different additives to protect them from corrosion. Since the materials used vary among Honda or Toyota manufacturers, we now have a number of different kinds of coolant.
It's essential for Blue Bell car owners to use the right coolant. 
If you pour in the wrong kind, it won’t protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Check your Honda or Toyota owner’s manual. Of course, your Ambler Tire & Auto Service automotive advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.
Brake fluid is confusing for some Blue Bell drivers. Back when we opened Ambler Tire & Auto Service 30 years ago, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Ambler people mistakenly think the higher numbers are an upgrade. You know, if 3 is good then 4 must be better. That’s not how it works. They are different formulations to meet the demands of differences in brake systems. Only one of them is designed for your Honda or Toyota.
Ditto for transmission fluid. For decades there were two basic types of tranny fluid used at Ambler Tire & Auto Service: friction modified or not. With the tremendous engineering advances in Honda or Toyota automatic transmissions, there have been several new types of fluids developed to protect and lubricate them.
Nowhere are the advances in automotive fluids more evident to Blue Bell car owners and Ambler Tire & Auto Service professionals than in motor oil. Many new weights and formulations have been created to meet the demands of today’s high-tech Honda or Toyota engine design. Modern engines have more parts and much tighter tolerances. Every year, engines make more power and (thankfully!) get better gas mileage. And along with all the complexity and sophistication, they still have to be durable.
That’s where the new grades of engine oil come in. They have to be formulated to lubricate, protect and clean all of those Honda or Toyota engine parts, big and little. The oil has to be thin enough to get into little passages, yet resistant to vaporization.
At Ambler Tire & Auto Service in Ambler, we believe that in some ways modern automotive fluids are just as impressive as the new engines. Because weights of oil and types of coolant and transmission fluid are so carefully matched to the vehicle, make sure you always use the proper fluid if you are topping off at home.
Check your Honda or Toyota owner’s manual or ask your Blue Bell service technician. The wrong fluid can cause damage to your Honda or Toyota engine. If you drive a car or truck around PA with 75,000 miles or more, consider high mileage formulations. These fluids contain extra detergent to clean dirtier older engines as well as additives to condition seals and gaskets. That’ll help prevent leaks. Always be sure that the high mileage fluid is the same weight or type of fluid recommended for your Honda or Toyota.
Posted in the Fluids category
Odometer Rollback On Your Ambler PA Auto
Posted March 20, 2013 9:16 AM
How do you know if an odometer is telling the truth?
Well, back in '86, Congress passed the Truth-in-Mileage Act to protect PA consumers against mileage fraud. It says a PA seller must certify the mileage reported is the Actual Mileage.
To have your odometer checked in Ambler PA, stop by Ambler Tire & Auto Service:
Ambler Tire & Auto Service
123 South Main Street
Ambler, PA 19002
215-646-9150
If it isn't, the seller must say why; like maybe the odometer is past its mechanical limits. Some older odometers only go to 99,999 miles and then start over at 0. Or, the odometer has been tampered with, broken or replaced.
If the seller tells you the mileage isn’t accurate, there’s not much chance of putting a good number to it; And there’s the unscrupulous seller who claims the reading is true, but it’s not so. What can you do?
First, you can go to www.CarFax.com, where for a small fee, they’ll give you a comprehensive vehicle history search on your Honda or Toyota, showing local Ambler PA ownership history, accident reports, total-loss events, Manufacturer buybacks, Lemon reports and warranty status.
You can get a mileage history by checking with the local Ambler PA DMV (or wherever you happen to be) and other verified sources looking for inconsistencies in the mileage reported when the car’s bought and sold. If there are signs odometer rollback, now you’ll now.
If so, proceed with caution. Or, negotiate a lower price. Or just walk away. There’s always another.
Posted in the Older Vehicles category
