Allen Auto Repair

Way too many accidents happen at night on Texas roads. There are a lot of factors, but a big one is simply visibility: if you can’t see something, it’s hard to avoid hitting it. There are some things Lucas and Wylie drivers can do to make sure they can see as much as possible when they’re driving in the dark. First of all, keep your windshield clean . Glare from oncoming headlights can obscure obstacles in the road. Clean off that film that builds up on the inside of your windshield. And make sure you have good wiper blades and plenty of washer fluid . Now it could be that your headlights aren’t as bright as they used to be . It happens – the bulbs just dim over time. If it’s been a couple of years since you replaced your headlamps and they aren’t lighting up the road like the ... read more

Question: I remember my dad having the shop “pack the bearings” on the family car. Is this something I need to have done? Craigs Car Care Answer:  That’s a really good question. At one time, all wheel bearings were “serviceable” and needed to be taken care of from time to time. It’s a little trickier these days. First off, the wheel bearings in your vehicle make sure your wheels rotate smoothly. As you can imagine, with all those revolutions per minute your wheels can generate a lot of heat. The bearings keep that heat down as much as possible. They’re packed in grease for lubrication. The term “packing the bearings” refers to putting fresh grease around the bearings. On many modern vehicles, the wheel bearing assembly is sealed. These wheel bearings are not serviceable so there is no maintenance that can be performed on them. When the bearings wear, the entire assembly is replaced ... read more

If increased fuel costs are consuming a bigger portion of your budget, you may be tempted to skimp in some other areas – like scheduled maintenance at Craig's Car Care, Inc. in Allen. According to news reports and industry studies, you’re not alone. 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 are serious safety concerns. Others are just more likely to affect the cost of operating your vehicle in Allen. In this area, we can take a lesson from professional vehicle owners: fleet owners and operators like 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 ... read more

Cooling system problems are the most common reason for mechanical failure in Allen. And, they’re largely avoidable. Here’s what Allen car owners need to know about their cooling system. First, the terms coolant and antifreeze are pretty much used interchangeably in Texas. The fluid cools your engine while it’s running and it keeps it from freezing when it’s cold. Your cooling system is filled with a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze/coolant. So if you’re topping off antifreeze/coolant, it is important to add the proper amount of each. Distilled water is much better than tap water. Now you can buy pre-mixed coolant so make sure you know what you’re putting in. Two more cautions for Allen car owners: first, never add coolant when the engine is hot . This can lead to serious burns. Second, there are many antifreeze fo ... read more

It’s easy for Lucas and Allen drivers to forget about servicing their transmission because it doesn’t need it very often, but proper transmission service keeps your car running smoothly and helps you avoid costly repairs down the road. The transmission undergoes a lot of stress. The grit you see in used fluid is actually bits of clutch material. This grit flowing through your transmission under pressure eats away at seals and gaskets which can lead to leaks. The transmission operates at very high temperatures – about a hundred degrees higher than engine temperatures. Those high temperatures eventually cause the transmission fluid to start to break down and lose efficiency. At best, your car transmission won’t operate smoothly. At worse, it could lead to costly damage .   When your transmission’s running properly, it transfers more power from your car engine to the drive wheels, and improves gas ... read more

Unless you live in Death Valley, you really don’t hear much any more about cars overheating. That’s because cooling systems in vehicles have been improved. That does not mean you can’t overheat your engine, though. Without proper maintenance, you could still find yourself on the side of the interstate waiting for a tow truck. When you service your cooling system, we will check the condition of the coolant. It can become corrosive over time, which can damage a radiator — leading to an overheated engine. Changing the coolant periodically is good car care. If your engine overheated, check the radiator for cracks and the radiator hoses for leaks. We’ll also check your water pump. They don’t need to be replaced on a regular basis, but they do need an inspection regularly. They can and do wear out. The water pump is a critical component of your vehicle's cooling system. It pumps the coolant to keep it circulating through the engine. The coolant ... read more

Buying tires in Allen is a big deal so, consult with a tire professional at Craig's Car Care, Inc. about proper size, type and grade for your local Allen Texas driving needs.  We can help you balance load requirements, fuel economy, performance, durability and cost.  When buying new tires, it’s best to replace both tires on the same axle in order to keep the rolling diameter as close as possible.  If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, you should replace all four tires at the same time because you can run into problems if the tires have different rolling diameters due to wear or different type of tire. Four wheel drive vehicles should have all tires very close to the same rolling diameter to avoid binding and wheel hop between the front and rear axles.  Also, tire manufacturers recommend that if you are buying just two new tires that they be installed on the rear for safer slippery road traction – regardless of which wheels drive the veh ... read more

Brakes really aren't optional equipment. And taking care of them isn't optional either. A regular brake inspection is on every car's maintenance schedule. An inspection will check your brake system and let you know if there are any problems. Of course, if you're having trouble with your brakes, get your car into a Allen or Allen service center right away. And watch out for these problems: Low or spongy brake pedal Hard brake pedal A brake warning light that stays on Constantly squealing or grinding brakes Vibrations or clunking sounds when you apply your brakes There are two types of brakes: disk and drum. Disk brakes have a rotor that's attached to the axle. Calipers straddle the rotor, kind of like the brakes on a bicycle. Drum brakes are more common on back wheels. Pads, called shoes, push against the inside of the drum to slow the vehicle. There are several things that need to be serviced on the brake system. First, the brake pads and shoes wear out with ... read more

With the complexity of newer cars today, seldom do any of us actually step out and physically look over our cars, SUV's and light trucks. Relying on sensors, lights and warning chimes only goes so far. This month we discuss the merits of our Digital Vehicle Inspection and how you can rest easy knowing your vehicle is in optimum condition. Introducing Digital Vehicle Inspections: Real Time Intelligence. Greater Accuracy. Knowledge is Power. You know that the smarter you are, the more confident you become. Same holds true with vehicle awareness. The more you know about how your vehicle is operating, the more confident driver you become. Having confidence in the machine you operate daily is a major factor in being a good driver. Here is a list of our most commonly asked questions. "Do I have enough tread on my tires?  "Is it safe to use for vacation?" "Is it ready for the weather?"  "Are the fluids in good co ... read more

Shocks and Struts So you have over 100,000 miles on your car or truck, could be you drive a Honda, Toyota (Lexus) Or Nissan (Infinity), or Maybe a Chevy, Ford or Dodge and the ride is still good, but now a days it may feel the road is getting a little rougher or more noisy than it used to be. Well it could be the road or it could be Your Shock absorbers or Struts may be just at the end of their normal life cycle as things do just wear out and 10 years ish, or 100,000 miles will do that and just not doing all the good they used to. Now it is not critical to replace them as long as they are not leaking fluid or so totally worn out, they feel like your riding in a wagon across the plains 100 years ago. It is true that Shock absorbers and Struts are important and do play a major roll in the safety for handling and steering control when we ask them or need them to work at their peak performance such as in a emergency stop or steering maneuver to swerve around something that just jumps out i ... read more