The Compton Automotive Guide To Synthetic Oil
Synthetic motor oil has been around for a long time in Dallas and more and more new cars are leaving manufacturers factories with synthetic in their engines. But a lot of Rowlett drivers don’t really know much about it.
Let’s start with conventional oil – the kind Dallas folks are used to. Conventional oil is made up of naturally occurring hydrocarbon chains, which means its molecules are long and have various lengths. Like a pile of pencils, some of them new and some of them used.
Synthetic oil is man-made. Its molecules are more uniform and regular in shape – more similar to marbles than pencils. Some synthetic oil starts with a petroleum base that’s modified and others are entirely synthesized from other materials.
Synthetic motor oil works better in both hot and cold Rowlett temperatures. It’s more chemically stable so it doesn’t readily evaporate or breakdown in the high heat produced inside your minivan engine. This means it resists turning to sludge, which is a real engine killer.
Remember that marbles and pencils thing we were talking about? Well, that makes synthetic oil slipperier than conventional oil which means less friction in your engine. Your minivan engine runs cooler, wears less and lasts longer. You also get a boost in power and maybe even an improvement in fuel efficiency.
Synthetic oil also lasts longer so you change it less often – which is great for the environment. With longer oil change intervals, you need an oil filter specifically built for the longer service life of synthetic oil. Talk with your cheerful Compton Automotive service professional about synthetic oil and synthetic blends – they might be just what you need to improve engine performance and extend the life of your minivan.
Give us a call!
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Your Courtesy Inspection At Compton Automotive In Dallas
Most Dallas motorists come to their cheerful Compton Automotive service advisor with specific services in mind and an idea of how much they’ll be spending. Sometimes, a courtesy car inspection and a review of your service history will uncover additional items that require attention. How should you react to that?
Here’s some advice: It’s not as if your cheerful Compton Automotive service advisor is saying “Do you want fries with that?” or “Supersize for 59 cents more.” He’s not recommending something extra or something you don’t need. Recommendations are either based on the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule or on a problem uncovered during an automotive analysis.
An important part of the Compton Automotive service advisor‘s role is to help you understand the manufacturers recommendations: recommendations that cover every system on the minivan and are set by the engineers that design the minivan. If Richardson folks followed every one of those recommendations they would experience better fuel efficiency, enjoy better performance, be safer and avoid a lot of breakdowns and repairs.
Your Compton Automotive service advisor is an educator who will help you with a plan for catching up on scheduled services and a partner in taking care of your family’s vehicle priorities – they are there to help you manage your vehicle needs.
Give us a call!
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Taking Care of Your Transmission
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed that TX vehicles are getting more and more powerful and at the same time are getting better and better fuel efficiency. Much of that’s because of better transmissions. To get a understanding of why that is, let’s turn to gear experts – Dallas bicyclists.
A cyclist’s cadence is the number of times per minute he or she pedals. Their ideal pedal speed is the zone where they can most efficiently generate power over a sustained period of time. The experienced cyclist uses his gears to keep his pedal speed in the ideal zone whether he’s climbing a steep Rowlett hill, cruising on a flat stretch or killing a downhill.
Look at how it works: if you have a 1-speed bike, you really have to pump hard to get up to speed. And your top speed is limited by how fast as you can pedal. And if you’ve got a hill to climb – forget about it.
Now let’s add a couple of gears: one lower and another one higher. With the lower first gear, you can get up to your ideal pedal speed quicker. When you shift to second, your pedal speed drops below ideal for a while as you work to get back to peak efficiency. Same thing happens when you shift to third, but now you can go much faster than you could with a 1-speed bike using the same effort.
Add more gears and you can see that it’s much easier to maintain ideal pedal speed. The result, quicker starts, better hill climbing, higher top speed and, most of all, a lot less fatigue for the rider.
Like a cyclist, every minivan engine has an ideal engine speed called its power band. When an engine is running in that zone, it can make power very efficiently. It’s the transmission’s job to keep the engine in the power band over a wide range of operating conditions. Today 5 or 6 speed automatic transmissions are pretty much the minimum in TX, and 7 and 8 speeds are fairly common.
Obviously these sophisticated minivan transmissions are very expensive. In fact, next to your engine, your transmission is the most expensive component in your vehicle, so it pays to take good care of it. Modern transmissions can adversely affect minivan engine performance when they aren’t working right.
All car makers have a recommended service interval for changing your old, contaminated transmission fluid. Getting transmission service on schedule at Compton Automotive in Dallas keeps it operating at its best and can prevent expensive damage. Ask your cheerful Compton Automotive service specialist if it’s time for an automotive analysis of your transmission.
Give us a call!
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Suspension Integrity In Dallas
Hello Dallas motorists - today we're talking about suspension integrity. Your skeleton provides the structure to hold up your weight. Your joints cushion you as you walk and allow you to change direction. Your minivan’s suspension system is similar: It bears the weight of your vehicle, absorbs bumps in the road and controls the body as you steer.
Like the bones in your body, minivan suspension parts are connected by joints that allow all the components to move as they should. Over time and miles, the joints start to wear and your suspension gets loose and doesn’t operate as precisely as before, reducing proper tire contact with the road. An accident, pothole or hitting a curb or rock can also damage or break minivan suspension components.
If you’ve ever hurt your foot, you know you’ve had to walk differently to keep it from hurting as bad. Do that long enough and your ankle, knee, hip and even your back will start to hurt from the strain of not moving normally. The same thing happens in your minivan when one joint or part is worn or damaged: it stresses everything else and causes premature wear to the whole system.
Signs of suspension problems include uneven tire wear, vibration, rattles or clunks when you hit a bump or turn on a windy Rowlett road, or the vehicle pulls to one side.
If you suspect a suspension problem, ask your cheerful Compton Automotive technician for an inspection of your suspension system. They can also check your alignment while they’re at it. Taking care of a worn or damaged suspension component early, will head off future damage and costly repairs down the road.
Give us a call!
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Tire Service At Compton Automotive In Dallas
For most car owners buying tires in Dallas is a big deal, so consult with your cheerful Compton Automotive tire professional about proper size, type and grade for your driving needs. He can help you balance load requirements, fuel efficiency, performance, durability and cost.
When buying new tires in Dallas, it’s best to replace both tires on the same axle in order to keep the rolling diameter as close as possible.
Dallas car owners with four-wheel-drive vehicles 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, TX 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 vehicle. Compton Automotive in Dallas has you covered for all of your tire needs including tire repair, tire mounting, wheel balancing, and wheel alignment. We also provide cooling system service, brake service, power steering service, and transfer case service.
Give us a call!
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Replace Your Engine Air Filter At Compton Automotive
When driving around Rowlett, your minivan engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons of air for every tank of gas.
All that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually the filter gets completely full. Because the filter can only hold so much, dirt starts getting through. This dirty air passes through the mass airflow sensor, and starts to accumulate on the delicate sensor element. The mass air flow sensor measures how much air is getting into your engine. When the airflow reading is incorrect, your minivan engine doesn’t get the proper amount of fuel. It runs rough and doesn’t perform as well as it should.
Eventually, the sensor is so damaged it needs to be replaced – which is pricy. In fact you could buy a case or two of air filters for the cost of a sensor replacement.
Of course, that dirty air keeps on going through to your minivan engine where it’s burned along with the fuel, which dirties up your combustion chamber and increases harmful exhaust emissions - not a good thing for Dallas air quality, not to mention our lungs.
When your cheerful Compton Automotive service advisor brings out your dirty air filter and recommends a replacement, remember the cost and poor performance that can be waiting for you down the road if you neglect this simple Compton Automotive service. Ask your Compton Automotive advisor if it’s time to replace your engine air filter.
Compton Automotive in Dallas has been providing quality auto repair services for Rowlett car owners for 7 years. Our specialties include power steering service, cooling system service, and transfer case service.
Give us a call!
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Compton Automotive’s Guide to Batter Maintenance
In today’s Compton Automotive auto care blog, we are focusing on battery maintenance. Eventually your car battery will fail and you will need to replace it. In fact, 70% don’t even make it four years. There are some things Dallas drivers can do, however, to make their battery last a little longer.
It’s all about the flow of electrical power. When you start your minivan, the battery uses power to get your engine cranking. As your engine runs, your alternator generates electricity to run all your electrical systems: like lights, a half dozen computers, anti-lock brake system, traction control, power windows, electronic fuel injectors, stability control, air conditioning, transmission servos – the list goes on. Any leftover electricity goes to recharge your minivan battery. Then you turn on your radio and seat heaters; maybe plug in your cell phone and computer; the kids watch a DVD and pretty soon there isn’t much extra electricity to go back into the battery.
Now, if you were on a long TX road trip, no sweat – you’d have plenty of time to fully recharge your battery. But not if you’re making stops around Dallas. Every time you start your minivan engine, your battery takes that big hit again. Multiple starts – multiple hits. By the time you get home, you have less than a full charge.
When the battery is continuously in a discharged state, it loses its ability to fully recharge. This starts a downward spiral in your battery life. Now when your battery is on its way to getting this bad, your alternator is working overtime trying to keep it charged – which causes the alternator to wear out prematurely. A lot of experienced Dallas technicians suggest replacing your battery after five years, even though it hasn’t yet failed, as a maintenance item to extend alternator life.
Now, there is something you can do to help your battery last longer by hooking up a battery charger once a month in the summer and every three months in winter. This will ensure your minivan battery routinely has a full charge. You can do this less often in the winter because the electrochemical process slows down when it’s colder and less damage is done when your battery is low. Computerized battery chargers are real easy to use because they monitor and control the charging rate to keep the battery from overheating while it’s charging.
We recommend that you ask your cheerful Compton Automotive advisor to test your battery so you know how much life is left. If it’s good but needs a maintenance service, he’ll have it cleaned up and make sure the connections and cables are good. If it’s looking like you ought to replace it, he’ll help you with a battery that’s right for your minivan and driving needs.
Give us a call!
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
A Long Lasting Cooling System for Dallas TX Driving
Our vehicles operate in a wide range of outside temperatures in TX. That’s why vehicle manufacturers use testing grounds from the frozen tundra to the blistering desert. Your engine coolant must be able to perform in these extreme temperatures, even if we don’t always get the extremes in Dallas, TX.
Coolant has to move heat away from the engine to prevent costly damage. Water does a very good job of holding heat, but it freezes at thirty two degrees (Fahrenheit).
That’s why we mix anti-freeze with water – it lowers the freezing point of the coolant, and raises the boiling point as well. A fifty/fifty blend of water and antifreeze is the usual recommendation from Compton Automotive.
And on top of that, coolant has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. Your owners’ manual will tell you what kind of coolant you should use. Of course, your Compton Automotive service representative in Dallas TX will know what to put in your car.
Coolant system failure is the most common mechanical problem people have. Much of that can be avoided by following factory scheduled service intervals. Check your owner’s manual or with your service advisor at Compton Automotive for recommendations. We can also conduct a cooling system inspection to look for leaks, weak hoses or bad connections.
Give us a call!
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Schedule a Suspension Inspection at Compton Automotive
Today's Mesquite car care article focuses on your suspension system. After many years and tens of thousands of miles, your minivan suspension system components do wear out, but how long that takes depends a lot on how you drive. As you can imagine, if most of your driving is on smooth Mesquite highways, your shock absorbers will last a lot longer than if you do most of your driving on bumpy roads or hauling heavy loads.
In addition to just wearing out, Compton Automotive customers need to know that suspension components can be damaged in an accident or by a hard impact – like a pothole, hitting a curb or a rock in the road. Because the life span of shocks can vary so widely, your minivan manufacturer and Compton Automotive recommend periodic inspections. During an inspection, your Mesquite service technician will check for worn, broken or missing parts.
Signs that shocks or struts are wearing out: The tires may have a cupped wear pattern. This is from the shocks bouncing unevenly as you drive around Mesquite. You may notice a floaty or drifting sensation when cornering. If the front of your minivan dives excessively when stopping, or rocks back and forth after you stopped, your shocks may be worn out. And if they are leaking fluid, it’s definitely time to replace them. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, come into Compton Automotive for a suspension inspection. Same if you’ve been in an accident that involved one of your wheels. Worn or broken shocks can cause premature wear or failure on other minivan suspension parts such as ball joints and other steering components as well.
If your suspension actually fails, it could lead to a serious accident, so let us take care of your suspension components at Compton Automotive. When you replace your shocks, it’s usually a good idea to replace all four at the same time. That’ll give you more even handling. Talk with your service advisor at Compton Automotive because you don’t want a big difference between the performance of your shocks from wheel to wheel, and replacing all may be the safest bet.
Give us a call if you need to do some customer detective work in Dallas TX 75218!
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Tire Tread Depth
When talking about stopping power, we tend to focus on our brakes. But our tires are where the rubber meets the road. So having good brakes isn't enough: we have to have tires with enough traction to translate braking power into stopping power. Let's focus on stopping in wet conditions. In order for a tire to have good contact with the road, it has to move the water out of the way. If it can't move the water, the tire will actually ride on top of a thin film of water. To move water out of the way so the tire has channels for water to flow through. Look at a tire and you'll see channels that run around and across the tire. They're designed to direct water away from the tire so it can contact the road better.
The deeper the channel, the more water it can move. A brand new tire has very deep channels and can easily move a lot of water. As the tire wears down, the channels become shallower and can move less water. When it wears down enough, it can seriously affect your ability to stop on wet roads. Consumer Reports and other advocate groups think that a good standard of replacing tires when the tread is worn down to four-thirty-seconds of an inch. That's 3.2 millimeters.
When tires are worn to two-thirty-seconds of an inch, the tread wear bar is visible. So the recommended standard has twice the tread depth as a completely worn out tire - and that little bit of additional tread makes a big difference. Stopping distances are cut dramatically on wet roads. A safe stop from freeway speeds with four-thirty-seconds of an inch of tread could result in a crash with worn out tires. There's an easy way to tell when a tire's worn to four-thirty-seconds of an inch. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn't cover George Washington's hairline; it's time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.
Give us a call at 214.321.2617 or stop by and visit:
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive we install quality NAPA replacement parts. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
Automotive Work in Dallas TX 75218
One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician in Dallas is diagnosing a problem before it can be fixed. Cars in Dallas are made up of a bunch of complex systems. There usually could be a number of reasons for any given symptom. So it's challenging to track down the actual cause of the problem. And it can be frustrating for the Dallas vehicle owner because it can take time and money to get to the bottom of a problem.
If it's not something obvious, it's easy for the customer to focus on the fixing and not the diagnosing.
Let us at Compton Automotive introduce you to something we'll call 'Customer Detective Work' – that is helping the technician find clues to what's wrong. We start with the detective basics: What, Where and When. Play along with me; You come in to Compton Automotive and your car is making a funny sound…
- Where's the sound? – 'Around the right front wheel'.
- What kind of sound? – 'Kind of a clunk, clunk sound'.
- When do you hear the sound? – 'When I turn and accelerate.
- Right and left? Forwards and back?'
Compton Automotive
10333 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218
At Compton Automotive in Dallas TX (75218) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 214.321.2617. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.