News

Q: What are the recommendations for changing the different filters in my car? - Steven A: Dear Steven,  Air filters, such as the carbon air filter and engine air filter, need to be inspected regularly and replaced as often as needed regardless of mileage or time. Dirty air filters can increase fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Fuel filters should be replaced yearly, or at every tune-up, especially on fuel injected cards. If the filter gets clogged, the engine could be deprived of ...

Q: I bought tires from an online company. The tires are wearing bad. What can I do? - George D. A: Hi George,  At Tire Pros of Frederick we do install tires from this type of tire retailer. When we install the tires we will do a free tire rotation for you every 5,000 miles. We do this for all our customers so that when they have warranty problems we can produce documentation of alignment and tire rotation and take that cause directly to the manufacturer for you. If you have this documenta...

Q: I hit a curb pretty bad on my way home yesterday. Should I have my alignment checked? - Mary Ellen A: Hi Mary Ellen,  Yes. Often little bumps like that get forgotten, especially if the car handles the same. Today's cars are lighter with fewer and smaller suspension components that are less forgiving. If damage goes unnoticed, you may end up paying for new tires instead of an alignment.  Here at Tire Pros of Frederick, we will check your alignment for FREE, and give you a print out of e...

Q: I am new to the area and I took my car to a shop that gave me 10% off the price of my inspection. They wrote me an estimate for $2308.56. I can't afford to spend that much on my car but it needs to be registered by October 10th. Can you help? - Serena A: Hi Serena,  At Tire Pros of Frederick/ Napa Auto Care of Frederick we can help. First off, if you had a Maryland State Inspection done elsewhere, we will re-inspect it for $35 and give you a second opinion. Many times we can save our c...

Q: What causes a differential to fail? - Bert A: Hi Bert,  The differential in a vehicle is no different than any other component in that it is subject to wear and some vehicle's differentials fail before others. The leading cause of a differential failing is due to using the wrong lubricant type and specialty lubricants. Water can also be a culprit to a differential failing as it can enter through the vent or seals. This often happens when driving in high water. When water enters it will...

Q: My vehicle was marketed as not needing a tune up for 100,000 miles. However, the dealer recently told me that I need tune up work long before that mileage. What is your opinion on doing tune ups and extended servicing of the vehicle before 100,000 miles? - Brian A: Hi Brian,   Many vehicles are marketed with extremely long service intervals. This allows the manufacturer to show a very low cost-per-mile to operate the vehicle. The term “tune up” is an old term used in the days of ve...

Q: I was driving to work today and a rock hit my windshield and now it has a small crack. I was supposed to get a Maryland State Inspection today. Will I have to replace the windshield? - Marcus A: Marcus,  The allowable size for a crack in the windshield is 1/2 inch or less. In most cases, small cracks can be repaired by glass companies, preventing the crack from growing. Windshield replacement is not always required. 

Q: I have a 2007 Ford Expedition XLT 4WD and I'm having problems with my TPM sensors. I've put air in all the tires but my light stays on. I was told I need sensors but my vehicle uses the old "band" sensors and no one uses them anymore. What do I do? - Jackie A: Dear Jackie,  Yes, Ford did use the old band sensors and now you can replace the old TPM sensors with new E-Z sensors, which work on 95% of vehicles. These are the new style sensors that are easy to replace, repair and program. Here at...

Q: I have a 2004 Chevy Malibu with 18,000 miles on it. The car died on me and I thought the battery was dead so I got a new one and installed it. It worked for about a week but now it's going crazy. The locks are locking and unlocking by themselves, lights are flickering, and the message board starts going crazy and then the car dies. I tried to start it and now the car is dead. I was told the battery and the alternator were good. - Janice A: Dear Janice,  It sounds like the battery is going de...

Q: How does my alignment keep going off? - Jamaal A: Hi Jamaal,  Don't feel bad if you keep needing an alignment, it doesn't take much. There are many ways for your car to lose its alignment. Wheel alignments can be thrown off by pot holes, hitting curbs, bumping in concrete parkig stalls, or just regular wear and tear as rubber components start cracking or lose their elasticity. Alignment angles are measured in tenths and hundreths of degrees or inches. Over time, a slight misalignment c...