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Q: I just moved to Maryland from Virginia. Do I need to get my car inspected to register it in Maryland? - Tanya A: Tanya,  Yes, and at Tire Pros of Frederick/ Napa Auto Care of Frederick we have three Maryland State Inspectors on staff to serve you with no wait. Most inspections take around 1 hour. We can drop you off at Barbara Fritchie, Burger King, or Bob Evans for lunch while you wait. If you stay with us, we have a kids play room, a comfortable, clean waiting area with free coffee a...

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...

Staying current with brake inspection is imperative to avoid costly repairs or replacements. Most major malfunctions and repairs can be avoided with routine maintenance, coupled with driver awareness. Learn signs of needed brake repairs such as: noises, smells and other vehicle malfunctions. Through driver awareness of these symptoms, problems can be easily detected to prevent long-term damages. Use these following tips to detect early signs of needed brake repair and, when these signs app...

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...