Every fall we offer a package that includes an oil change and inspection to find out if there are any areas of your vehicle that need attention. The cooling system (engine cooling, that is) takes precedence for most of us here in Colorado. We get some pretty cold temps here on the front range, though not as bad as the folks back east imagine. But many of us also ski and ride in the mountains every winter and we need to know that we will not have a frozen engine block as a result. In addition to checking the condition of the antifreeze in the car or truck, we check for the condition of the hoses and belts to be sure they do not fail. We do that by pressurizing the cooling system and looking for leaks in the hoses, radiator, heater core or connections. We look over the belts to see if cracking or separation has occurred and will lead to failure.

Our inspection also includes steering and suspension, starting and charging systems, brakes, battery, tires and all fluids. So, if you don’t want to be left on the side of the road this winter, be sure to have a fall maintenance check done.

Not everyone likes Fords and most of us have a favorite brand in the automotive market which we favor. Some of us like me, have a lot of different brands in the family. At Performance Tune, we have two Ford factory trained mechanics on staff with forty years of experience between them working on Fords. You can only imagine what that knowledge brings to the game when they confront a Ford that has a problem. We also own the Ford VCM Factory Diagnostic Tool that enables us to connect to the vehicle and get information from its computer. We can read codes, scan systems, activate systems and even reprogram the computers and key fobs. With a direct connection to Ford and its factory information to complement the tool, we can accomplish anything we need to repair your truck or car. One of our Ford mechanics is also trained in diesel repair and knows them as well as the gas cars. One of his specialties is working on the 6.0 liter engines that can be troublesome for many shops. So, if you own a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury or Mazda truck or car, rest assured that the staff at Performance Tune is ready and able to check, repair and work on your vehicle.

At Performance Tune, we emphasize quality. Not just talk about the necessity to provide quality, but to do something about it. There are several ways in which quality plays a role in car and truck repair. To illustrate, here is an example of a car recently brought to us. The Acura was experiencing a strange braking problem in that it would sometimes “grab” rather than slow smoothly, and at other times the pedal was felt to be “soft and mushy”. What we found is that someone, at a quick lube franchise we believe, had added motor oil to the brake master cylinder. This resulted in the contamination of the brake fluid, which although it is an oil, is a hydraulic oil and not a lubricating oil. I have only seen this happen a couple of times in the past 20 years, but it is a catastrophe when it occurs.  The problem is that motor oil is agressive and breaks down rubber when it makes contact with it. And there is rubber in the master cylinder (the pressure producing diaphragm), the calipers (the pressure producing diaphragm which pushes the pads into the rotors to slow and stop the vehicle), the antilock brake module which contains rubber diaphragms, and the four brake hoses which have a rubber component.

But back to quality, it is important to have quality in the people who do our work on your and my vehicles. Training and experience are a big part of that equation, as is attitude and environment. Does the person who works on our cars like his/her job? Is the working environment (cleanliness and sunlight for two) conducive to performing quality work? Then there is the parts that we use. The market today is stocked with a range of parts from the cheapest Chinese knockoffs to the most expensive Original Equipment or high performance brands. We use only the Original Equipment or equivalent parts so we know the repair will be safe and last as long as possible.

In summary, to save a few minutes, and maybe a couple of dollars, a trip to a facility that installs substandard parts put on by poorly trained and/or an unhappy mechanic can result in a very expensive repair. The owner of that Acura is now trying to figure out who is going to accept the responsibility for the repair of his car.

Quality counts.

We often receive calls from folks who are having a problem and want help in understanding what the problem is and how it can be corrected. This time of year it is often calls about air conditioning. The call goes something like this: “my AC is not blowing as cold as usual and I wonder how much it will cost to get the system recharged.” Now AC is not that simple of a system and when it does not blow cold it can be caused by a leak allowing the freon to escape from the system. Or, it could be caused by an electrical problem that results in the system not turning on properly. Or, it can be a mechanical problem such as a compressor failure that results in no cooling. Or, it can be …..  and the list goes on. Not knowing the cause means you cannot possibly come up with a cost. Being the scientists that we are, we begin by testing and analyzing the system to rule things in or out. Only then can we determine the cause and offer an estimate. Sometimes the best answer I can provide for that age old question “How Much?” is to state “Less than $xxxx” giving the absolute worst case scenario. We encourage our customers to ask questions and we enjoy answering them promptly. However, without actually seeing the vehicle and testing and analyzing it, we are nearly always unable to provide a correct diagnosis and estimate. Vehicles today are pretty well complicated by all the fancy gadgets and electronics that the industry seems to feel we need. Simplicity is not the rule of the day! Complexity rules.

Some of our customers at Performance Tune are surprised to learn that there are actually two service schedules for their vehicles. One is the regular schedule and the other is the  Severe Service Schedule.
Let’s look at what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions, and let you draw your own conclusions:

• Most of your trips are less than four miles
• Most of your trips are less than ten miles and outside temperatures are below freezing
• The engine is at low speed most of the time – not on the highway
• You operate your vehicle in dusty areas
• You regularly tow a trailer, carry heavy loads or a car-top carrier
• Stop and go driving
• Driving in very hot or very cold weather

So you can see that a lot has to do with how you drive, but some has to do with where you drive. Some areas of the country will be more or less severe than it is here in Fort Collins, CO.

For many, normal driving includes elements of severe service driving. So how do you know? Picture a line with ‘regular’ on one end and ‘severe’ on the other, and make a judgment on where you fall.

If your regular oil change recommendation is 5,000 miles and the Severe Service Recommendation is 3,000 – when should you change your oil? For some, it’s closer to 3,000 miles. For others, it’s closer to 5,000 miles. Your service advisor will be happy to have this discussion with you and help you sort it out.

If you drive where the air is dusty or polluted, fluids will become contaminated and filters will get dirtier more quickly.

So make an honest evaluation of your driving conditions in and around Fort Collins. You’ve made the commitment to take care of your vehicles, so it only makes sense to follow the right schedule.

Give us a call for advice for your car based on our local Fort Collins driving conditions.

When faced with a “no start” problem the first thing we ask is:  what happens when you turn the key? Does the vehicle’s engine “turn over” trying to start? Are there any noises when you try to start it? Does is whine, click, groan or just stay quiet? This information helps us differentiate between two conditions known as a “NO crank NO start” or a “crank NO start”. The first condition, no crank no start usually means that there is a problem with the starting and charging system. That system includes the starter, the battery and alternator, and sometimes the ignition switch or relays associated with the system. Occasionally, we find that two of these parts can be bad, but usually it is just one.

If the battery light on the dash is turned on, most often the problem lies with the alternator, not the battery. Crazy.

If there is a clicking sound and no crank, the problem often is caused by a bad starter. The down and dirty test for a bad starter is to TAP (not hit) the starter with a rubber mallet while somone tries to turn the car over. If it starts, the problem likely rests with the starter.

If there is absolutely no sound at all, any one or more of the components may be damaged and must be tested. We recommend that the testing be done with the components in the vehicle and not be removed for what is known as “bench testing”. These parts work as a team and are best tested in place where they all interact with one another.

Some people believe that since their radio and inside lights are working, the battery must be OK, but that is not necessarily the case. Those electrical items will operate at a much lower voltage than the starter and can lull you into a false sense that the battery is good, when in fact it is weak but not dead.

If the car starts with a jump and runs fine, but will not start after being turned off, the alternator is probably working fine and only battery will need to be replaced. However, if the car starts with a jump and does not run for long, the problem lies most likely with the alternator, but sometimes with the battery, and sometimes both are bad. On occasion we find that an alternator will overcharge (alternator gone mad) and destroy the battery in which case both may need replacement.

I have had an occasion where the inside of my battery went bad when I turned the key and there was a flash and then nothing. This is pretty rare but can occur as well.

The more complicated problem is that of the “crank NO start” in which there is power to turn the engine over but it will not light off and start. There are a number of issues that can cause this situation. Lack of spark or fuel are the most common causes and require more sophisticated testing to determine an exact cause. These are best handled by someone with a fair amount of experience in automotive diagnosis to figure out. Some causes can be a dead ignition coil, plugged fuel filter, failed fuel pump, toasted engine/fuel injection control unit and several more.

As our vehicles have become more complex and sophisticated, the need for testing and analyzing data have become necessary to repair failures. Due to the price of the equipment to do the testing and training for our technicians, you can expect to pay a fee for determining the cause of the problem. Free testing is done only by those who have not made the investments and is often inaccurate, so beware of the offer of free. The old saying “you get what you pay for” applies here.