Posts by Dennis Vieira
An Oil for All Seasons (Engine Oil Selection)
You swap your winter boots for flip-flops in the summer. Why not change your winter engine oil for summer, hot-weather oil? While it may seem like it makes sense, there’s some good news. Most drivers don’t have to, and here’s why. Engine oil can be made in different thicknesses. That thickness is called viscosity, how…
Read MoreA Not-So-Straight Story (Vehicle Pulls to One Side)
A vehicle should travel straight down a straight road with the steering wheel centered. But time and travel can take their toll and soon you may find your vehicle pulling to the left or right. Those are not good signs and should be taken care of fairly quickly. One thing that you should note is…
Read MoreNo Yolk! Rotten Egg Smell (Sulfur Smell Causes)
The pungent smell of rotten eggs can send people running for the hills. So when that odor is inside your vehicle, yikes! Yolks! The good news is that a trained service technician can search the source of that smell and stanch the stench… that comes from another words that begins with S. Sulfur. Fuel contains…
Read MoreSTRAIGHT TALK ABOUT STEERING (Loose Steering)
Perhaps you’ve heard someone use the term “loose steering.” And it’s pretty much what it sounds like. You turn the steering wheel and the vehicle’s wheels don’t seem to go exactly where you thought you were pointing them. You have to constantly make steering adjustments. Loose steering is sloppy steering, and it can be a…
Read MoreWhen Metal Meets Metal (Wheel Bearings)
What part of your vehicle has little metal balls inside that are lubricated and allow you to cruise on down the road? They are wheel bearings, and automotive designers might argue they are human beings’ second greatest invention of all time (the first is, of course, the wheel!). You have a wheel bearing at each…
Read MoreQUIET TIME (Listening for Vehicle Problems)
Everybody’s got friends like this. You know, the kind who, the minute they get in their vehicle and turn the key, the sound system is deafening. They just love to hear that music, sports, news… anything but the sound of the vehicle itself. And maybe you’re that person, too. Here’s something to consider: your sound…
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