Rockville Auto Repair

One Rockville automotive service issue that doesn't get much attention is driveline service. Drivelines don't get talked about very much around Rockville, but they're very important. First let's define what the driveline is:Taking a small step back, the power plant is comprised of the engine and transmission. The driveline starts there and includes all of the components that transfer power from the transmission to the wheels.That's not really a lot of components, but they handle the full force of the engine. Without the driveline you're not moving. So Rockville residents need to take good care of it. The driveline components differ depending on whether your vehicle has front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive or four wheel drive. For purposes of our discussion, we're going to have to oversimplify a bit. If you are ready to have your drive train looked at, give us a call at 301.881.7891. Let's start with front wheel drive. The point where th ... read more

Power steering is standard on nearly every vehicle in Rockville, MD, these days. Now there are some exotic, new types of power steering systems, but for the most part, the general setup is a pump that's driven by a belt powered by the engine. Contact the automotive professionals at Auto Clinic Care in Rockville for questions about your power steering. The pump generates power that assists drivers as they steer their vehicle around Rockville, MD. Power steering systems use hoses to move pressurized fluid back and forth. These hoses can develop leaks so it's a good idea to have Auto Clinic Care inspect them at every oil change. A check of the power steering fluid level is on the list for every full service oil change at Auto Clinic Care because low fluid can damage the power steering pump. And the fluid needs to be compatible with the hoses and seals, so it's important to use the correct type – just ask your service advisor at Auto ... read more

Your vehicle is important to you, and keeping it running properly is important to your lifestyle. That's why you're smart enough to have it serviced regularly at Auto Clinic Care in Rockville. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right by automotive professionals.It's also very important to your Rockville service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our Rockville auto service center spends annually to make sure our friendly and knowledgeable technicians are properly trained.Auto Clinic Care offers a variety of automotive services for many kinds of vehicles. We need to be current on the latest techniques and parts so that we can give you quality service. Our Rockville service centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer.And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. Auto Clinic Care technicians follow these procedures so th ... read more

About 90% of our driving decisions in the Rockville area are based solely on what we see. So having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely important.Most Rockville drivers have experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm, or when our vehicle windshield is just dirty. In fact, it's estimated that 46,000,000 drivers across the nation are driving with wipers that can't adequately clear their windshield in a storm.It seems like our wiper blades are always at their worst when we need them the most. If that sounds like you, you've got plenty of company in the Rockville area. 78% of drivers only change their wiper blades after the blades function so poorly that they become a safety hazard.Rockville drivers need to change their thinking. Instead of blades being something to replace when they fail, we need to consider wiper blades as vehicle safety component. Then we'll stay ahead of the sto ... read more

Flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances can all be the result of driving around Rockville on underinflated tires. Admittedly, it's hard to tell when a radial tire is underinflated. If your vehicle manufacturer recommends 35 pounds of pressure, your vehicle tires are considered significantly underinflated at 26 pounds. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds.New laws require all vehicles to include a tire pressure monitor system, or TPMS. This technology has been used by race car drivers for years. They are able to head off problems from underinflation by closely monitoring tire pressure on the track. It's up to your vehicle's manufacturer to determine which of many TPMS systems available they'll use to comply with the law.Obviously, all of this doesn't come free for Rockville drivers. Government studies have estimated the net costs. Of course, the TPMS system itself will cost something. Maintaining the ... read more

Here's an interesting statistic for our in Rockville, MD, drivers: Only 30 percent of car batteries make it to 48 months. And the life expectancy varies by where you live. It ranges from 51 months in extremely cold areas to just 30 months in extremely hot climates.Why is that? It turns out that it's our modern cars with all their electric accessories that are to blame. Things like, GPS, DVDs and entertainment computers are keeping vehicle batteries from maintaining a full charge. The longer a battery goes with a low charge, the sooner it'll die.It's clear that you Rockville drivers need to recharge your batteries. This is the job of the alternator. The problem comes when the car's demand for electricity is high and we are driving in stop and go conditions or short trips around Rockville. The alternator just can't keep up.The result is shortened battery life. So what can we do to improve our battery's health?We need to keep the battery as close to a full charge as p ... read more

Like everything in the MD automotive market, there have been great strides in headlight technology in recent years. MD drivers can be safer at night because of it. Good headlights improve visibility on Rockville roads, enabling you to see farther. They also improve your peripheral vision, helping you to see the sides more clearly. The more you can see, the more quickly you can react to road conditions. This is because nearly half of traffic fatalities take place at night. And as Rockville resident population ages, everything that helps older eyes is welcome.Most new vehicles sold in MD come with halogen headlamps. A decade ago, halogens were exotic and expensive. Now that they are standard equipment, the price has come way down. Many luxury cars are equipped with high intensity discharge, or HID, headlamps. You have probably seen them on some Rockville roads; they're very bright and have a bluish tint.From behind the wheel, there is no doubt that HID headlamp ... read more

Imagine you've left Rockville and you're up in the arctic on a dog sled.Your dog team is pulling straight and true. You can cover a lot of ground quickly. Now imagine what would happen if one or two of the dogs wanted to go their own way and were pulling off to the side.That would slow you down. You would have to work harder to keep the sled going where you want it. The dogs are all working as hard as before, but you're covering less ground for the same effort.You're wasting kibble.The same is true of your vehicle when the wheels are out of alignment. That wheel that's pulling to the side is dragging down the rest of the vehicle; so you push a little harder on the gas pedal to keep up your speed. You're wasting gas.So have your wheel alignment checked at least once a year. It is important to get it checked right away if you feel the vehicle pulling to one side.Sometimes we Rockville residents bump a curb or hit a pothole and knock our wheels out of alignment. An accident can take ... read more

Weight is the enemy of fuel economy. Everyone from Rockville knows this makes sense.Some of us in the Rockville area carry a bunch of unnecessary weight, and I'm not talkin' what you see in the mirror.Guys: sports equipment and tools. Ladies: well, just take a look around the passenger compartment and trunk. I think my car has about 45 pounds of french fries on the floor.All that extra weight wastes gas as you drive between here and there, and everywhere else.Lose the junk and save some money....And you really only need one of those spare tires. Auto Clinic Care 5531 Nicholson Lane Rockville, MD 20852 301.881.7891 http://WWW.autocliniccare.com

All MD pilots have checklists for every aspect of flying. They always use their checklists even if they only have two steps on them. They do this simply because a checklist is a great way to not forget steps. It is also how they can assure a predictable outcome. That is why Rockville automotive service centers including Auto Clinic Care have procedural standards for each service they perform. Auto Clinic Care technicians are trained step by step. And they perform the procedures step by step, the same way each time. By training to procedural standards, MD service centers can assure a quality outcome. The job is done right every time and Rockville customers leave happy with how their vehicle performs. Each company trains its technicians to standards. The MD automotive industry as a whole is very committed to standards of excellence and encourages individual MD service center operators to apply them to every vehicle they service. An example is how Auto Clini ... read more