Rockville Auto Repair

When all of your vehicle's wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Hitting a road hazard or even just the normal bumps and bounces of everyday driving in Rockville can cause your vehicle's wheels to be out of alignment.Driving for an extended time around Rockville when your wheels are out of alignment results in uneven tire wear. This is dangerous … and expensive. Worst case scenario, you have a blowout on a crowded MD highway. It can also cause premature wear to your suspension system, which can be really expensive to repair. At the very least, you may have to replace your tires years too early. The ideal alignment for your vehicle was designed by its engineers. Alignment service at Auto Clinic Care starts with an inspection of the steering and suspension – to see if anything's bent or broken. Then your friendly and knowledgeable Auto Clinic Care technician will look at tire condition.From there, the vehi ... read more

Everyone in Rockville, MD, knows we are advised to go to our Rockville dentist twice a year.  Oral-conscious Rockville residents have a teeth-cleaning and examination. Once a year, we get x-rays to look for problems that can't be seen with the naked eye. When our dentist is done, he/she tells us what was found – "Everything's fine, see you in six months." Or "You've got a small cavity starting, let's schedule an appointment to take care of it." By the time you leave, you have a plan for addressing any necessary issues.This system works so much better than waiting for a painful problem before going into the dentist. Small problems are fixed before they turn into big problems. And you avoid those huge bills.If Rockville folks understand the wisdom of using this system for handling dental care, why do many resist when facing the same system for our vehicle maintenance? Following the vehicle manufacturer's recommended intervals can be confusing. First ... read more

No matter how well they're made, vehicles in Rockville, MD, will have design or manufacturing problems. And when the government thinks a problem is really serious for people in Rockville, MD, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the vehicle  free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone in MD who owns that type of vehicle to get the recall work done. Perhaps you have received a postcard notifying you of a recall. The government has links on its websites, or just visit AutoNetTV for links. There are many websites with free recall information and searches. There's CarFax, AutoByTel and the DMV.Recalls are serious but not all that common. Sometimes there are fewer issues, and for these, manufacturers issue a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB, that tells service centers like Auto Clinic Care how to repair a frequent or difficult problem.The pros get updated information throug ... read more

People in Rockville have been hearing a lot about higher oil change intervals these days. Maybe you're wondering: What are the key issues?Some new vehicle manufacturers are now recommending much higher oil change intervals than they have in the past. As much as 5,000 to 8,000 miles (8,000 km to 13,000 km) or more. This practice came under scrutiny when four of the largest new vehicle manufacturers announced that owners like those in Rockville were experiencing engine damage resulting from these higher oil change intervals.The manufacturers' standard oil drain service for particular vehicles was scheduled at around 7,500 miles/12,000 km. People following these recommendations were experiencing engine damage. It turns out that oil sludge was building up. This caused small oil passages to clog and engine parts to fail.What causes oil sludge? It's a factor of time and mileage. There are hot spots in every engine that cause oil burn off that leads to sludge ... read more

Modern vehicles in and around Rockville run on 12 volt electrical systems. 12 volts is enough to get the job done for Rockville drivers without having so much power that there is danger of electrocution. But today's vehicles have more electrical components and do-dads than ever before. This really strains your electrical system, making it hard for the battery to keep up. Think about it: electric seats, seat heaters, power locks windows and sun roofs. And then us MD drivers have all the power outlets for our cell phones, computers and DVD players.We also have navigation systems and powerful stereos. Plus there are all the engine and transmission computers, traction control, stability control, anti-lock brakes, sensors and on and on. Even the security system is running off the battery while the car is turned off.Fortunately, battery technology has given Rockville drivers resilient batteries that are able to meet these strenuous requirements. But the fact is, batteries just wear out ... read more

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars in Rockville, MD: emission devices and control computers, safety equipment like airbags and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the Rockville motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new vehicle.Because new vehicles are more expensive, people in the Rockville area are driving their old vehicles longer. The average vehicle is now over nine years old. Two thirds of vehicles on the road in MD have more than 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. As cars age, their performance drops, they have difficulty idling for long periods and are more sensitive to weather extremes. Fortunately today's cars are up to the challenge – but they need a little help to keep on goin'.Give Auto Clinic Care a call at 301.881.7891 to schedule your next maintenance.Some owner's manuals don't specify service requirements at higher mileage. That doesn't mean it doesn't have to be done. In ... read more

  Most Rockville drivers don't even think about their air conditioner. Now here's a tip for Rockville vehicle owners: Run your air conditioner every so often during MD winters. This circulates the lubricant to help keep the seals from drying out. The air conditioner actually removes some of the moisture in the air. So if you have trouble with fogging on your vehicle windshield during MD winters or during a rain storm, running the A/C on the defrost setting should help. Now on some Rockville cars you can't run the A/C at the same time as the defroster. Don't ask me why, but I suspect lawyers were involved.Also, air and water can get into the A/C system. That can reduce the efficiency of the system and also lead to corrosion that causes damage. Rockville drivers should periodically purge the system and replace the refrigerant to remove the air and water.MD drivers would be wise to ... read more

When it comes to their vehicles, some Rockvilleresidents don't have amaintenance mindset. They know they need to take care of their cars, but it just seems really hard to get them to remember to do it. Rockville drivers generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance but just may not have applied it to their vehicles.Here's something that will help: The key to good vehicle maintenance starts with the oil change. Think about it – when you go in for a full-service oil change, your friendly and knowledgeable Auto Clinic Care service advisor will check all your fluids. If one of them is low, he can look for the reason. If your serpentine belt is cracked, he'll see it and let you know. Corroded battery cable – they've got you covered. And at Auto Clinic Care, we check to see if your vehicle manufactu ... read more

If you've ever been in a vehicle accident around Rockville, MD, even a minor one, you know how upsetting it can be. It's hard to think straight and know what to do.Let's review what you should do in case of an accident in Rockville, MD:When an accident occurs, you should always stop. Leaving the scene of an accident is considered a crime in MD, even if it's not your fault. And hit-and-run penalties are fairly severe, possibly resulting in steep fines, loss of your driver's license or even jail time in our local Rockville lockup.Most places, including MD, require that you try to help someone who is injured by calling for help or performing first aid if you are able.Warn other Rockville motorists by putting out flares, using your flashers or lifting your hood.Call 911 as soon as possible. Tell the operator if medical or fire help is needed.Always file a police report. It's tempting to skip ... read more

Have you ever gone to listen to an orchestra? The musicians take the stage early and tune their instruments. Each individual instrument must be in tune, but the critical thing is for the entire orchestra to be in tune with each other. That's why they tune up together.Now this is no surprise; I'm going to relate the orchestra to your vehicle. Your engine has many component systems that each need to be working properly. And the components need to be working in sync, all timed up together in order for the engine to work efficiently.We call this... (ta-da) a tune-up. When an orchestra's out of tune you get a bad concert. When your vehicle's out of tune you get bad performance and bad fuel economy.So check your owner's manual for recommended tune-up intervals. Or ask your Rockville service advisor at Auto Clinic Care what he thinks....Just be careful not to say you want to make beautiful music together – that kinda makes us uncomfortable. Auto Cl ... read more