Rockville Auto Repair

There's a segment of the Rockville area population that's not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Now, the ignition system in your vehicle is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers). So tune-ups used to force you in to Auto Clinic Care for service, and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new vehicles in Rockville have been leased. These folks plan on turning the vehicle in after two or three years, so they haven't focused on the maintenance that helps a vehicle last longer.Given all that, what's the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy.Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that major repairs are preve ... read more

Today in our Auto Clinic Care blog, we're going to talk about following recommended service intervals. Your vehicle isn't the only aspect of your life in Rockville with recommended intervals: Let's start with twice yearly dental check-ups and regular physical exams. How about laundry, watering the lawn and paying the bills?Now, what would happen if you didn't follow these intervals? Well, you'd get more cavities. You may not discover health conditions that could be more effectively treated with early detection. And you'd have to wear dirty clothes, be embarrassed by your brown lawn and have your utilities shut off.Clearly, there are some things in life that we have to take care of regularly. If we don't, there are negative consequences. Our quality of life in Rockville takes a hit and it inevitably costs more money.So why is it so hard to remember to follow regular preventive maintenance on our vehicles?Probably a couple of ... read more

If you've ever heard a squealing sound under your vehicle hood, chances are it was your serpentine belt. More importantly, the belt powers the alternator. The alternator creates electricity that's used by your vehicle's electrical systems and also charges the battery. Without the alternator, the battery will go dead after a short distance.The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering (some are electric) and power brakes (some use vacuum boost).And, on most vehicles, the serpentine belt powers the water pump. The water pump circulates coolant through the engine to keep it within optimal operating temperatures. On some Rockville vehicles, the water pump is powered by the timing belt instead of the serpentine belt.When they understand what it does, Rockville drivers realize that if it breaks, it affects a lot of systems. That's why vehicle manufacturers outline recommended replacement guidelines in the owner’s manuals. If thi ... read more

As Rockville consumers, we live in a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away.New stuff comes out so fast in MD, and much of it is fairly cheap, so we just toss the old and move on. It seems like when we were kids our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our stuff - especially parents who grew up in the Depression. You know, hang up your clothes, polish your shoes, put away your toys. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough; we had to do without.  We couldn't afford new cars very often, so we tried to make them last as long as we could. It's a good thing that cars are more reliable these days. They just don't break down as often. And the good news for us Rockville penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care. The engineering's there and so is the manufacturing quality. The missing ingredient is us making sure we follow the vehicle manufacturer's maintenance schedules.Is it really that bad fo ... read more

If you're reading this article in Rockville, MD, then you probably care about your vehicle and how it runs. Even though you care, there is still that moment of dread when your professional service advisor at Auto Clinic Care tells you the manufacturer recommends some additional service. Your heart beats a little faster, your blood pressure rises. You worry about spending more money than you had planned. And you worry that if you say "no," you might be harming your vehicle or risking your family's safety. At the risk of sounding like your dad, you really should have done your homework. Service recommendations are in your owner's manual. But it is not like you want to keep your vehicle auto maintenance schedule on your nightstand for bedtime reading.Vehicles are complicated machines and it takes some effort for Rockville residents to keep them running well. That is why they have maintenance schedules that explain how to keep your vehicle performing efficiently ... 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

When I was a kid, my dad always made sure he took the cars in for Spring and Fall checkups. I was telling a friend that it's about time to get into Auto Clinic Care for a checkup and he said that he read on the internet that modern cars don't need seasonal service.My friend is (technically) right about some things, but from a practical standpoint, a seasonal check up still makes sense.Back when my dad was teaching me about how to take care of the family vehicle, most of them used a different weight of oil in the winter and in the summer. But most of today's modern engines run the same oil year round. High-tech engines and high-tech motor oils are better able to handle the seasonal changes.Your owner's manual or Rockville service advisor at Auto Clinic Care can tell you the right oil to use.Of course, you're concerned about the coolant or antifreeze. You don't want to overheat in the MD summer or freeze up in the w ... read more

Hey Rockville - this is something really amazing: Your vehicle uses 12,000 times as much air as fuel when you drive it. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.That's like 100 gallons (380 liters) of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very important but inexpensive part that has to do a tremendous amount of work. And when it works, everything goes well. But, when it doesn't, well, it can lead to problems. Of course, your vehicle manufacturer recommends how often to change your air filter. But like most service intervals, where and how you drive your vehicle in MD affects when your filter needs to be changed.Dusty conditions around Rockville or polluted city driving means you'll need to change your filter more often. Our trained professionals at Auto Clinic Care can check your filter for you. In fact, it's often a routine part of an oil change.When you think about it, a clogged air filter wo ... read more

Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at Rockville car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of Rockville, MD, folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacturing, there's no reason a modern vehicle can't be made to last for a 150,000 miles (250,000 kilometers) or more for smart Rockville drivers.The old adage: 'a stitch in time saves nine' is really true for Rockville residents when it comes to car maintenance. A great example is coolant service.Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. Smart Rockville drivers have their cooling system service taken care of right on schedule at Auto Clinic Care.Ditto for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. Of course, oil changes should be done right on schedule to avoid the build-up ... read more