Rockville Auto Repair

Why are wheel bearings for Rockville vehicles important? It's simple: your wheel bearings keep the wheels on your vehicle. In today's Auto Clinic Care post, we'll discuss more about wheel bearings and how you can make sure they can do their very job while you drive around Rockville, MD. Wheel bearings are pretty simple parts. They're made of high quality steel and are engineered to last 100,000 miles (160,000)  or more if properly cared for. The bearings do two jobs: First, they allow the wheel to freely rotate with as little friction as possible. Second, they support the weight of the vehicle. For example, if your car weighs 3,600 pounds (1600 kilogram), each wheel has to support approximately 900 pounds (400 kilograms). That's a lot of heavy lifting over those long distances.Even though wheel bearings are pretty straightforward, they need to be in near perfect condition to do their job for Rockville vehicles. The bearings are packed with heavy grease to lubricat ... read more

Underinflated tires waste gas for lots of folks in the Rockville area. Think how hard it is to walk in sand – you just have to work harder because of the resistance. When your tires don't have enough air in them, their rolling resistance is dramatically increased and it simply takes more gas to get from here to there.Always check your tire pressure when you gas up at one of our local Rockville service stations. If they're low – even just a little bit – bring them up to proper pressure. There's a sticker on the inside of your driver's door that gives the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure.And don't rely on your tire pressure monitoring system to alert you to when you need more air. The TPMS system is set to warn you when pressure drops 20 percent below recommendations. That's severely underinflated and you needed more air a long time ago. And if you have a slow leak – get it fixed right away at Auto Clinic Care.Ge ... read more

When we shop for shoes, most of us know that we can get two pairs of cheap shoes or one good pair for about the same price. And since the two cheap pairs wear out in about the same time as the good pair, there really is no difference in cost. If you like having a closet full of shoes to match your moods and outfits, then cheap shoes can be what you want. But if you spend a lot of time on your feet, you probably know that cheap shoes can come with an added cost of sore feet and other foot ailments. When you add in the benefits of comfort and protection, the more expensive shoes are actually the better value.Buying tires at Auto Clinic Care in Rockville is a lot like buying shoes, except that Rockville vehicles don't have changeable apparel and don't need a closet full of tires to match. Vehicles spend a lot of time on their tires—all the time, in fact—so they need tires that can stand up to the job. Tires are work shoes ... read more

Do you like to shop for shoes in Rockville?When buying a running shoe, is quality important?Does durability matter as long as the shoes look fabulous?Would you rather have one pair of long lasting shoes or two pairs of lower quality shoes at the same price?Is the warranty important when buying tires? Rockville drivers should also think about the safety aspect of tires. The tires do a lot of work – they carry the weight of the vehicle and you and your passengers. You want to be sure they hold the road and provide good traction on MD freeways and surface streets. If you carry heavy loads or tow a trailer on MD highways, the tires need a high load rating.Ask your friendly and knowledgeable Rockville tire professional at Auto Clinic Care. I think it's important that Rockville residents understand the effect of price on a tire's quality, performance and durability. When I was a kid, my dad would say, “Pay twice as much and buy half ... read more

What type of technology do you use? Do you prefer an 8-track tape or an iPod? When it comes to winter tires, much of Rockville driver's perception dates back to when 8-track was the best way to listen to the Bee Gees.Twenty years ago in MD, winter tires differed from highway tires only in their tread design. MD drivers called them snow tires back then, and they had big, knobby lugs that were designed to give good traction in deep snow. They had the same rubber compound as regular tires and they weren't very good on ice, packed snow or wet MD roads. They were not even very good on dry roads. They really helped in deep or loose snow, but they did a poor job the rest of the time. They were loud and rode hard. People couldn't wait to get them off in the spring.Then all-season tires started to appear in Rockville tire shops. All-season tires are really a compromise between summer and winter performance. They have acceptable hot weather ride and tread life and can get MD drivers through mild ... read more

  Hey Rockville area drivers, are your tires worn out? What is the standard for our MD streets? How can you tell on your vehicle?While there may be legal requirements for the Rockville area, there are safety concerns that go beyond meeting minimum replacement mandates.Two-thirty-seconds of an inch is the depth of the tire tread wear indicator bars that US law has required to be molded across all tires since August 1, 1968. When tires are worn so that this bar is visible, there's just 2/32 of an inch – 1.6 millimeters – of tread left. It's that level of wear that's been called into question recently.We're referring to the tread depth on a tire, it can't move surface water out of the way and you start to hydroplane.In a safety study, a section of a test track was flooded with a thin layer of water. If you laid a dime on the track, the water would be deep enough to surround the coin, but not enough to cover it.A car and a full-sized pick-up accelerated to ... read more

Shopping for tires in Rockville can be bewildering because there are many choices. Let's simplify. There are four main classifications of tires, each designed for different purposes.First off, there are summer tires. Those who buy summer tires in Rockville are looking for maximum summertime performance. The rubber is a little softer to help stick to the road on fast corners on MD roads. The tread has wide blocks at the shoulder to stiffen the tire in turns. The tread design can handle rain but really isn't set up for snow and ice. Next comes winter tires. Rockville people buy winter tires because they still like performance driving when it's cold and slippery on MD roads, so they need a tread design that'll really bite into ice and snow. The rubber compound is formulated to stay pliable when temperatures drop below 45 degrees F/7 degrees C so they get great traction even on dry roads. On the other end of the winter tire spectrum are tires designe ... read more

Today's tires and wheels offer a lot of options for every Rockville driver's style, habits and driving conditions.Tires are designed for high-performance in winter or summer and even come in a long-wearing variety for all MD seasons.Rockville off-roaders should be excited about the options available to them as well. The tread on off-road tires is designed to handle the wear from bumps and rocks. The tires' high profile protects rims from damage.But what if you own an SUV but aren't interested in off-roading around MD? You can change out those high-profile beasts for a lower, wider look if it suits your style.Auto Clinic Care tire professionals can offer great auto advice on how to choose tires that match your needs and style.If you just need to purchase new tires, a tire professional at Auto Clinic Care can also help you select the tires that are best for your driving needs and habits. The right tires will protect you and your vehicle on the road.So personalize your vehicle ... read more

Have you noticed an increase in price when you get a flat tire fixed in Rockville, or have your tires rotated? It might be the result of your TPMS, or Tire Pressure Monitoring System.The federal government began requiring a TPMS system on 2008 model year passenger vehicles and light trucks. Some 2006 and 2007 models may have them as well. The system has a warning light that is mounted on the dashboard that will go on if one of the tires becomes severely underinflated.Why the new requirement? Because underinflated tires are the number one cause of tire failure. Tire blowouts cause crashes and sometimes fatal accidents. Underinflated tires also need longer stopping distance and can skid, both of which also present dangers on MD roads. Many flat tires can also be prevented by proper tire inflation, and though this may seem an economic consideration, Rockville drivers who have changed a flat on the side of the road recognize that this has serious safety concerns as well.A ... read more

Remember snow tires? They were basically just regular tires with big, knobby lugs to get them through deep snow. They were loud and rode hard, and Rockville drivers couldn't wait to get them off the car. Then along came television advertisements for “all-season” radials. MD drivers ran out and bought some and we thought we were done with snow tires forever.Tires have come a long way since then. Modern winter tires sold in the Rockville area are much better designed for the wide range of conditions that come with MD winter weather. They are made with a rubber compound that helps them stay flexible in cold weather. Regular tires become hard and stiff at Rockville temperatures below 45°F (7° C) which reduces their traction. That's a concern in winter, especially with snowy or wet conditions. But it also means that Rockville drivers are better off with winter tires in cold weather even when it's dry.The tread design on winter tires has been improved to move snow, slush ... read more