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Transmission Fluid: What You Need to Know

Transmission fluid keeps the parts in your automatic transmission moving smoothly together. Like other vital automotive fluids, it can deteriorate over time. Hard use -- such as frequent stop-and-go city driving, hauling heavy loads, trailer towing -- will accelerate that deterioration. That kind of driving raises the operating temperature of the transmission, and heat puts more strain on the transmission and the fluid, which helps facilitate gear shifts, cools the transmission and lubricates moving parts. How do I know if my transmission fluid or filter has gone bad? Automatic transmission fluid darkens as it ages; if it becomes brown or almost black that is an indication it needs to be changed. Dirt or debris in the fluid and a burned odor also are signs. Many transmissions have filters that should be replaced or cleaned periodically, and because that usually requires removing a fluid pan, it should be checked when the fluid is changed. A clogged filter can prevent enough fluid from being pumped to vital parts of the transmission and cause gear slippage, sluggish shifting or a high-pitched whine when accelerating.

How often should I replace my transmission fluid or fluid filter? Check the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual because the recommended intervals from vehicle manufacturers are all over the board, from as early as 40,000 miles to as long as 150,000. Some even say it never has to be changed, though many mechanics advise that it should be done every 50,000 miles to be safe. As with engine oil, it doesn't hurt to change transmission fluid more often than is recommended, but you might be paying extra for little benefit. If your transmission has a fluid filter, it should be changed every time the fluid is changed (although some filters can be cleaned). Why do I have to replace my transmission fluid and filter? Transmission fluid deteriorates over time, especially from hard use. Over years and thousands of miles, the fluid loses its ability to facilitate gear shifts, cool the transmission and lubricate moving parts. In addition, it picks up dirt and debris that can damage internal parts. Many transmissions have filters to catch that debris, but the filters can clog and prevent enough fluid from being pumped to vital parts of the transmission, causing gear slippage, sluggish shifting or a high-pitched whine when accelerating. How much should I pay? The cost of repairs can depend on where you are as much as it does on what you need fixed. To get an estimate for your repair, go to our estimator, plug in your car's year, make and model information, add your ZIP code, and choose the repair you need. We'll give you a range for what your repairs should cost in your area.

https://www.cars.com/articles/transmission-fluid-what-you-need-to-know-1420684517407/

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How Long Does a Car Battery in a New Car Last?

You rely on your car's battery to start your car every time you turn the key. Whether you are driving to work or just hitting the road for a day of fun, you need to know that your battery is up to the job. Unfortunately, batteries don't last forever, and even new car batteries will eventually need to be replaced.

How long should the battery in your vehicle last? The answer isn't always straightforward, and in many cases, it isn't as long as drivers think it should be.

Car Battery Lifespan and What Causes Batteries to Fail

The average life expectancy of a car battery is three years or so, but there are several factors that can have an impact on that estimate. Even under the most ideal conditions, chemical reactions cause batteries to break down, and your vehicle will likely need a new battery within a few years.

Though car battery problems are often associated with cold weather, Consumer Reports magazine says heat is a bigger enemy of car batteries and will take a bigger toll on performance and reserve capacity. Heat can also decrease a battery's lifespan significantly. Hot weather causes liquids inside batteries to evaporate as well as internal damage. This can occur whether you are driving or if the car is parked. The magazine recommends that vehicle owners in hotter parts of the country have their car battery tested after two years of ownership and then every year after. Those who live in colder areas can wait four years after buying a car to test performance and capacity, then every year after.

"Heat kills car batteries," according to John Banta, a Consumer Reports project leader and part of the team that tests batteries for the magazine. "Many times in cold climates, your battery fails to start your car on a below-freezing day. The reason this happens is that the heat of the past summers has weakened your battery. When you use it in the cold, the starter requires more electrical current to turn over the cold engine with its thickened oil."

Leaving your car parked or stored for long periods of time can also lead to a dead battery that you will need to recharge before heading out for a drive.

Testing a battery's performance and reserve (or amp-hour) capacity is not just a matter of seeing whether it will hold a charge (or checking the electric eye found on some batteries to see if it is green), so testing is best done by an auto technician at a repair shop. A professional can also determine if any problems you are having may be caused by something else, like your battery terminals or alternator. If a bad battery is the culprit, your mechanic will help you choose and install an appropriate replacement.

When to Change Your Car's Battery

There are several signs that indicate the battery in your car is failing and needs to be replaced. Sluggish engine cranking and unusual electrical problems like flickering headlights are telltale signs of trouble, though they may also indicate problems with your car's alternator. You should also replace your battery if it is bulging or has a rotten egg smell.

https://www.cars.com/articles/2013/03/how-long-does-a-car-battery-in-a-new-car-last/

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Does My Car Need Synthetic Oil?

The variety of oils on the shelf at an auto parts store can bewilder those unprepared for a do-it-yourself fill-up, but if you're looking for the fastest answer to whether or not you should use synthetic oil with time as an imperative and money as no object, the answer is a lot clearer than the black stuff: If your car's owner's manual says it does, you do.

For many consumers, however, whether to spend extra money for synthetic oil for an oil change is a difficult question to answer. Manufacturers of synthetic oil promise more miles and better performance when compared with conventional motor oil, but that oil comes at a higher cost — sometimes twice as much per oil change as conventional lubricant. Is the fancier motor oil worth the extra money?

Typically, high-performance vehicles will be more likely to require synthetic oil, as will vehicles that have a turbocharged or supercharged engine. However, if the automaker for your vehicle does not require synthetic oil for your engine, the oil choice is trickier — and there is no clear answer.

Synthetic oil generally resists breaking down for longer than conventional motor oil (typically 7,500 miles to 10,000 miles, sometimes up to 15,000 miles, as opposed to 3,000 miles to 7,500 miles for conventional oil). Breakdown can cause increased viscosity that cuts efficiency to additives being depleted and to sludge building up in the engine. The extra cost of synthetic motor oil is a wash, even if it costs you twice as much, if you have half the number of oil changes. Other touted benefits of synthetic oil for your car include cleaner engines, better flow in cold temperatures, better protection when it's hot outside and better performance with turbocharged engines.

There are also synthetic blends. As the name implies, these are blends of synthetic and conventional oils. These semi-synthetic engine oils straddle a middle ground — they cost more than conventional oils but less than full synthetics, and are said to last longer between oil changes than conventional oils but not quite as long as synthetics. But again, that's a hard number to pin down since manufacturers are vague with their claims for intervals between oil changes. An independent testing lab we spoke with said that synthetics often didn't perform much better than conventional oils do.

Still, older engines may benefit from synthetics because that engine oil is less likely to form sludge.

If your car doesn't require synthetic oil you should perform a cost-benefit analysis, but that can be difficult to do due to vague engine protection and interval claims made by motor oil manufacturers. There may be no reason to spend more on synthetic oil except for peace of mind. Conventional won't be the wrong oil to use in your car.

https://www.cars.com/articles/does-my-car-need-synthetic-oil-1420684417536/

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How Can I Tell If My Radiator Is Leaking?

How can you tell when your car's radiator is leaking? When the temperature gauge on your dashboard reads high or a temperature warning light comes on, you have a cooling system problem that may be caused by leakage — be it in the radiator itself or some other component.

First, make sure it's coolant that's leaking, not another fluid. (Coolant is often referred to as antifreeze, but technically coolant is a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water.) You can easily check the coolant level in your see-through overflow tank. If it's empty or low, the next step should be to check the coolant level in the radiator, but that should be done only when the engine is cool. Having too little coolant in the car's cooling system can cause engine overheating and/or make your cabin heater blow cold air.

Once you know you're losing coolant, the radiator is a good place to start. Some radiator leaks will be easy to spot — such as a puddle underneath the radiator — but others not so much. It's best to check the radiator from every angle, not just from above, and pay particular attention to seams and the bottom. Rust inside the radiator or holes from road debris also can cause coolant leaks. Your vehicle may have an aluminum radiator that technically can't rust, but aluminum can corrode or develop pinhole leaks too.

Antifreeze comes in different colors — green, yellow and pinkish-red, for example — feels like slimy water and usually has a sweet smell. If you can't see coolant dripping or seeping, look for rust, tracks or discoloration on the radiator. Those are telltale signs of where it has leaked.

If the radiator appears to be OK, the cooling system offers several possibilities for leaks, including the hoses from the radiator to the engine, the radiator cap, water pump, engine block, thermostat, reservoir tank, heater core (a small radiator that circulates hot coolant into the dashboard for passenger-compartment heating) and others. A blown gasket between the cylinder head and engine block is another possibility, allowing coolant inside the combustion chambers — a problem that must be addressed immediately by a mechanic. (Thick white smoke coming from the tailpipe is actually steam, a telltale symptom.)

If you can't find a leak, have it checked by a mechanic. Coolant has a way of escaping only under pressure when the car is running — possibly in the form of steam, which may not leave a trace. If the culprit continues to evade detection, you might consider a radiator stop-leak additive, available at auto parts stores, which seals small leaks — but it's always better to find and repair the problem's source, especially in the case of faulty head gaskets, which can lead your power supply to overheat and cause catastrophic engine damage.

https://www.cars.com/articles/how-can-i-tell-if-my-radiator-is-leaking-1420684864902/

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Do I Need to Replace a Damaged Wheel?

Do you need to replace a car's damaged wheel? Not if it's cosmetic or superficial damage, such as from scraping a curb. If your car has steel wheels, you might just have a damaged wheel cover; if the underlying steel rim is sound, you merely have an aesthetic problem and might choose to repair or replace the cover. It's a similar story for alloy wheels, which don't have covers: If a scuffed rim is still round and has no bent sections or chunks of metal missing, it's likely the problem is merely cosmetic — but it's wise to keep an eye on any wheel that has sustained curb rash to ensure that the tire doesn't develop a slow leak over time.

On the other hand, if the wheel is bent, dented, cracked or structurally weakened from hitting a massive pothole, running over a steep curb or some other mishap, it may need to be replaced, though it could possibly be repaired. A dented wheel may not be able to maintain a seal with the tire bead, resulting in consistent slow leaks or blowouts, and it will be difficult if not impossible to balance so that it doesn't vibrate at speed. A wheel with structural damage could eventually break apart. When in doubt about the severity of damage, a mechanic experienced in assessing wheel damage should inspect the entire wheel with the tire removed.

Whether to repair or replace a bent wheel is often a judgment call, but because it involves safety as well as cosmetic concerns, the best course is to err on the side of safety and avoid a delay.

Repair services that promise to restore badly damaged rims to like-new condition might be able to remove dents and bends to make a rim look great again. However, there are no federal vehicle safety standards that apply to refurbished wheels, so you'll be taking your chances as to whether they'll still have their original strength and integrity.

Repairing more than superficial rim damage will not be an easy do-it-yourself project. Heat and specialized machines are used to straighten bends, and a complete refurbishment involves removing all paint and protective coatings, repairing corrosion and physical damage, then applying new paint and clear coat.

The repair cost will vary by rim size and the type and amount of damage, and it might approach the price of a new or used replacement. Many original-equipment aluminum wheels can cost hundreds of dollars to replace — or even thousands in the case of luxury and sports cars, which combine larger wheels with low-profile tires that provide less protection. So buying a used one can save money. However, it might be hard to determine if a used wheel had prior damage and is refurbished.

https://www.cars.com/articles/do-i-need-to-replace-a-damaged-wheel-1420684865486/

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SUSPENSION & WHEEL            ALIGNMENT

Auto manufacturers spend a lot of time and money making sure that their vehicles ride smooth and handles exceptionally well on the road, And then what do we do? We drive over potholes, speed bumps and rough roads – all of which will play a big part in throwing your car’s wheel alignment all out of whack. What makes Empire Auto Repair different from other alignment shops in CA? First, our shop features a state of the art Hunter flush mounted left matched to Hunter's DSP600 High Definition Digital Imaging 4 Wheel Alignment System.

We align your vehicle using Hunter’s laser measuring system and adjustments can be made to your cars geometry (camber, caster and toe) with incredible accuracy. When your vehicle is out of alignment, there are several reasons why you can’t afford to decline an wheel alignment. Poor alignment decreases gas mileage, tire life and will increases the risk of damage to other components, including steering components.

http://www.empireautoservice.com/maintenance

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TUNING & BRAKES

The Brake system provides the ability to stop a vehicle efficiently and safely and therefore is a vital component of driving safely. A well maintained Brake system protects the vehicle, driver, passengers and others sharing the road. Periodic inspection of friction material, vital system components and hydraulics helps to ensure efficient system performance and cost effective repairs.

Vehicle manufacturers recommend brake inspection at regular intervals, usually every 12,000 miles, to ensure vehicle safety and cost effective repairs.

http://www.empireautoservice.com/maintenance

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Maintenance :

All cars and trucks need regular "check-ups" to ensure that all parts are in working order, fluids are at the correct levels, and worn out parts are properly replaced. The expert auto mechanics at Empire Auto Service, serving orange county for more than 20 years, are certified car maintenance specialists. You are welcome to visit anytime and check out our shop and our auto repair service special offers. In addition, we offer nationwide 24,000 miles or 24 months guaranteed.

http://www.empireautoservice.com/maintenance

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About Us:

Empire Auto Service is your Dealer Alternative, providing Affordable Auto Repair and Automotive Services with experience and expertise to getting your automotive repair or service Done Right the First Time!!

Empire Auto Service has been serving Orange County for Twenty years. It is located in the heart of Orange County at 100 E. Dyer Road in Santa Ana, CA 92707. Conveniently nestled between the 5, 55, & 405 freeways, near South Coast Plaza.

​Whether an oil change, smog check, brake service, tire change or transmission repair you can count on our competitive prices and highest quality service. 5 STARs all the way!

Our Certified technicians service all vehicle makes and models with the latest diagnostic tool and quality parts for the most accurate repair. Our skilled specialists are equipped with years of experience in auto repair and service. We even back every auto repair service with a minimum 24,000 mile nationwide warranty, so you can rest assured knowing your vehicle is in good hands!

http://www.empireautoservice.com/