Ask Tuffy Kentwood (Kalamazoo Ave SE): What Happens When a Serpentine Belt Breaks?
July 3, 2018
The serpentine belt is aptly named since it snakes around under your hood. It may lack its namesake's fangs, but it sure packs a wallop when it breaks.The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine systems. It runs the alternator, which charges the battery; the water pump (on some vehicles), which co... More
Combustion Choreography: Timing Belt Replacement at Tuffy Kentwood (Kalamazoo Ave SE) in Kentwood
June 26, 2018
Have you ever seen a ballet performance? Have you wondered how all of those dancers manage to travel all over the stage jumping and twirling and never crash into each other? That's the job of a choreographer.Our auto engines are also highly choreographed. Pistons travel up and down inside cylinde... More
Timing Belt Service to Save Big Bucks in Kentwood
January 3, 2018
Your engine is like a finely choreographed dance. All the parts have to work together. If the timing is off at the ballet, dancers crash into each other and fall down. It the timing is off in your engine, it may not run at all. One of the most intricate dances in your engine has to do with the c... More
Good Timing: Proper Timing Belt Replacement Saves Money for Kentwood Drivers
October 16, 2016
Knowing how their engine works can help Kentwood drivers make informed decisions about auto care and prevent repairs to their vehicles. This is especially true when it comes to timing belts.An engine's power is generated in the cylinders. Inside the cylinder is a piston that moves up and down wh... More
Kentwood Car Owners Ask: Why Do I Need to Change My Serpentine Belt?
August 23, 2016
Any Kentwood driver who understands preventive maintenance knows that if it ain't broke, don't fix it is bad auto advice. Replacing a part before it breaks is much less costly for Kentwood residents than repairing the engine damage that comes after a part breaks or fails. A good example of this i... More
Transmission Care in Kentwood, Michigan
May 2, 2016
Do you have any plans around Kentwood, Michigan , for the weekend? Maybe you and some friends are taking the boat up to the lake. Maybe you'll be having a lot of fun water skiing and doing a little fishing.You got the boat all ready. It's all gassed up. You packed lots of snacks and the cooler's... More
Tuffy Kentwood (Kalamazoo Ave SE) Auto Tips and Videos: A Broken or Damaged Timing Belt
January 26, 2016
The timing belt rotates the cam shafts which open and close the valves that allow air, fuel, and exhaust to flow through the engine as it powers your car. An old timing belt can lose a tooth in the belt allowing it to slip. The engine could stop or misfire. Timing belt slip or a broken timing ... More
Tuffy Kentwood (Kalamazoo Ave SE) Vehicle Maintenance Tips and Videos: Timing Belt Overview
September 24, 2015
In your engine, valves over each combustion chamber open to allow fresh air in, close during the combustion event, and then other valves open to let out the exhaust. All of this happens over and over thousands of times a minute. The timing belts vital job is to make sure that all of this happen... More