Muffler: Victim of Winter (Muffler Repair)
March 24, 2024
So you almost got through the winter until, one day, your muffler started sounding like a dragster, loud and obnoxious. It's not surprising. All that road salt and brine can cause rust to punch holes in a muffler, and that should raise a big, red warning flag about the safety of your vehicle. O... More
The Tuffy Kentwood (Kalamazoo Ave SE) Guide to Saving Fuel: Beware of Myths
March 17, 2024
There's a lot of auto advice in Michigan right now on how to save money on gas. Some of it is good advice. Some of it isn't. Some of it is myth. And it may well be a scam. Plain and simple. When someone offers you a product designed to save money on gas, ask yourself, Does this sound too good to... More
A Clean Start (Battery Cleaning)
March 10, 2024
Your vehicle is loaded with electrical devices. Computerized components are everywhere, so good electrical connections are important. Those begin with your vehicle's battery, so it's important that its connections are in top shape. Ever had a flashlight that didn't work, took out the old batteri... More
A Hot Mess (AC System-Compresser)
March 3, 2024
Air conditioning used to be a real luxury in a vehicle, but now it's standard in most. Your vehicle's air conditioning system is built to last a pretty long time, but like anything mechanical, sometimes it fails. It helps to know a little about how the A/C works. There's a compressor that press... More
Wiper Blades in Michigan
February 25, 2024
If you're gonna drive around the Kentwood area, you've got to be able to see! So having a good set of windshield wipers is extremely important. We've all experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm or when our windshield is just dirty.It seems like your w... More
Let?s Shift Gears (Transmission Fluid Replacement)
February 18, 2024
If you have a vehicle with an automatic transmission, you probably never think about gear shifting. When motor vehicles were invented, all of them had to be shifted manually. But that wonderful self-shifting transmission, referred to these days as simply an automatic, changed everything. Automa... More
Beginning to See the Light (Check Engine Light Diagnostics)
February 11, 2024
It's a light many drivers fear they'll see turn on at the most inopportune time. It's the one on the dash that says "Check Engine," "Service Engine Soon," or it may be simply an engine-shaped light. Your first instinct may be to pull off to the side of the road and turn off the engine. The truth... More
Full of Hot Air (Air Conditioning)
February 4, 2024
In warm weather, you want to be in a cool vehicle. When we're talking cool, we don't mean stylish or trendy, but cool as in not sweltering inside. And if your vehicle's air conditioner stops working correctly, it seems to always break at the worst timeduring a heat wave. Automotive air conditio... More
Chilly Warning (Diagnosing a Noise in Cold Vehicle)
January 28, 2024
When the weather gets colder, sometimes the noises your vehicle makes will change. For example, you may notice a whining sound when you get going in the morning. It may go away when the vehicle warms up, but it's best not to ignore that sound because it could be a warning of worse things to com... More
Automotive Tips from Tuffy Kentwood (Kalamazoo Ave SE): When to Replace Your Wiper Blades
January 21, 2024
There are several important factors that go into how often Kentwood drivers should replace their wiper blades. Of course, the more you use your wipers, the faster the blades will wear out especially if you use them on an icy windshield. Whether its a lot of bugs and road grime from Michigan fre... More