Article by Morrison’s Discount Auto Repair

Old cars hold a lot of memories and some people find it hard to let them go. Fortunately, one can extend the life of their car by simple maintenance practices and regular auto repair and tune ups.

A common auto maintenance tip is to rotate you tires every 5,000 miles or 8,000 kms. This keeps your tires from getting “sticky” which makes stirring difficult. Another maintenance tip to avoid unnecessary auto repair costs is to clean brake dust off regularly. The combination of road grime, moisture and heat from your brakes will bake it on to your wheels. Brake dust normally clings to wheels with static electricity so a damp sponge and clean cold water is the best way to get it off.

Checking your tire pressure is another way to lessen your visits to the auto repair shop. Once a week is an ideal interval time for this process. Bad tire pressures can affect fuel economy, handling and comfort. It can even affect brake function and transmission in the long run if neglected. It’s easy to do and there is no excuse not to. Remember that brake and transmission repair is an expensive and time consuming process to go through.

Old cars’ electrical wirings are prone to damage as time passes. It’s normal that you experience a few ticks when your vehicle has reached a good age. Cars with automatic transmission are more prone to such problems. Transmission repair involves a lot of other parts and wirings and damage to this part of the engine can fully incapacitate you vehicle. To avoid this, make sure you check your wirings at least every 6 months. Disconnecting and connecting your battery is one way of troubleshooting your wirings so that you know when to have the auto repair shop check on the problem.

Check-ups on your AC unit is also needed every six or 8 months. Areas with hotter climates can cause AC problems 2x more than a cooler place. Auto AC repairs are commonly called for when cool air fails to come out of the unit. If your car’s air conditioning isn’t adequately cooling your cabin, then it could be the result of several issues such as: Low Freon levels and overheating. Auto AC repair shops sometimes check Freon levels for free. Inadequate levels of Freon in the AC unit can cause cooling problems. Low coolant levels are frequently caused by leaks in hoses or tube connections. If a puddle collects under your car after adding Freon, then you know a leak is the cause of your problems. A vehicle that has trouble managing engine temperature can also cause insufficient AC cooling. In that case, then it may be that one of your vehicle’s electric cooling fans has malfunctioned. Auto AC repair can take as long as an hour to a whole day, depending on the extent of the problem. But in order to lessen damage, have your auto repair shop check the AC every 6 to 8 months.

Find a reliable auto repair shop to help you with your old car’s maintenance and repair. Morrison’s is one of Tampa’s most trusted repair shops around. They also offer custom exhaust installation along with transmission repair, AC repair, and brake repair.

Morrison’s Discount Auto Repair12214 US Hwy 19 NHudson, FL 34667Phone: (727) 861-5477Fax: (727) 869-7200Email: MDARHud@yahoo.com