May 16, 2012

The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.: Use The Correct Fluids In Your Vehicle

Filed under: Oil Change — thepanace257 @ 7:42 pm

The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. Use The Correct Fluids In Your Vehicle

Big advances in automotive technology have led to the development of high-tech fluids to keep pace. A simple example of this is the cooling system. For decades it was primarily made out of iron, steel and rubber hoses. There was one kind of coolant that protected these components from corrosion.

Now cooling system components are made with various metal alloys and plastics. These materials require different additives to protect them from corrosion. Since the materials used vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, we now have a number of different kinds of coolant at The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham. And it’s important to use the right coolant for your minivan. If you pour in the wrong kind, it won’t protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Of course, your considerate The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. advisor will know the proper coolant to use. If you’re concerned you may have use the wrong fluid, be safe and have your The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. technician flush the system and start fresh with the correct fluid.

Brake fluid is confusing for some people in WA. For a very long time, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Bellingham people mistakenly think the higher numbers are an upgrade. You know, if 3 is good then 4 must be better. That’s not how it works. They are different formulations to meet the requirements of differences in brake systems. Only one of them is recommended for your minivan.

Transmission fluid is the same thing. With the tremendous engineering advances in automatic transmissions, there have been several new types of fluids developed to protect and lubricate them. Nowhere are the advances in automotive fluids more evident than in motor oil. Many new weights and formulations have been created to meet the demands of today’s modern engine design.

Modern minivan engines have more parts and much tighter tolerances. Every year, engines make more power and get better fuel economy in Bellingham. And with all the complication and sophistication, they still have to be durable. That’s where the new grades of engine oil come in. They have to be formulated to lubricate, protect and clean all of those minivan engine parts, big and little. The oil has to be thin enough to get into small passages, yet resistant to vaporization.

Your vehicle may have come from the factory with synthetic oil and/or transmission, brake, differential fluid, etc. If so, your recommended service intervals will be based on synthetic-type fluids and you should use the same type when your minivan is serviced at The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc..

Because grades of oil and types of coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, etc. are so carefully matched to the vehicle, take care to always use the proper fluid if you are topping off at home. Check your minivan owner’s manual or ask your The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. service advisor. The wrong fluid can cause damage.

Give Steve Hazel a call at The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham

The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.
360.715.9850
4215 Britton Road
Bellingham, WA 98226

At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham WA (98226) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 360.715.9850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 9, 2012

Cooling System Service At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.

Filed under: Cooling System — thepanace257 @ 6:33 pm

Cooling System Service At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.

Your minivan cooling system’s job is to keep your engine cool. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it’s cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the cooled mix circulates back through the minivan engine to absorb more heat.

Coolant, or antifreeze, is specially formulated to keep your engine safe in a wide range of environmental and operating temperatures in Bellingham.

Without coolant, the minivan’s metal engine parts would expand so much that the engine would seize up and stop running.  Expensive parts could be broken or warp so badly they would have to be replaced at The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham. It could even be so bad that the whole engine is ruined and has to be replaced.

Also, if it’s freezing outside in Bellingham, the water in your engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the WA cold. This is why you check coolant levels frequently and have your cooling system inspected for leaks. Also your manufacturer has a maintenance requirement for draining and replacing your coolant. These recommendations can vary widely, so check your Bellingham owner’s manual or ask your service advisor at The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham.

The reason you need to change the coolant is that it has additives in it to protect the cooling system. As you can imagine, with all the heat, the cooling system’s a pretty harsh environment. The additives keep the fluid from becoming corrosive and damaging the radiator and other Bellingham cooling system components. Over time, the additives are depleted and the coolant just has to be replaced. A simple pH test can measure the coolant’s acidity.

You may have noticed that there are different colors of antifreeze at The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.: it is very important that you use the correct type.  The different coolant types are different colors so you don’t mix them up.  Manufacturers use different materials to make the cooling system, and they require different types of antifreeze to protect them.

So check with your considerate The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. service advisor or owner’s manual for the right kind because using the wrong coolant can void the warranty for your minivan cooling system.

Ask us about water pump replacement, emissions testing and fuel filter.

Give us a call

The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.
360.715.9850
4215 Britton Road
Bellingham, WA 98226

At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham WA (98226) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 360.715.9850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 4, 2012

Get The Right Tires And Wheels At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.

Filed under: Tires — thepanace257 @ 5:31 pm

Get The Right Tires And Wheels At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.

A lot of Lynden drivers get custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes, once they’re mounted, they just didn’t fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don’t want that.

Consulting a tire professional at The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. can ensure you get the right fit. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs in Lynden and what you want in your new wheels.

At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc., we advise Lynden tire buyers that not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub.

If you don’t want to make any modifications to your minivan, you need to focus on the wheels that fit. With trucks, some Lynden people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most Lynden people don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s, like the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The minivan’s computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong speed. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your minivan’s engine control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. For information on reprogramming the engine computer, call us at 360.715.9850.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in Lynden. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs.

At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham WA (98226) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 360.715.9850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 26, 2012

Why Is My Check Engine Light On? The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. Has Answers

Filed under: Check Engine Light — thepanace257 @ 6:53 pm

Why Is My Check Engine Light On The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. Has Answers

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some Bellingham drivers and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us in WA.

First, if your minivan check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. Get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at Bellingham highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn’t go off, schedule an appointment with your Bellingham service advisor to get it checked out.

Some more information from The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative. Most of your minivan engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive in Bellingham.

In order to make these adjustments, the minivan computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range the computer runs some tests and may turn on the Check Engine Light.

The minivan computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it’ll then turn off the Check Engine Light.

If the problem can’t be resolved then the light will remain on and you should get your minivan looked at at The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.. Your considerate service technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give your The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc., we also offer brake service and emissions testing.

Give us a call

The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.
360.715.9850
4215 Britton Road
Bellingham, WA 98226

At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham WA (98226) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 360.715.9850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 19, 2012

Viva la Differential At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.

Filed under: Differential Service — thepanace257 @ 8:11 pm

Viva la Differential At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.

With front-wheel drive being so common in Bellingham these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Bellingham folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive minivan differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for WA people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many minivan differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Bellingham four wheel drive minivans need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. at different intervals.

Your Bellingham service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your minivan owner’s manual.

Give us a call

The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc.
360.715.9850
4215 Britton Road
Bellingham, WA 98226

At The Panacea Automotive Repair, Inc. in Bellingham WA (98226) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 360.715.9850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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