At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, our priority is keeping your Dodge, Chevy, or Ford truck reliably on the road. A major aspect of that is catching small issues before they become bigger ones.

Something will go wrong with your car, truck, or SUV eventually. The important thing is knowing what to do, and how to deal with it. Just knowing what to do in a situation often means the difference between a quick repair and thousands of dollars worth of work. If you see steam coming from under the hood, it’s important to deal with it appropriately and quickly. Here’s what’s going on, and what to do, from South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD.

Exhaust systems are one of the most neglected aspects of most vehicles. Exhaust pipes, catalytic converters, and mufflers are exposed to heat, emissions, and road damage. While your exhaust system is fairly simple and straightforward, these conditions mean it is inherently prone to rust and damage. As a result, this system is often one of the first systems you will have trouble within your car.

We know you’re busy. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we also know that while there are certain issues with your car, truck, or SUV you can ignore for a while, some of them shouldn’t wait. While serious issues are often obvious, sometimes they aren’t - ball joints are one such case.

Does your steering wheel feel like it’s fighting you when trying to drive in a straight line? Does your truck turn too aggressively when you try to go one direction, and poorly when you try to go another? There are a few possibilities as to what it means if your truck resists going in a straight line. South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown has the answers for you.

Once your transmission has been replaced and you’re shifting smoothly once more, you’ll probably want to keep it running smoothly. Here are some tips from South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD to help keep you reliably on the road.

Trucks aren’t like cars...your average personal vehicle usually holds about 5 quarts of oil, and you are supposed to change it every 3-5k miles. However, the same logic doesn’t apply to large trucks. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we know how important proper oil changes and diagnostics are to keep your truck on the road, for hundreds of thousands of miles. Here’s what you need to know:

Trucks aren’t like cars...your average personal vehicle usually holds about 5 quarts of oil, and you are supposed to change it every 3-5k miles. However, the same logic doesn’t apply to large trucks. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we know how important proper oil changes and diagnostics are to keep your truck on the road, for hundreds of thousands of miles. Here’s what you need to know:

At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we aim to keep your four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive car, truck, or SUV ready for anything. 4X4 systems are pretty low maintenance, but equally as important to maintain as your engine or transmission. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center our technicians have the tools and knowledge to help keep yours going strong.

At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we aim to keep your four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive car, truck, or SUV ready for anything. 4X4 systems are pretty low maintenance, but equally as important to maintain as your engine or transmission. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center our technicians have the tools and knowledge to help keep yours going strong.

Keeping your fuel system maintained will prevent premature parts failure and poor running conditions. Here at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center we have tips on the important aspects of diesel fuel system maintenance, to keep your diesel fleet trucks running smoothly - longer.

Air.Air in the system causes all kinds of issues, from hard starting, poor running conditions, or an engine that won’t run at all. If too much air gets in the system, the fuel pump won’t be able to deliver fuel, and the engine will stall, die, or fail to start.  Air enters the system via a leak or a bad seal - a deteriorated o-ring, worn component, faulty hose, or otherwise. Here we inspect your lines and connections to ensure they are in good shape and track down any leaks we notice air in the system.

Are you leaking oil? South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD can help. Oil leaks mess up your driveway and make a mess under the hood. It can also get pricey constantly having to fill the engine, not to mention inconvenient.

At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we see our fair share of damage that could’ve been prevented. Leaking injectors are one of the main ways a diesel engine can meet its demise - but the good news is, engine failure can be avoided, as long as the problem is taken care of.

Sometimes it is EASY to see if your car or truck needs to come into our shop for professional repairs! 
1.  You see steam rising from the engine!
2.  The Check Engine Light is on!
3.  The engine starts, but there is an odor that is not right.
4.  You hear grinding or thumping noises.

Keeping your fuel system maintained will prevent premature parts failure and poor running conditions. Here are some important aspects of diesel fuel system maintenance, to keep your fleet running smoothly. While your system and components should typically be serviced by a professional technician, there are some things you can be conscious of that will go a long way toward keeping your engine in good shape.

Correct fluid levels are essential to keeping your Ram, Ford, or Chevrolet diesel pickup on the road. Luckily, checking your coolant, oil, brake, and transmission fluid are easy to do, and will save you from a variety of issues down the road. Here’s what you should know about keeping the fluid levels in your truck maintained, from South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD.

Ride quality is an essential part of your driving experience. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we strive to keep your truck as smooth and comfortable to drive as the day it came off the lot. Your shock absorbers play a huge role in ride quality; here’s what you should know.