Car Repair

  • Protect Your Vehicle From Transmission Shifting Issues

    gear shift on a vehicle

    If your transmission isn’t shifting correctly, you’ll want to be careful about how you choose to proceed. The best thing to do is turn the vehicle off and have a professional take a look at it, but if that isn’t an option, there are some steps you can take to ensure nothing gets damaged. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD we can take a look at your issues and also give you some tips on what to do when that option isn't available yet. 

  • Pumping Brakes are a Thing of the Past

    dashboard with ABS light on

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we see our fair share of warning lights and dashboard notifications. If your ABS light is illuminated, here’s what you need to know.

  • Putting My Manual Transmission Together

    mechanic working on car

    Once you know what's in your transmission, and what’s connected to it, it’s much easier to understand how it works. Let's take a look at how it all comes together. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we want to make sure you know how your car works so you can keep it in great condition.

  • Quality Engine Work is a Top Priority

    Engine Maintenance

    A quality product is only as good as the quality of the installation. You’re dropping some serious money on an engine replacement, on a car that’s worth even more. South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD is here to make sure you get the quality install you need.

  • Quality Work is as Important as a Quality Product

    transmission repair

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we pride ourselves on specialty knowledge and ability. Once you’ve settled on a transmission to invest in, it’s important not to cut corners on the homestretch. We’ve got you covered here and you can expect top quality repairs for your top quality product.

  • Radiator Cooling Fan Won’t Turn Off?

    Automotive radiator

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we know how annoying little quirks and issues can be. A common problem vehicles experience is a cooling fan that doesn’t kick on and off when it’s supposed to. While a fan that won’t kick off is far less troubling than a fan that won’t turn on, it’s still a problem that needs to be fixed for a variety of reasons. Here’s why, and what you should do.

  • Rotate Your Tires or Stop Rolling

    hands putting on tire in shop with a power tool

    Ever looked at the bottom of your shoes and noticed that one area of the sole is more worn than another? The way you walk causes a wear pattern to occur as you put more weight on certain areas of your feet. If your shoe needed work, you would take it to a cobbler.

  • Sometimes it is obvious, others we have to hunt for it!

    car wiring chewed up photo

    Here at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown we often do diagnostics and sometimes the problem is obvious after hooking the car up to the computer and reading the codes.  However, sometimes it isn't obvious during a test drive or after hooking it up to all those computer programs!  You know there is a problem and a Check Engine Light is on with the fleet customer telling you the car has been having issues starting and the light has been going off and on depending on several factors.  No pattern, no simple answer but the problem becomes obvious when you start following the "threads of the issue" thanks to all that ASE Technician training.

  • Specifications of your vehicle for reliable performance

    Performance Car

    If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle, you know that your precision engineered equipment demands precision tuning. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we specialize in high-end imports and performance vehicles and keeping them up to par.

  • Take Care of Your Tires So They'll Take Care of You

    mechanic working on car tire

    There are a few things that matter when mounting new tires on your truck or commercial vehicle. First, you want it done right. Second, you want it done fast. For both, South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD has you covered. We've been trained to do it right the first time and make sure you're satisfied.

  • The ABS Light - why is it on, and what should you do?

    abs light on dash lit up

    Have you ever noticed your dashboard ABS icon lit up? If you have it means there is an issue that needs to be diagnosed, ABS issues don’t need to be ignored long. The anti-lock braking system, or ABS, is an important feature on every modern car, truck, or SUV. It has been legally mandated since 2013 in the US but was standard on almost every vehicle even prior to that. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your ABS system doesn’t fail, from South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD.

  • The Difference Between All-Wheel Drive and Four-Wheel Drive

    car sitting out in a field

    Some vehicles come with either "all-wheel drive" (AWD) or "four-wheel-drive" (4WD), and you may have wondered if there's any real difference between those terms. Cars only have four wheels, after all, so when "all" of them are doing the driving, that's four-wheel drive - isn't it? The logic makes sense, but AWD and 4WD have actually evolved into technical terms that refer to distinct mechanical systems. Whether you're shopping for a car or your needs repairs, you'll want to take an educated approach, so let's walk through the ins and outs of each system.

  • The Ins and Outs of Your Transmission

    Transmission

    Automatic transmissions aren’t easily understood outside of specialists like those at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD. While it would be impossible to teach you enough to make you a transmission expert in a series of articles, what we can do is give you the fundamental knowledge you need to have a good idea of what your transmission is doing, and how it works.

  • The Manual Transmission - What’s it Made of?

    hand on the manual gearbox of a stick shift

    Manual transmissions aren’t necessarily simple, but they’re much easier to understand in concept than their automatic counterparts. You’re probably aware there are gears in manual transmissions - but there’s a little more to it than that. Here are some of the major components you’ll find in a manual transmission.

  • Time For Tires, But How Do You Decide?

    tire options at a tire store

    There are multiple types of tires on the market for almost every car, truck, or SUV. Once you decide it's time to replace your tires, the choice can be overwhelming. The type of tire you want depends on a variety of factors, from climate to how you drive. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, our technicians have been trained to help you make that choice. Here’s a short rundown of common street tires that will suit your needs.

  • Top 3 Signs Your Brakes Are Done

    car braking

    Judging by the number of near-rear-endings we witness on our morning commutes, the typical attitude toward brake maintenance appears to be, “Brakes: Don’t let them stop you!” This puzzles us because monitoring your braking system’s health is one of the most straightforward aspects of car ownership. You do have to know what to look for, though, or rather, what to listen and feel for. So let us, uh, break it down for you. Here are the top three signs that your brakes need fixing.

  • Transmission Parts Rely On Each Other

    transmission

    Once you have an idea of how the major components of your transmission operate, it’s time to bring them all together. In its most complex terms, a truck’s automatic transmission takes a lot to understand. However, at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we like to keep things simple when we can. We want you to understand exactly what's going on with your car, truck or SUV. Here’s a rundown of how everything works together.

  • Transmission Problems are Slippery Business

    transmission

    Transmission slippage can be caused by a variety of factors that are sometimes difficult to pin down. From South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, here’s a rundown of the more common issues that may cause a transmission to slip. Our highly trained technicians are ready to get you going with a top transmission.

  • Transmission Slips Could Slide You Right Off The Road

    You’ve likely encountered someone talking about their car or truck transmission "slipping”. What does that mean, why does it do it, and where do you go from here? At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, our trained staff has the answers to get you safely back on the road. Transmission slippage is certainly one of the most dreaded issues you face as the owner of a car or truck’s and there are some indicators that let you know that something is wrong.

  • Used Engines and Transmissions - Are They Worth the Risk?

    two men working under hood of two different cars

    Nobody wants to put an engine or transmission in their car. However, when that time comes, it’s important to make an informed decision - here are some things to consider when installing a used engine or transmission, from South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD.

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