Vehicle Maintenance

  • Don't Neglect Your Brakes

    brakes

    Obviously, your brakes are essential. However, it’s easy to neglect or ignore brake issues, and even miss them altogether; as long as the car, truck, or SUV still stops, many people don’t see the need to have their brakes serviced. From South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, here are some common brake issues, and why you should fix them.

  • Don't Neglect Your Truck's Brakes!

    Obviously, your brakes are essential. However, it’s easy to neglect or ignore brake issues, and even miss them altogether; as long as the truck still stops, many people don’t see the need to have their brakes serviced. From South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, here are some common brake issues, and why you should fix them.

  • Don't Trust Just Anyone With Your Investment

    mechanic with clipboard and pen checking things off

    There’s no need to take your car to different specialized shops all over town in order to maintain your vehicle, just because you drive a high-end vehicle. Since we are dedicated to luxury and performance automobiles, at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, our team of expert mechanics has the knowledge and ability necessary to handle all your maintenance and repair needs.

  • ECU problems and reprogramming

    diagnostics

    If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle made by manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes, Subaru, Land Rover, Porsche, etc., you’re probably no stranger to state of the art electronics, sensors, and control systems. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center, our technicians have the right knowledge, ability, and equipment necessary to keep your car or SUV in top-notch condition.

  • Experiencing A Loud Radiator Fan?

    mechanic working on radiator fan

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, we know how irritating an issue with your car, truck, or SUV can be, even if it doesn’t immediately affect your vehicle’s performance. One such problematic issue, the excessively loud radiator cooling fan, is a common plague many automobile owners will experience.

  • Extending the Life of Your Engine

    Mechanic taking apart of an engine out from under the hood

    An engine can last anywhere from 50 to 500,000 miles depending mostly on how well you maintain it. While some engines are certainly more reliable than others, all of them depend on maintenance to fulfill their greatest potential. South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD has provided for you some of the determining factors of engine lifespan, to help you make sure your engine lasts as long as it possibly can.

  • External Components - Making Your Manual Transmission Work

    gear shift on a vehicle

    There are many parts and systems outside of the car’s transmission that is equally as important as the parts and systems inside the transmission. Without them, the transmission won’t do much. There’s no way to transfer power from the engine to the shafts, disengage it to shift the gears, or power the differential without them. Just in case you need us, at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we can help keep your transmission in top shape, but here’s what you need to know.

  • Feels Like Trouble (Is your vehicle driving right?)

    Nobody knows your vehicle better than you; if you suspect it isn’t driving the way it used to, there’s a good chance you’re correct. The truth of the matter is there are countless reasons and remedies for such a broad subject, but South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD has compiled a list of a few common problems that can cause a vehicle to drive poorly.

  • Fuel System Cleaning - What's In It For Me?

    fuel tank on dash board lit up on E

    Obviously, the dirtier your fuel system is, the bigger the improvement you will see in performance and fuel economy after a fuel system cleaning. But it is important not to wait until your system is running poorly. If you do, by the time you get a cleaning, you’ve wasted hundreds of dollars in gas or even possibly damaged your fuel injectors and catalytic converter.

  • Get a Grip on Tire Conditions

    Tread of Tire

    What condition are your tires in? At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we want to make sure you can tell. A simple visual inspection is all you need - it’s easy if you know what to look for.

  • Have You Changed Your Oil Lately?

    Oil being poured into a diesel vehicle

    If you drive a Dodge, Chevy, or Ford diesel pickup, you know the amount of hard work your truck puts in. You may also be aware that diesels run a little dirtier than your average gas burner. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, our goal is to keep your Duramax, Cummins, or Powerstroke truck on the road for many miles to come. A huge part of that is keeping your oil maintained.

  • Hints Your Transmission Is Failing

    transmission in car

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we know that transmissions are witchcraft to most people. More often than not, if major damage has occurred, it’s a lot more time and cost-effective to just replace the entire unit and get a fresh start. Our trained technicians at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center want to keep you informed so you are aware of what to look out for.

  • How Critical Are Belts On Your Vehicle?

    drive belt

    Your drive belts are simple but integral components to the function of your car, truck, or SUV. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, belts are one of the first things we assess when looking over a vehicle, as they alone are in charge of operating your AC, water pump, alternator, and power steering.

  • How Do I Choose the Right Repair Shop?

    Mechanic working on car and smiling

    There are many factors that go into making South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD a repair shop that’s above the rest.

  • How Do I Fix My Manual Transmission Problem?

    mechanic working on car

    Manual transmissions are generally more reliable than automatic transmissions. They don’t have as many parts, aren’t as complex, and can take a lot more abuse. However, if an issue is allowed to persist, more and more damage to surrounding components on your manual transmission will occur. South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD can help you take care of your car as soon as you notice a problem.

  • How Do You Know When to Get a Tire Rotation & Wheel Balancing?

    Tire in automotive shop

    The interval for the tire rotation could depend on a recommendation from either the tire manufacturer or the vehicle maker. The interval is typically around 5,000 miles but could range from 3,000 to 8,000 miles. So why do tires need to be rotated and how do you know when the right time is for your vehicle?

  • How Do You Maintain Your Engine?

    man working on car with hood up

    No matter what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, maintenance is the key to giving your engine a long life. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we focus on keeping your engine running strong.

  • How is the Air Quality in Your Vehicle?

    technician holding a clean and dirty air filter comparison in the front seat of a car

    When driving around town, your vehicle's engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons of air for every tank of gas. All that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually, the filter gets completely full, and because the filter can only hold so much, dirt starts getting through. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, we want to help you get the best air quality in your vehicle, but first, we want to explain the process of where this dirty air is going. 

  • How Low Is Too Low - Let's Talk About Your Fuel Gauge

    gas pump putting fuel into vehicle

    If you drive a car, truck, or SUV that runs on gasoline, there's a good chance you’ve run it low on fuel a few times (or more than a few times,) and maybe even run out of gas completely a time or two. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we like to provide information applicable to you. Running a vehicle low on fuel is something we’re all guilty of, and most of us don’t think twice about it. But, can it be bad for your car?

  • How Much Air Should You Put in Your Tires?

    air pressure guage with mechanic putting air in tires

    Good tire maintenance is important. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, we know how to make tires last, and why it’s important to service them regularly. An easy and effective aspect of tire maintenance is correct air pressure; here’s what you need to know.

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