Automotive News & Information - South Mountain Collision & Auto Center

Balanced wheels are essential for a multitude of reasons, particularly on commercial trucks. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, we have the precision equipment necessary to provide you with the best balance possible, keeping your truck smoothly and reliably on the road.

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.

Manual transmissions have been around for a long time and if you have ever driven a manual you know how exciting they can be. Manual transmissions have also been referred to as standard transmissions, stick shifts, manual gearbox, or a simple gearbox. No matter what you call it, manual transmissions are fun to drive, better on fuel, reliable, and somewhat safer. So what do you know about manual transmissions; where did they come from, and how do they work? South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD knows, and now you will too.

At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we understand that maintenance is the difference between a truck that makes it to the million-mile mark and a truck that doesn’t come close. Here are some tips to keep your truck in shape for many miles to come.

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.

We know how important a good exhaust setup is on a diesel truck. Whether you’re powered by a Cummins, a Duramax, a Powerstroke, or something else, your exhaust plays a major role in performance, engine sound, and even aesthetics. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, our professional mechanics have the equipment, knowledge, and ability necessary to get your exhaust in shape.

There may come a day when you go to shift your vehicle out of “Park”, and the shifter refuses to move. Perhaps you are already experiencing this issue intermittently, or currently have a vehicle stuck in park. While this is a serious inconvenience, it doesn’t necessarily indicate a serious problem; let South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD put your mind at ease.

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.