Automotive Industry News & Information - East Coast Auto Care, LLC

The steering and suspension systems are key safety-related systems that largely determine your car’s ride and handling. Have these systems checked regularly, at least once a year, and usually with a wheel alignment.

What does it do? - The suspension maintains the relationship between the wheels and the frame or unibody. The suspension system interacts with the steering system to provide vehicle control. When working properly, the suspension system helps absorb the energy from road irregularities such as potholes and helps to maintain vehicle stability. The steering system transmits your input from the steering wheel to the steering gear and other steering components to control the car’s direction.

Typical Wear and Tear - Over time, steering and suspension components wear out and require replacement. Regular checks are critical to maintaining a safe car. Factors that affect wear include driving habits, operating conditions (potholes in road), vehicle type, type of steering and suspension system, and frequency of regular maintenance. Some symptoms that you are having issues with your vehicle steering and suspension include the car pulling to one side, uneven tire wear, excessive noise, vibration or bouncing, and loss of control.

Call or come by East Coast Auto Care in Jacksonville today to have our professionals make sure your car is road-ready!

Keeping track of maintenance done on your fleet vehicles and commercial trucks is one of the most important aspects of fleet management. At East Coast Auto Care in Jacksonville, FL, we track maintenance and repairs for a number of reasons. Here’s why:

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you own or operate a fleet or commercial truck. If you do, then you probably know the difference between a job done, a job done well, and a job done perfectly. At East Coast Auto Care in Jacksonville, FL, we strive for the latter.

Spark plugs have been around since the beginning, and play as important a role now as they did a hundred years ago. It’s a good idea to replace them as a set at regular intervals, but sometimes one will go bad sooner than the rest for one reason or another. How do you know if you have a bad spark plug? Here are some indicators, from East Coast Auto Care in Jacksonville, FL.

At East Coast Auto Care in Jacksonville, we are quite familiar with the potential for easy maintenance and repair items to become much larger problems. One such issue is the infamous stuck lug nut. You go to change your tire, or a basic maintenance shop tries to take your wheel off, and you discover a lug nut that simply refuses to budge. Now what do you do?

You’ve probably heard the term “transmission flush” before at some point in your automotive experience. But what exactly does it mean to have your transmission flushed, and why does it matter? East Coast Auto Care in Jacksonville, FL has the answers.

You don’t have to buy a new, fuel-efficient car to get great fuel efficiency. No one wants to trade a fuel bill for a car payment, so take a look at our top 5 ways to save on fuel and you may just be able to pocket a little extra money at the end of the month.

1. Change Your Driving Style - If you’re the kind of person who enjoys the rush of hard acceleration, typically runs 10 mph over the speed limit and brakes abruptly, we’ve got bad news: you’re hurting your vehicle’s fuel economy, and your wallet, in a big way. Depending on the kind of vehicle you drive and just how extreme you are with the throttle and brake, tempering your driving style can up your vehicle’s fuel economy by more than 5 mpg. That’s a serious bump. Scaling back the speed by just 5 mph means you’ll also see an increase in fuel economy.

At East Coast Auto Care in Jacksonville, FL, we know how annoying a faulty fuel gauge can be. Never knowing how much gas you have in your car, truck, or SUV, and constantly running the risk of stranding yourself on the road somewhere, takes its toll after a while. Luckily, we can fix that.