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

We do our best to budget for scheduled vehicle maintenance and it is hard to plan for unexpected family car repairs. The truth is that our vehicles can stay on the road longer than ever before with proper maintenance. That’s because of improved vehicle design and manufacturing quality. But some of those same improvements also lead to higher repairs costs for every family car or vehicle.

There’s a tool that can be found on Edmunds.com that you can use to prepare your service and repair budget. Let’s suppose you have a used Toyota Camry – a very popular car in the area…

Helpful Tips & Information: An average of 13,000 Americans are killed between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day, some as a result of unperformed vehicle maintenance, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Each year, neglected maintenance leads to more than 2,600 deaths, nearly 100,000 disabling injuries and more than $2 billion in lost wages, medical expenses and property damage.

Most mechanical failures can be traced to neglected maintenance. For example, the U. S. Department of Transportation reports the leading cause of mechanical breakdown on our nation's highways is overheating, a condition that is easily avoidable. Other deficiencies that are simple to detect include low antifreeze/coolant, worn or loose drive belts and defective cooling system hoses.

Before you buy your next light bulb you should know the ins and outs of halogen bulbs! Most new-model vehicles have halogen headlights because they produce more light than a regular bulb. Be careful: like all halogen lights, touching the glass bulb means that bulb is contaminated with oil that can heat up and cause burnouts more quickly.

East Coast Auto Care, LLC in Jacksonville now offers the Nissan VQ35DE V6 Engine with our partner Jasper Engines & Transmissions, the nation's leading re-manufacturer of drive train components, continues expanding into the import industry. The Nissan VQ35DE, a 3.5L DOHC V6 with variable valve timing (VVT), is available for engine replacement for the following Nissan vehicle applications:

Jasper Engines & Transmissions, the nation’s leader in re-manufactured products, announces the availability of its re-manufactured Toyota 1MZ-FE 3.0L engine. This DOHC V6 engine is available on exchange for 1994-2006 (Toyota Camry, Avalon, Solara, Sienna, Highlander | Lexus ES300, RX300) vehicles.

AC, Car Battery and More Care Tips
1. Run your AC in winter To keep your car’s air-conditioning system fit for the next warm season, run it a few times throughout the winter. This will prevent moving parts in the compressor from seizing. Also, circulating the refrigerant will help keep the seals soft and pliant.

Car Engine and Other Systems Care Tips
1. Check engine oil at every other fill-up For an accurate reading, follow this procedure:

Run or drive your car for about 15 minutes to warm the oil; then park the car in a level place.Turn off the engine and wait 15 minutes to allow the oil in the engine to drain back to the oil pan.
Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean with a paper towel or rag. Reinsert the dipstick, being sure to push it in all the way, then pull it out again to check the oil level. It should be somewhere between the hash marks on the dipstick.
Add the type and amount of oil as specified in your owner’s manual, if necessary.

Tires, Wheels, and Brakes Care Tips
1. Keep the caps on You step out into driveway ready to start your morning commute only to discover a flat tire. How in the heck did that happen overnight? If the tire valve is missing its cap, the culprit might be a leaky valve. Those little caps keep out dirt and moisture that can cause leaks, so be sure to keep caps on all your tire valves. Another tip: When you replace tires, remind the tire shop that you expect new valves with the tires.