AACCEL EMISSIONS & LUBE Auto Tips and Videos: Alignment Inspection

When properly aligned, all of your wheels are pointed in the same direction. Your vehicle will track true and handle the way it is designed. Joliet motorists often associate our wheels being “knocked” out of alignment with an event like a major collision, hitting a pothole, curb or some other object. While these can certainly take your wheels out of alignment, the bumps and bounces of everyday driving take their toll on wheel alignment as well. Your automobile can lose alignment over time with just normal driving. When your wheels are out of alignment, the team of automotive professionals at AACCEL EMISSIONS & LUBE in Joliet can return your wheels to the factory settings. Most owners’ manuals suggest a diagnostic examination every year or two.

The timing belt rotates the cam shafts which open and close the valves that allow air, fuel, and exhaust to flow through the engine as it powers your auto. An old timing belt can lose a “tooth” in the belt allowing it to slip. The engine could stop or misfire. Timing belt slip – or a broken timing belt – can be disastrous on some engines. In “interference” engines, open valves can get in the way of the piston when the timing belt breaks or slips. When that happens one or more valves can be bent requiring pricey engine repairs. It is critical for Joliet auto owners to replace their timing belts as recommended in their owner’s manual to avoid unnecessary breakdowns. Ask the team of professionals at AACCEL EMISSIONS & LUBE in Joliet if it’s time for your timing belt to be replaced.

Tires are an expensive purchase so knowing when tires should be replaced is important for Joliet motorists. Tires will just wear out with normal use. The depth of the tread on your tire determines how well it will stop, start and steer – especially in wet conditions. 4/32th of an inch of tire tread is considered a safe amount of tread. Uneven tread wear can be a symptom of other problems and simply replacing your tires will not prevent the same uneven wear from happening to the new tires. We can survey your tires for excessive or uneven wear. Unusual wear may lead to further review of steering, suspension or alignment troubles. We can help with required repairs and with getting you the right tires for your needs.

Repair or Replace? That’s a question Joliet drivers ask when they have tire damage. Some punctures cannot be repaired because of their size or location. Punctures larger than a quarter of an inch are considered too large to be safely fixed. Punctures in the sidewall or near the shoulders may not be able to be repaired. And sometimes there is internal damage revealed on inspection that indicates the tire should not be repaired. Run flat tires should not be fixed. Repairing high performance tires may make them unsuitable for motorsports. Your honest AACCEL EMISSIONS & LUBE service advisor can review your damaged tire and tell you if it can be safely fixed or if it should be replaced – and then help you get back on the road.

In your engine, valves over each combustion chamber open to allow fresh air in, close during the combustion event, and then other valves open to let out the exhaust. All of this happens over and over thousands of times a minute. The timing belt’s essential job is to make sure that all of this happens as it should – at precisely the right time. If the timing is off, your engine won’t run efficiently or maybe not at all – so a good timing belt is important. If it should break, you could have expensive engine damage. Ask your honest AACCEL EMISSIONS & LUBE service advisor when your timing belt is scheduled for replacement.

The primary job of the serpentine belt is to provide critical traction to spin the accessories. As the belt wears it loses some of its grip and the accessories may not spin at best speeds. For example, if your alternator doesn’t spin fast enough, the battery will not completely recharge while you’re driving and you could end up stranded with a dead battery. In short, a worn serpentine belt will stress all of the accessories it powers leading to premature wear and possible early replacement. When as little as 5% of belt material is lost, the serpentine belt cannot provide the proper traction for the accessories. Your honest AACCEL EMISSIONS & LUBE service professional can survey your belt for excessive wear and replace your serpentine belt system if it’s excessively worn.

The brake rotor, or disc, is attached to your wheel. The brake pads rub on the rotor to slow your vehicle. Rotors can warp, crack or become misaligned. They can also be damaged by worn out brake pads that scratch grooves into the surface. These conditions result in less contact surface for the brake pads, leaving you with reduced braking power. Over time and miles, rotors can also wear down below safe specifications. It is important for Joliet car owners to know that simply replacing brake pads on a wheel with a bad rotor will not solve the problem. Depending on their condition, rotors may be resurfaced or replaced. Brake noise or a pulsation in the brake pedal are signs of potential brake troubles that should be addressed right away. If you have any brake concerns, please have your honest AACCEL EMISSIONS & LUBE tech carry out a thorough review.

Your brake pads are the essential parts that rub against the rotor (or disc) to slow and stop your automobile. They eventually wear down. When your pads are worn too much, they won’t stop your vehicle as well. When the friction material is worn away, metal parts of the pad are exposed and you’ll hear a squeal or grinding sound. That’s when Joliet auto owners should replace their brake pads. Not only will new pads restore your stopping power, but replacing them on time will prevent damage to the rotor. If your brakes are making noise, ask your AACCEL EMISSIONS & LUBE service specialist to review your brakes. Addressing issues early will restore your safety and prevent pricey brake damage.

One thing all Joliet car owners can do to extend the life of their battery is to keep it clean. A greasy, dirty battery holds in damaging heat. Same goes for removing corrosion from the terminals. AACCEL EMISSIONS & LUBE can help maintain your battery. Allowing your battery to be deeply depleted – like from using your headlights when the engine is off – is very harmful to your battery. Most automotive batteries can only take that about 10 times before they are ruined. Also, making sure you have a full charge every month or so extends battery life. Either an extended drive at freeway speeds or using a battery charger will preserve your battery’s ability to hold a full charge.