Category: Uncategorized

How important is Anti-freeze?

We all know that anti-freeze keeps the coolant in your radiator from freezing in the winter. How does it help in the summer? One of the main things that it does is raise the boiling point of water. This allows the coolant to be more efficient at keeping the engine cooler. Also, air pockets in the cooling system will cause the coolant to stop circulating which will overheat the engine. Lastly, it acts as a rust inhibitor and a lubricant for the water pump. If your vehicle has no anti-freeze or little anti-freeze, the engine block will rust and cause severe and very costly damage. You need a mix of 50% water and 50% anti-freeze, and it will help keep the cooling system working great for years.

We get a lot of calls about vehicles with coolant leaks, and customers ask if they can drive the vehicle in and keep putting water in their radiator. The short answer is I don’t recommend it. To have your vehicle towed in from a local location from us is usually $65.00. Overheating your engine can cause severe internal engine damage, costing thousands of dollars to repair. So, a $65.00 tow versus an engine replacement or head gasket repair is a smart choice.

The other reason I don’t recommend it is that there are several components in a vehicle nowadays that are made of plastic. Plastic can go from a slow leak to a large crack, and you can’t keep fluid in the vehicle. This can happen in a second and then you don’t have coolant in your vehicle. Also, if you think you can watch your gauge and stop the vehicle before it overheats, sorry you are wrong. Coolant temperature gauges read coolant temperature accurately but do not read air temperature correctly. So, if you lose your coolant rapidly due to a broken plastic piece, the gauge never reads hot. It will read slightly cooler as your engine gets damaged.

So, in the long run, get it towed in…it’s cheaper than engine repair. Also, keep anti-freeze in your vehicle and replace it about every 10 years or 100.00 miles. Come see us at White’s Automotive Center if you have any questions!

Business Break: June

Stay Cool This Summer with an A/C System Recharge From White’s Automotive

Summer is here and it is already getting hot. In one of my earlier posts, I talked about A/C systems. This time, I want to expand on that and talk a little bit more about DIY A/C Systems getting repaired. I know that A/C systems getting repaired can get very expensive and these aftermarket kits are tempting. Using one of these freon kits is dangerous.

For starters, in other states, it is illegal to buy 100% R-134a Freon. So, most companies sell R-134a freon with stop-leak conditioners or oil mixed in with it. This picture is a cutaway of a modern A/C condenser. As you can see, the part that freon passes through is about the size of the ball in a ballpoint pen. The stop leak can and will stop up these parts. The stop leak can also damage the expansion valve or orifice tube.

Secondly, the gauge that comes on these recharge systems, shows a blue and red line that indicates proper charge. Even for professionals, it is impossible to recharge R-134yf with gauges properly. The gauge readings on our professional machines will show the proper readings with the systems 20% undercharged or 20% overcharged. In both cases, the A/C system will not cool properly, and you can rupture a hose or the emergency relief valve on the compressor. Most cars today use a variable-rate A/C Compressor. This means the compressor will vary how much work it does at any given time. So, this makes gauges even harder to recharge properly.

So, if you find 100% R-134a Freon, which is hard, you still cannot charge it the proper amount. If you use the freon loaded with stop leak, you are liable to ruin the condenser, the A/C compressor, and the expansion valves. You can succeed, but there is an extremely high risk of causing damage costing thousands of dollars just to save $50.00 to $80.00.

Most kits cost about $50.00 and the A/C service at my shop today is around $120.00 to $150.00 as of now. So come by and see us at White’s Automotive Center – we’re here to help!

Business Break: May

Different Octanes in Gas

What do the octane readings mean at the gas pump? You usually have 3 choices at the pump: low octane, which is usually around 97, a mid-grade around 89, and supreme at around 93 octane. Technically, the octane rating is based on how stable the fuel is. These ratings are based on when fuel will spontaneously combust. This is also referred to as knock and ping when accelerating. If you have ever driven an older vehicle with a carburetor, then you have probably heard of it. The next question I usually get is, “Which one do I need to use?” With modern cars, it’s mostly a preference.

The knock and ping that I talked about earlier is not good for an engine. It can cause internal wear or damage. On a good note, on all modern cars, the computer controls ignition timing and this is also a way to control the knock and ping. When the computer detects the knock and ping or predestination, it retards the timing to get control of it. The only downside to this is you lose a little bit of power. Most people would never notice the slight loss in power. This is why your sports cars and high-end vehicles want you to use the higher octane. This gives you a little better performance. So, in simple terms, higher octane equals better performance, but if you don’t drive fast and need better performance, save your money and go with regular unleaded.

I also get a lot of questions about ethanol and if it is better than gas. The simple answer is it is not better unless you just don’t want to use fossil fuels. Ethanol is less efficient than fossil fuels. This means if you can drive 300 miles on one tank of gas, you may only be able to get 250 miles on a tank of Ethanol. Also, your vehicle must be designed to use ethanol. Ethanol is alcohol and it attracts water, so the fuel system needs to be rust-resistant. The computer needs to be able to detect alcohol due to its need to do the same job as gas. The engine oil needs to be changed sooner. For example, on a 2010 Toyota Tundra…if you use full synthetic oil, Toyota says that you can go 10,000 miles between oil changes. If you use conventional oil, you need to change it every 5,000 miles. If you run ethanol only in the fuel tank, you need to change your oil every 3,000 miles whether it’s fully synthetic or not. So, unless ethanol is cheap, it’s not worth it on the financial side of it. If you want to get away from fossil fuels, is it worth it? Come see us at White’s Automotive if you have any questions – we’re here to help you!