December 15, 2024
If you drive, you know at some point, something's going to go wrong with your vehicle. And sometimes, it's pretty easy to figure out what's wrong, like a flat tire. But sometimes your vehicle's symptoms can be really puzzling.
One driver in OK was heading to work on a hot July day and noticed when he pressed the accelerator, sometimes it wouldn't do anything. He also noticed his cruise control wouldn't work and his traction control light was constantly on, very unusual.
He was trying to figure it out, but none of it made any sense. His cruise control had always worked perfectly, his traction light never had gone on before and there was never any issue pressing on the accelerator.
It was time to take his car in for a professional diagnosis, and boy, was he surprised that it was a freak accident he'd had the previous WINTER that was the root of his problems. You see, in January, his car had slipped on ice when he was in reverse and had gently tapped a tree. That caused a tiny crack in his rear stoplight.
That crack had gone unnoticed until that July day. Turns out a summer rain allowed water to seep into the taillight casing, so this time when he drove to work, there was enough moisture inside it to cause his stop light to stick on.
When the stop light is on, the car's computer is programmed to act as if the driver is pressing the brakes. It also disables the cruise, accelerator and cruise control when the brakes are on, producing all of the symptoms. Replacing the stop lamp switch fixed everything.
So, while some things that go wrong with your vehicle are pretty obvious, many seemingly defy all logic. That's when a trained technician can scope things out, replace the right part and get you going again.
October 12, 2025
If you've ever ridden down a rough road on your bicycle, you know how hard a ride it can be. Yet drive down the same road in your car, truck or SUV and it miraculously will smooth out the ride. That's because it is equipped with shock absorbers. They are built to dampen impacts from road irreg... More
October 5, 2025
If you've ever walked into your garage and noticed it smelled like gasoline, pay attention. Gasoline can be dangerous, both from the health problems fumes can cause and the fire danger gasoline presents. There are many things that can cause a vehicle to give off a gasoline odor. One of the easi... More
September 28, 2025
Even in the months where temperatures are cooler, heat is still an enemy of your vehicle. When your engine runs, it creates heat, so there are numerous heat shields that protect other parts from those higher temperatures. Heat shields are installed around several areas of the exhaust system. Ot... More