AUTONET TV

Automotive Tips from Long Hill Auto Service: When to Replace Your Wiper Blades

There are several important factors that go into how often Millington drivers should replace their wiper blades. Of course, the more you use your wipers, the faster the blades will wear out – especially if you use them on an icy windshield. Whether it’s a lot of bugs and road grime from NJ freeway driving or lots of wet weather – your blades get a work out and start to wear.

But your wiper blades break down even when they aren’t used frequently. They are damaged by sunlight and temperature changes as well. The rubber in the blades can dry out and crack and eventually fall apart. Check your wipers: If they’re not doing their important job, have them replaced at Long Hill Auto Service in Millington.

Talk to your Long Hill Auto Service service advisor about how you drive - we can counsel you on the optimal blades for your needs.


Long Hill Auto Service
1905 Long Hill Rd
Millington, NJ 07946
(908) 647-7984
www.longhillautonj.com

Read a Good Tire Lately? (Tire Wear)

There's lots of good information to read in books and online.  You might not know that you can also "read" your tires and learn a lot about what shape they're in and if they are in need of attention. It's important to know how your tires are doing because a tire failure can be very dangerous to you, your passengers and others on the road near you.

You read your tire by looking at the surface that rides on the road, where the tread is.  Check out the outer and inner edges.  If you notice there's more wear on the inner or outer edge than on the rest of the tread, your vehicle could be out of alignment.  Wear on an inner or outer edge could mean your wheels are leaning too much to one side.  When you see this, visit our service center soon to have the alignment checked.

What about if both edges are worn? That could be a sign that you don't have enough air in that tire.  In an underinflated tire, the middle is not contacting the road surface as much as the edges, so the edges wear down first.  It could also mean that you're taking corners too aggressively or your tires haven't been rotated on a regular schedule.

Another thing you might see on your tires' tread area is wear in the center of the tire.  That means you likely have too much air in that tire.  Too much air makes your tire contact the road in the middle more than on the edges so the middle wears down prematurely. 

You might also see some smooth spots on the tread in irregular spots. This is called cupping. This is sometimes caused by suspension problems. A technician can examine your suspension to see if it is up to the manufacturer's specifications.

Finally, you may spot tires that are worn unevenly in a pattern that goes diagonal to the tread pattern.  This could mean your tires are out of balance, something our service center can check. They might also check alignment at the same time.

Your tires are the only part of your vehicle that contacts the road surface.  That means your acceleration, traction, steering and braking are all dependent on your tires being healthy. Maintain your tires by having one of our trained technicians read the clues and making sure they're always in roadworthy shape. 

Long Hill Auto Service
1905 Long Hill Rd
Millington, NJ 07946
(908) 647-7984
www.longhillautonj.com

Today’s Headlights: Brighter, Smarter… and Harder to Replace

Maybe you’re old enough to remember when headlights were essentially all the same on every vehicle.  They were so cheap and easy to replace, most people could do it themselves.  Those days are gone.  Now, headlights put out more and better light and are more efficient.  Those all contribute to better visibility for you, the driver.  But those improvements mean they’re more complicated and, therefore, harder to repair or replace. 
 
The new headlight technology basically takes two approaches, HID (High-Intensity Discharge) or LED headlights.  The LEDs put out a brighter light that can illuminate more of the road ahead.

Another new feature in today’s headlights allows them to turn when you turn your steering wheel.  The advantage is you can more clearly see where you are going.  They can dim parts of the beam so oncoming drivers aren’t blinded.  You’ll notice the difference most on dark, winding country roads.

Because these new headlights are far more complex than the previous generation, in most cases you can’t just unplug a lamp and plug in another.  Today’s headlights often come as a sealed assembly, and in some cases to replace it means taking off the bumper, the grille or the headlight housing. Some may require you to get a whole new assembly.

That, of course, raises the cost.  A new headlight assembly with LEDs, sensors and control modules may cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, especially on high-end vehicles. Plus, the installation is complex.

That’s why when it comes to modern headlight assemblies, it’s best to have a technician diagnose the issue.  What you thought might be a simple burned-out leadlight could be any number of things, such as a wiring problem or a failed module. Having a professional diagnose it helps make sure you get the correct repair, and you won’t be replacing parts that don’t need replacing.

Long Hill Auto Service
1905 Long Hill Rd
Millington, NJ 07946
(908) 647-7984
www.longhillautonj.com

It's (Not) Complicated (Engine Air Filter)

While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there's one that isn't complicated but still important.  It's your engine air filter.

(And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn't to be confused with the cabin air filter.  The cabin air filter cleans air that goes into the passenger compartment while the engine air filter cleans air that goes into the engine itself.)

Why does your engine need a filter? Think of all the stuff–dirt, dust, and debris in the air¬–that gets kicked up on the road.  If that were to go unfiltered into your engine, it could damage other components.

There are many different materials used in an engine air filter, including paper, cloth (frequently cotton), and other synthetic fabrics.  The material is usually folded tightly to maximize the filtering capability over a relatively small surface.  

Before computers were employed to determine the proper mix of air and gasoline, a dirty air filter could contribute to a decline in fuel economy.  But a study of engine air filters done by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2009 found that in modern fuel-injected engines, computers can maintain the correct air/fuel mix even when an engine air filter is really dirty, minimizing effects on fuel economy.

That same clogged air filter, though, can affect your vehicle's performance, mainly how much power and acceleration it delivers.  In testing three different vehicles, a dirty air filter made the vehicles slower by about 6-12%.  That's something you'd definitely notice if you were driving.

But it happens slowly, over the course of several months, so you might not even know your engine air filter is dirty unless you bring it to us and have a technician inspect yours.  

There are many different types of engine air filters, from the ones made by the original vehicle manufacturer to aftermarket ones.  Some can increase your engine's performance; some can be washed and re-used but are generally more expensive.

Your service advisor can recommend several options for you, depending on the type of vehicle you drive and your driving habits.  Dirty, dusty roads will require more frequent engine air filter changes than cleaner drive routes, and each vehicle manufacturer recommends when your filter should be changed.  Keeping it clean will help your engine breathe a little bit easier.

Long Hill Auto Service
1905 Long Hill Rd
Millington, NJ 07946
(908) 647-7984
www.longhillautonj.com