Colorado Auto Repair

Modern Littleton vehicles have several vehicle diagnosis computers on board that control all kinds of things. Like engine functions, transmission shifts, traction control, anti-lock brakes, stability control, emissions – and on some vehicles, even steering, braking and the throttle. Think about that for a minute – things that used to be controlled by simple mechanical connections now have electronic controls that rely on computers, software and sensors. It’s no wonder that when something goes wrong with their vehicle it can be pretty complicated for Littleton car owners to track down the source of the problem. To help your EAS Tire & Auto service professional figure out what’s wrong, your vehicle is equipped with on-board diagnostics. The Check Engine Light comes on to tell you there’s a problem and the engine management computer stores a trouble code. Your EAS Tire & Auto service ... read more

One Littleton automotive service issue that doesn’t get much attention is driveline service. Drivelines don’t get talked about very much around Littleton, but they’re very important. First let’s define what the driveline is: Taking a small step back, the power plant is comprised of the engine and transmission. The driveline starts there and includes all of the components that transfer power from the transmission to the wheels. That’s not really a lot of components, but they handle the full force of the engine. Without the driveline you’re not moving. So we need to take good care of it. The driveline components differ depending on whether your vehicle has front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive or four wheel drive. For purposes of our discussion, we’re going to have to over simplify a bit. Let’s start with front wheel drive. The point where the tr ... read more

Good brakes are obviously very important. If you’ve ever had your brakes go out while you’re driving around the Denver area, you’ll know how terrifying it can be. Today we’ll focus on how to tell when you have a brake problem, and how to make good repair choices. Often, the first indication that something’s wrong with the brakes is an unusual sound. It could be a squeal, chatter or grinding sound. Some brake pads have a little piece of metal embedded in them that will make a squeal or chirping sound when the brake pads have been worn down to the point that they need to be replaced. It’s an early warning indicator. When you hear that sound, schedule an appointment at EAS Tire & Auto soon. Now a chattering sound is more urgent. That usually indicates that something is loose. It could be a brake pad or even the brake calipers. If one of those parts falls off, you could have some serious trouble stopping the vehicle ... read more

Leaseor buy? These are the options for Littleton car financing. It’s always a tough question for Littleton auto owners. But here is some info that’ll help you make an informed decision. If you buy, you’ll pay the full cost of the car, with maybe an initial down payment, then monthly payments on the balance that pays down the loan principal, and the finance charge. Littleton auto owners who lease, finance the portion of the cost of the car that’s used up during the term of the lease. You’ll pay some money up front; fees, security deposit, first month’s payment and maybe a capital reduction. The monthly payments include a depreciation cost and a finance charge. When the lease is up, you return the car to your local Denver area dealership.  So how do Littleton auto owners decide? First, how much do you have for a down payment? A lea ... read more

You may have found yourself in the following situation: You go to get your oil changed and the service adviser at EAS Tire & Auto recommends you get a new engine air filter. You say yes, but because you didn’t know what an air filter is or what it does, but you were too embarrassed to ask. First of all, you did the right thing by getting a new one. And, you should never be too embarrassed to ask for more information from any of our EAS Tire & Auto staff. It’s your money and you have a right to understand what you’re paying for. Let’s review what an air filter does: Air is the focus of this discussion. What is the air like outside in Littleton right now? Can you see any smog? Is it full of pollen? How about dust? Anyone in Colorado with hay fever can tell you that there’s plenty in the air that you can’t see. Well, it’s the engine air filter’s job to clean that air before it goes into your engine, to mix with the fuel and be burned ... read more

New laws required manufacturers to include a Tire Pressure Monitoring System – or TPMS system – in all cars and light trucks by the 2008 model year. Flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances can all be the result of Denver auto owners driving around on under-inflated tires. Admittedly, it’s hard to tell when a radial tire is under-inflated. If your manufacturer recommends 35 pounds of pressure, your SUV tire’s considered significantly under inflated at 26 pounds. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds. The system has a dashboard mounted warning light that goes off if one or more of the tires falls 25% below manufacturer’s pressure recommendations. This technology has been used by Denver race car drivers for years. They are able to head off problems from under inflation by closely monitoring tire pressure on the track. It’s up to your SUV’s manufacturer to determine which of many TP ... read more

Every car in Littleton Colorado is at risk for theft. So it’s up to us to make our cars a less appealing target and more of a challenge – hopefully sending potential thieves to look elsewhere. The National Insurance Crime Bureau recommends a layered approach to protecting vehicles: Common sense Visible and audible devices Immobilizing devices Tracking devices Let’s review each of these. First, common sense: you would be surprised how many vehicles are stolen from Littleton Colorado where the keys were left in the ignition with the doors unlocked. Always take your keys, and lock the doors. In fact, in some places it’s against the law to leave a vehicle unattended with the keys in the ignition. And don’t leave spare keys in the car or hide them outside – because a thief will find them. Try to park in well-lit areas that have a lot of foot traffic. If possible, park ne ... read more

Littleton motorists’ cars have to operate in a wide range of Colorado temperatures. Meaning that our engine coolant level is more of a concern than in other more blandly weathered locales. Think for a moment about the environment where coolant level is affecting strictly by having to keep the engine “cool”. Very hot. High pressure. Not to mention corrosive. All the while, it has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. These components are made from steel and aluminum, plastics and rubber. The coolant has to be formulated to protect against corrosion for all of these different materials. That’s why car makers recommend different types of anti-freeze for Colorado vehicles. There are several different ‘families’ of anti-freeze available to us here in Littleton. Your owners’ manual will tell you what kind you should use. Of course, the automotive professionals at EAS Tire & Auto will know the right kind for your car. I ... read more

Today, we are talking about your PCV valve. The PCV Valve is a little, inexpensive part that does a big job for Littleton drivers. PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The crankcase is the bottom area of the engine that holds the oil. When the SUV engine’s running, fuel is burned to generate power. Most of the exhaust from combustion goes out through the exhaust system. But some exhaust blows by the pistons and goes into the lower engine, or crankcase. These hot gases are about seventy percent unburned fuel.This can dilute and contaminate the oil, leading to damaging engine oil sludge. It can also cause SUV engine corrosion, something we see occasionally at EAS Tire & Auto. At high speeds on Littleton freeways, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak . Back in the old days, car makers simply installed a hose that ve ... read more

Your car is important to you and keeping it running properly is essential to your Littleton lifestyle. That’s why you’re smart to have it serviced regularly at EAS Tire & Auto in Littleton. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right by automotive professionals. It’s also very important to your Littleton service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our Littleton auto service center spends annually to make sure our honest technicians are properly trained. EAS Tire & Auto offers a variety of automotive services for many kinds of vehicles. We need to be current on the latest techniques and parts so that we can give you quality service. Our Littleton centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer. And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. EAS Tire & Auto technicians follow these procedures so they can ... read more