BEAR AUTO REPAIR

It can be frustrating dealing with a dying car battery. You may be able to recharge it and get more life out of the battery. Eventually, it may need to be swapped out with a new one. You don't want to be stranded somewhere, unable to get your vehicle to start. Here are a few of the most common signs that your car battery is dying and may need to be replaced soon: Battery Warning Light The battery warning light on your dashboard (or computer monitor) is there to let you know when the battery is losing its charge or has some other problem like a loose connection. If your battery light is on, you should get it checked out and tested by a professional mechanic to determine if it needs to be recharged, replaced or repaired. Physical Damage There can be numerous physical signs that your battery is on its last legs. Symptoms can include extensive corrosion around the cable connections, loose battery terminals and a swollen battery case. Trou ... read more

Low fuel pressure can be a common problem in all types of vehicles. Generally speaking, low fuel pressure means you don't have enough fuel getting to the engine, and/or you have too much air coming in. The fuel-to-air intake ratio is thrown off and it will cause engine performance issues. You may have trouble getting the car started at all when the fuel pressure is too low. Symptoms of Low Fuel Pressure Here are a few signs that you may have low fuel pressure: Engine Won't Start—It is cranking, but isn't starting up. Check Engine Light—An illuminated check engine light could mean a fuel system problem. Black Smoke—Dark smoke coming from the tailpipe often means the vehicle is burning too much fuel, which could be a fuel system, engine or ... read more

The good news is that you don't have to get your vehicle's transmission serviced quite as often as your engine. You may be getting your engine oil changed every 5,000-6,000 miles and that is a vital maintenance service to help keep your engine running smoothly. Getting your transmission serviced is equally important, but it doesn't have to be done nearly as frequently. Transmission Fluid Service Intervals In general, most vehicles should have their transmission serviced every 30,000-60,000 miles. Some modern automatic and CVT transmissions may require servicing every 100,000 miles or so. A lot of it depends on the age, make and model of the vehicle. There may be other factors, as well. Towing/carrying heavy loads, driving uphill and sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic can also put additional strain on your transmission ... read more

If you are like most drivers, you hate having to get work done on your car. One of the most common automotive repairs needed is replacing the brake pads. When they get too worn down, they become much less effective. It can be dangerous to drive with low brake pads or other brake system damage. It's important to get your brakes inspected periodically and deal with the maintenance as needed.  The good news is there are ways to help keep your brakes healthier for longer. You may be able to extend the intervals between brake services and brake pad replacements with these 5 tips from Fox Run Auto: 1. Slow Down! This may sound counterintuitive because you generally use your brakes to slow down. However, if you aren't driving as fast or aggressively all the time, you simply won't have to rely on your brakes so much. Drive smoother and a little slower at all times. Don't tailgate and leave ... read more

Did your "check engine" light come on recently? It's something that no driver ever wants to see. Sometimes, it can be the sign of bad news. In other cases, it's really no big deal. So, how do you know what the check engine light represents and what should you do about it? Those are the key questions we will answer in this article. What Trips the Check Engine Light? The check engine light can actually illumination for a number of different reasons. It is kind of a "catch all" warning attached to various sensors throughout the vehicle. It can be letting you know you have low oil, a dying battery, a failing oxygen sensor, a transmission issue, an exhaust/emissions system issue, a cooling system issue, a fuel system issue or, of course, an engine problem. In some cases, it may just be that your fuel tank cap or cover isn ... read more