Los Altos Auto Repair

Good Day, everyone. Cayenne here.  Do you know what TPS stands for? No, it's not Tender Porterhouse Steak, even though that sounds good to me. It means Throttle Position Sensor. Yes, I know it's not as tasty-sounding, but it's very important to your vehicle.  So let's get barkin' about TPS.

You know you have an accelerator pedal; step on it, and your vehicle is supposed to go.  But did you know there is a part in your vehicle that tracks where the throttle is? It's called the Throttle Position Sensor, or TPS.

The TPS is a sensor that helps your vehicle determine the right mix of air and fuel reaching your engine.  It does that by keeping track of the throttle and sending that information to your vehicle's computer.  Other factors play a role in how well your engine is performing, including air temperature, how fast the engine is turning over, and airflow. 

When the TPS isn't working right, you may find your vehicle won't accelerate or doesn't have the power you're expecting when you press on the accelerator.  In some cases, it may accelerate on its own.  Sometimes, your vehicle won't go over a certain speed.  Your Check Engine light may go on.

Any of these symptoms should be checked out soon. If your TPS stops working right, your vehicle may not be safe to drive. Fortunately, most vehicles have a "limp home" mode that allows you to get off a busy road and to a safe spot. 

Your service advisor can tell you which TPS is the correct replacement for your vehicle. Your shop may have to re-program the new TPS so it works correctly with your vehicle's software.

It's a fact of life these days that computers control many of a vehicle's functions. The sensors that feed information to those computers help make your vehicle work how it was engineered to and keep you motoring safely and efficiently down the road.

I leave you with an inspirational quote for the week,

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." ~ Walt Disney

Cayenne

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
6509687227
http://alliedautoworks.com

Duke here and you know when you climb inside your vehicle, start the ignition, and reach for the fan control for the heating or air conditioning, but no air comes out of the vents. It can make for a very uncomfortable trip, whether hot or cold outside.  Well today we are going blow some reasons into why air is not coming out of our vents.  So open up your vents and let's get barkin'!

It’s important for the comfort of you and your passengers to regulate the temperature in your vehicle’s cabin.  Not having air coming through the vents can also be a safety issue when trying to defrost the windshield and front windows when they fog up and your visibility is affected.  

There can be many reasons why the air isn’t blowing through your vents.  The blower motor may have failed or the switch that controls it wore out.  It could be as simple as a blown fuse, or perhaps an electrical component that regulates the fan speed may have stopped working. One of the ducts that direct the air from the outside to the cabin may have broken.  The air intake where the outside air is collected may be clogged up with leaves or other debris.

If your vents aren’t blowing air, it’s time to bring in your vehicle to have one of our technicians diagnose and repair it. They will examine the electrical and mechanical components to see where the problem is. The remedy can be simple or involve a more extensive repair.  

Keeping the cabin temperature temperate and having good airflow is vital to your comfort, especially when the weather outside is extremely hot or cold. 

Us Hounds, though, love the air in our faces wether hot or cold, so we just stick our heads out the window and take it all in, 

Duke

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
6509687227
http://alliedautoworks.com

Cayenne here today. Everyone loves things that sparkle. Our vehicles send out their own spark through the ignition coil.  But how do you know it might be time to replace the ignition coil?  Well today we will ignite you some sparkling information on the subject.

Ever wonder how your vehicle’s engine can take the 12 volts from its battery and ramp that up to as high as the tens of thousands of volts it takes to fire its spark plugs? The secret is something called an ignition coil. Most newer vehicles have an ignition coil at each cylinder, but older ones have one that serves all the spark plugs. 

There are telltale signs that you have an ignition coil problem. As you might expect, one symptom is that it’s hard to start your engine or that it won’t start at all. If your engine is misfiring or not running smoothly, or you see the Check Engine light come on, those could all point to an ignition coil failure.

Several things can contribute to ignition coil trouble in addition to normal wear and tear. Moisture and dirt may have gotten inside the coil, and the heat and vibration of your engine over time can cause it to go bad. Bad spark plugs or plug wires can also be a cause.  

While ignition coils can last 100,000 miles/160,000 km, depending on how you drive and in what conditions, if you start noticing some of the signs and symptoms just described, it’s a good idea to schedule a visit to see us so a technician can diagnose what’s wrong. Driving too long with an engine misfiring can damage your catalytic converter, which can be expensive to replace.

A technician will thoroughly check your ignition system and determine where the failure is. If only one coil is bad, it may be the only thing that needs replacing. If your vehicle has a distributor, it may also need replacing. Properly working ignition coils will help your vehicle operate at its best and help prevent future engine damage.

Leave a little SPARKLE wherever you go,

Cayenne

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
6509687227
http://alliedautoworks.com

Good day California, Duke here and you know whether we're trying to save money on dog treats, save gas or save the environment, most of us Los Altos drivers have an interest in decreasing fuel consumption. We've all heard about ways to save money on gas in CA, but does it really add up to much? How much can we boost our fuel economy through preventive maintenance and more courteous driving?  Well, I'm here to bark on how you can accomplish this......so let's get barkin'!

The US government has a website that actually answers that question. Let's look at some of the data and find out if any of these fuel-saving ideas are really worth the effort. We've all heard that a tune-up can improve gas mileage. It turns out that it can save us 4% at the pump. At $3.50 a gallon, that's 14¢ per gallon in savings, and at $4.00 a gallon, that's a 16¢ per gallon savings.

Other common repair items can also save you at the pump. For example, if your oxygen sensor is faulty, it's not delivering the information to your engine's computer that allows it to calculate the proper fuel-to-air ratio. The result? The fuel doesn't burn efficiently. Replacing that faulty sensor can save you 40% at the pump. That's certainly a reason to improve your car care and have the automotive professionals at Allied Auto Works inspect things once in a while.

A faulty oxygen sensor will activate the check engine light. So will a lot of other problems that are big fuel wasters. Finding out why your light is on and fixing the problem will also improve fuel economy. Bring your car into Allied Auto Works in Los Altos and we will take care of it for you.

What about tires? Los Altos drivers have all heard that keeping them inflated will improve our gas mileage. True? Yep. It's a 3% savings for that one. And even small drops in tire pressure can start to add up, so a weekly tire check is in order.

Using the correct weight in motor oil is another way you can save at Los Altos area gas pumps. It adds up to a 2% savings.

What about that courteous driving? That doesn't cost us anything and doesn't require our Los Altos service center to implement anything. Is it worth the bother?

Again, the answer is yes. Sudden acceleration, such as charging away from stoplights, sudden stops and quick lane changes all add up in lowered fuel economy. Taking it easy when you drive on CA roads amounts to a 5% savings around town and a whopping 33% savings on the freeway. Is it worth your time to slow down? How much do you get paid?

Speeding is another way we ding ourselves at the gas pump. We've all heard that it's okay to drive five miles over the speed limit, but that actually hurts our wallets. Eventually, it could add up to more than a speeding ticket. An extra five miles over the speed limit ends up costing us 7% per gallon. Fifteen miles over? 23% Now, there's a reason to slow down.

Another thing Los Altos vehicle owners can do to improve that costs nothing is to toss the junk out of our trunks. In other words, clean out the car and stop hauling around non-essentials. Don't treat your vehicle like a storage locker. Dumping one hundred pounds of extra weight adds up to a 2% savings at the pump.

So when you tell someone you were going somewhere anyway, and they're welcome to come along, that's okay. But if someone tells you they need to come along and it's no harm to you since you were going anyway—well, now you can tell them, “Sorry, dude, but you're an extra fifteen cents a gallon!”

All joking aside, let's do ourselves a favor and fatten up our wallets by practicing good car care and better driving habits in CA. Now you can afford the delicious dog treats!

Duke

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
6509687227
http://alliedautoworks.com