West Bend & Hubertus Auto Repair

                                                              It's starting to get cooler which means it's time to start thinking about winter! There is few things to have checked over to make sure your vehicle is ready to take the cold weather. It is always important to make sure your engine oil is in tip top shape as that is the life of the engine. Tire pressure and tread depth is always important as that is the only contact your vehicle has with the road. Always make sure exterior lights and signals are in working order. Lastly, the coolant and brake fluid levels should be checked. Give us a call today to schedule your vehicle's fall check up

        What is the difference between an air filter and cabin air filter?  An air filter is a screen that essentially removes solid particles that can be harmful to humans. Particles such as dust, powder, pollen, mold, fibers, and germs. It cleans the air to be breathable and odor free for the driver of the vehicle. We recommend an air filter to be changed out every 15,000 miles to keep the air in the vehicle healthy to breathe.  You may be thinking; does my vehicle even have a cabin air filter? Not all vehicles are equipped with a cabin air filter. The cabin air filter gets rid of contaminants that are pumped into the cabin with the fans running. We recommend the cabin air filter to be changed out once a year and have a visual inspection completed every 5,000 miles. 

     As you start your vehicle you may hear your belt squeal, don't panic! The squealing noise is most commonly due to the rubber belt slipping on the metal pully. The belt may be slipping due to improper tension, or the belt may have simply just got old. The surface of the belt may have become glazed, cracked, or brittle and can cause noise from the belt. Replacing your belts should be included in your vehicle maintenance. If the belt is replaced when small amounts of wear is found, this can help prevent costly repairs. Call us today to schedule an appointment to have your vehicle inspected to keep it on the road as long as possible. 

Oil changes are an important routine maintenance. For these newer cars with such infrequent oil change recommendations, we still suggest getting your oil changed every 5,000-7,500 miles. Why? Think of oil in your vehicle like your body and water. Our bodies are 60% water. There's always H2O streaming through us. Yes, we can go a few days without it, but it is still important to replenish ourselves and stay hydrated since we lose that water in different ways. However, the longer we go without water, the more our body starts to shut down and not cooperate. The same goes with our vehicles. Oil is constantly pumping throughout the vehicle and its engine. Our job, as the user, is to maintain the oil so that it's always clean and at the level it needs to be. Yes, the vehicle could last months on end without changing the oil, but in the meantime the oil is getting more and more dirty, sludge-like, and building up particles. The more dirtier the oil gets, the worse it is ... read more

                        It's time for an oil change. Can you please check my other fluids? Yes, that is a great habit to get into. The fluid exchanges can keep it running better than ever. There are no warning lights or reminders when these fluid exchanges are due. Each manufacturer has its own fluid exchange intervals. A very common and inexpensive fluid change is your oil change, the life line of the engine. Transmission fluid should be changed every 50,000 miles to help prolong the life of the transmission. Coolant is what protects your engine. If the vehicle does not have the correct amount of coolant in it, it can cause the vehicle to overheat. This can cause expensive repairs to be needed to your engine. We recommend the coolant to be exchanged out every 4 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Brakes; we need our vehicles to stop! Brake fluid is needed for your vehicle's brakes to stop. We recommend the ... read more