Can A TPMS Sensor Cause An Air Leak Around The Valve Stem?
It can, depending on what you mean by “the sensor.” The electronics might be working just fine while air sneaks past a seal on the valve assembly. That’s an important distinction when you’re the one paying for the repair. We’d want the leak located first. If you’ve filled that tire twice this week, yes, something […]
Does The Recommended Tire Pressure Change When My Car Is Fully Loaded?
Sometimes it does. Sometimes the Recommended Tire Pressure already printed on the car is the one to use, luggage and all. That’s why we’d check the owner’s manual before reaching for the air hose. “Loaded car, add some air” leaves out the most useful bit: what does this particular car require? At Maclane’s Automotive, we […]
How Can I Tell If My Tire Pressure Gauge Is Accurate?
There’s a difference between a gauge that repeats itself and one that’s right. Yours might give the same number all afternoon and still be off. Unfortunately, putting it beside another untested gauge doesn’t quite settle that. You need something of known accuracy to compare it against. Before you throw yours away, though, we’d check a […]
Why Does Cold Weather Make My Tire Pressure Light Come On And Then Go Off?
The light going out doesn’t mean you imagined it. On a cold morning, tire pressure can dip below the warning threshold. A few miles later the tires are warmer, pressure has risen, and the warning disappears. You’re left wondering whether to do anything about a problem the car appears to have forgotten. We recommend checking […]
Does My New Car Battery Need Programming After Battery Replacement?
The car starts again. That’s the part you wanted. Then you look at the estimate and see something about battery programming. Wasn’t replacing the battery the whole job? Sometimes it was. Sometimes there’s a step left. We’d need the details of your car to say which, so at Maclane’s Automotive we start with the vehicle […]
Does A Delay When Shifting Into Reverse Mean I Need Transmission Repair?
You select reverse. Nothing. You wait another moment, then the car gives a bump and finally starts backing out. By now you’re wondering whether this is the beginning of a very expensive week. It might need transmission repair, but a pause doesn’t tell us which repair. At Maclane’s Automotive, we want to hear about that […]
What Can A Car Diagnostic Test Tell Me That A Free Code Scan Can’t?
There’s nothing wrong with getting a free code scan. It gives you something to work with when the check engine light comes on. The trouble starts when the description on the printout becomes the shopping list. “Sensor” is in the description, so buy a sensor. Install it, clear the light, and hope. Sometimes that works […]
My Front And Rear Tires Are Different Sizes. Can They Be Rotated?
Different sizes on the front and back? That detail is worth a mention when booking tire service. You’re looking at what’s called a staggered setup, and it leaves fewer choices for rotation. We wouldn’t use the pattern from your previous car just because it worked well on that one. We can talk through that with […]
My Tires Are Wearing Unevenly. Is A Rotation Enough?
You notice the front tires looking worse than the back ones and think, probably time for a rotation. That may be right. But before moving them around, we’d want to know whether the fronts have simply done more work or whether something is chewing up part of the trea There’s an important difference between those […]
Should I Replace My Car Battery Before Winter?
If the battery is weak, we’d rather you found out before a cold morning in the driveway. But we wouldn’t tell you to buy a car battery replacement just because it’s a few years old. A check now is a reasonable middle ground between throwing away a usable battery and hoping for the best all […]