Posted on 3/26/2015
Your SUV’s exhaust system is more than just a tailpipe and a muffler. In fact, it is one of the most complex systems on your SUV. Maintaining it is good Northtown Auto Clinic auto advice for North Kansas City motorists, but it’s also good health advice and good environmental advice. The exhaust system includes your emissions system. Because this system may affect your health and the health of our Kansas City area environment, it is subject to strict government regulations. Satisfying these regulations demands some high-tech, computer-controlled equipment, which means that the emissions system is a lot more sophisticated than it was thirty years ago. Most vehicle manufacturers recommend that you have your SUV exhaust and emissions systems checked by a qualified technician at regular intervals. The exhaust system starts with the ... read more
Posted on 3/18/2015
A vehicle’s suspension system is tough. It can last for years and tens of thousands of miles for North Kansas City drivers. But it can be damaged quickly by hitting a pothole, curb or rock, and it can wear more quickly if you frequently drive off-road or on bumpy roads. A workhorse vehicle — one that hauls heavy loads — is also going to be hard on its suspension system. Because the useful life of your suspension system contains these elements of unpredictability, it is important for North Kansas City auto owners to have them inspected periodically. Worn, broken and missing parts can be identified during a diagnostic examination. An ineffective suspension system will lessen the driver’s control over a vehicle, so when it is damaged it frequently leads to the worst kind of vehicular damage — dangerous and costly accidents. The suspension system is composed of springs and shock absorbers (or shocks). Springs suspend the weight of the vehicle above its axle ... read more
Posted on 3/10/2015
There is a clear and vocal demand in North Kansas City and nationally for a reduction in air pollution and our dependence on fossil fuels. This is what is driving the Missouri market for alternative fuel vehicles. There are a number of these vehicles on Kansas City area roads today, and many more being developed. Yet each of these vehicles has its own advantages and disadvantages. North Kansas City motorists should learn what these advantages and disadvantages are before running out and purchasing one of these alternative fuel vehicles at your nearest Kansas City dealership. Kansas City auto owners should carefully research the car care before buying an alternative vehicle, as it may or may not coincide with the standards for gasoline vehicles. You should look at costs and fuel economy as well: these vehicles may help save our environment here in North Kansas City, but that might not represent a savings to your wallet. Y ... read more
Posted on 3/4/2015
The price of gas and the uncertain economy are both causing Missouri residents to review their finances. More and more North Kansas City auto owners are opting to keep their vehicles longer and put off purchasing a newer car. It is estimated that two-thirds of the vehicles on the roads of North America today have over 75,000 miles on them. And the average age of vehicles is now over eleven years. That translates to some car care issues that many North Kansas City men and women haven’t dealt with in the past. Older vehicles simply have different maintenance requirements than newer ones. Learning those requirements presents a challenge for North Kansas City auto owners because many owner’s manuals only publish maintenance schedules up to 60,000 or 90,000 miles. Vehicle owners have to keep good records and be more involved in planning preventive maintenance if they want to keep their SUVs on the road. First of all, any service in your owner’s manual that come ... read more