Winterizing Your Car: A Checklist for Success

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

It’s time to get your car winter-ready! With winter upon us, it is crucial to make sure your vehicle can withhold New Jersey’s harsh weather conditions. Though routine maintenance is important year-round, it is especially important during the colder months. The weather has an enormous impact on the functionality of your vehicle. There are several steps to take to insure your car operates successfully to keep you and your loved ones safe during the winter months.

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Spare Tires in Newer Cars: What You Need to Know

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

Picture this: you’re in rush to get somewhere then hear a loud pop and the tire pressure light turns on. As you inspect the tires, you notice the culprit: a nail. You think to yourself “no big deal, I have a spare.” But when you reach into the trunk, there is no spare tire. In its place, you find a small device with a gauge and a power plug. It’s a tire repair kit. As newer car manufacturers are starting to provide these kits instead of a spare, learning how to use one of these is extremely valuable.

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Why Are Headlights So Expensive Now?

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

With cars becoming more sophisticated and technologically advanced, certain car parts are increasing in price. You used to be able to simply pick up a new headlight bulb and replace it in under a minute. As that may still be effective for some models, for most vehicles this simple repair has become more complex and time-consuming. On some vehicles, it is necessary to remove the complete headlight which sometimes entails removing the entire bumper! In this article, we will give you a brief education on why headlights in today’s vehicles are more expensive to replace and/or repair. This information will be especially valuable to our friends and customers who live around Verona, NJ who own newer cars!

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How Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Work

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

If you own a car that was made after 2007, your car is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). With that being said, you may have faced the dreaded “low tire pressure” warning light (the horseshoe icon with an exclamation in the middle. If you ever see this light come on, it is most likely a sign that your tires need air. 

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Rats! Cold Weather Brings Rodents Inside Vehicles

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

Just like you, when the temperature drops, rodents seek food and warmth! It’s not uncommon for them to move right into your home or car for that matter. Rodents don’t need a key to get into your car, as sneaking into cars is rather easy for rodents. Did you know mice and rats can fit through holes as small as a dime and a quarter? Openings on your car such as vents, steering columns, pedal shafts, and other openings serve as the main access into vehicles for rodents. Not to mention, rodents have a field day on today’s eco-friendly materials like soy-based wiring. Once these intruders get into your vehicle, they commonly use insulation as nesting material and wires as meals leading to electrical issues, short circuits, and even the spread of diseases.

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How to Jump-Start Your Car

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

Have you ever been in a rush, jumped in the driver’s seat of your car, turned the key, and gotten ready to drive away —but as you turn your ignition, nothing happens? A few clicks or sputters of your engine, maybe. But other than that, nothing. Luckily, you are well-prepared and keep emergency equipment in your trunk—including jumper cables! You have the tools to bring your car back to life, but as you stare at these cables, you are unsure how to properly use them. Though having the right emergency equipment is a great start, jump-starting a car is not something everyone learns how to do. In this article, we have listed what you need to know about how to jump a car. A few simple steps and you are at your destination on time!

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What is a Timing Belt and When Does it Need to be Replaced?

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

Timing is everything. For relationships, cooking, music,—even engines! That’s because your car’s engine relies on a timing belt to stay in sync. 

Knowing about timing belt replacements will save you from unexpected breakdowns, keeping you safe on the road. Replacing the timing belt is an important maintenance item, which means you should understand how a timing belt works and when to replace it.

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8 Car Noises—And What They Could Mean

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

Do you listen when your car is trying to tell you something? Your vehicle gives you feedback and instead of ignoring it in hopes it goes away, it is important to learn about the most common noises to try to identify what the problem might be. This will help determine when you should bring your car down to Luke’s Auto Service!

We have listed some of the most common car noises and helpful tips on what to do if your car is making a certain sound:

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Stop the Rot: What You Need to Know About Dry Rot Tires

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

How often do you inspect your tires? The next time you do, be sure to check the sidewalls, shoulders, and tread grooves for tiny spiderweb-like cracks. It is possible that these cracks could be dry rot. Tire dry rot is the deterioration of a tire’s rubber compounds. When experiencing dry rot, tire surfaces become dry and cracked, which makes them very prone to breaking down. This can occur in vehicles that sit for a long time (during the pandemic for example), and it results in your tires prematurely wearing out and needing to be replaced. Tire dry rot weakens a tire’s structural integrity and is dangerous to drive on.

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Do Pocket-Sized Plugin Devices for Your Vehicle Diagnose Your Car?

Posted on by Luke's Auto Service

You may have heard of The FIXD device as being known as the “Car Repair Sensor That’s Saving People $1000s” or the HUM device known for a “quick diagnostic”. But do these pocket-sized plugins truly diagnose your vehicle? Both tools are great informational tools that can give you the code or codes that your vehicle computer sees when you are having performance issues or if one of your dashboard lights turns on. These codes are not a diagnosis, they are a starting point that points you in a direction to work towards an actual diagnosis. Diagnosing a vehicle properly requires running tests and following the steps listed below:

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