OIL AND FILTER CHANGE

Oil and filter changes are the most essential maintenance to your vehicle(s). For maximum engine protection, it is recommended that oil should be flushed out completely and replaced, every 3000 - 5000 miles. However, we advise checking your vehicle's owner's manual for the recommendations for specific vehicle and to see if your driving habits are considered to be "severe driving condition," and this type of driving requires more frequent oil changes, for less wear and tear on the engine.

• OIL:  Without any oil to cool heat from an engine, the moving parts would eventually melt together, causing the engine to lock-up. Heat from the engine would cause the oil to breakdown, causing the oil to lose their effectiveness over time. Flushing out ineffective oil, then flushing out small bits of contaminations (dusts, dirt and debris) and oil additives, finally replacing the oil can help you extend the life of the engine.
• FILTER:   The common oil filter is a spin-on that is made up of a high-strength steel, which houses various type of filter media. An oil filter has an important function of sifting out oil contaminants, allowing the oil to flow through the engine. If the filter becomes restricted or clogged with contaminants such as dusts, dirt, additives from the oil, and the oil will just flow around the filter, letting the oil AND contaminants through the engine, which may eventually become detrimental to the engine.

AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING(HVAC) SERVICES

The nice warm air in the winter and the cool air in the summer in our vehicle(s) help duration of rides to be more enjoyable in various weathers. However, when they fail, there may be different factors that would contribute to functions of heating and cooling systems in vehicles.Taking the time to make sure your car’s heat and air conditioning are working optimally can guarantee the best performance and comfort over the long term.

• HEATING SYSTEM:  A heating system in a vehicle is ran by a small device, called a heating core. Heated radiator fluid gets diverted through the heater core and the core disperses the heat in front of a fan, which blows it through duct work into the car’s cabin. If heat is failing in your vehicle, check to see if the air is being pushed through the system. If not, Tri-Circle Auto can check the hoses in the heating system. However, a heater core or a fan maybe need to be replaced.
• AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM:  The cooling system is a secondary system to the main cooling system and it requires similar maintenance as the main radiator of the vehicle and it works a lot like the air conditioner in your home. If a vehicle is not blowing cool air, check the level of antifreeze fluid in the car. Then check your thermostat to make sure it is functioning properly. The thermostat can get stuck in place or may become worn and fail to read the temperature properly. Our experts can help pinpointing what the problem is and assist you in fixing the problem.

An exhaust system and ducts may also affect heating and cooling system in a vehicle. If an exhaust system or vents are clogged and they can cause the vehicle to seriously overheat and may lead to more critical problems. Tri-Circle Auto can help you pinpoint which part of the system is failing and help restore heating and cooling system in your vehicle.

BRAKE REPAIRS

Brakes in today’s vehicles have complex systems that are designed to give the driver control of the vehicle in all types of weather. There are different types of brakes in a vehicle: Disc Brakes, Drum Brakes, Parking Brakes and Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS). Any failing brakes can cause serious safety hazards to trips in your vehicle.

• DISC BRAKE:   The friction between the brake pads and rotor to slow down/stop a car.
• DRUM BRAKE:  The friction between the shoes and drum to stop/slow down a car.
• PARKING BRAKE:   This break is used to prevent the car from rolling when the vehicle is parked.
• ANTI-LOCK BRAKE:  This brake is controlled by the computer, and when a sudden stop is made, ABS prevents wheel to lock-up, and causes car to stop.

If you feel that breaks are working funny, it is probably time to get a check-up on all your breaks to ensure your safety on the road. Bring your vehicle for a FREE* & no obligation brake inspection.

BATTERY SERVICES

When starting and charging a car, the battery helps to ensure proper vehicle operation whenever the car is driven. It is a good idea to check the battery level and starting/charging systems regularly to ensure proper operations of the vehicle. Electrical energy from the battery converts to the mechanical energy to start the engine. The alternator produces electric current to replace what the starter used from the battery during start-up and to support electrical loads when the engine is running. There are multiple factors that causes the more wear on the starter, such as turning engine on/off frequently will cause more wear on the starter than a simple trip back and forth to work. Other factors include:

• Driving in extreme weather conditions (hot and cold)
• Mileage
• Age of Vehicle
• In-vehicle entertainment systems

For safe operation of your vehicle, it is advised to keep your electrical system fully charged. Our mechanic can check your system to maintain optimal operations of your vehicle.

TIRES

If threads on the tires are worn and/or your vehicle is not steering straight, it is probably for to look replace your tires. Tires are important part of a vehicle. Treads on the tires provide tractions while the tire-body provides contains the quantity of compressed air. Tri-Circle Auto can help find the right tires for the vehicle, that suits the driving habits and driving condition. Our tire services include:

• INSTALLATIONS:  Tri-Circle can help find the appropriate tires for it can be a confusing process. Selecting proper tires can ensure maximizing the investments on the tires. Selecting a correct type of tires can be a cost-effective choice in the long run in comparison to just having “tires for now.” There are many different types of tires, depending on the different types of vehicles, different driving conditions and to suit different driving habits. Tri-Circle Auto can install the tires for your vehicle to ensure safety on the road.
• FLAT REPAIRS:   Getting a flat tire on the road is a headache and a half. We have all been there. Pull over to the safety spot to investigate the seriousness of the puncture. The serious puncture may lean air from the tire. Mostly, a flat can be a simple fix if the puncture did not "go all the way through" to the inside of the tire. At times, if attempting to remove the source of the puncture by hand, the source maybe really small, and that it may just give an appearance of a puncture. However, depending on the location and the seriousness of the puncture, a replacement of the tire may be necessary. Tri-Circle Auto can help you investigate these problems.
• BALANCE AND ROTATIONS:  The industry standard recommends a tire rotation every 6,000 mile. As the modern vehicles become more complex machines and with different makes and models of the vehicle, the rotation pattern will vary. Some vehicles even have different size tires on the front and back or directional tires. This limits the locations that a tire may take on the vehicle. Tri-Circle can check the owner's manual for specific vehicles and balance vehicles accordingly. When getting the tire rotated, tires and wheels can also be balanced. Balancing and rotating the tires regularly can maximize the tire investment. Tire rotation is necessary to equalize tread wear and is critical to gain the maximum life from the tire investment.
• TIRE AIR PRESSURE:   A common tire pressure is usually between 30 and 35 PSI. However different tires call for a different levels of air pressure. Find the manufacturer's optimum or recommended tire pressure for a car on a sticker in the door jam, in the owner's manual, the stickers on the trunk lid, in the console or on the fuel door.

SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICES

The modern vehicle has hundreds of complex parts moving and working together as a unit. Even through normal daily driving, over time, some of these parts simply wear out or no longer perform the way they should. To make sure that a vehicle is running at its best, every vehicle make and model has different recommendations on checking different parts and systems at certain intervals. By following manufacturer’s recommendations, further costly repairs can be avoided and maximize safety while on the road. At Tri-Circle Auto, we follow specific vehicle manufacturer's recommendations. When a maintenance service is suggested based on the mileage or age of the vehicle, we can explain each manufacturer’s maintenance recommendation and explain why it is important to the vehicle. Your vehicle manufacturer recommends services, inspections and part repairs at regularly scheduled intervals to keep your vehicle running as it should and to maintain the optimal performance of the vehicle.

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION SERVICES

Repairing engine and transmission problems and replacing them are among the most expensive repairs required for a vehicle. Engine and Transmission are complex systems of multiple gears that perform together to power the vehicle. Most likely, the problems arise from transmission and engine when necessary regular routine services go neglected for the vehicle. It is important to routinely receive a vehicle serviced a trusted mechanic as recommended by the owner’s vehicle manual.

• ENGINE SERVICE:   As a car accumulates miles the chances of engine problems increase; however, not all engine problems are serious. Many times, the cause may be something as simple as a dirty air filter or loose gas cap. However, if an activated engine light is a powerful tool that indicates that there is problem(s) related to the vehicle’s engine and may prevent more costly repairs in the future. Some of the indications include, but not limited to: loss of power in the vehicle, drop in gas mileage, random noises/odors, engine stalling. If an engine lights starts to flash, it may be a serious problem and that a trained mechanic must investigate. Some of the serious reasons that an engine light may be on: overheating of the engine, spark plugs or wires that are worn out or damaged, emissions control fault such as the oxygen sensor, defective distributor, coil packs or radiator cap, etc. Have Tri-Circle Auto look at the vehicle, we can assess the problems related to vehicle’s engine.
• TRANSMISSION SERVICE:   Maintaining transmission in a vehicle according to the manufacturer’ recommendations prolong the life of the transmission, and it can prevent costly repairs in the future. However, detecting and determining the transmission problem is very difficult for an average driver. When changing gears (from drive to park, for example), for automatic transmission, there is an extra delay along with unusual noises before the gear engages. For manual transmission, there will be lack of response or the car won’t move as fast. These problems would indicate that there are transmission-related problems. Other indications may be that there is shaking (automatic) and grinding noises (manual), or there may be a burning smell. The problem may be as simple as flashing out the transmission fluid, however, it is always to better to get the problem diagnosed and get the problem fixed as soon as possible. This may prevent much costly repairs down the road.