Central Park Garage Tech Question On Your Battery

Central Park Garage Tech Question:

I'm David in Somersworth, NH. For the last year and a half I’ve had some battery problems. I had trouble starting my car so I bought a new battery at a parts store in Somersworth. At first everything was fine, then about six months later I had problems starting my car again, so I got a new battery. Again, everything was fine for another five or six months then I had trouble starting my car again. I went to get another battery and the parts guy said why do you need another battery, weren’t you in a few months ago? So he tested my battery and it was OK. Apparently I’ve been replacing good batteries. What’s wrong with my sedan?

Central Park Garage Answer:
Look, we can’t fault David for not knowing what’s wrong with his sedan – he just didn’t have enough critical information. And frankly, neither do I.

Let’s talk about where our friend went wrong and what he could have done. First, he was right to suspect his battery. But if he had asked to have his sedan battery tested when he first went to the auto parts store, he would have found out that his battery was still good and would have known he needed to take his car into Central Park Garage for further diagnosis.

There could be any number of reasons his car wouldn’t start. Unfortunately, he had a year and a half of unnecessary expense and inconvenience and still doesn’t know what’s wrong. When you find yourself in a situation like David, do yourself a favor and talk to a professional at Central Park Garage in Somersworth. Your cheerful service advisor can get you on the right track.

Central Park Garage
470 High St
Somersworth, NH 03878
603.953.0047
http://www.centralparkgarage.com/

At Central Park Garage in Somersworth NH (03878) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 603.953.0047. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Did You Know?

The air inside your vehicle may actually be more polluted than the air outside. Pollen, mold, dust, etc. can be trapped inside your vehicle. The cabin air filter stops these pollutants before they even get inside and filters out odors and smoke. People who suffer from seasonal allergies really appreciate a clean cabin air filter. At Central Park Garage in Somersworth we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 603.953.0047 and let us help keep you safely and economically on the road.

Keeping Your Car Rust Free

It is possible for a car to last a lifetime. However, there are certain elements that cars are exposed to which can greatly shorten the life of the vehicle.

If your car will spend any of it’s life near the ocean, the salt in the water can be carried in the wind and can easily damage your vehicle. To combat the effect the salt air has on your vehicle, you should frequently wash your vehicle with soap and water to remove any salt residue.

Individuals that live in snow states (like New Hampshire) where salt is used to de-ice the roads will find that their vehicle is under constant attack by the salt. It reacts with the metal of the vehicle and causes rust to form. To combat the rust, you should routinely wash your vehicle during the winter months, as often as three times a week. An easy way to remove the salt residue from your vehicle is to go to a coin-operated car wash that has high-powered hoses. Spray the underside of your vehicle, as well as the rest of the car’s body, to remove all of the salt.

By taking steps to remove any element that aides the growth of rust, you will ensure that your vehicle can last a long time.

www.centralparkgarage.com

A Long Lasting Cooling System For NH Driving

Our vehicles operate in a wide range of outside temperatures in NH. That’s why vehicle manufacturers use testing grounds from the frozen tundra to the blistering desert. Your engine coolant must be able to perform in these extreme temperatures.

Coolant has to move heat away from the engine to prevent costly damage. Water does a very good job of holding heat, but it freezes at thirty two degrees (Fahrenheit).


That’s why we mix anti-freeze with water – it lowers the freezing point of the coolant, and raises the boiling point as well. A fifty/fifty blend of water and antifreeze is the usual recommendation from Central Park Garage.

And on top of that, coolant has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. Your owners’ manual will tell you what kind of coolant you should use. Of course, your Central Park Garage service representative in Somersworth, NH will know what to put in your car.

Coolant system failure is the most common mechanical problem people have. Much of that can be avoided by following factory scheduled service intervals. Check your owner’s manual or with your service advisor at Central Park Garage for recommendations. We can also conduct a cooling system inspection to look for leaks, weak hoses or bad connections.

Give us a call at 603.953.0047, or stop by Central Park Garage at 470 High St Somersworth, NH 03878.
At Central Park Garage we install quality NAPA replacement parts.

Get The Right Tires And Wheels At Central Park Garage

A lot of drivers get custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes, once they’re mounted, they just didn’t fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don’t want that.

Consulting a tire professional at Central Park Garage can ensure you get the right fit. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs and what you want in your new wheels.

At Central Park Garage, we advise tire buyers that not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub.
If you don’t want to make any modifications to your sedan, you need to focus on the wheels that fit. With trucks, some people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.
Also, most people don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s, like the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The sedan's computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong speed. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your sedan's engine control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. For information on reprogramming the engine computer, call us at 603.953.0047.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your Central Park Garage tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs.

At Central Park Garage in Somersworth NH (03878) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 603.953.0047.

How To Change A Flat Tire Video

You never know when you'll need to change a flat tire:

Figuring Out When You Need New Tires

Bad tires can make your vehicle difficult to drive or create a driving hazard, because balding or misaligned tires will slip in certain weather conditions. In addition, if your tires are not properly inflated, by being under or over inflated, your ties can wear down prematurely which will require a new set of tires. Even without premature wear, tires need to be replaced a few times during the span of your car’s life.

It’s important to check your tires at least once a month to see signs of advanced wearing on the inner and outer side of the tires, or if one side of the tire is wearing faster than the other. If you notice either of these premature conditions, then you should consider purchasing new set of tires from our shop.

Some tires have wear-indicators that will notify you that it is time for a new set of tires. If you do not have these indicators, you can use the penny test to determine if your tires are good. This test requires you to insert a penny into a tread groove with Lincoln’s head upside down. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, then you need new tires.

Of course, the best way to ensure that your tires are safe to drive on is to visit our shop once a month so that we can properly inspect them for you.