Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

Why did my car die? Your car could have died due to a bad battery. Your car battery is charged by your alternator while driving, but if your battery has a bad cell in it then your battery will not take the charge. When this happens it can cause your battery to fail and your car will die. Extreme hot and cold weather is also hard on batteries. If your battery tests okay, but not great then a sudden change in the weather can damage a battery that is just okay. We perform free electrical checks on your battery, alternator and starting system. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

Why did my air conditioning stop working in my car? Summer has arrived in the Willamette Valley and she came in HOT.  I expect when I get in my car and turn on the air conditioning for it to be cold and I am sure you do too. When that does not happen, it is not pleasant. This can happen for many reasons and one of them is a failure of the air conditioning compressor. Your compressor has a few different components that make it function and may seals. If one of the seals fail, then the compressor will leak out the refrigerant and this will cause your air conditioning system to not work. When this fails the system can become contaminated. If your air conditioning system is contaminated, then the other air conditioning components will need to be replaced to prevent another failure. While driving around with the windows down always sounds nice, I enjoy my air conditioning and would prefer to have it. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

Why did my car not start? Your vehicle may not have started due to a faulty battery. If you are not driving as much like many people right now then your battery may have died due to a lack of driving. Newer vehicles have many modules that are on even if your vehicle is turned off. These modules keep the computer working properly and all the other electrical components. We recommend for you to take your car out for a drive at least once a week. If you are concerned about your battery stop by and we will perform a free battery check for you. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

Why did my car overheat while at a light? This could have occurred due to a faulty fan clutch. If it is hot outside and your vehicle is stopped or moving slowly your engine fan is set to come on a specific temperature. If this does not happen then it can cause your engine to overheat. The fan pulls air through your radiator at slow speeds or at a stop. This air flows air over your engine and helps the cooling system to keep things at the correct temperature. Your fan has a clutch and when it gets worn out it may not engage properly, and this will cause the fan to not work. Newer vehicles may have an one or more electric fans. These do the same job but are controlled by the computer. When they stop working it could be one of several electrical components that control them. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

Why does my A/C blow hot? Your air conditioner may be blowing hot due to low refrigerant in the system. When you do not have enough refrigerant your air conditioning will not turn on to prevent damage to your a/c compressor and other components. This could be due to a leak in your air conditioning system. Your air conditioning system has many fittings and all of them can seep refrigerant over a long period of time causing your levels to be low and your air conditioning to not work properly. It is also possible that one of those many components has failed and that is causing your air conditioning to not work properly. We recommend that if your a/c is not working properly to have a leak test performed to make sure you have no other issues. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather