Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

Why did my car die while driving? Your car could have died while driving if your timing belt broke.  If your engine has a timing belt then it should be replaced every 60,000 to 90,000 miles. The difference in mileage is based on manufacturer specifications. Having your timing belt replaced at the correct interval can prevent a timing belt from breaking. If your timing belt breaks, then it can cause internal damage to your engine. This can be repaired. As a note, not all engines have timing belts some of them have a timing chain instead. Give us a call and let us take care of you.   Happy Adventures, Heather   Our specials can be found here - Specials - J & H Automotive, Inc Ready to make an appointment … Appointments - J & H Automotive, Inc Want to know more &hel ... read more

One way to get better mileage from your diesel engine is to have your fuel filter changed. Over time your fuel filter will become clogged with particles and debris. This will create a fuel flow issue that can damage your other engine components including but not limited to your fuel injectors. It is best to have your fuel filter changed every 15,000 miles or sooner. Your fuel filter also separates out any water that gets into your fuel tank. Having your fuel filter changed is one of the most important items that you have serviced on your pickup to keep it running at peak performance. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather   Our specials can be found here - Specials - J & H Automotive, Inc Ready to make an appointment … Appointments - J & H Automotive, Inc ... read more

Why does my air conditioning blow hot? Your air conditioning is blowing hot due to an issue with your air conditioning system. It could be just low on refrigerant, or you may have a leak. Your air conditioning system has very specific tolerances for how much refrigerant it takes. If your system does not have enough or is overfilled, it will cause it to not work properly. Your air conditioning system should be serviced and checked every 3 years to keep it working properly. We can service the current types of air conditioning refrigerants that on commonly used in cars both R134A and R1234YF. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather   Our specials can be found here - Specials - J & H Automotive, Inc Ready to make an appointment … Appointments - J & H Automotive, Inc ... read more

Why did my A/C stop working? Most of the time when your air conditioner stops working it is due to the refrigerant level in your air conditioning system is too low to turn on your a/c compressor. This is usually due to a leak in one of your air conditioning components.   This does not necessarily mean that the component has failed, it could mean that you have a faulty O-ring that is causing the issue. Your air conditioning system should be serviced every 3 to 5 years as preventative maintenance. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather Our specials can be found here - Specials - J & H Automotive, Inc Ready to make an appointment … Appointments - J & H Automotive, Inc Want to know more … ... read more

My car is making a clicking noise – why? Your car could be making a clicking noise for a variety of reasons. Our first question to you is when does it make the clicking noise? We had one vehicle in the shop recently that when they tried to switch from the heater to the air conditioning it would make a clicking noise. We found the noise was due to the heater mode door failing. The heater mode door switches from heat to air conditioning. When you turn your heater or air conditioning down it also blends the air to your desired temperature. Over time the gear on the door gets worn out and stops allowing the door to work properly. We replaced the heater mode door and the clicking went away. They were able to use all the functions for heating and air conditioning in the vehicle. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather Our specials can be found here - Specials - J & H Automoti ... read more

How do I get better gas mileage? If your engine is not running at its best, then it can cause your fuel mileage to drop. One way to get the best fuel mileage possible is to have your spark plugs replaced. This will ensure that your engine is running smoothly and at its peak. Manufacturers recommend having your spark plugs changed every 30,000 to 100,000 miles this depends on your vehicle and your engine. Your spark plugs wear slowly over time so it may not be as noticeable when they are worn, as when you have a failure.  As your spark plugs wear the gap on the spark plug that is from the arch to the pin will increase. The increase in the gap will cause extra stress on your ignition system and for it to work harder. Having your spark plugs done sooner than recommended will extend the life of many of the components on your vehicle. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather Our specials can be found here - ... read more

Why does my car keep overheating? Your car may be overheating due to a coolant leak. When your coolant is low it will not keep your engine cool enough causing your engine to overheat. A coolant leak can come from any of your coolant components including your radiator, radiator hoses, water pump, thermostat, heater core, and more. These components should be checked for a leak then your engine should be evaluated to see if it was damaged when your engine overheated.  Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather   Our specials can be found here - Specials - J & H Automotive, Inc Ready to make an appointment … Appointments - J & H Automotive, Inc Want to know more … About ... read more

Why do my brakes grind? Your brakes are most likely making a grinding noise due to your brake pad being worn out. When your brake pad wears out the backing material of the brake pad will touch the brake rotor and that will cause a grinding noise. This will also happen if one of your brake calipers is stuck causing your brake to be on all the time. If your fuel mileage has recently gone down this could be one culprit. Anytime that your brakes are making a noise then they need to be checked. We do free brake inspections on most makes and models. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather   Our specials can be found here - Specials - J & H Automotive, Inc Ready to make an appointment … Appointments - J & H Automotive, Inc Want to know more &hellip ... read more

How can I increase my fuel mileage? We are all feeling it when we are filling up our vehicles with fuel. We have a few tips to help you get the best fuel mileage from your vehicle. Make sure your tires have the proper amount of air. If they are low on air, then it will cause extra drag. Extra drag means lower fuel economy. Air filter – if your air filter is dirty, it will cause your engine to work harder and that will use more fuel. Fuel filter – some vehicles have fuel filters that are external. If you have not had it changed recently or you cannot remember the last time it was changed then now is a good time to do that. Engine oil – your engine oil is a vital component of your car. If your engine oil is old, then it becomes thin with leftover fuel from the combustion process. This may have an effect on your valve train and cause your engine to use more fuel. Spark plugs – manufacturers have designed spark plugs to last anywhere from 30,000 miles to ... read more

Why did my car heater stop working? Your heater may have stopped working due to low coolant. The coolant that cools your engine also creates the heat that comes out of your vents. Once the coolant leaves your engine it travels through hoses to your heater core. It then travels through more hoses back to your radiator. Then you water pump brings it back into your engine and the cycle repeats itself.  Your thermostat and a few other components are involved as well. If any one of these components fails or starts to leak, then your coolant will be low. If your coolant is low, then it can cause your heater to not work. This is from not enough coolant going through the system. There are other heating components that fail as well but this is the most common issue we see. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather Our specials can be found here - Specials - J & H Automotive, Inc ... read more