Kelowna Auto Repair

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Most people in the Kelowna area may not know much about transfer cases, but if you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you’ve got one. It makes sure you have power available for both the front and rear axles. For example, if you have a rear-wheel drive SUV, power goes to the rear wheels until you need 4-wheel drive. That’s when the transfer case steps in and transfers some of the power to the front wheels as well. You might use a shift lever to go into 4-wheel drive, or it could be a button on the dash or it might even go into 4-wheel drive automatically, depending on your vehicle.The transfer case is serviced by periodically draining its fluid and replacing it with fresh fluid. We also check for leaks and damage. Transfer case fluid cools and lubricates the gears, chains, bearings, shafts and other parts. Over time, the additives in the fluid wear out and it doesn’t protect as well. Also, bits of metal and clutch material wear off and contaminate the fluid. There isn ... read more

Effective braking aside, please remember your vehicle’s limitations.Today’s post focuses on brakes. The mechanical aspects of the brakes themselves are just one issue. There’s also the power brake system and brake fluid. And then there are the tires, which are critical to the effectiveness of the brakes.Let’s step back. A car or truck rolls brand new off the showroom floor. It has brand new brakes with brand new brake pads. The brake lines and the power assist are filled with fresh fluid and are completely clean inside. And the tires are brand new, with full tread.Naturally, at this point, braking power is at its peak performance.Then the kilometres driven between destinations start to add up. At this point, Kelowna drivers tend to focus on the brake pads. In the automotive industry, the pads and shoes on drum brakes are called the friction material. That’s because ... read more

Your serpentine belt drives your alternator and air conditioning compressor. The power steering and power brake pumps are driven by the serpentine belt in many vehicles. In some vehicles, the water pump is driven by the serpentine belt (in others it’s driven by the timing belt). The radiator cooling fan on some vehicles are also driven by the serpentine belt. Some have separate electric motors.Serpentine belts do a lot of work for Kelowna drivers, but they’re tough and can last for thousands of kilometres, but just how long will they last? That’ll vary for each individual vehicle. Your car maker will have a recommendation for when it should be changed, but it could need it sooner. The good news is that a visual inspection at A Plus Automotive can reveal a belt that’s worn.It’s often recommended that the tensioner pulley that keeps the belt at the proper tension be replaced along with the serpentine belt. This pulley is mounted to the engine block with a sp ... read more

One might say the most challenging part of our job is diagnosing a problem before it can be fixed. Cars are made up of a bunch of complex systems. There usually could be a number of reasons for any given symptom. So it’s challenging to track down the actual cause of the problem. And it can be frustrating for the vehicle owner because it can take time and money to get to the bottom of a problem. If it’s not something obvious, it’s easy for the customer to focus on the fixing and not the diagnosing. Let us introduce you to something we’ll call Customer Detective Work – that is helping us find clues to what’s wrong. We start with the detective basics: What, Where and When. Play along with me. You come in and your car is making a funny sound. Where’s the sound? Around the right front wheel. What kind of sound?  Kind of a clunk, clunk sound. When do you hear the sound? When I turn and accelerate. Right and le ... read more