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How to Tell When Your Alternator Is Failing

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 15:32:03 GMT

Vehicles are mechanical, and because of that, things go wrong with them from time to time. When you have a problem, the key is to diagnose the issue, fix it quickly, and get the car back on the road. One of the most common failures that people experience is related to the alternator or charging system in the vehicle. Learn how to tell if your car's alternator is failing.

Dead Battery for No Reason

The battery on your car will lose its charge if you leave something like the lights on, but if everything was off and the battery begins to randomly die, consider checking the alternator. Often, if the alternator is not putting out enough power, the battery will end up supplying the surplus to the car, running the battery dead in the process.

The alternator can look fine and work okay during the day, but at night when you need the lights on, it may not be strong enough to keep up with the vehicle's electrical demands. If you start to see this, the alternator needs testing and potentially replacing.

Pulsing Electrical Accessories

The accessories in your car are mostly electric. The radio is a good example. If the alternator is having trouble putting out enough electricity for everything in the car, you may see the lights on the radio flickering. It may also cause the radio to shut off and come right back on.

The radio is just one accessory a failing alternator can affect. You may see this behavior in the heater fan, the wipers, and even the headlights of your car.

Strange Noises From the Alternator

Noise is never a good sign when you are dealing with a part that spins and has bearings inside. Noise coming from the case is another common sign that the alternator is going. A bearing inside the case could be failing, and since most alternators are not serviceable, replacing it is the only course of action.

Your alternator may continue to work for a little while, but eventually, the bearing will seize and that often breaks the belt on the motor. On cars with a serpentine belt, a broken belt means all the accessories lose the drive from the belt. The water pump, the AC compressor, and sometimes the fan stops turning.

Without the water pump, the engine will overheat and could cause damage to the motor. You will also need towing to a repair shop, further adding to the expense. If the alternator makes noise, test it right away and replace it before it fails.

Alternator Test

The best way to test your vehicle's alternator is to take the car to a shop and let the auto technicians test the output of the alternator with the car running. The test is an easy one, and the mechanic will know right away if the alternator is the problem or not. They can test the condition of the battery at the same time and let you know if you need to replace both or just the alternator.

Most shops or parts stores will check the alternator for you at no charge if you stop by with the car. If you find it is bad, you can take the car to your mechanic and have them replace it for you.

At Midway Garage & Salvage LLC , we offer repair services, towing services, and used auto parts from our own salvage yard. Give us a call to set up an appointment to bring your car in, or we can tow it here and do the work for you if it is not drivable.

2 Key Things to Know About Brake Fluid

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Few automotive components play as large a role on safety as the brakes. For this reason, car owners should have their brakes inspected regularly and immediately replace any brake pads that have worn down excessively. Yet another important aspect of the brake system often gets overlooked by car owners: the brake fluid.

Brake fluid transmits force from your car's brake pedal all the way to your vehicle's wheels. Problems with your brake fluid can greatly decrease the efficiency of this transmission. If you would like to learn more about the brake fluid in your car, keep reading. This article outlines two key things to know about your brake fluid.

1. Moisture Contaminates Brake Fluid

Water contamination poses a serious threat to brake fluid. Brake fluid has a naturally hygroscopic nature, meaning that it readily attracts moisture to it. But when water gets into your brake lines, it dilutes the fluid. As a result, the brake fluid's boiling point goes down, making it less able to resist the high temperatures generated by your brakes.

Boiling brake fluid simply cannot stop your car as efficiently. In some extreme cases, moisture contamination may even cause your brakes to fail entirely. Meanwhile, that moisture will lead to corrosion of your wheel cylinders, brake calipers, and other metal components inside of your brake system.

Historically, moisture contamination accounted for the majority of brake fluid problems. The rubber used to construct older brake hoses often had a permeable structure, meaning that moisture could migrate through the hoses into the brake fluid. Today, most brake hoses contain special waterproof liners that prevent water from seeping into your system.

Of course, water can still find other ways into your brake fluid. Moisture often penetrates past wheel cylinder piston seals into the brake system. Likewise, any time you open your brake fluid reservoir, moisture will immediately begin seeping into the fluid. But provided you keep your brake system properly maintained, you should be able to keep the threat of water at bay.

2. Additive Breakdown Poses the Greatest Threat

Today's brake fluids have a far more complex composition than those used in the past. Between 60 and 90 percent of a brake fluid consists of polyglycol ethers. These low viscosity molecules act as a solvent, ensuring that all of the other ingredients remain thoroughly dissolved in the fluid, regardless of temperature.

Between 5 and 30 percent of a brake fluid consists of polyglycols, which play the role of lubricant. Finally, between 2 and 5 percent of a brake fluid consists of additives meant to improve performance in various ways. Certain additives protect against corrosion, while others reduce the rate of polyglycol decomposition.

Other additives improve the fluid's anti-wear and acid neutralizing properties. Some fluids also contain additives which regulate pH balance and provide protection against foaming. Despite their vital importance to a brake fluid's stability, additives also represent its greatest weakness. As additives break down, the brake fluid's reliability quickly decreases.

The break down of corrosion inhibitors, in particular, poses a serious threat to your car. Without corrosion inhibitors, metal brake components will soon begin to rust, eventually leading to the need for more expensive repairs. Fortunately, mechanics can gauge the level of break down by measuring the concentration of copper ions in your brake fluid.

As corrosion inhibitors break down, copper from the brake line tubing corrodes and releases ions into the fluid. If copper concentrations exceed 200 parts per million, your brake fluid can no longer provide adequate corrosion protection. To prevent more costly forms of damage, you must change your brake fluid at once.

Brake fluid plays a vital role in allowing your car's brake system to work properly. For more information about how often you should have your brake fluid changed, contact Saltillo's auto experts at Midway Garage & Wrecker Service.

3 Clear Symptoms of Water Pump Failure

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 03:27:20 GMT

Your car could not run for very long without help from its cooling system. As you probably know, the cooling system provides a way to dissipate the large amounts of heat generated by your engine. One of the most important components of your car's cooling system goes by the name of the water pump.

The water pump provides the force necessary to circulate coolant throughout the engine and radiator. As time goes on, a water pump may develop problems that impact its ability to work normally. This article takes a closer look at three common symptoms of water pump failure.

1. Weep Hole Leaks

All water pumps contain a small hole known as the weep hole. The weep hole provides vital information about the health of the seals inside of your water pump. Two such seals exist: the oil seal and the internal water pump seal.

The oil seal ensures that the oil used to lubricate the bearings never comes into contact with the coolant. The internal water pump seal achieves the opposite goal: it keeps coolant where it belongs, thus preventing the coolant from contaminating the bearing oil. Provided your seals remain in good health, no liquids should come out of your weep hole. The one exception to this rule has to do with new water pumps.

A brand-new water pump may leak from the weep hole for around 10 minutes. After this break-in period, the seals should prevent any further leakage. If either coolant or oil comes out of the weep hole, one of the seals has failed. In virtually all cases, this requires that you install a new water pump.

2. Mounting Surface Leaks

Leaks may also occur around the water pump's mounting surface. Such leaks indicate one of two issues: improper pump installation or a damaged seal or gasket. Improper installation usually means that the bolts used to attach the pump the engine block were not tightened appropriately. A mechanic must ensure that bolts get tightened according to the manufacturer's specified torque.

All water pumps contain one or more gaskets and seals located between the mounting surface and the engine block. These seals ensure that coolant cannot escape as it moves from the pump to the engine. Mounting surface leaks often occur as the result of faulty or damaged gaskets and seals.

This type of leak usually means that the installer either used the wrong type of seal or re-used an old, partially degraded component. Experienced mechanics always use new gaskets and seals when installing a new water pump. Problems may also ensue from the use of additional gaskets or sealing pastes not specifically called for by the pump's manufacturer.

3. Water Pump Rust

Most water pumps used today consist of commercial-grade steel. This steel does not always exhibit the best rust resistance. Small patches of rust, in other words, do not necessarily indicate a serious problem. However, more extensive corrosion often indicates a blown gasket, which allows coolant to escape onto the mounting surface.

Alternately, rust may indicate that your coolant has become excessively contaminated. Contaminants in your coolant create friction that can lead to pump seal failure. As a result, coolant escapes from the weep hole, often causing rust to form in the vicinity. This issue often results in insufficient pressure levels, which in turn exacerbates the rate of rust formation.

Few parts of your cooling system play as important a role as the water pump. A failed water pump soon leads to overheating and other serious problems. For more information about how to keep your water pump in good working order, contact the experts at Midway Garage & Salvage LLC.

3 Common Symptoms of a Failing Steering Rack

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 08:06:00 GMT

Over time, the exposed position of the steering rack often causes it to suffer damage and wear. Learn about four common symptoms of a failing steering rack.

3 Symptoms of Transmission Overheating

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 18:23:00 GMT

Overheating is a common transmission problem, but you can prevent it by noticing the signs. Read this blog to learn how to identify symptoms of overheating.

How to Tell Your Car Has a Bad Intake Manifold Gasket

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 15:43:00 GMT

A car's engine creates power through the combustion of air and fuel. In most modern, fuel-injected systems, the air and fuel mix together inside of the component known as the intake manifold. One end of the manifold consists of a single tube through which fresh air flows. The other end consists of multiple smaller tubes, each of which connect to one of your engine's cylinders.

How to Tell Your Car Has a Bad Intake Manifold Gasket

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 14:24:00 GMT

The intake manifold gasket in your car’s engine keeps the various fluids from mixing and leaking. Learn here how to tell if your car has a bad gasket.

4 Practical Ways to Boost Fuel Economy

Tue, 01 May 2018 15:13:00 GMT

The average American driver spends upwards of $2,500 on fuel every year. While you might not be able to escape buying fuel for your car, you can make an effort to control how much you spend on this expense without reducing how much you drive. Learn some of the practical things you can do to reduce your fuel costs by increasing fuel efficiency.

6 Reasons Why You Should Get an Inspection Before Buying a Car

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 19:49:00 GMT

Buying a used car can save you a lot of money, but it also means you could be getting a car that has some problems.

Should You Repair Your Old Car?

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 02:04:00 GMT

When you own an older vehicle that needs repairs on a consistent basis, you have a dilemma. How do you decide whether to keep spending money to repair a vehicle that may soon end up in a local scrapyard?

4 Signs It's Time to Replace Your Car Battery

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 14:00:00 GMT

Your vehicle's battery is arguably the second most important component under the hood, right after the engine.

Don't Go on a Road Trip Until You Perform These Checks

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 21:15:00 GMT

Your car breaking down unexpectedly on a road trip can really put a damper on your vacation. Here are some things to check before you leave.

Finding the Parts You Need With Efficiency and Effectiveness

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 14:00:00 GMT

If your vehicle has a damaged part and you need a cost-effective replacement, a salvage yard can be an excellent place to look. Junked cars still have useful components that can function on your vehicle, and they're likely to be substantially more affordable than ordering replacements from a dealer.