Clifton Park Auto Repair

A catalytic converter is an essential part of your car's exhaust system. It converts harmful gases such as nitrogen oxide and unburned gases produced by the engine into harmless gases. It, therefore, offers defense against toxic gases from vehicles. When they become clogged, overheated, contaminated, or physically damaged, the car engine performance deteriorates and eventually shuts down. Being conversant with the bad catalytic converter's signs might help you quickly spot them and take the car to a servicing garage. Here are some critical bad catalytic converter symptoms. Increased Fuel Consumption When there's a blockage in your car's catalytic converter, the lower airflow forces your car to burn excessive amounts of fuel than needed. When the exhaust flow isn't working correctly, you'll have to step on the gas pedal many times since it affects acceleration. As a result, the engine might inject extra fuel into the cylinders, and you'll have more fuel mi ... read more

While you may not feel like you know all that much about cars, there are warning signs of certain things that you definitely want to be aware of so you are able to diagnose small issues and get them taken care of before they become a bigger deal. Spark plugs, while they are a small part of any vehicle, can cause a lot of issues when they fail. But how do you know they are failing? Here are a few things to watch out for. Slow Acceleration If you notice that your vehicle doesn't have nearly the get up and go that it had in the past, the most common cause for that is poor spark plug condition. Replacing the spark plugs is very simple and mechanics can do it with ease. Of course, that may not be the issue, but it is something you will want to have checked out. Poor Fuel Efficiency There are lots of things that can cause your vehicle to get less miles per gallon than it was getting before and spark plug issues are one such thing. If the plugs aren ... read more

Top 7 Signs Your Vehicle Needs Brake Service Let's get one thing straight – keeping your brakes in proper condition is a matter of life and death. Literally. Unfortunately, brakes are generally very prone to wear and must be regularly checked and replaced if necessary. Fortunately, the signs of them being broken or worn out are usually quite clear. It's good to keep an eye on them. Weird noises Screeching, grinding, squeaking, whatever it is – if it's outside of the norm, have it checked. These sounds usually indicate that brake pads need to be replaced. When neglected, they may cause further damage to the system, resulting in pricey repair at best, seriously dangerous situation at worst. Vibrations They may occur in the steering wheel, brake pedal, or even the whole vehicle and usually mean warped brake rotors. Don't ignore them, even if they seem neglectable at first. Uneven braking If your car is not stopping as fast as it should, or its brake peda ... read more

Back in the day, you needed to have muscles to steer a car. Older steering wheels were difficult to maneuver and required more physical effort. Power-assisted steering have made the life of drivers easier by introducing hydraulic pumps in the steering systems, which pressurizes a fluid to produce energy that makes steering easier. Since the hydraulic fluid is pivotal for an efficient power steering system, its proper maintenance is necessary for comfortable and improved control of the steering system. About Power Steering Fluid Flush For optimal operations of the power steering system, it is essential to monitor the hydraulic fluid regularly and replenish it when necessary. Fluid flushing is the process of draining the old hydraulic fluid, cleaning its remnants from the compartment, and refilling it with new fluid. The power steering fluid, just like many other fluids in the vehicle's system, starts running low or gets contaminated as time elapses and mileage builds up. Me ... read more