Charlotte Auto Repair

  As all drivers know, driving on worn-out tires is an impediment to your car’s performance and your personal safety. However, do you know when to tell whether your tires are wearing thin? Don’t fret - that is why Woodie’s Auto Service and Repair Center is here to help. There is a simple hack that you can do to check your tire tread with spare change!   Measuring Tread with the Penny Test According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, you should replace your tires once the tread has been worn down to 2/32 inches. But it is not simple to pull out a ruler at hand to measure that. The easiest way to calculate your tread depth is using a penny.    Here are the steps you should follow: Using the penny, place it with Lincoln’s head upside down on one of the ridges of your tire. If part of the head is covered, that means your wheels are still in good shape. If you can see his entire head, then your tread has been worn to 2/32 inch or l ... read more

No matter how well you take care of your car, there will be times when it just does not seem to be performing at its optimal level. It can often be difficult to figure out what the issue is, but there are some indicators that you can be looking for. One of those involves the color of the smoke that is coming out of the exhaust. That will often direct you to the likely culprit. Here are three of the most commonly seen exhaust smoke colors and what they tend to indicate. A Black Color This is probably the most common color that you will see. It is an indicator that your mixture of air to fuel is a bit off. Most gas engines are meant to operate with just the right mixture of fuel and air. This creates the optimal condition for combustion once a spark is introduced. If there is too much fuel, then mechanics call this being rich. That is not what you want. A Blue Color If you see blue smoke coming out of the exhaust, then you are probably burning some oil. This is not what you want. Oil ... read more

One of the unfortunate situations that drivers deal with is having a sluggish car or reduced acceleration power. When that happens, the two major causes are loss of power and insufficient fuel. However, such problems are caused by a fault in one of the engine's components or sensors, impacting its ability to meet energy demands to operate efficiently. Below, we discuss some common reasons your car might be sluggish. Dirty Air Filter When you have a clogged or dirty air filter, the air flowing into the engine decreases. That affects the air-fuel ratio in the engine's combustion chamber. That reduces the power delivered to accelerate the car. Worn-n-torn Clutch Another common reason why your vehicle loses its acceleration power is a worn-out clutch. In fact, nine out of ten cases of unresponsive acceleration is an old clutch. The purpose of the clutch is to transmit torque from the engine to the transmission effectively. An old, corroded clutch often fails to engage with the ... read more

The gig economy and the effects of COVID 19 have pushed many people to work from home. This scenario means that many people are not driving as much as they did a while back. If you have been driving less lately and wondering if you need to change the oil often, our answer is YES! You need to change the oil. Learn why it is important and how often you should change the oil in the section below. How Often Should Change Your Oil? Most car owners use a mileage-based method to determine when to change the oil (about 5,000 miles). However, you can also apply a time-based oil change. Consider changing oil every six months or just twice a year. The reason is that engine oil degrades with time. Therefore, even if the car is not moving regularly, the oil becomes less effective. Some newer models do not require oil changes like their older counterparts. The reason is that they use synthetic oil, which can last longer than its conventional alternative. If your car uses syntheti ... read more

Bad driving habits can get you a ticket quickly, but they can also cause damage to your vehicle over time. The way you drive can directly impact the lifespan of your vehicle, as well as how often and how quickly things break down. If you are seeing your vehicle take too many trips to the shop, you might want to make sure you check your own driving habits and make some changes there before you blame anyone or anything else. Here are a few bad habits to change fast. Stopping Or Starting Too Fast Throwing on the brakes or flooring the gas is never a good idea, unless completely necessary. You will reduce your gas mileage, for one, and the brakes and accelerator will wear out a lot faster. You will see that you need brake pads way more often than you would normally and if you wait too long, the brakes can become damaged in other ways. Driving With Warning Lights On One of the worst habits you can have is ignoring your vehicle when you see that somethin ... read more

Cars require regular maintenance to perform at their best, including the transmission. At the first signs of transmission trouble, such as fluid leaks, warning lights, a burning smell, and other indications, take your car to an auto shop as soon as possible. The transmission is an essential part of your car that needs to be properly maintained. Here's what you need to know about the differences between transmission repair, replacement, and rebuilding. Transmission Repair A transmission repair is a cost-effective way to fix faults within a transmission. Transmission repair is ideal for minor fixes. This type of repair can include fixing specific components, in-car repairs, various adjustments, and resealing jobs. Transmission repairs do not require the transmission to be rebuilt completely. This type of repair is not an option for transmissions with extensive damages. Transmission Replacement Transmission replacement is costly but is an excellent option for transmissions that su ... read more

What is a pre-purchase used car inspection? If you are in the market for a used car or truck, then this article can help you to understand the value of a pre-purchase used car inspection. Sometimes a vehicle can look perfect from the outside. Also, this can seem to be true even if you look up under the hood and scan for defects. The benefits of having a third-party inspection to assist you with buying short or long-distance purchases are immense. Professional Third-Party Having a third party look under the hood and for other problems that are outside the vehicle is an excellent way to ensure that you are getting the best deal. Most good dealers and genuine independent sellers will agree to have a third party to inspect the vehicle. It is imperative to have a close inspection of the car you want to buy. Also, many underlying issues may not be obvious. There are two types of inspectors that you can hire to make sure you are not buying a lemon. If you are buying from ... read more

Wintertime brings many fun activities and opportunities for vacations, including snowboarding and skiing getaways, snow tubing, and sight-seeing. If you’re planning on visiting a colder place for fun winter activities, you may be wondering how to properly prepare for your winter vacation. Here are some tips on how to make sure that you will be prepared for your winter vacation!  Get the right attire for where you are traveling. If you will be having fun in the snow, proper attire is going to be necessary to keep you safe and warm while traveling. In the freezing cold, a winter coat, hat, gloves, scarf, long pants, and water-resistant boots will be needed. You may also need to dress in multiple layers depending on the temperature of your destination.  Check the weather forecast days in advance. The best way to prepare for a winter vacation is to check the weather forecast days in advance to be sure that you understand what weather to expect and what you will need. If t ... read more

At normal operation, your vehicle should drive smoothly and without issue. You shouldn't find yourself feeling too much of the road's imperfections or every single little bump in the road. However, if you start to feel that your vehicle's steering wheel vibrates excessively, there may be an issue with the suspension system, tires, or wheels. Since many different components can affect the steering wheel, diagnosing the problem can be a little bit tricky. The following are some ways that you can narrow down the issue and understand the cause of your shaking steering wheel.  The most common cause of a shaking steer wheel is the tires or wheels. Tire balance is vital to a steady vehicle and out of balance tires can cause shakiness, uneven tire wear, and more. Tire balance can be an issue if you notice that your steering wheel vibrates at high speeds or gets progressively worse the faster you drive.  The wheel bearings can also be a culprit when it comes to a shaky s ... read more

You're driving along and look down at your dashboard to see an alert from your vehicle that one or more of your tires has low air pressure. Like most drivers, you may ignore it and continue driving, maybe even for days or weeks. This may not be the case after you read this blog!  When your tire pressure warning comes on, one or more of your tires is 25% below the recommended air pressure. While most drivers don't think that this is a big deal to have fixed right away, the truth is, having the proper tire pressure is important for a number of reasons.  Have you ever driven on the highway and noticed a piece of a tire laying on the side of the road, or what was left of it? This happens when you have a tire blowout. A tire blowout is when your tire essentially breaks open, which can be extremely dangerous while on the road. Tire blowouts are actually mainly caused by low tire pressure, and trust us - you definitely want to avoid this situation.  Another reas ... read more