Tips

The Auto Pro Guide to Buying a Used Vehicle Used vehicles are certainly an economical choice for budget-conscious drivers. But how can we know we’re getting a good used vehicle and not just inheriting someone else’s problems? There are good used vehicles for sale. Cars are sold when families upsize, when families downsize or even when…

Question: My friend just had a very expensive transmission repair. How can drivers like myself avoid transmission trouble? Auto Pro Answer: Florida drivers may have noticed a trend of engines becoming more and more powerful in recent years. At the same time, fuel economy has been improving in nearly every motor vehicle segment in FL. More…

Transmissions are heavy duty pieces of equipment that are designed to last a long time for most Tampa drivers. But like any other machine, they’ll eventually wear out and need repair. So let’s focus on what FL drivers can do to push that day off as far as possible. The first thing Tampa drivers can do…

What item is most often stolen from vehicles? Is it: (A) Stereo (B) Wheels (C) Air Bag (D) DVD System Well, if you said stereo – you used to be right. But airbags have now surpassed stereos as the biggest target for theft – approximately 50,000 a year nationally in the United States. New airbags…

Used vehicles are certainly an economical choice for budget-conscious Tampa drivers. But how can we know we’re getting a good used vehicle and not just inheriting someone else’s problems? There are good used vehicles for sale in the Tampa area. Cars are sold when families upsize, when families downsize or even when someone just wants a…

The thermostat is part of your cooling system. Tampa residents’ vehicle thermostats perform a similar function to the thermostats in their homes. At home, you set your thermostat to maintain a comfortable temperature range. When your home gets too hot, the air conditioning kicks on and when it gets too cool, the heater turns on. Now your…

    Question: What is a severe service maintenance schedule? Auto Pro Answer: When I was a kid in Tampa, Sunday meant having a bath, getting dressed for church and then hanging up my Sunday clothes soon as we got home. Mom didn’t have to wash those clothes but once a month or so. Now,…

When your Check Engine light comes on, you may be torn between utter panic and just wanting to ignore it and hope it goes away. That’s perfectly understandable. That same Check Engine light could come on for anything from a serious engine or transmission problem all the way down to a loose gas cap. There’s a…

Your axles are the last link in transferring power from the engine to your wheels. They’re strong parts that last a long time – but they can run into trouble. Axles just wear out over time and need to be replaced. And sometimes axle seals leak, causing the axle to wear out prematurely. Lubricant leaks out, and…

Let’s talk about air conditioning service and repair issues for the Tampa, FL area. Most of us in Tampa we don’t give our air conditioning a second thought as long as it’s making cold air. But it’s a complex and expensive system that we should think about before it starts blowing hot air. The refrigerant in the air…