A car that brakes well and brakes correctly are just as important as acceleration, handling, or any other aspect of a vehicle’s drivability. A car with brake issues has the potential to be a far more enjoyable ride when fixed.  Your brakes have a lot to do with how your car drives. Brakes are a frequently neglected item on a lot of people’s checklists, and many drivers on the road have subpar brakes and don’t even know it. 

“Spark plug” is a word you are likely familiar with; it’s one of those car terms that you’ve heard your whole life. You know they’re important, you know sometimes they need to be changed. But how do you know when it’s time to replace them? What do they do, and where do they go wrong? A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine has the answers.

While transmissions are extremely complicated and it takes a professional hand to work on one, taking care of the one you have isn’t difficult. At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, FL, we understand the importance of caring for your transmission properly, so that it stays in good condition for as long as possible.

Have you ever noticed your dashboard ABS icon lit up? If you have it means there is an issue that needs to be diagnosed, ABS issues don’t need to be ignored long. The anti-lock braking system, or ABS, is an important feature on every modern car, truck, or SUV. It has been legally mandated since 2013 in the US but was standard on almost every vehicle even prior to that. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your ABS system doesn’t fail, from A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, FL.

At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, we know the key to making your vehicle last; good maintenance. An overwhelming percentage of the problems we see, especially the really catastrophic ones, are a result of poor maintenance. While properly maintaining a vehicle can seem a like a bit of a hassle, it is absolutely worth the payoff. Good maintenance is the only difference between a car that lasts 80,000 miles and a car that lasts 400,000 miles. Preventative maintenance and repair when a problem occurs are are your two concerns, and both will keep your car on the road far longer, if observed properly.

Some vehicles come with either "all-wheel drive" (AWD) or "four-wheel-drive" (4WD), and you may have wondered if there's any real difference between those terms. Cars only have four wheels, after all, so when "all" of them are doing the driving, that's four-wheel drive - isn't it? The logic makes sense, but AWD and 4WD have actually evolved into technical terms that refer to distinct mechanical systems. Whether you're shopping for a car or your needs repairs, you'll want to take an educated approach, so let's walk through the ins and outs of each system.

Keeping the interior of your car, truck, or SUV clean and in good shape is an important part of making your vehicle last. A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine has some tips on keeping your car clean inside, and why keeping it clean matters.

Your vehicle's radio and headlights, plus a slew of other important functions, are powered by an electrical current generated by your vehicle’s engine. A vital part of generating electricity is having a place to store it while it’s not being used, which is where a car battery comes into play. The battery holds electrical energy while a car is off in order to help the engine turn over and create a spark to start internal combustion. Without a working battery, your car will not be able to start. If you perform proper maintenance, however, an average car battery can start your car reliably for roughly four years.

At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, we know that keeping up with required maintenance schedules is the difference between a truck that lasts a few years and a truck that stays strong for decades.

At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, FL, we know that over the past decade, depending on what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, it may seem like oil changes have gotten more expensive, and there are more options from synthetic to standard 10w/30 oil.  What kind is best for your vehicle and is the higher price worth the cost? 

There are multiple types of tires on the market for almost every car, truck, or SUV. The type of tire you want depends on a variety of factors, from climate to how you drive. Here’s a short rundown of common street tires that’ll suit your needs.

Your gas mileage mostly depends on what kind of car you drive; engine displacement and vehicle weight are the largest determining factors on gas mileage, and there’s not much you can do to change either of those. That doesn’t mean attempting to improve your fuel economy is a completely hopeless endeavor, however. With these tips from A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, FL, you might be surprised how much your fuel mileage can be improved.

Judging by the number of near-rear-endings we witness on our morning commutes, the typical attitude toward brake maintenance appears to be, “Brakes: Don’t let them stop you!” This puzzles us because monitoring your braking system’s health is one of the most straightforward aspects of car ownership. You do have to know what to look for, though, or rather, what to listen and feel for. So let us, uh, break it down for you. Here are the top three signs that your brakes need fixing.

A good technician will give your car a quick inspection whenever you have maintenance performed. Fluid levels, tire condition, dashboard lights, and a variety of other items typically are briefly explored whenever you bring your vehicle in for maintenance. At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, we're good at noticing things that need repair, but the fact of the matter is that only you know your car. You know when your car feels off when its been serviced last (or that it hasn't been serviced at all,) and have at least some vague idea of what’s going on with your vehicle day to day. Here are some questions you can ask us next time you come by the shop;

At some point or another, it’ll happen to you. You leave your headlights on, your battery finally fails, or for some other reason, you don’t have enough juice to start your car. Don’t call a tow truck just yet, though...A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine has the info you need to properly jump-start your car.

In the realm of performance engines, valve adjustments are an essential part of keeping your car running its best. When you add customization to the mix, valve timing becomes even more critical, and it’s important the technician adjusting them really knows their stuff. At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, FL, we’ve got you covered.

Gauges are your first, and often only, line of defense in catching a major problem before it’s too late. At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, we know that sometimes a faulty gauge is overlooked when the truck is still running fine and there’s a busy day ahead. However, gauges are extremely important, and are typically easy to repair.

At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, our priority is keeping your transmission shifting smooth and running strong for years to come. While proper maintenance, driving habits, and a myriad of other conditions affect the life and reliability of a transmission, there are also ways to increase the overall efficiency of your unit, even above stock performance.

At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, we know you’re busy. We also know that while there are certain issues with your car, truck, or SUV you can ignore for a while, some of them shouldn’t wait. While serious issues are often obvious, sometimes they aren’t - ball joints are one such case.