A lot of people in the Baltimore area want custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes they just don’t fit right: The tires rub in turns or over bumps. Consulting a tire professional at Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City can ensure you get the right fit for your older vehicles. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs and what you want in your new wheels.

Now, not every wheel can go on every vehicle. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside. If you don’t want to make any modifications to your older vehicles, you would need to focus on a wheel and tire combination that would fit. With trucks, some Ellicott City people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most Ellicott City people don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The older vehicles computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong sensor information. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your older vehicles vehicle control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. At Neubauer’s Auto Repair, we can give you information about control computer reprogramming.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in Ellicott City. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your Ellicott City tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs – and the best way to do all this is to have your customer service oriented Neubauer’s Auto Repair tire specialist see your older vehicles in person so mistakes are not made.

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair, we also offer air conditioning service and brake service.

Give us a call

Neubauer’s Auto Repair
410.465.4636
3515 South Chevrolet Drive
Ellicott City, Maryland 21042

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland (21042) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Elkridge auto service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Elkridge auto owners may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.

Neubauer’s Auto Repair fuel system cleaning: Over time, the older vehicles fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.

Neubauer’s Auto Repair headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It’s usually good to change them every year or so.

Inspections: Elkridge drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they’re leaving Elkridge and going on a trip or just want to make sure their older vehicles’s ready for summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used car in Elkridge and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or are getting close to having a problem.

Neubauer’s Auto Repair oil change – there are several options: Some Elkridge centers offer just an oil change and new filter as an option. Most will also check and top off all of your other fluids and do a quick visual inspection with a full service oil change. In my way of thinking, the full service option is best because it makes sure you have adequate fluids in your older vehicles and may uncover an emerging problem. There may also be options for higher mileage fluids or an upgrade to synthetic oil.

Neubauer’s Auto Repair PCV valve service: PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It’s a little part that releases pressure from the engine. It can get gummed up and that can lead to engine damage. Just needs to be changed now and then.

Neubauer’s Auto Repair power steering service: Often overlooked. The Elkridge auto technician will evacuate the old fluid, clean out the system and replace it with clean fluid. Keeps the system running well for a long time.

Serpentine belt: That’s the belt that powers the older vehicles’s engine’s accessories like the alternator, air conditioner, power steering and brakes. You’ll want to replace the serpentine belt before it breaks, because that’ll shut you down.

Shocks and struts: This starts with an inspection of the suspension components in your older vehicles. Shocks last a long time and wear out slowly, so many Elkridge people don’t notice when it’s time to change them. If they’re worn or leaking, they need to be replaced.

Elkridge transmission service: This involves removing the transmission fluid and replacing it with clean fluid. It’s like an oil change for your transmission.

Tire rotation and wheel balancing: The older vehicles tires are rotated from front to back using the recommended rotation pattern. This helps tires wear more evenly. Wheels need to be balanced from time to time to keep them turning without any wobble or bounce. Helps the ride and saves tire wear for Elkridge car owners.

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland (21042) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Most Ellicott City area car owners don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. Maintaining your older vehicles air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well.

Along with the refrigerant, a special oil circulates in the system. The oil lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and we all know that air conditioning repairs can be costly in Baltimore.

Air conditioning service at Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it’s inspected for cracks or wear.

The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation by your Neubauer’s Auto Repair service advisor. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the older vehicles system is retested. Your Neubauer’s Auto Repair technician will also perform a temperature drop test.

If needed, the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the air conditioner is working, and you’re on your way.

How often this should be done at Neubauer’s Auto Repair varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your older vehicles owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your customer service oriented Neubauer’s Auto Repair service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

Give us a call

Neubauer’s Auto Repair
3515 South Chevrolet Drive
Ellicott City, Maryland 21042

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland (21042) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

With front-wheel drive being so common in Ellicott City these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Ellicott City folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive older vehicles differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for Maryland people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many older vehicles differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and Neubauer’s Auto Repair technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Neubauer’s Auto Repair service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Ellicott City four wheel drive older vehicless need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at Neubauer’s Auto Repair at different intervals.

Your Ellicott City service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your older vehicles owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Neubauer’s Auto Repair
410.465.4636
3515 South Chevrolet Drive
Ellicott City, Maryland 21042

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland (21042) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

In addition to just wearing out, Neubauer’s Auto Repair customers need to know that suspension components can be damaged in an accident or by a hard impact – like a pothole, hitting a curb or a rock in the road.

Because the life span of shocks can vary so widely, your older vehicles manufacturer and Neubauer’s Auto Repair recommend periodic inspections. During an inspection, your Marriottsville service technician will check for worn, broken or missing parts.

Signs that shocks or struts are wearing out: The tires may have a cupped wear pattern. This is from the shocks bouncing unevenly as you drive around Marriottsville. You may notice a floaty or drifting sensation when cornering. If the front of your older vehicles dives excessively when stopping, or rocks back and forth after you stopped, your shocks may be worn out. And if they are leaking fluid, it’s definitely time to replace them.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, come into Neubauer’s Auto Repair for a suspension inspection. Same if you’ve been in an accident that involved one of your wheels. Worn or broken shocks can cause premature wear or failure on other older vehicles suspension parts such as ball joints and other steering components as well. If your suspension actually fails, it could lead to a serious accident, so let us take care of your suspension components at Neubauer’s Auto Repair.

When you replace your shocks, it’s usually a good idea to replace all four at the same time. That’ll give you more even handling. Talk with your service advisor at Neubauer’s Auto Repair because you don’t want a big difference between the performance of your shocks from wheel to wheel, and replacing all may be the safest bet.

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland (21042) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Now when you hear “severe service”, you may think it doesn’t apply to you because you don’t feel your driving conditions are severe or extreme – it’s just normal everyday driving around Baltimore. At Neubauer’s Auto Repair, we discuss the conditions that manufacturers classify as severe so that you can make the judgment on your own driving.

• Most trips are less than four miles
• Most trips are less than ten miles and outside temperatures are below freezing in Baltimore
• You drive in very hot Maryland weather
• Driving at low speed most of the time (under 55 mph)
• Stop and go driving
• Operating your vehicle in dusty, polluted or muddy conditions
• You tow a trailer, regularly carry heavy loads or carry a car-top carrier on your older vehicles

Most Baltimore drivers operate under severe driving conditions at least some of the time. How do you know which schedule to follow for your older vehicles?

Carefully think about your driving conditions and decide if you should do your preventive maintenance closer to the severe service recommendation or the regular recommendation. Of course, your Neubauer’s Auto Repair advisor can help you with your decision.

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland (21042) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

The crankcase is the bottom area of the engine that holds the oil. When the older vehicles engine’s running, fuel is burned to generate power. Most of the exhaust from combustion goes out through the exhaust system. But some exhaust blows by the pistons and goes into the lower engine, or crankcase.

These hot gases are about seventy percent unburned fuel. This can dilute and contaminate the oil, leading to damaging engine oil sludge. It can also cause engine corrosion in your older vehicles. At high speeds, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak.

Columbia car owners need to know that over time, the vented gases will gum up the PCV valve and it won’t work well. That can lead to all of the problems I’ve already described, oil leaks, excessive oil consumption and wasted gas.

Fortunately, it’s very easy to test the PCV valve and quick and inexpensive to replace it at Neubauer’s Auto Repair. Even so, it’s often overlooked because many Columbia drivers don’t know about it.

Check your older vehicles owner’s manual or ask your Neubauer’s Auto Repair advisor. If this is the first time you’ve heard of a PCV valve, you might be in line for a PCV valve replacement.

Please ask us about your PCV valve. For the price of a couple of burger combo meals, you can avoid some very expensive deep engine repairs.

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland (21042) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

First, the serpentine belt drives your air conditioning system. Next, the belt powers the alternator.

The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering and power brakes. In some older vehicless, power steering may have an electric drive and power brakes can be vacuum driven.

And, on many vehicles, the serpentine belt powers the water pump (on some cars, the water pump is powered by the timing belt).

Your Neubauer’s Auto Repair service technician can perform a visual inspection of the belt to see if it has any cracks that signal the belt could fail soon and will measure the amount of belt material to make sure there is enough.

Ellicott City drivers should be aware that there’s a special, spring loaded pulley attached to the engine called the tensioner pulley and sometimes an extra pulley call the idler pulley. Their job is to make sure there’s a constant tension on the serpentine belt so that it doesn’t slip. The spring can become worn and no longer provide the necessary pressure to keep the belt tight. That’s why it’s often recommended that the tensioner, and the idler pulley if so equipped, be replaced at the same time as the serpentine belt.

All in all, the serpentine belt’s an important part for the function of your older vehicles. And it’s not that expensive to replace at Neubauer’s Auto Repair – so it’s good to do so before it fails.

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland (21042) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Let’s focus on stopping in wet Ellicott City conditions. In order for a tire to have good contact with the road, it has to move the water out of the way. If it can’t move the water, the tire will actually ride on top of a thin film of water.

That’s called hydroplaning. At Neubauer’s Auto Repair we want our customers to know that if it’s really bad, you can actually spin out of control. At best, you won’t stop as fast.

So how does a tire move water? It has channels for water to flow through. Look at a tire and you’ll see channels: channels that run around the tire and channels that flow across the tire. They’re designed to direct water away from the tire so it can contact the road better.

And the deeper the channel, the more water it can move. A brand new tire has very deep channels and can easily move a lot of water. As the tire wears down, the channels become shallower and can move less water. When it wears down enough, it can seriously affect your ability to stop on wet Ellicott City roads.

So that’s why it’s so important for Ellicott City drivers to replace the tires on their older vehicless when they get worn. Consumer Reports and other advocate groups call for a standard of 3/32 of an inch and they have the studies to prove it.

By comparison, you’ve probably seen the wear indicator that’s molded into tires. When tires are worn 3/32 of an inch, the tread wear bar is visible. So the recommended standard has twice the tread depth as a completely worn out tire.

And that little bit of additional tread makes a big difference. Stopping distances are cut dramatically on wet roads. A safe stop from Maryland freeway speeds with 4/32 of an inch of tread would result in a crash with worn out tires.

There’s an easy way to tell when a tire’s worn to 4/32 of an inch. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn’t cover George Washington’s hairline, it’s time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.

You’ve probably heard of this technique using a penny and Abe Lincoln’s head. That measure gives you 2/32 of an inch – half the suggested amount.

Of course, tires are a big ticket item for Ellicott City car owners. Most of us want to get as many miles out of them as we can. But there’s a real safety trade-off. It’s your choice.

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland (21042) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

The following Disc Brakes animation is presented by Neubauer’s Auto Repair:

Your brakes are extremely important as you drive around Ellicott City Maryland. Having good brakes just keeps you out of trouble. You’ll want to carefully maintain your brakes. With disc brakes, brake pads rub on a disc – or rotor – to slow the wheels.

The brake pads are attached to a caliper that squeezes the pads against the rotor. It’s kind of like how squeezing the handbrake on a bicycle pushes the brake pads against the wheel of the bike.

Now pads just wear away with use – kind of like a pencil eraser wears out. The good news is that replacing brake pads is a straight-forward repair.

If you hear squealing or grinding when you use the brakes, have your Ellicott City Maryland service advisor check them out. He’ll have a technician perform a thorough brake inspection to see what needs to be done. He’ll check for signs of brake problems and go over other brake components to see that they’re working properly.

He can tell you if it’s time to replace the pads or if there are other issues with your brakes that should be addressed. Some people ignore the warning signs and keep driving long after the pads are completely worn out. When that happens, metal brake components will grind on the rotor, damaging it enough that it needs to be resurfaced or replaced.

Rotors can also warp or crack, in which case they’ll need to be replaced. Brake calipers also wear out over time. They can develop leaks or the caliper pistons can freeze open or closed – either way it’s not good. When this happens it’s time to replace the calipers. A thorough brake inspection will reveal worn bearings or seals as well.

The new brake pads we put on your vehicle will restore your brakes to manufacturers’ specifications. Or, we can install upgraded parts to increase your stopping power and reduce brake noise and brake dust. We have several options to meet your braking requirements and your budget.

Taking care of your brakes keeps them working safely – and you could prevent premature brake repairs down the road.

At Neubauer’s Auto Repair in Ellicott City Maryland we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Call us from Columbia at 410.465.4636. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.