May 18, 2012

Brake Service At Fox Repair LLC In Corvallis

Filed under: Power Brakes — foxrepai805 @ 8:10 pm

Brake Service At Fox Repair LLC In Corvallis

Most Corvallis drivers know that braking means slowing or stopping a vehicle. The mechanical aspects of the brakes themselves are just one issue. There’s also the power brake system and brake fluid. And then there are the tires, which are critical to the effectiveness of the brakes.

Let’s step back. A car or truck rolls brand new off the showroom floor at a local Corvallis dealer. It has brand new brakes with brand new brake pads. The brake lines and the power assist are filled with fresh fluid and are completely clean inside. And the truck tires are brand new, with full tread. Naturally, braking power is at its peak performance.
 
Now, as your drive from Corvallis to Corvallis and back, the miles start to add up. Most Corvallis car owners tend to focus on the brake pads. In the Corvallis automotive service community, the pads, and shoes on drum brakes, are called the friction material. That’s because they provide the friction used to stop the truck. The pads are designed to be effective throughout their useful life – it’s not until they are worn so thin as to be out of spec that they lose stopping effectiveness.

The mechanical parts of the brakes have pistons and springs that get quite a workout while stopping the truck. Over many miles, these wear and get gummed up. They start to lose effectiveness gradually and could even fail. That’s why a regular brake inspection is important. At Fox Repair LLC, we can test the operation of the brakes and see if any parts need cleaning or replacing.

That leads us to brake fluid service at Fox Repair LLC. Some of the critical additives in the fluid that lubricate and clean the truck fluid system are depleted over time. That and moisture building up in the system deteriorate the performance of the brake fluid. Brake fluid replacement at Fox Repair LLC includes flushing the brake system to clean out deposits, water and dirt. Then the system is filled up with fresh fluid.

The tires are what connect the truck to the road. The stopping force is ultimately dependent on the traction provided by the tires. The better they grip the road, the quicker you’ll stop as you drive around Corvallis.

For questions about brakes, brake pads, air conditioning service, safety inspection, or tires, talk to Fox Repair LLC  manager Fox Repair LLC Fox.

Give us a call

Fox Repair LLC
406.961.4202
768 Old Corvallis Road
Corvallis, MT 59828

At Fox Repair LLC in Corvallis MT (59828) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 406.961.4202. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 9, 2012

Getting The Right Wheels And Tires At Fox Repair LLC In Corvallis

Filed under: Tires — foxrepai805 @ 4:11 pm

Getting The Right Wheels And Tires At Fox Repair LLC In Corvallis

A lot of people in the Corvallis 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 Fox Repair LLC in Corvallis can ensure you get the right fit for your truck. 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 truck, you would need to focus on a wheel and tire combination that would fit. With trucks, some Corvallis people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most Corvallis 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 truck 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 truck vehicle control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. At Fox Repair LLC, we can give you information about control computer reprogramming.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in Corvallis. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your Corvallis 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 cheerful Fox Repair LLC tire specialist see your truck in person so mistakes are not made.

At Fox Repair LLC, we also offer air conditioning service and safety inspection.

Give us a call

Fox Repair LLC
406.961.4202
768 Old Corvallis Road
Corvallis, MT 59828

At Fox Repair LLC in Corvallis MT (59828) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 406.961.4202. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 2, 2012

Viva la Differential At Fox Repair LLC

Filed under: Differential Service — foxrepai805 @ 6:34 pm

Viva la Differential At Fox Repair LLC

With front-wheel drive being so common in Corvallis these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Corvallis folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive truck 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 MT 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 truck 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 Fox Repair LLC technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Fox Repair LLC 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.

Corvallis four wheel drive trucks 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 Fox Repair LLC at different intervals.

Your Corvallis service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your truck owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Fox Repair LLC
406.961.4202
768 Old Corvallis Road
Corvallis, MT 59828

At Fox Repair LLC in Corvallis MT (59828) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 406.961.4202. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 27, 2012

Battery Replacement In Corvallis

Filed under: Battery — foxrepai805 @ 9:37 pm

Battery Replacement In Corvallis

Car batteries wear out just like any other battery and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things Corvallis truck owners should know when looking for a new car battery: one is cold cranking amps and the other is reserve capacity.

Let’s start with cold cranking amps. This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold truck engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live around Corvallis, specifically how cold it is where you live. The two factors are that the colder an engine is, the more power it takes to turn the truck engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with. The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient in the cold.

So the colder it gets in Corvallis, more power is needed, but the available power drops.

If you live where it’s cold, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it’s moderate or hot. You should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as the manufacturer recommends, but may want to upgrade at Fox Repair LLC if you live where it gets real cold.

An important note: Batteries may also list the Cranking Amps – CA – number. It is the Cold Cranking Amps – or CCA – that is the important number here. CCA is the number to use in your comparisons.

Now with all this talk of cold temperatures in Corvallis, it’s important to note that heat is the real enemy of long battery life. In other words, the damage that’s done over the hot summer months in Corvallis shows up with the increased demands on the truck battery when the weather turns cold.

Now on to reserve capacity: It’s a measurement of the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has at a given load. The number is more important these days because of parasitic drain. Parasitic drain is the battery energy that’s used when the key is off. So the power drawn by the truck security system, the remote start system, even the power the truck computers require to maintain their memory.

Reserves are also needed when you make very short trips around Corvallis. You’re not driving long enough for the battery to recover the energy it used to start the truck engine.

So go with the minimum recommended by your manufacturer and upgrade if you need more. Talk with your cheerful Fox Repair LLC service advisor about options. If you need more from your battery, a larger capacity battery may be called for.

Batteries are a big ticket item for most Corvallis motorists, so the warranty gives peace of mind. Be sure to ask about the car battery warranty at Fox Repair LLC so you know what you’re getting. At Fox Repair LLC, we have been providing quality auto service in Corvallis for 5 years.

Give us a call

Fox Repair LLC
768 Old Corvallis Road
Corvallis, MT 59828

At Fox Repair LLC in Corvallis MT (59828) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 406.961.4202. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 19, 2012

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Fox Repair LLC In Corvallis

Filed under: Air Conditioning — foxrepai805 @ 4:40 pm

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Fox Repair LLC In Corvallis

Most Corvallis area car owners don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. Maintaining your truck 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 Corvallis.

Air conditioning service at Fox Repair LLC in Corvallis 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 Fox Repair LLC service advisor. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the truck system is retested. Your Fox Repair LLC 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 Fox Repair LLC varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your truck owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your cheerful Fox Repair LLC service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

Give us a call

Fox Repair LLC
768 Old Corvallis Road
Corvallis, MT 59828

At Fox Repair LLC in Corvallis MT (59828) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 406.961.4202. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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