Louisville and Prospect Auto Repair

How To Spot Misaligned Wheels Many people don’t realize that improper wheel alignment is much more than an inconvenience. It can be extremely dangerous. Here’s what you should know about wheel alignment and the potential hazards bad alignment can cause. What Is Wheel Alignment? Wheel alignment refers to an adjustment to the suspension system of your vehicle. This is the system that connects the wheels to the vehicle. When an alignment is conducted, the angles of the tires are adjusted to make sure they track straight and true. A wheel alignment should be done every two years, as recommended by most mechanics in Louisville. However, it should also be done anytime new tires are installed—regardless of when the last alignment was performed. Some vehicles may require a wheel alignment more often than the recommended two-year span. In particular, sporty cars such as BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes may need alignments more often. Additionally, if your vehicle has tires that a ... read more

When to Replace If you want to prepare for your vehicle's needs throughout its lifespan, you need to know when it will need specific repairs. The timing belt is one part that will inevitably need replacement, and when it does, the experts at Springdale Automotive on Westport Road in Louisville, Kentucky can help! Here's how to find out when your car's timing belt will need replacement. What It Is The timing belt keeps important parts in the engine working in unison. Without it, the pistons and valves would collide. The results would be catastrophic and leave your car stuck in a standstill. Think of the timing belt and other related parts like a clock with all the gears fitting together for perfect function. When to Replace With toothed gears, the timing belt keeps important parts moving in perfect time. But these teeth can wear out over time. Vehicle manufacturers know this when they build the car, which is why they include helpful information about its replacement in the owner's manua ... read more

When to Visit the Professionals You might not want to pay for maintenance service before your car really needs it, but there's a limit to how long you can wait before problems develop. If you notice these unusual behaviors from your vehicle, it's time for wheel alignment service at Springdale Automotive in Prospect, Kentucky. Drifting Cars that drift to the right or left on their own have poor wheel alignment. You can see if your car has this problem by testing the steering in a safe, flat location away from other vehicles. Move forward and loosen your grip on the steering wheel. If the car starts trailing in one direction, and not because of an uneven road surface, it's time for wheel alignment. Don't put your safety at risk any longer by driving a vehicle without optimal control. Worn Tires It's a good idea to inspect your tires regularly, as their condition can tell you a lot about the health of your vehicle. Use the penny test to determine if the tread is too low. If you find that ... read more

What to Look For Your car needs regular oil changes to stay healthy. But you don't want to pay for them more often than you need to. How can you find the balance without risking your engine's health? Springdale Automotive in Louisville, Kentucky can help. Here are a few signs you can watch out for that will tell you exactly when it's time to change your motor oil. When it Has Metal Flakes There are a lot of factors that influence whether or not motor oil needs to be changed. It's not always black and white for all drivers to follow the same procedure. What is crystal clear is that metal flakes in the oil are a bad sign. If you inspect the condition of your car's motor oil and find large flakes of metal in it, that means there's a problem falling apart inside. You'll want to seek professional attention as soon as possible! When It's Old How old is too old for motor oil? It depends on a number of factors, such as what kind of oil you use, where you live, and how you drive. Synthetic moto ... read more

Don't Fear, Diagnostics Are Here! For some drivers, the check engine light is the most mysterious and ominous of all the dashboard indicators. They know it means their vehicle has a problem, and sometimes fear takes that idea to its worst possible outcome. The panic sets in and they think their car is done for! But once they bring their vehicle to Springdale Automotive in Westport, Kentucky, they realize the light isn't something to fear! In fact, it's a useful message from your vehicle designed to prevent serious problems! How is that possible? Let's explore! How We Find the Problem For drivers that have never had the unfortunate experience of seeing the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard, our technicians hope to save you some trouble and stress. All the worry in the world won't tell you what's wrong with your vehicle! Understanding how we fix check engine lights will help you see that they aren't worth the fear or panic. They are just a tool used to keep your c ... read more