Kwik Kar AutoNet TV
Technician Training at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers
Posted May 21, 2013 12:57 PM
Your car is important to you and keeping it running properly is vital to your Arlington lifestyle. That's why you're smart to have it serviced regularly at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers in Arlington. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right by automotive professionals.
It's also very important to your Arlington service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our Arlington auto service center spends annually to make sure our honest service professionals are properly trained.
Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers offers a variety of automotive services for many kinds of vehicles. We need to be current on the latest techniques and parts so that we can give you quality service. Our Arlington centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer.
And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers technicians follow these procedures so they can safely deliver a consistent level of high-quality service.
Some services at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers require the use of specialized equipment. Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers technicians are trained extensively on this equipment so that they can service your car quickly and efficiently.
Classroom, video and hands-on training is provided by the company and outside trainers. It's not only important that honest service professionals be able to perform a given task, they also need to be thoroughly trained in inspection and diagnostic techniques. One of the great services they perform is to detect potential problems before they become serious (and expensive).
The automotive service industry has standards for classifying and communicating problems to auto owners. For example, it's one thing to learn that your manufacturer recommends that you change your serpentine belt every 30,000 miles and another to learn that the belt is on the verge of failure. These standards help you understand the urgency of recommendations, letting you make better automotive service decisions.
Texas folks may be interested to know that service technicians are trained in compliance with federal and local Arlington laws and regulations, including environmental regulations regarding the disposal of used parts and fluids.
It's the goal of Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers to provide fast, courteous service. You should feel free to ask your technician or one of the managers about your service or for more information about their recommendations.
Well-trained service providers, established procedures, industry standards, and, of course, AutoNetTV, combine to give you the best service experience possible.
Posted in the Maintenance category
Getting New Tires In Arlington?
Posted May 15, 2013 9:22 AM
There are so many tire choices in the Arlington, Grand Prairie, and Kennedale area, selecting the right one can be a bit overwhelming for Fort Worth motorists. And even though it’s kind of fun to have new tires on your sedan, they’re a significant investment for most Fort Worth folks so you want do it right.
Tip: talk with your honest Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers tire professional. He’ll help you sort through the choices.
Here are some of the issues you’ll talk about: One is size – you know, all those numbers on the side of the tire. The right size is critical. All new vehicles are required to have stability control which, along with other important safety systems, is calibrated to work with specific tire sizes. Your Arlington tire professional can help stay within car makers' specifications or program a different tire size into your sedan’s computer.
And you’ll want to discuss how and where you drive in Fort Worth to determine the type of tire you need: summer, winter, all-season tires or all-terrain. There are tires for every Fort Worth auto owner's needs.
Like we said, tires are a big investment, so you want to get a good value on tires. Now that doesn’t always mean the cheapest tire. A top tier tire from Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers will last a long time and give Fort Worth motorists good performance throughout its life. Tires sold in Arlington bargain tire shops may not live up to that promise. Again, your honest Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers tire professional can give you options that offer the best long-term value within your immediate budget.
Last, with a 2-wheel drive vehicle you should always replace both tires on an axle. Modern sensors and computer safety systems for sedan brakes, stability and traction control need both tires to have the same amount of wear to work properly. And always put the new tires on the rear so you don’t fishtail in a turn. With all-wheel drive you should replace all four tires at the same time.
Schedule a tire inspection at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers to see how much life is left in your sedan tires and seek the help of a professional when choosing new shoes for your vehicle.
Give us a call
Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers
Matlock @ 817-468-0200 & Sublett @ 817-563-1956
5333 Matlock Road & 4801 W. Sublett
Arlington, Texas Matlock @ 76018 & Sublett @ 76017
Posted in the Tires and Wheels category
Fuel Saving Tip: Auto Myths Around Arlington
Posted May 7, 2013 2:01 PM
With high fuel prices in Arlington Texas comes lots of gas saving advice. Some of it, like what you hear on AutoNetTV, is really great. Some is myth. And some is just designed to prey on Arlington Texas people desperate to save some money on gas.
When you get one of those e-mails that's going around telling you how to save gas, try to think it through.
Does it really make sense? Does it defy the laws of physics?
Do some research on the internet or ask your Arlington Texas service advisor at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers.
There aren't any magic pills you can drop in your gas tank and the government hasn't suppressed a device you can clamp on your fuel line to make your car run on air. Not even in Arlington!
So next time you get one of those e-mails, check it out with an automotive professional. You'll get more bang for your buck with an oil change or an engine air filter replacement.
We're Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers, give us a call at Matlock @ 817-468-0200 & Sublett @ 817-563-1956 for good honest advice about your car.
Posted in the Fuel System category
Tracking True In Texas: Wheel Alignment In Grand Prairie
Posted May 1, 2013 9:59 AM
Wheel alignment is often overlooked by busy Grand Prairie and Kennedale motorists until serious tire damage has been done. One wheel can be knocked out of alignment by hitting a curb or pothole on a Fort Worth interstate or surface street.
When a vehicle’s out of alignment, one or more of the wheels does not track true and pulls against the others. This causes several serious problems. First off, the tires will wear out faster and will need to be replaced prematurely. It could also lead to expensive sedan suspension problems.
But the big issue for Grand Prairie, Kennedale, and Arlington motorists is safety. When your sedan wheels are out of alignment, the vehicle will pull to one side, which could lead to an accident. When you’re out of alignment, you should have it taken care of right away at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers in Arlington.
When undergoing an alignment service at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers, your sedan is put on an alignment rack where the tires, steering and suspension parts are checked for damage. Then the alignment is charted and checked against the factory settings.
Precision adjustments are made to bring the wheels back into alignment. This gets all four wheels going in exactly the same direction.
Kennedale motorists should be aware of the signs of alignment problems. These include the car pulling to one side. Also, the steering wheel may not be centered when you’re going straight. If you see the edges of one or more tires rapidly wearing down, you should have your Fort Worth service center look it over. If you’ve been in an auto accident in Texas that involved a wheel, you should get your alignment checked.
Obviously, a big jolt can seriously knock things out of alignment, but Grand Prairie drivers also need to understand that a series of smaller ones can add up.
That’s why auto manufacturers recommend periodic alignment checks. If your sedan owner’s manual doesn’t specify, once a year might be appropriate. Or check with Alison Dolezal or your service advisor at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers in Arlington.
One thing’s for sure: the cost of the alignment at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers is cheaper for Grand Prairie motorists than having to buy a couple of new tires because of neglect.
Posted in the Alignment category
PCV Valve Service At Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers In Arlington
Posted April 24, 2013 10:47 AM
Today, we are talking about your PCV valve. The PCV Valve is a little, inexpensive part that does a big job for Arlington motorists. PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation.
The crankcase is the bottom area of the engine that holds the oil. When the sedan 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 sedan engine corrosion, something we see occasionally at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers. At high speeds on Arlington freeways, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak.
Back in the old days, auto makers simply installed a hose that vented these gases out into the atmosphere. But starting in the 1964 model year, environmental protection laws required that these gases be recycled back into the air intake system to be mixed with fuel and burned in the sedan's engine.
This is much better for air quality and improves gas mileage also. (Budget-conscious Arlington motorists take note!) The little valve that performs this important function is the PCV valve. The PCV valve lets gases out of the engine, but won’t let anything back in. 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 decreased gas mileage.
Fortunately, it’s very easy to test the PCV Valve at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers in Arlington and quick and inexpensive to replace. Even so, it’s often overlooked because many Arlington motorists don’t know about it. Check your sedan owner’s manual or ask your Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers service advisor. If this is the first time you’ve heard of a PCV valve, you might be in line for a replacement.
There’s another aspect to the PCV system. In order for the valve to work correctly, it needs a little clean air to come in. This is done through a breather tube that gets some filtered air from the engine air filter. Now some vehicles have a small separate air filter for the breather tube called the breather element. That’ll need to be replaced at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers when it gets dirty.
Please ask your honest Arlington service advisor about your PCV valve. For the price of a couple of burger combo meals in Arlington, you can avoid some very pricey engine repairs.
Posted in the Parts category
The Right Automotive Fluids For Fort Worth Drivers
Posted April 19, 2013 1:42 PM
All those automotive fluids can be confusing for Fort Worth car owners. Recent years have brought new grades of engine oil, types of transmission fluid, coolant, and brake fluid. The right fluid protects your vehicle and helps it perform at its best. The wrong fluid won’t work as well for Arlington car owners and could even cause damage.
In addition to new grades of engine oil, many sedans now leave the factory with synthetic oil. Fort Worth car owners should always use the recommended grade and type of oil in their engine.
All coolant, also called antifreeze, used to be green. Now there are several other colors of coolant sold at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers in Arlington. Each type is designed to protect the cooling system components that are particular to your vehicle. The wrong stuff can void your sedan cooling system warranty and could even cause engine damage.
Most passenger vehicles on Arlington roads today use either DOT 3, DOT 4 or DOT 5 brake fluid. Your sedan power brake system is specifically designed to use ONE of these types – you need the right one. Higher numbers do not necessarily mean a higher, upgraded fluid.
Now, the key thing is knowing that your vehicle requires specific grades and types of fluids and that using the right fluids is good and using the wrong ones is bad. Once you’ve got that down, it’s easy to remember to check with your honest Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers service specialist or sedan owner’s manual to find out which automotive fluids to use.
Give us a call
Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers
Matlock @ 817-468-0200 & Sublett @ 817-563-1956
5333 Matlock Road & 4801 W. Sublett
Arlington, Texas Matlock @ 76018 & Sublett @ 76017
Posted in the Fluids category
Battery Basics For Arlington
Posted April 12, 2013 9:27 AM
It's important for Arlington motorists to know battery basics. First, let’s talk about which is harder on a battery – hot or cold Texas weather. Most Fort Worth motorists think it’s cold weather because that’s when we call on our batteries to have enough power to start a cold sedan engine.
However, heat does more damage to a battery than cold. Truth is, our batteries start to die a little from day one. Keeping a full charge slows the process, which is hard with short Arlington trips because the alternator doesn’t have time to fully recharge the battery from starting the engine. Arlington motorists can top off the charge with a computer controlled battery charger – say, once a month in the summer and every three months during the winter.
As far as how long a battery will last, statistics show that 70% have given up the ghost within four years. By that time, they aren’t capable of taking a full charge like they used to, and your sedan alternator has to work overtime to keep up. This causes your alternator to wear out early.
If you’re pushing 4 to 5 years on your battery, see your honest Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers service professional for a battery test to see if it’s recommended to replace it. Not only can you avoid getting stranded with a dead battery, but you’ll save unnecessary wear and tear on your sedan alternator.
Give us a call
Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers
Matlock @ 817-468-0200 & Sublett @ 817-563-1956
5333 Matlock Road & 4801 W. Sublett
Arlington, Texas Matlock @ 76018 & Sublett @ 76017
Posted in the Battery category
Keeping Your sedan Young
Posted April 5, 2013 10:03 AM
Sometimes it seems in Arlington we live in such a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away.
New stuff comes out so fast, we just toss the old and move on. It seems like when we were kids in Arlington, our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our stuff. You know, hang up your clothes, polish your shoes, put away your toys. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough, we had to do without.
We couldn't afford new cars very often, so we tried to make them last as long as we could. It's a good thing that cars are more reliable these days. They just don't break down as often. And the good news for us Arlington penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles with proper care. The engineering's there and so is the manufacturing quality. The missing ingredient is us making sure we follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedules.
Is it really that bad to get off schedule? Well, it all adds up. Every time you go a couple thousand extra miles between oil changes, you've created an opportunity for sludge to form and clog passages. Then some parts don't get oiled and they start to wear out faster.
Skip a cooling system service, and the corrosion inhibitors become depleted, and the radiator starts being damaged – one step closer to a failure. The same thing is true for transmission service, power brakes, fuel system cleaning – really everything on your schedule.
It's also even more important for older vehicles in the Arlington area. Those engines and other systems have had more time to get dirty, so they're a bit more stressed anyway. But it's never too late to get back on track with your maintenance and to hold off further damage.
It's just another example of our parents being right. (Surprising how often that happens.) And it really does start with the oil change, just like Dad said. When you get a full service oil change they top off all your fluids and check for other items that are on your maintenance schedule. That's like your safety net; go in for oil changes on time, and let your service advisor at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers in Arlington help you keep track of the rest.
Of course, some things are going to wear out along the way, stuff like alternators, water pumps and such. But that stuff is cheaper than a new car payment. And taking care of problems early means they have less time to cause other problems. It's like having high cholesterol; you don't want to wait for a heart attack before you address it.
Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers
5333 Matlock Road & 4801 W. Sublett
Arlington, Texas Matlock @ 76018 & Sublett @ 76017
Matlock @ 817-468-0200 & Sublett @ 817-563-1956
Posted in the Maintenance category
Battery Replacement At Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers In Arlington
Posted March 27, 2013 10:24 AM
Hello, welcome to Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers. Today's focus is batteries. It seems like everything in Arlington runs on batteries. Of course, the batteries we’re most concerned with here at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers are those in our customer's vehicles. Just like the batteries in our smoke detectors or TV remote, car batteries wear out and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things Arlington drivers should know when looking for a new battery.
Look for two measurements that come into play: cold cranking amps and reserve capacity.
Let’s start with cold cranking amps. 
This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold sedan engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live in Texas, specifically how cold it is. (Many Texas motorists have first-hand experience trying to start their car on a cold winter morning.) The two factors are that the colder your sedan's engine is, the more power it takes to turn the 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 when the temperature dips. At Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers, we consult the table shown below. Let’s say it’s eighty degrees Fahrenheit in Arlington. At that temperature, 100% of the battery’s power is available. At freezing, only 65% of battery power is available, but it requires 155% as much power to start the engine as it did at eighty degrees.
As you can see from the chart, the colder it gets, more power’s needed, but the available power drops.
Percent of Power Available Celsius Fahrenheit Power Required 100 27 80 100 65 0 32 155 40 -22 0 210 25 -32 20 350
So if you live where it’s cold in Texas, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it's moderate or hot. The battery that originally came with your sedan was based on averages. At Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers, we like to remind Arlington motorists that they should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as their auto makers recommend, but may want to upgrade if they live where it gets real cold.
And the type of engine you have will impact the battery you need: A six-cylinder engine requires more cold cranking amps than a four. An eight cylinder needs even more. And diesel sedans require more than a gasoline engine with the same number of cylinders.
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 to Arlington motorists these days because of parasitic drain. Parasitic drain is the battery energy that’s used when the key is off in your sedan. So, the power drawn by the security system, the remote start system, even the power the computers require to maintain their memory.
Reserves are also needed when you make very short trips around Arlington. You’re not driving long enough for the battery to recover the energy it used to start the engine. So go with the minimum recommended by your manufacturer or Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers and upgrade if you need more.
Talk with us at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers about your options. If you need more from your battery, a larger, heavy-duty battery may be called for. At Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers in Arlington, we remind our customers that it’s very important that the new battery fits your sedan: the terminals can’t be touching other parts.
Batteries are a big ticket item for most Texas motorists, so the warranty gives piece of mind. There’re two kinds of car battery warranties: pro-rated and free replacement. With the pro-rated, you get a credit for a portion of the battery if it fails during the warranty period. With a free replacement warranty, you get just that, a free replacement. Be sure to ask us at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers about the warranty so you know what you’re getting.
Posted in the Battery category
Are Modern Vehicles Maintenance Free?
Posted March 19, 2013 3:00 PM
In our auto video today we'll be talking with Alan Peterson about myths surrounding automotive maintenance. You can lump these myths into the statement that "modern cars are so reliable, they are virtually maintenance free".
Any good myth has some elements of truth. No offense to Arlington Bigfoot fans, but this maintenance-free myth has more evidence than most. If we look at some isolated areas of auto maintenance, we could conclude that maintenance isn't so important. But other areas would just as easily lead you to believe that maintenance is more important than ever.
Here are some examples for our friends in Arlington.
- Some cars in Arlington no longer require chassis lubrication. They're made with self-lubricating materials and have sealed joints. There's literally is no way to grease those joints.
-Chalk one up for the myth.
On the other side, some vehicles come with sophisticated variable valve timing. A lot of complicated parts up in the valve train that didn't even exist not that many years ago. These parts are very vulnerable to oil sludge.
- So, skipping an oil change here and there could lead to very expensive damage.
-A point to maintenance.
- Electronic ignition has eliminated replacing points.
-Myth gets a point.
- Fuel injectors on direct injection engines are very expensive to replace so one must be sure to get a fuel system cleaning on schedule.
-Point for maintenance.
I think you get the picture. As automotive technology advances, it eliminates or reduces some maintenance requirements. And maintenance becomes more critical for some items. Most others remain very similar to what they've always been.
So the maintenance mindset is still important for car owners in Arlington if we want our vehicles to last a long time. The checklist may change over time, but there'll always be a check list.
Let me mention a couple of items on modern vehicles that folks need to be aware of. One of the most of the most important is timing belt replacement. Used to be that all engines had timing chains – you know, metal chains. They rarely broke.
It's cheaper to make engines with timing belts rather than chains, so replacing the timing belt is on most engines' maintenance list. The money the manufacturer saves by using a belt is more than off-set by what the vehicle owner has to pay to replace the belt. And it's a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of repairing the damage if the timing belt breaks.
So make sure you know when your timing belt needs to be replaced. You don't want to miss that. If you have 60,000 miles or more, break out your owner's manual or ask your Arlington service advisor at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers to check on the recommendation right away.
Another is sealed wheel bearing assemblies on some vehicles. As you might have guessed, it's cheaper to make a sealed unit than one that has access to inspect or service the wheel bearings. The problem is that when the bearings fail, you have to replace the entire unit, not just the bearings. That'll cost 5 or 6 times as much.
For our friends in Arlington, we hope this has underscored the importance of knowing and following your maintenance schedule. Come in and see us at Kwik Kar Arlington Auto Service Centers. You'll find us at 5333 Matlock Road & 4801 W. Sublett in Arlington, Texas Matlock @ 76018 & Sublett @ 76017. Just give us a call at Matlock @ 817-468-0200 & Sublett @ 817-563-1956.
Posted in the Maintenance category
