All Your Vehicle’s Fluids Need TLC, Not Just Oil

Spring is here, and while it’s warm, it’s not yet sweltering. That means it’s a good time to have your car’s air conditioning system thoroughly inspected and serviced, before it’s desperately needed. Most cars, especially if they’re about five years old or newer, will greet the heat with a reliable blast of cold air, but what should you do if yours blows warm air, or no air at all? If your air conditioner isn’t working at all, the fix will require some detective work. Sometimes it’s a simple matter of a low refrigerant charge or a switch or sensor needing replacement. Air conditioning systems are pressurized, and there are sensors to detect when things are out of whack. If something’s not right, the AC will protect itself and its expensive components by refusing to engage. Warm air from the vents when you’re asking for cold means it is time to have your dealer’s service department diagnose the trouble. Your dealer’s service department has technicians who are most familiar with your vehicle and its systems, plus the information, tools and support of the manufacturer. They’ll know common trouble areas, if any, and, more important, the best way to fix them. The first thing your technician will check for is leaks. If there’s not enough refrigerant, it had to go somewhere. Sometimes an initial inspection will turn up a big leak, like a perforated hose or pipe, but other times it can be harder to track down. Tricky leaks may require a recharge of the system and the addition of a dye that shows up under a black light. If there are no obviously compromised components, a check of the operating pressures is in order. There’s a special set of gauges technicians will hook up to the high- and low-pressure portions of the system. This will tell them the amount of charge in the system and whether pressures change properly while the air conditioning is running. Because refrigerant molecules are very small, some does escape past the seals in the system, so a low refrigerant condition could just be due to the age of the car. In that case, a simple topping-off will get you comfortable again. Even if your AC isn’t completely inoperable, a low refrigerant condition will deteriorate performance. Contrary to what you might think, if there’s not enough refrigerant in the system, the AC will actually cool too much, which will cause some parts of the system to freeze, triggering a sensor to shut the AC down until it thaws. Larger system faults involving critical components, like a compressor with bad seals or failing bearings, or an evaporator core that’s leaking, require more involved repairs. The compressor is under the hood, driven by the engine. It is subjected to a lot of heat and mechanical stress. The evaporator is usually inside the cabin, inside the dashboard. It absorbs the heat from the interior air, and is kind of like a specialized radiator, made up of small tubing and fins. Parts like these can be labor-intensive to remove and replace. To open the AC system, a technician will first connect a machine that removes any refrigerant from the system so none escapes to the atmosphere when the system is disassembled. Once the system is repaired, a vacuum pump will be used to make sure there’s no moisture within the plumbing and there are no leaking seals. If the system holds a vacuum, it is then re-charged with the correct amount of refrigerant, and your cool will be restored. It’s only going to get hotter as the summer wears on, so have your air conditioning system tested, and repaired if needed, while you can still comfortably cruise with the windows down. This article is presented by Heritage Mitsubishi.

If the level of your motor oil is low or you've checked and it looks dark and grimy, don't hesitate to refresh it. Ideally, you should change your oil long before it becomes degraded or dirty enough to cause the engine problems. It's all about working out the right schedule for you. Let's look at how frequently you should visit your local Mitsubishi dealership for an oil change. Consider How Much Strain You Put on Your Oil It's not easy to determine a one-size-fits-all schedule for changing motor oil. If you routinely drive in heavy urban traffic, your oil will absorb more airborne contaminants and be under more overall pressure, which may mean you need to change it more frequently than other drivers. Likewise, regular short trips of under five miles put additional strain on both the engine and oil because the oil doesn't have time to warm up to proper lubricating temperature in these very short journeys. more A few other severe driving conditions include using dirty or sandy roads. In particular, dusty off-roading trails will impact your motor oil. Towing heavy trailers also naturally puts more strain on the engine, which is likely to wear down the oil faster too. If you suspect that you put excessive pressure on your motor oil, take that into consideration when planning how often to change it. Most Drivers Should Change Their Oil Twice a Year For ordinary driving conditions, a pretty good rule of thumb is to change your oil twice a year. Modern synthetic motor oil tends to last from 7,500 to 10,000 miles under normal conditions, and most drivers cover 14,000 miles a year. If you drive more miles than this, consider more frequent intervals. What Interval Does Your Warranty Recommend? If you have a valid warranty, consult it for guidance on when to change your oil. Keeping the warranty valid will depend on meeting the oil servicing requirements it stipulates. Schedule Routine Oil Changes at Your Local Mitsubishi Dealer One risk all drivers face is forgetting to change their motor oil. Even one missed change can lead to premature wear in the engine, which harms the car's overall longevity. You can defend against this risk by setting up a suitable servicing schedule with us. We'll politely remind you whenever the time for your next visit is drawing near. Visit Heritage Mitsubishi - Morrow in Morrow, GA, today to have your oil refreshed. We're a community-oriented local dealership dedicated to keeping Morrow's drivers safe and happy on the road.

Whenever you apply the brakes, a whopping 800 to 2,000 pounds per square inch of pressure is applied in order to stop your car. This enormous pressure steadily wears down even the toughest of brake components. If you notice the following signs of worn-out brakes, it's best to visit your nearest Mitsubishi dealer at once for brake repair. Reduced Deceleration Healthy brakes should promptly slow you down or stop you when you press the pedal. If you ever realize your car isn't decelerating as readily, it's best to pull over, as driving with unresponsive brakes is dangerous. You may find that your brakes are less effective because of overheating. When brakes are used continually for a long period, such as in heavy traffic, they can sometimes overheat. Overheating can lead to a sudden loss of friction called brake fade. more Leaking Brake Fluid Any oil or fluid pooling under your car is a bad sign. If you ever notice a transparent oily fluid puddling near your wheels or gathering in the wheel wells, you may have a brake fluid leak on your hands. If a brake fluid line leaks, hydraulic pressure is reduced and the affected brake caliper will no longer be able to apply as much force. This makes it very dangerous to drive. Tugging to One Side When part of a car's braking mechanism malfunctions, it usually affects one side of the car more than the other. As a result, you might find your car pulling to one side when you brake. The side you pull to will usually be the opposite of the side that's experiencing the loss of braking force. Screeching Sounds A screeching sound when braking isn't necessarily a cause for alarm. Brake pads are designed to emit a screeching noise when it's time to replace them. This warning sound lets you know you should visit your local dealership for a new pad, though. Grinding Sounds If you hear metallic grinding when you brake, the problem may be more urgent. When a brake pad wears down too far, the pad's upper friction layer disappears and the grinding you hear is metal scraping directly on the metal of the rotor disc. This can rapidly damage the rotor. Vibrating Pedal or Steering Wheel When a rotor disc becomes warped by age or damaged by the brake pad, you may feel vibrations through the steering wheel or brake pedal when you brake. The damaged rotor will need to be resurfaced or replaced. How Often To Visit Your Mitsubishi Dealer for Brake Service In addition to keeping an eye out for the aforementioned signs of brake trouble, it's important to periodically visit your local dealership for brake service. It's generally recommended to have your brakes checked every 10,000 miles. For the sake of convenience, many drivers ask the technician to check their brakes when they have an oil change twice a year. Have your car's brakes inspected and repaired today by experienced professionals at Heritage Mitsubishi-Morrow. We're proud to provide the thriving community of Morrow with excellent cars and personalized vehicle service.