Tackling Your First Brake Job – DIY Vs. Garage Repairs
Whats that Noise?!
Hearing Sounds under your car, it might be time for a new brake job! It starts in the usual way, what’s that sound coming from the car every time I hit the brakes? If you are hearing a nasty screech when you press the brakes in your car or truck? Does it sound like metal scrapping across a chalkboard every time you are trying to slow down? Well, it may be time to change your brakes and sometime even your entire brake system if it is an older vehicle.
Here’s the How To…
How Does A Brake System Work?
A car’s brake system is one of the most important components in your driving safety, as it’s the only thing keeping you from crashing into that bus full of school kids on your last minute run to the sporting store. It’s a fairly simple hydraulic system that allows the force applied at the pedal to be translated to clamping force at the wheel.
Here’s a video explanation…
How Do I Know If I Need To Change My Brakes?
Top 4 Signs
Reduced responsiveness or fading. If your brakes are not as responsive as they should be or if the pedal “sinks” toward the floor, this could be an indication of a leak in the braking system. It could be an air leak (in the brake hose) or a brake fluid leak. One telltale sign of a brake fluid leak is the presence of a small puddle of fluid when the car is parked. Brake fluid looks similar to fresh motor oil, but with a less “slimy” texture.
Pulling. If your vehicle “pulls” to one side while braking, it may be a sign that the brake linings are wearing unevenly or that there is foreign matter in the brake fluid. Your vehicle may need a brake adjustment or to have the fluid drained and replaced.
Grinding or growling. This loud metallic sound means that you have worn down the pads completely, most likely beyond replacement. The grinding or growling noise is caused by the two pieces of metal (the disc and the caliper) rubbing together. This can “score,” or scratch your rotors, creating an uneven surface. If this happens, do not be surprised if your mechanic tells you that the rotors need to be “turned” (a process that evens out the rotor surface), or even replaced.
Vibration. A vibration or pulsating brake pedal is often a symptom of warped rotors (but can also indicate that your vehicle is out of alignment). The vibration can feel similar to the feedback in the brake pedal during a panic stop in a vehicle equipped with anti-lock brakes.
Attempting to Do the Repair Yourself Vs. Hiring a Garage
Keeping your car in running order requires some do-it-yourself tasks and maintenance that might seem like regular upkeep, but knowing when to have a qualified auto repair mechanic look at your car can save thousands of dollars later, and sometimes even people’s lives. If you’ve ignored potential do-it-yourself problems by not using the proper tools of technology available to professional garages.
Now the safety of others and your family is something to think about, but some DIY’ers are not even around to tell their story. Safety is a big factor in DIY car repairs, and is better left to the professional mechanic’s shop to worry about, unless you have had some proper vechicle repair training. Blocking up the wheels while trying to work under the car is an invitation to disaster; many people have been crushed to death because the car slipped and fell on them while they were on the ground, working underneath an unstable homemade hoist.
Don’t get us wrong if you feel up to the brake job repair here is a good walk-through, and know that you have the confidence and skill set to do car repairs, you can source all of your parts directly online from our parts catalog. Find all the Brake Pads & Routers you would need to do any repair for any make or model of vehicle by clicking the link.
If you are going to bring in the car to a professional garage, do some research… ask around and check both online reviews and social media profiles for some auto repair shops that you feel are reputable and have a great track record for customer satisfaction.
Ultimatley you are going to want the same results no matter if you do the brake job yourself or hire a garage to do the repair and that is ensure the safety of your car and family for the long haul. Depending on the complexity of the job too, as most DIYer’s are comfortable changing some brake pads, but doing a complete brake lines replacement might not be something that they are quite comfortable with yet.
Conclusion:
DT Auto and CARQUEST have been helping both Garages and Do-it-Yourselfer’s get the best Auto Parts Online and ensure both customer satisfaction as well quality parts with warranties, so you know your job is done the first time you finish it.
Order Auto Parts Online – Canada
Get Your Parts Faster
Order Auto Parts Online Now !~!
At Dtauto.ca we offer a larger selection of auto parts, truck parts, import parts, performance parts and automotive supplies, so you can find the quality Canadian parts you need fast online at the lowest price possible. Search our wide inventory online to find both OEM car parts and aftermarket car parts for your ride. We are one of the largest supplier of auto parts in Canada. At CARQUEST our customers have come to know us as the best place to order auto parts online.
CARQUEST Auto Parts has everything you need to get your car back on the road and running smoothly! We have the essentials from brake pads to batteries along with all of the final touches like hoses and filters. When you do it yourself, you want the best parts at the best prices. Whether it is for the body or under the hood, we’ll get you the right part so you can pick it up at your local store or delivered to your commercial garage.
When you buy auto parts online at Dtauto.ca, you can be confident that you will receive the highest quality Canadian auto parts at wholesale prices, and all the parts we sell come with a full auto parts warranty. If there are ever any issues, we will cover the replacement, less labour for any parts at any Carquest store in North America. Now that is a Warranty.
All of our auto parts undergo strict quality control tests to meet the highest industry standards; so you can feel confident that the truck and car parts you’re ordering from us will perform as expected and exceed in value.
Carquest Auto Parts is owned and operated by Advance Auto Parts, Inc., the largest automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America, servicing both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets. As of October 4, 2014 Advance operated 5,305 stores, 109 Worldpac branches, and served approximately 1,350 independently-owned Carquest branded stores in 49 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Canada. Advance employs approximately 75,000 Team Members.
We never sell any automobile parts that don’t meet our strict requirements to our valued customers, so you will never need to worry about the quality and performance of our parts and accessories. We encourage you to explore our huge selection of truck and car parts online, though if you cannot find what you need, please don’t hesitate to call us today to speak to one of our Local auto part specialists, in Leamington ON and we’ll help you find the parts you need 519 322 2551 Call Us for Parts.
Why Use Online Auto Parts Stores?
Apart from being the largest supplier of auto parts in Canada and having a solid warranty for every part you buy, we have made our online ordering system easy for any customer from novice to pro to quickly find the make, model and part for any vehicle in need of service.
Why Trust Our Canadian Online Parts Store:
Largest Selection of Auto Parts
Best Pricing Online in Canada
Pick Up Parts at Your Local Store
CARQUEST Parts Warranty
Remembers Your Order History & Vehicles
Quick, Easy Online Ordering
Just how easy is it to find parts with your online catalog? We made sure you know exactly what you are doing every step of the way by making this quick video walk-through of the online ordering system. Have a look at how easy it is to find and order auto parts online.
If you feel like you are going to be doing a lot of volume online with your parts orders We can CUSTOMIZEthis dashboard for your company if you create a COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT with us. Just call the store or e-mail us. With you own personal login you will see SPECIAL PRICING and we really encourage you to set one up for your garage or company today!
Find out What Type of Auto Fluid Leak is on the Ground.
Nobody likes walking out in the morning and right before you leave for work you find a large puddle under you car in the driveway or worse in the middle of your garage floor, what type of Auto Fluid Leak is it? Why did this happen to me? and so on…..
Not the best way to start your day, but …
No Worries my friend, after reading through this article you will have the confidence of being in the know. You now, will have the ability to identiy and know-how to treat the stain.
… lets get started.
Gas
Gas is probably the easiest liquid to identify because of its strong smell. If you have a large puddle under your car and it smells like gas, then you probably have a gas leak. Easy Right?! Fortunately, a gas leak doesn’t mean your vehicle is about to catch on fire. Even still, you should repair these leaks as soon as possible, especially given the price of gas these days. A leak at the rear of the vehicle indicates a hole in the tank while gas at the front usually means a break some where in the fuel line.
Antifreeze Fluid
Antifreeze or coolant leaks are generally easy to spot because of their light green color. Coolant liquid will feel sticky to the touch and sometimes comes in pink or bright orange varieties. These leaks are very common and do not pose an immediate threat to the engine. They should, however, be fixed in a timely manner to avoid overheating, especially during hot months.
Transmission Fluid
Transmission fluid generally has a red or brown color and is usually thick and slick like oil. If you discover a red or brownish colored leak, your power steering or transmission system has a breach. You probably have a hole in a line or a transmission seal that needs to be repaired. A transmission leak typically occurs near the front of the car or in the engine bay.
Quick Tip on Colour…
Sometimes, the colour of the transmission fluid may vary slightly so we added this chart to help you identify the leak, if you are unsure if the fluid is in fact a transmission fluid leak, you can leave a piece of paper under the car to see what colour shows up…
Try this out…
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is usually dark yellow to brown in appearance and has an oily texture. If you suspect your car is leaking brake fluid, then you will need to get it towed immediately. Driving with leaky brake lines is a recipe for disaster and can lead to serious injury. Luckily, brake leaks are not that common and are usually located near the wheels or underneath the brake pedal.
Oil
An oil leak is another popular fluid discharge found in vehicles. Oil leaks are very serious and should be fixed immediately to prevent engine problems. The color of the oil may vary depending on its age: newer oil appears yellow while older oil is dark brown or sometimes black. If you are unsure if its oil, check the smell. Oil should not give off an odor, while gear lubricants do smell bad.
Power Steering Fluid
Power steering plays an important role in the handling of your vehicle. If you notice that turning has become more difficult, then you might have a power steering fluid leak. This fluid is usually a brownish-red, though it can appear darker when old. The key to identifying this leak is a change in the steering and location of the leak.
How to Clean all sorts of Stains from your Driveway
A Note on Changing Auto Fluids.
Be sure to keep up with regular mantainace, check all fluids often and don’t ignore any trouble lights in your vehicle’s dashboard. Have a look at this quick guide for reference.
Fixing the Leak
The first step in fixing a leak is finding its origin. Start from the puddle and draw a straight line up to the nearest engine component. This should give you a general idea of where the leak is coming from. To find the exact location, wipe the area clean with a rag until it is completely dry. Then, spray a coat of foot powder on the area and wait for the fluid to start leaking. You may need to start your car for a short period to initiate the leak. Once you find the breach, replace the line or part and repeat the process until the leak goes away.
Virtual Vehicle – Auto Repair Animations
Engage your Students with Technically Accurate –
Auto Repair Animations
CARQUEST Technical Institute is happy to provide Virtual Vehicle access to any Not for Profit vocational education program at no cost. Virtual Vehicle contains over 300 animations that accurately depict normal and failure mode automotive system operation. By completing a simple enrollment process, Virtual Vehicle will be available to all students and staff on campus from any internet enabled computer.
Why Use Virtual Vehicle?
Today’s vehicle service customers are sophisticated consumers who demand clear and concise information when spending money on their vehicle servicing and repairs. They will not approve repair recommendations they do not understand or that they don’t believe to be genuine.
Service advisors can find the task of explaining technically complex vehicle repairs very difficult, especially when the customer has left the service location and has to be contacted by telephone. With Virtual Vehicle a repair shop can send videos explaining the exact repair to the customers, presented to them electronically in the way of an animated video.
Features and benefits include:
Ability to demonstrate failure modes in the classroom
Email or text videos to students to view for assignment
Integrate with your current courseware for additional context and understanding
Unlimited use of content that is constantly up to date
To register visit virtualvehiclemd.com. Select Access the Site and Create an Account
Follow These Steps to Enroll Today!
1. Visit virtualvehiclemd.com
2. Select Access the Site
3. Select Create an Account
4. Select Educational
5. Complete form and Submit
6. CTI will contact you to complete the enrollment as soon as possible
Please Note:
(while waiting for CTI to respond, please contact your IT support team and ask for the ‘public IP range’ for your campus. The CTI administrator will need this information to allow students to login without credentials from anywhere on campus.)
How to login on campus:
1. Visit virtualvehiclemd.com
2. The screen shown here will appear
a. Students will automatically be logged into the system
b. Staff must login to be able to access the additional tools
3. Staff has ability to email or text links to any of the animations directly to students by selecting ‘Email an Animation’
A Complete Customer Solution for Repairs
Virtual Vehicle is a cloud-based library containing hundreds of animations showing how each part of the car works and what can happen when the part fails. Our original line-drawn animations are now replaced with realistic 3D animated models, but the core value of making technical concepts simple to understand remains at the heart of what we do.
We help you bridge the understanding gap by providing your service team with a tool that gets the message across in a simple, customer-friendly way. Service advisors using Virtual Vehicle are able to sell more service and repair labor, and receive higher customer satisfaction scores.
As shops use our system to explain services to their customers, they experience:
An increase in repeat business as customers feel more confident that the services the repairer performed were truly necessary in maintaining their vehicle
More referrals as they tell their friends and family what a great experience they had at the repairers workshop
Higher sales as customers agree to more work being done, because for the first time ever they really understand what’s involved and why it is needed.
Virtual Vehicle can be accessed using any web browser or via our iPad app. Your service team can e-mail or text customers a link to an animated video if they are not in the shop, and follow it up with a phone call to answer any follow up questions and close the sale.
Want to Take All This Information with you, to Show Your Staff?
You Can download the complete PDF by clicking the button…
Virtual Vehicle PDF Download.
Car Battery | Auto Batteries | DT AUTO PARTS
Need a car battery designed to meet the growing demands of today’s vehicles? We have a complete line of quality OEM automotive car batteries that are designed to work and fit seamlessly with all makes and models.
3-Year Free Replacement on any Car Battery
Standard free replacement warranty on CarQuest Car & Truck Batteries – no small print, no hassle, no comparison. We have a few choices in automotive battery lines including, Automotive, Silver, Gold and Platinum AGM.
We also carry a few specialty batteries for heavy duty applications as well as Farm Batteries, what ever your battery needs are we can accommodate your needs. We even carry lawnmower batteries and golf cart batteries.
Heavy Duty Batteries
Farm & Commercial Batteries
What ever your car battery needs, we are here to help. Stop in at our location or give us a call to get the best in automotive batteries.
Monroe® “Summer Ride Event”
MONROE SUMMER RIDE EVENT
Get Up To An $80 Pre-Paid MasterCard!
When you Purchase combinations of 2 or 4 qualifying Monroe® or Rancho® ride control products and get up to an $80 MASTERCARD® Prepaid Card. See this Downloadable PDF for offer details.
Receipt of purchases and The downloadable PDF MUST be completed, mailed and are required for redemption.
Rebuilding a Ford Flathead V8 Engine
The How-TO on Rebuilding a Ford V8 Flathead
Everyone knows it’s a lot of work to rebuild an engine. That’s not really up for debate. But for anyone who’s never actually rebuilt an engine themselves, under it could be easy to underestimate just how much work goes into it.
But when Hagerty decided to rebuild the Ford flathead V8 engine in its 1946 pickup truck, the team was kind enough to document the entire process. Over the course of six days, they took more than 40,000 photos and turned them into the above video.
As you can see, this was not a task for the faint of heart. It involved many more steps than we could ever document here, as well as quite a bit of specialized equipment. At the end, though, you could never have guessed the engine they put back in the truck was the same one they originally pulled out.
All quotes for educational institutes in the automotive or heavy-duty domain will be eligible for a 20% discount on all Gear Wrench tool orders.
Also Students graduating from school can benefit from this discount as well on a one time purchase, all we need is a proof of Graduation (receipt) give it to purchasing so that they can attach it to the order.
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) is a non-hazardous solution, which is 32.5% urea and 67.5% de-ionized water. DEF is sprayed into the exhaust stream of diesel vehicles to break down dangerous NOx emissions into harmless nitrogen and water. This system is called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and can be found on 2010 and later model year trucks and many diesel pickups and SUVs. DEF is not a fuel additive and never comes into contact with diesel. It is stored in a separate tank, typically with a blue filler cap.
Why Do I Need Diesel Exhaust Fluid ?
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is the technology of choice for most leading truck and engine manufacturers to meet the new regulations for diesel exhaust emissions.
With SCR engines, drivers must maintain adequate levels of DEF in a truck’s DEF tank at all times.
Before a truck’s DEF tank runs empty, the driver is alerted through dashboard displays. If a truck is allowed to run out of DEF:
the engine power is reduced
a solid red warning will be displayed
vehicle speed will be limited until the DEF tank is refilled
