Posted on 4/24/2014
People from Scottsbluff, NE, love their cars. And nothing goes with cars better than a NE road trip. Freedom from daily schedules, new sights and the open road – it's great! But there's nothing like car trouble to bring the fun to a grinding halt.You can't always avoid problems, but you can take steps to reduce the probability of getting sidelined on your trip. Heading out on a NE road trip? Stop by Twin City Auto before you head out to make sure everything is in good repair. Let's look at some of the auto maintenance related problems you might encounter on a road trip in NE and what you might do to avoid them.The most common vehicle component to fail is the tires. Of course, you can't always avoid a road hazard that leads to a flat, but you may be able to head off some maintenance-connected tire problems.A good tire inspection at Twin City Auto will start with looking over the cond ... read more
Posted on 4/18/2014
Don't you hate it when you hear that squeal from under the hood when you're zipping down a busy Scottsbluff road? It usually means there is a problem with the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine accessories. It runs the alternator - which charges the battery; the water pump - which cools the engine; the air conditioning and the power steering pump. All are pretty important parts. It is called a serpentine belt because it snakes around a bunch of engine components. Serpentine belts are amazingly tough. They can last for years and go long distances. Like all moving parts, however, they eventually wear out. If your belt breaks while you are driving around Scottsbluff, everything will come to a halt within minutes. You need to stop the vehicle immediately or it will overheat, potentially causing engine damage. You can be sure that it won't happen at a convenient time or place. (As if there was a convenient time or place!) You might even need to get ... read more
Posted on 4/10/2014
At Twin City Auto we've had a lot of Scottsbluff customers asking how they can make their vehicles last longer. These questions are actually a reflection of a trend that's been building for several years in NE. The median age of personal vehicles is now over nine years. And 33 percent of all vehicles on the road have over 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. It looks like it's going to keep heading in that direction for a while. With high fuel prices, a lot of NE folks are putting off buying a new car. So let's say you're one of the average in the Scottsbluff area; you've got a nine-year-old car with 80,000 miles (130,000 km) on the odometer. What can you do to make it last another year or two?Let's start with the premise that there's no reason that a modern car can't run for 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care in Scottsbluff. The engineering and manufacturing quality is there.Of course, some parts will wear out along the way, but there's no reason for ... read more
Posted on 4/4/2014
No one in Scottsbluff, NE, likes to spend a chunk of change at the gas pump. Rising NE fuel prices, however, have spurred Scottsbluff drivers to focus on how to improve their fuel economy. North Americans literally drive billions of miles/kilometers less each month during times of high fuel prices. But we still need to drive (we love our vehicles, after all!), so it makes sense to try and increase our fuel economy however we can.Let's look at a real life example. This man has one of those really big SUVs. Lots of kids and horses to haul around, you know. His family was planning a four day camping trip. Here's what he did to cut his fuel costs:First, he installed a new, high flow engine air filter. Then he had his service center change his oil, flush his cooling system and service his front and rear differentials along with the transfer case. He also had a fuel system cleaning, replaced his PCV valve and breather element. He also made sure his tires wer ... read more