Scottsbluff Auto Repair

As Scottsbluff consumers, we live in a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away.New stuff comes out so fast in NE, and much of it is fairly cheap, so we just toss the old and move on. It seems like when we were kids our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our stuff - especially parents who grew up in the Depression. 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 Scottsbluff penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care. The engineering's there and so is the manufacturing quality. The missing ingredient is us making sure we follow the vehicle manufacturer's maintenance schedules.Is it really that ba ... read more

NE service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Scottsbluff drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.Twin City Auto fuel system cleaning: Over time, the vehicle fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.Twin City Auto headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It's usually good to change them every year or so.Twin City Auto inspections: Scottsbluff drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they're going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle's ready for a NE summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used vehicle and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or are getting close to having ... read more

Hey Scottsbluff - this is something really amazing: Your vehicle uses 12,000 times as much air as fuel when you drive it. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.That's like 100 gallons (380 liters) of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very important but inexpensive part that has to do a tremendous amount of work. And when it works, everything goes well. But, when it doesn't, well, it can lead to problems. Of course, your vehicle manufacturer recommends how often to change your air filter. But like most service intervals, where and how you drive your vehicle in NE affects when your filter needs to be changed.Dusty conditions around Scottsbluff or polluted city driving means you'll need to change your filter more often. Our trained professionals at Twin City Auto can check your filter for you. In fact, it's often a routine part of an oil change.When you think about it, a clogged air filter ... read more

High gas prices in Scottsbluff increase the cost of living for NE drivers. You've probably budgeted a certain amount for vehicle related expenses. Increased fuel costs now consume a larger portion of our incomes, causing some Scottsbluff vehicle owners to skimp in other areas – like scheduled maintenance.According to NE news reports and automotive industry studies, this is becoming increasingly more common. In fact, nine out of ten personal vehicles on the road have at least one maintenance or repair item that hasn't been done. Some of these items pose serious safety risks. Others are just more likely to make it more expensive to drive. In this area, we can take a lesson from professional Scottsbluff vehicle owners. I'm talking about fleet owners and operators. You know, Scottsbluff folks like the trucking companies and delivery services. Because their livelihood depends on it, they have go ... read more

There's a segment of the Scottsbluff area population that's not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Now, the ignition system in your vehicle is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers). So tune-ups used to force you in to Twin City Auto for service, and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new vehicles in Scottsbluff have been leased. These folks plan on turning the vehicle in after two or three years, so they haven't focused on the maintenance that helps a vehicle last longer.Given all that, what's the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy.Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that major repairs are pre ... read more

Recalls are pretty serious for Scottsbluff residents and don't happen all that often. But sometimes cars have less serious problems that Scottsbluff residents still might want to know about. For these less serious cases, the vehicle manufacturer issues what is known as a Technical Service Bulletin – or TSB. These bulletins tell Scottsbluff service centers (including Twin City Auto) how to repair a problem that occurs frequently or is especially difficult.Your Scottsbluff service center receives updated information through subscription plans, which are sometimes available in consumer versions too.Whatever your source, pay attention to Scottsbluff vehicle recalls to keep you and your passengers safe. No matter how well they're made, vehicles are bound to have problems with their design or manufacturing. Think of all the moving parts. When the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the vehicle manufacturer to issue recall notices ... read more

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

Every Scottsbluff car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when the filter should be replaced. Now, most air filters purchased in Scottsbluff don't cost a lot to replace. It's just that NE people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at Twin City Auto can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in Scottsbluff. Think about a dirty furnace filter in your Scottsbluff home. When it's all clogged up, enough clean air can't get through. In your vehicle, that means that your engine can't get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around Scottsbluff roads. Your vehicle actually needs about ... read more

If you've ever been driving around Scottsbluff and had a headlamp go out, you've probably just wanted to replace the bad bulb. If your car uses halogen headlamps, they dim over time. So if you just put in one, they won't have the same brightness, which can be distracting and will affect your field of vision.To have your headlights inspected, visit us at Twin City Auto. We're at 1802 E Overland Suite #4 in Scottsbluff, NE 69361. Or give us a call at 308.635.7404.Experts at Twin City Auto recommend replacing your halogen headlamps every year. It's easy to remember if you do it when Daylight Saving Time changes in the fall. That way you'll have bright headlamps for those long NE winter nights.There are other types of headlamps in addition to halogen. There are the old standard bulbs that have been around for decades. These are OK, but you can usually upgrade to halogen. They cost a little more but you can't believe the difference. If you do a lot of night ... read more

Today in our Twin City Auto blog, we're going to talk about following recommended service intervals. Your vehicle isn't the only aspect of your life in Scottsbluff with recommended intervals: Let's start with twice yearly dental check-ups and regular physical exams. How about laundry, watering the lawn and paying the bills?Now, what would happen if you didn't follow these intervals? Well, you'd get more cavities. You may not discover health conditions that could be more effectively treated with early detection. And you'd have to wear dirty clothes, be embarrassed by your brown lawn and have your utilities shut off.Clearly, there are some things in life that we have to take care of regularly. If we don't, there are negative consequences. Our quality of life in Scottsbluff takes a hit and it inevitably costs more money.So why is it so hard to remember to follow regular preventive maintenance on our vehicles?Probably a couple o ... read more