Keeping Your Cool (Coolant leak repair)
March 5, 2023
If theres one thing you should pay attention to with your vehicle, its the temperature gauge. Its the one that may say C---H (that means cold---hot). Or maybe yours has a picture of a thermometer on it and a blue and red zone. If you see the needle heading farther to the H or red area, that mea... More
The Neglected Windshield (Windshield Care)
February 26, 2023
You look at it every day, yet you don't really see it. We're talking about your vehicle's windshield, and if you're not seeing it at all, that's probably a good sign. The fact is that unless our windshields get fogged up, hazy or cracked, we don't pay all that much attention to them. Consideri... More
Recommended Austin Service Intervals
February 19, 2023
Everyone in Austin, Texas, knows we are advised to go to our Austin dentist twice a year. Oral-conscious Austin residents have a teeth-cleaning and examination. Once a year, we get x-rays to look for problems that can't be seen with the naked eye. When our dentist is done, he/she tells us what w... More
Snake in the Engine (Serpentine Belt)
February 12, 2023
There's a belt that snakes through your engine. It's even named for a snake, the serpentine belt. It'll bite you when it breaks, possibly leaving you stranded. So, it's good to know a little about this snake-like belt. In early engines, there were lots of belts. They were used to convert the r... More
Automotive Tips from Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Austin: Brake Noise
February 5, 2023
Your brake pads are the important parts that rub against the rotor (or disc) to slow and stop your car when driving in Austin. They eventually wear down.When your pads are worn too much, they wont stop your vehicle as well. When the friction material is worn away, metal parts of the pad are expos... More
Getting from E to F (Fuel Gauge Problems)
January 29, 2023
Who thinks about their fuel gauge? You probably don't until it doesn't work any more. Then you have to guess how much fuel is in your tank, and that's no way to live life on the road. Fuel gauges, like every other part in your vehicle, can fail. And when yours stops working, you will probably... More
Ready, Set, COLD! (Getting Vehicle Ready for Winter)
January 22, 2023
When the temperatures plunge, your vehicle better be ready because it faces a whole new set of challenges. Rubber stiffens, glass fogs, fluids freeze. Just thinking about it can get your heart beating faster. So here are some tips for getting ready for those inevitable colder temperatures. Mak... More
Full of Hot Air (Air Conditioning)
January 15, 2023
In warm weather, you want to be in a cool vehicle. When we're talking cool, we don't mean stylish or trendy, but cool as in not sweltering inside. And if your vehicle's air conditioner stops working correctly, it seems to always break at the worst timeduring a heat wave. Automotive air conditio... More
Not-So-Smooth Operator (Transmission Signs of Trouble)
January 8, 2023
You are heading down a flat, newly paved street when all of a sudden you feel it. Your vehicle jumps a little bit when you're accelerating and changing gears. You know it's not the surface of the road because it's smooth as silk. So what did you just feel? That kind of jumpingor grinding or sl... More
Go With the Flow (MAF Sensor Replacement)
January 1, 2023
A driver brought her vehicle into the shop the other day and told us how she was getting lousy fuel economy and that the engine was running rough. Plus, the Check Engine light was on. Our technician checked the code the engine had generated (why the Check Engine light was on) and found the prob... More