Collinsville Auto Repair

A car accident is a big deal, and there are many pieces to deal with in the aftermath. In most accidents people get injured and property, such as the car, gets damaged. The cost of recovering from an accident varies greatly based on the severity of these two pieces, who is at fault, what insurance coverage the parties in question have, and even the location of the accident. The first thing to remember is to seek legal advice from a registered lawyer. There is a lot of general advice on the Internet, including in this article, but none of it is true legal advice and it may not apply directly to your situation. When it comes to personal injury the lawyers have systems in place for figuring out what compensation is considered fair. It often relates to lost wages, loss of future wages, and medical costs. The details of these proceedings are far beyond the scope of this article. When people talk about property damaged in a car accident they almost always are referring to th ... read more

Getting locked out is not fun. It’s even worse during winter in the Northeast, such as in Avon, CT where historically it stays below freezing for much of January. In the winter, some people have even been locked out of their cars while they are still running. Lock out service is Beyond the embarrassment of being locked out there is also the inconvenience. Wherever you were going, you are now going to be late. If you have groceries in the car, they could spoil in summer, or freeze in winter. If you have a pet in the car you may need to take more drastic measures if the lock-out service is going to take a long time to arrive. For all the pain being locked out may be, it’s a lot easier to deal with than a broken window. Should you find yourself locked out of your car you have a few options. If you have a membership with a road club, such as AAA, then you would call them for help to get back in your car. If you are lucky and have a membership with a service such as OnStar ... read more

Nothing brings a road trip to a halt like car problems, such as running out of gas or a mechanical break-down. When this happens, the dollar signs start adding up. The cost of a tow, or a gas service. The cost of repairs, and time lost. Some of these costs can be mitigated by having a roadside assistance plan. In some cases, plans are already provided for you, and in others you’ll have to purchase one separately. Even without plans, roadside assistance is available on an as-needed basis from many auto repair shops, such as Collinsville Auto Repair just outside New Hartford, CT. There are two ways to determine the cost of roadside assistance. One is the monthly cost for a service provider plus any additional expenses for using it. The other is the cost of on-demand services from the nearest provider on an as-needed basis. The specifics vary greatly but, generally speaking, the cost of a provider will be saved with one call every year or two. Provid ... read more

What better adventure is there in the summer than hooking up a camping trailer or boat and heading out with the family for a weekend of fun? To prevent damaging your vehicle you need to make sure your load is within the vehicles towing capacity. Trying to figure this out can be confusing, and getting it right is vitally important. At the most basic level a vehicles towing capacity, or maximum towing capacity, is the most weight the vehicle can tow. An important not is that this is the most weight in ideal conditions. The actual maximum may change depending on how the vehicle doing the towing is loaded or the equipment being used to tow. Towing capacity is something the manufacturer of the vehicle has determined. It can be influenced within a given model and model year by some options chosen. The most likely options affecting the towing capacity are the engine size, number of speed the transmission has, and whether a heavy-duty tow package was included from the factory. Exc ... read more

Today’s cars are complex, computerized, mechanical marvels of engineering. They also break down on occasion. Below are ten of the most common issues causing cars to break down. Keys While not technically possible on the highway, lost keys, keys with dead batteries, or damaged keys can all prevent a car from going anywhere. In past decades, a quick call to the locksmith would be the only thing needed to get going again. In this age of computerized cars often there’s a chip in the key that a locksmith won’t be able to help with – causing an expensive trip to the dealer. Tires Everyone has seen bits of tire from a semi-truck strewn across the highway before. Tires are one of the biggest causes of highway breakdowns and accidents, and not just from trucks. From flat tires that pop off rims to overinflated tires that explode when heated, the potential problems are varied. Wheels/Rims Wheels and rims carry the tire. A bent rim can lead to slow loss of tire pressu ... read more

Buying a new car is an expensive endeavor that many people choose to forgo. They often choose to buy a used car instead. This can lead to some confusion though, especially when trying to figure out exactly when the car has changed owners and cannot just be handed back. There are two ways to buy a used car in Connecticut: from a private party or from a used car dealer. In either case, there is paperwork that must be filled out to complete the transfer of ownership. Even when selling your own used car there is a little bit of paperwork that must be completed. When buying a used car from a dealer things are straightforward. There is often some sort of financing involved. Even without financing there is still a sales contract. This contract will give the details of when the sale is final and possession transfers to the new owner. On top of that, most car dealerships in Connecticut can process all the relevant paperwork on site saving you a trip to the DMV. If you are tradi ... read more

You’ve broken down on the side of the road. It’s dark. It’s late. The kids are tired, you’re tired. It’s everyone’s worst nightmare. What do you do? You pull out your cell phone and call for a tow truck. But what’s going to happen? You’ve never done this before. What should you expect? Calling a tow company doesn’t have to be a big deal. When you dial the number, you don’t need to hold your breath! A customer representative from the towing company will answer the phone and help you! You will need some basic information: Where you are. You need to be able to provide the tow company with a way to locate you and your vehicle. If you are near something of note, a store, an address, provide that to them. If you are not sure, look for the nearest mile marker or use the navigation on your map to give them a better idea. For example, I’m on the 8 just past the exit for New Hartford. The more information you can give t ... read more

Your car is probably the most expensive thing you drive (unless you’ve got a motorhome but that’s a whole other blog). And while your engine gets you down the road, there’s something even more important. What helps you stop. Your brakes. Brakes and their components wear out over time. But how do you know when they need to be checked or changed? Braking components Your brake caliper, brake pads and brake rotors make up your vehicle’s braking system. And they don’t all wear out at the same time. But they all do wear out and how soon is determined by more than a few items like: How you drive. Did you know that the stop and go driving in the city is much harder on your braking system then cruising for miles down the highway? Think about it like this – freeway and highway driving doesn’t involve a lot of brake tapping – except maybe in rush hour traffic. Braking in the city is constant, at every light, many intersections and every parking lot. If you ride the brakes ... read more

There’s a lot of problems that you can avoid by being smart with your car and automotive repair. But there’s some bad advice out there – some well-meaning and some well, not. Here’s a list of the myths or advice that you can leave behind. #1 Get your oil changed every 3,000 miles. This used to be the gold standard when it came to automotive maintenance. However, cars and trucks these days are controlled more by computer and have better technology than ever before. What does that mean? Follow your manufacturer’s specifications for maintenance. Don’t rush out there to get your oil changed immediately. Many manufacturers are now recommending every 5,000 miles or even more. I was shocked to learn that my first BMW needed the oil changed every 10,000 miles and that was several years ago. On the flip side, don’t scrimp on maintenance. If you don’t get your fluids changed and checked on schedule, you may increase your need for repairs down the road. #2 Wash yo ... read more

#1 Gas Can People run out of gas a lot more than you think so an essential tool to make sure you have is a gas can or if you’re a professional, a gas can WITH gas. Everyone has at least one story of how they ran out of gas and most can tell you the circumstances of how it caused problems that day. You can save the day with this simple and inexpensive item. #2 Jack It’s hard to change a tire without the proper tools. Many vehicles don’t have a jack in them. In fact, some cars don’t even come brand new from the factory with a jack. If you are providing roadside assistance, you need a stable jack that can hold a large amount of weight. #3 Air Compressor If you are helping to change a tire or if the tire is out of air, it’s a lot more convenient to fill it or test it with air right on the scene. This saves you trips back and forth and makes it so you may not have to remove the tire at all ... read more