Collinsville Auto Repair

Winter in Canton, CT can get pretty cold. Nobody wants to have car trouble, and that’s doubly so with snow on the ground. Here are some quick tips to help your car stay at it’s best through the season. We’ve all heard it. Lower your tire pressure for better traction in the winter. The first thing to share is DON’T DO THIS. Your tires are the connection between your car and the road. They should be at the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure all year round. Lowering your tire pressure causes uneven wear and prevents the tires from shedding water correctly. These are both bad situations to put yourself in any time of year, much less during the winter. You can do something with your wheels though. You can get a wheel alignment. Getting your wheels properly aligned will improve traction. With roads getting covered by ice and snow any bit of extra traction available is a good thing. A wheel alignment is an easy way ... read more

Time to Tow? When You Should Tow Your Car Instead of Driving After an accident, if your car appears drivable, you may think there’s nothing seriously wrong with it apart from body damage and drive it away from the scene of the collision. However, sometimes there are internal issues that are not immediately detected which can severely impact the operation of your vehicle if you drive it. How can you be sure your car is able to drive properly following an impact, and when should you opt for towing services instead of attempting to drive it home yourself? Here are a few things to look for when trying to decide if it’s time to tow Does it seem…different? Since you are the driver of your car, you probably know it better than just about anyone. You can usually tell right away if it is driving differently- for instance, if it’s pulling to the left or right, or if it is making an ... read more

Oil keeps the engine of your vehicle running smoothly. That is why it is important to make a habit of checking your oil every month, in addition to scheduling regular oil changes. Here is a step-by-step guide to checking the oil in your car: First, locate your oil dipstick. If you are unsure of its location, you can reference the manual of your vehicle. Make sure that your car has been turned off for at least fifteen minutes before checking the oil, so your check is accurate. Next, pull out the dipstick and wipe it clean on a freshly-washed, rag that is free of lint. After the dipstick has been cleaned of all oil, stick it back into the pipe. It may get stuck on the way back in. In that case, turn the dipstick around and insert again. Pull the dipstick out for a second time and see where the film of oil falls on the oil indicator. There should be two lines, which indicate “full” and “add,” or similar language. If your oil falls ... read more