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How Bad Driving Habits Can Hurt Your Vehicle

How Bad Driving Habits Can Hurt Your Vehicle

Accidents cause stress and property damage or loss to those involved. It results in medical bills and even death. The majority of vehicle accidents are often caused by the driver's actions rather than their knowledge of how to operate a vehicle. Therefore, highlighting the major causes of road accidents will go a long way to help drivers drive safely and keep their vehicles in good shape. Distracted focus while driving is one of the main reasons for accidents. This may be in the form of a driver receiving a phone call, text messages, taking eyes off the road ahead, staring at a billboard, eating, talking to passengers, or being absent-minded and taken over by emotions of anger due to a bad day. Switching off your phone and focusing while driving goes a long way to avoiding distractions. Tailgating another vehicle too closely behind is dangerous. This causes rear-end collisions if the vehicle in front hits the break or prompts emergency action. To avoid having to break too quickly ... read more

Starting Problems? Is it the Battery or the Alternator?

Starting Problems? Is it the Battery or the Alternator?

Starting a vehicle's engine and keeping it running involves three simple steps. Firstly, the battery delivers a current to the starter, which starts the car, prompting the alternator into action. The alternator charges the battery while the vehicle's running, completing the cycle. If your car won't start, the culprits could be the battery or alternator. Jump-starting it may help identify the cause of the problem. If the jump-start works, but your vehicle goes off shortly after, the alternator may not be charging the battery. If the car starts, but you have trouble starting it later using the battery's charge, it's a sign that the battery may be dead. Read on to discover the signs of a malfunctioning alternator or dead battery. Signs of a Malfunctioning Alternator Alternators can serve your automobile for approximately six to 10 years. If it malfunctions, it'll only be ... read more

What Can Cause Your Car to Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

What Can Cause Your Car to Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

Have you ever experienced unpleasant strong sulfur- or rotten egg-like smell when driving? In most cases, this issue results from a faulty exhaust system. The exhaust system's catalytic converter converts hydrogen sulfide into odorless sulfur dioxide. However, when your vehicle's exhaust or fuel system breaks down or one of its components, it can inhibit the conversion process, thus producing a rotten egg-like smell. With that said, here are the three common reasons your automobile smells like rotten eggs. Worn Out Fuel Filter or Failing Fuel Pressure Sensor The work of a fuel pressure sensor is regulating the use of fuel in an automobile. Therefore, when the fuel pressure regulator fails, there tends to be much clogging in the catalytic convertor with excess oil. This phenomenon prevents it from processing exhaust byproducts completely, thus exiting your car via the tailpipe and generating a rotten egg-like smell. These byproducts can also accumulate in excess within the ca ... read more

The Importance of Tire Rotations

The Importance of Tire Rotations

Tire rotation, what is it, and just how important is it? Tire rotation simply refers to the routine re-positioning of your vehicle's tires either from front to back or side to side. Tire Rotations Can Increase the Life of Your Vehicle's Tires! There is more than just one reason why regular tire rotation is good for your tires and is safer for your vehicle. Regular tire rotations help in maximizing your tires' tread life. How? Well, each of the four tire positions of your vehicle requires different efforts from each of the tires meaning that the wear on your vehicle's tires will differ from tire to tire. By routinely rotating the tires, you help even out the wear in the tires thus maximizing their life. Because new, deep tire tread is more susceptible to wearing unevenly, it is recommended that new tires be rotated by 5,000 miles. By keeping the tread depth on your tires more even, you help your tires keep more traction as well as handling. All of this will in turn ma ... read more

5 Fun Things to Do This Spring

5 Fun Things to Do This Spring

With the weather warmer in Nashville, many people will be getting out more. If you've been missing the outdoors, grab a friend or significant other and go along for the ride.   Go to the Farmer's Market The farmer's market in Nashville is no ordinary market. It's a lively everyday market featuring a wide assortment of local foods, produce, flowers, crafts, demos, etc. Throughout the spring, there may even be some live music. The farmer's market is an excellent way to get together with the people you love and support the community. Go on a Picnic You can enjoy the nice weather with a lovely picnic in the park. All you need to do is gather your favorite food, snacks, drinks, and blanket. You can bring flowers for your romantic partner for a nice touch. Picnics are a great way to spend time with somebody. It allows open and meaningful conversations to happen. Go to a Winery or Distillery How about some drinks? You and your friends can head to a local winery ... read more

How Does Fuel Get to Your Engine?

How Does Fuel Get to Your Engine?

With the help of the fuel pump and fuel injectors, of course! While the pump withdraws the gasoline out of your tank, the injectors directly supply the right amount of fuel to power the engine. On the other hand, bad fuel injectors can reduce your gas mileage and lead to overall poor engine performance. Regular maintenance is necessary to preserve your fuel injectors. Let's take a look at some of the trouble signs of dirty fuel injectors: Rough Idling If your car vibrates or shakes when it is idling at a stop sign or in the middle of traffic, this is an evident sign you have faulty fuel injectors.  Engine Misfires The engine may misfire due to dirty or an insufficient amount of gasoline. Whenever your engine misfires, your vehicle may have trouble starting. Lower Fuel Efficiency If you notice your vehicle's MPG taking a hit, it could very well be due to faulty fuel injectors.  Surging Engine Slow acceleration may also be a side effect of running on dirty fuel ... read more

The Importance of Having a Functioning Muffler

The Importance of Having a Functioning Muffler

The exhaust system comprises more than just an exhaust pipe. The muffler also forms the other part of it, and as its name insinuates, it is in place to 'muffle' the powerful sound of the exhaust system as a car's engine can be pretty noisy.   What is the function of a muffler? The idea of the muffler in the system is to dampen the sound the engine makes. Engines need to generate a considerable amount of power, and, as a result, they create various pulsating sounds that reverberate through the exhaust pipe. Without a functioning muffler, your vehicle is going to be incredibly loud.   There are a handful of vehicles, including motorcycles, in every town that may be roaring around without mufflers on their exhausts. Whereas some people put off fixing a broken muffler, there are a handful of drivers who choose to go without one. Some people believe that removing the muffler gives the car more power and ultimately more speed, but this is not necessarily true. And ... read more

How Dangerous Are Misaligned Wheels?

How Dangerous Are Misaligned Wheels?

Many people don’t realize that the improper alignment of wheels can be extremely dangerous. Today, we will be discussing the hazards that poorly aligned wheels can bring.   To begin with, a wheel alignment applies to the readjustment of the angles of your tires. When an alignment is conducted, the technician will ensure they are aimed straight. A wheel alignment should ideally be done every two years, as recommended by most mechanics. However, it should also be done every time new tires are installed. Some cars, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche sports cars, may require a wheel alignment more often than others.    What Are Common Causes for Misalignment? It is a lot easier than you might think to knock your wheels out of alignment. Most of the time, it occurs from accidents. For instance, if you hit a large pothole or ram into a curb in a parking lot, your alignment could very well be affected. Misalignment can also naturally happen over time, no matter ... read more

5 Interesting Holiday Road Travel Statistics

5 Interesting Holiday Road Travel Statistics

At German Motorworks, many motorists choose to visit us this time of year, and it's for a good reason: they want to make sure their vehicles are safe and ready to make their annual holiday road trips. Taking care of your car should be a number one priority before hitting the busy (and probably icy) roads this year! Our team of certified techs has enjoyed playing a part in helping our wonderful customers visit their friends and families by providing reliable services and thorough inspections.   With the holidays right around the corner, we thought we could share some exciting holiday travel facts.  The three cities in the US that are most visited during the holidays are Fort Myers, FL, Cincinnati, OH, and Miami, FL. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year, with over 37% of the people on the road traveling for Thanksgiving.  90% of travelers will drive to their destination of over 50 miles to celebrate, while only 7% of all traveler ... read more

FAQs on Spark Plugs

FAQs on Spark Plugs

The creation of the spark plug dates back to the 1800s and has been credited to various inventors who wanted to improve the combustion engine. In basic terms, a spark plug is defined as a device for firing up the engine. Spark plugs come in three different types: copper, platinum, and iridium.   Frequently Asked Questions How Do They Work? When an ignition key inside a car is turned, the spark plug signals through the ignition coil. Spark plugs are named the way they are because it creates a "spark" that ignites the air-fuel mixture inside the engine. To kick start your motor, you need reliable spark plugs to do it. They may be tiny metallic pieces, but they are strong enough to get the pistons moving, burn fuel, and get your vehicle rolling on the road.  How Do Spark Plugs Go Bad? Like any other vehicle part that is continually used, a spark plug can wear down over time. The level of wear and tear depends on the plug's material, but it also depends on ext ... read more

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