#maintenance

Hillmuth Blog

Stay Tuned Up with the Hillmuth Blog.

Jun 13, 2018
2 min

What is a Great Vehicle Lifespan?

We all purchase vehicles with the hope that they will last us a long time. The lifespan of your vehicle depends on many things, a lot of which you personally have a direct effect on. Average Life Expectancy The average life expectancy of a vehicle is generally around 10-12 years or about 150,000 miles. Of course there are some people who you’ll find driving a 20-year old vehicle with well over 200,000 miles on it. Then there are those who experience total engine failure after

May 23, 2018
2 min

What is an Engine Coolant Sensor?

An engine coolant sensor measures the temperature of the engine’s coolant and it attached to your engine’s cylinder head. Why is this sensor important and why does coolant temperature matter? Let’s learn more about this important automotive feature! The engine coolant temperature sensor, or ECT, is an engine management system sensor used to monitor your engine’s coolant temperature. Your vehicle’s engine requires more fuel when it is cold, and less fuel when warmed up. Your c

Apr 20, 2018
2 min

Door Ajar Light Stays On

You’ve checked every door on your car, and the door ajar light still stays on, brightly lit on your car’s dash. Frustrating, right? Let’s take a look at what this particular sensor does and what can cause it to break. The door ajar sensor is relatively straightforward in its purpose: it recognizes when a door on your vehicle is open and alerts your car’s ECU, or electronic control unit. It then lights up an icon on your car’s dash, letting you know a door is open. The door aj

Feb 5, 2018
2 min

Maryland Acura Repair Service

Having work done on your car can be a pain. You may worry if your car is getting the best service, or if you’re being taken advantage of, especially if the shop does not specialize in your car. If you have an Acura and worry that it’s not being taken care of properly when it goes into the shop, consider taking it to a service center that specializes in Acura. Let’s look at some of the benefits of taking your car to an Acura repair center. Experience When you are dealing with

Jan 24, 2018
2 min

A Guide to Timing Belts

Ever heard of a timing belt? Don’t fret, many others haven’t either. The timing belt’s role is to keep the two main shafts in your engine turning together, at the right “time.” It’s a very important part of your car’s mechanisms, and will need to be changed at some point. Here’s a comprehensive guide to timing belts to help you understand more about why they are so vital. What Exactly is a Timing Belt? Back in the 1980s, timing belts became the norm overs chains. The change t

Jan 17, 2018
2 min

Finding a Bentley Repair Service in Maryland

Getting your vehicle repaired is not a matter you trust to just anyone. With the investment you put into a luxury vehicle such as a Bentley, the service center who performs those repairs better know what they’re doing. Here’s what to look for when finding a Bentley repair service in Maryland. Honest Service Anyone who owns a car and has taken it into a shop for repair knows the run around you can go through. Many shops will attempt to get you to buy all of these extra “upgrad

Dec 4, 2017
2 min

What Does the Differential Do?

Your car is an intricate machine that gets you from place to place, but how much do you know about what’s under the hood? Let’s learn a little bit more about your car’s differential and get a feel for why it’s so important to maintain it! What is a Differential? The differential in your vehicle is a mechanical component that splits your engine’s torque two ways, allowing each output to rotate at different speeds. The differential helps compensate for the distance the outer an

Oct 20, 2017
2 min

How Hybrid Car Services are Different

With the invention and fairly rapid adoption of hybrid cars comes a new type of vehicle repair service. Hybrid vehicles, while fairly similar to their gas-guzzling cousins, have a wide variety of differences which must be accounted for by your local Maryland auto mechanic. Here are some of the areas where a hybrid car service is different from other vehicles. Battery Cooling Systems Hybrids have a complex battery cooling system which does exactly what it sound like. Much like

Jul 21, 2017
2 min

Why do I Need a Tire Alignment?

We’ve all heard about tire alignments, and probably even had a few alignments performed on our vehicles. But why is an alignment necessary for our vehicles? In this article, we’ll go over what an alignment does, why it’s important, and why you should have yours done. What does a Tire Alignment do? An alignment, when performed by a professional tire service center in Maryland, actually adjusts a vehicle’s suspension and not tires. This alignment adjustment ensures proper tire

May 18, 2017
3 min

When Should I Rotate My Tires?

All vehicle owners should have their tires rotated in order to ensure their vehicle runs at its highest level of efficiency. That said, what is the whole deal with rotating tires? What exactly does rotating tires do for a vehicle and when should you rotate your tires? We answer these questions, and more, below. Why Do I Need to Rotate my Tires? Rotating your tires is an important maintenance task because it helps to not only ensure your vehicle is running safely on healthy ti

Apr 27, 2017
2 min

Why is my Car Stalling?

When vehicles stall out, it can be quite a stressful situation. There are a lot of reasons your vehicle would stall out, so to be sure that it doesn’t happen again, let’s work to figure out what is causing the stalling in the first place. Here are some of the possible reasons your car stalled out. Worn Alternator Many components of more modern vehicles require a steady flow of electricity to properly function. When these components don’t get their required electricity, they c

Apr 11, 2017
2 min

Spring Travel Tips for Vehicle Safety

If you’re headed out on a road trip this spring, be sure to take some time to review these spring travel tips to ensure safe travels. Travel Around Your Kid’s Nap Time If you’re traveling with kids, you know how distracting it can be when they’re not having a good time. As opposed to just packing everyone up to travel whenever you can, schedule your road trip during their nap time. Not only do car rides easily lull most children to sleep, if you can make nap-time align with r

Mar 9, 2017
2 min

Tire Maintenance Tips

One of the most important parts of your vehicle are the tires. On the tires rest the whole weight of the vehicle and they are also partially responsible for the acceleration and braking of your vehicle. So, when tires aren’t working at the best of their ability, it puts the whole car at risk for inefficiencies or accidents. Keep your tires in the best condition possible with these tire maintenance tips. Inspect the Tire Make it a habit to check your vehicle’s tires before eac

Mar 3, 2017
2 min

What’s the Difference Between Synthetic and Conventional Oil?

We get the question “what is the difference between synthetic and conventional oil?” quite a lot and figured we’d take some time to address it. Simply put, the most important difference between synthetic and conventional oil is that synthetic oil is a man-made oil and therefore has less impurities than the natural counter-part. Which type of oil is best? Well, that depends on a few factors. What is Synthetic Oil? Synthetic oil is man-made motor oil that is created in a labora

Feb 3, 2017
2 min

Is Car Maintenance Different from Model to Model?

When comparing cars, one common descriptor used is the “model” of the car. The model of a car is the name given to the car by a particular manufacturer—commonly referred to as the “make”. So, when comparing two different car makers, the car maintenance can be very different; but is car maintenance different from model to model? The answer is, it depends. Does my car’s make affect my car’s maintenance needs? When comparing car models from two different car makers, there will b

Jan 28, 2016
3 min

Making Sure You Never Skip Car Maintenance

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to take better care of your car? Are you guilty of driving with a lit check engine light for months before getting it checked out? If so, this article is for you! Our Maryland auto maintenance pros have put together a list of helpful tips and strategies to help you make sure you never miss another maintenance appointment. Know Which Maintenance Your Car Needs Of course, you can’t keep up with scheduled maintenance if you don’t know what i

Oct 12, 2015
3 min

100K Maintenance to Prolong the Life of Your Car

It’s seems like just yesterday you’ve picked up your new ride from the dealership. Where did the time go? It’s strange to see the odometer creeping up on 100K and realize how much you’ve been through with this car. You’ve taken pretty good care of it so far with regular oil changes, tire rotation and brake service. But 100K is a big milestone that may require some additional maintenance. Our Maryland auto repair experts are here to help prolong the life of your car and ensure

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