Other Auto Repairs, Routine Maintenance and Service

There are dozens of things that can go wrong in ordinary use. Even more if you are offroading, city driving or even if your car sits for long periods of time. Rubber parts age, steel corrodes, bulbs burn out, fluids need replaced, vibration and starting/stopping add wear to your vehicle. It all adds up.

Scheduled Maintenance

If you depend on your car, as most of us do, to get to work, kids to school, etc. an ounce of prevention can be worth a pound of cure. In other words, routine maintenance more than pays for itself by avoiding very costly major repairs. Something as simple as checking the transmission fluid can prevent a $3,000 transmission bill.

Be aware of changes in performance, new or different sounds or vibration. Watch for spots on the driveway. All are indicators that something is not working as it should. Routine, or scheduled maintenance can keep you humming along. If you are unsure, check your owners manual for recommended scheduled maintenance.

Starter or Starter Solenoid

Starters work hard to turn over a cold engine and many of today's vehicles shut off at red lights, restarting many times during an urban trip. Common symptoms include no starting, the starter engaging but not turning over the engine or cranking slowly. There are other possible causes for these problems. It's best to hire a reliable mechanic to diagnose exactly what the problem is.

Replace the Starter - Starting at $100 plus parts.

Alternator

Weak starting can be a symptom of an old battery. The underlying cause may actually be your alternator which produces electrical power to start the engine and operate the car. Your alternator may be undercharging your battery. A simple test will diagnose the problem.

Replace the Alternator - Starting at $100 plus parts.

Water Pump

Circulates cooling water through the engine and radiator. Being exposed to the hot water of the engine can cause the water pump to fail and the engine to quickly overheat.

Replace the Water Pump - Starting at $100 plus parts.

Tune Up

Modern cars no longer have the points, rotor, and distributor cap of older engines, and fuel injection has replaced carburetors. These were the components requiring frequent tuneups. Today's vehicles are able to travel many more miles before a tuneup is necessary. Today's high energy ignitions do need new spark plugs and wires replaced to maintain engine power and fuel efficiency. If you are losing pickup or fuel economy at may be time.

Engine Tune-up - Starting at $100 plus parts.

New Fuel Pump - $Starting at $100 plus parts.

Lighting

Sealed headlights have been replaced by expensive high intensity bulbs that provide better visibility. These of course burnout greatly reducing night driving safety. For this reason, police officers are on the lookout for drivers missing a headlamp. Save yourself a traffic citation and get those bulbs replaced immediately. Sometimes is not the bulb, but a blown fuse. Taillights, running lights, fog lamps and even interior lighting need upkeep to provide the best driving experience.

Lighting - Starting at $60 plus parts if required.

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Lake Worth, Texas

Lake Worth is a city in Tarrant County, Texas. The population was 4,584 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to, and named after, Lake Worth, a popular recreational lake in the northwestern portion of Tarrant County.