Quality Automotive Service Since 1972
In this section, we will try to answer any questions you may have that concern your car. For that matter, I will
try to answer any questions you have!
Additionally, we will offer tips that you might find helpful concerning your car care, or anything else you are
interested in.
If you have any questions, send me a message at: Contact Us and I will get back to
you as soon as possible, and in addition add it to our FAQ and Tips section. Thanks!
Common Questions
- What type of oil should I be using for my car?
- Is it OK to run my car low on gas?
- Why you should never run a Prius low on gas
- What do they mean by synthetic oil?
- What does it mean when the ABS light come on?
1. Check your owner's manual. This will list the minimum specifications for the quality of lubricants you can use. Look for terms such as "GM LL-A-25" which are names or codes to specify the type and minimum quality oil you can use to keep your warranty in effect and prevent engine damage. These specifications are the only way to really know if you are using the proper oil and not one that is inferior or might harm your engine. Keep in mind that just as there are many types of conventional oil there are also many types of synthetic oils. No one synthetic oil will not meet each and every different manufacturer's specifications.
2. If your car can use conventional oil and you drive more than 20 miles one way, a conventional oil change every 3000 miles should be fine for your car.
3. If your car can use conventional oil and you drive less than 20 miles one way per trip, or tend to go 4000 miles between oil changes, oils with more additives to fight acids, such as Mobil 5000 would be a better choice.
4. If your car requires synthetic oil and you use an oil change interval of greater than 4000 miles, it is critical that you not only use synthetic oil, but that you use one that has passed all the manufacturer's tests for your car. Additionally, some cars with extended drain intervals also require special fleece oil filters if you are going to push the limits of the interval. Good choices, assuming they are of the proper and recommended weight and specifications, are Mobil One or one of the many Total synthetic oils we stock.
Now here's the really cool and easy part: At IMM Auto Service, we stock all the necessary lubricants that meet the different manufacturer's specifications and will recommend the proper lubricant for your car. Our ASE certified technicians will also perform a 52-point vehicle inspection, making sure that we catch the little problems before they become big problems.
We are here for you and your automotive needs, please feel free to call or talk to us about any questions you may have and we will be more than happy to consult with you.
It is not a good idea to run you car low on gas. There are three very important reasons for this.
1. Fuel is what cools the fuel pump. As the volume of fuel drops in your fuel tank, there is less fuel to remove the heat from the fuel pump, and the additional heat can shorten the life of your fuel pump.
2. You might run out of gas. Due to the shallow design of many of the late model fuel tanks, it is extremely difficult to get a precise reading from the sender in the fuel tank. Therefore, a computer in the car uses inputs from the fuel sender, temperature sender, engine load, etc. to try to calculate the fuel remaining in the tank when it starts to get low. Usually,this works quite well. Sometimes it is off a bit, and can be adjusted by a technician with the proper tooling; sometimes it isn't as accurate as you may be counting on, and you could run out of gas.
3. You might wear out your fuel sender. If you are in the habit of running your car with only a few dollars in the tank (OK, maybe $20) the fuel level sensor spends all of its time between empty and 1/4 of a tank. This concentrates the wear in this area, and causes the fuel sender to wear out prematurely, which costs you more money.
Priusus? Prii? anyway, these are even more problematic if you run them low on fuel.
The short answer is that it is hard on the fuel pump, which is integral to the gas tank. This means you have to replace the entire fuel tank when the pump goes bad.
Additionally, when the engine dies and the computer still thinks there is fuel in the tank, it will set off all sorts of warning lights and you will lose power. If you try to drive on battery only, you may make it only a short distance at a very low speed best case.
Longer answer --
The fuel tank also contains a bladder, which is like a rubber bag that holds the fuel. This is to lower emissions from gas vapor in the tank. This bladder causes two problems:1. The capacity of the fuel bladder varies with temperature. When it is cold, it holds less fuel than when it is hot. That means that the amount of fuel the car holds, varies with the temperature.
2. The bladder makes it harder to measure the amount of fuel in the tank. The fuel display uses input from the fuel tanks sensor, in addition to input from a temperature sender. These inputs, along with calculations it makes on how you are driving gives the computer a "best guess" of how much fuel you have left. This could leave you stranded. Never let it go below a couple of "ticks" or you could end up stranded.
There are many types of synthetic oil; some are suitable for your car, and some are not. The other thing that is kind of interesting is that in this country, not all oil that is labeled as synthetic oil, is really synthetic oil! We seem to have an anomaly in this country when it comes to the courts. One example of this is illustrated by a 10% duty that was placed on vegetables in 1893. John Nix, who was a fruit importer at the time, imported some tomatoes and was charged this duty. He sued on the basis that tomatoes are a fruit and therefore are not subject to this tax. This lawsuit went all the way to the supreme court, where Justice Gray ruled that since tomatoes where known as and used as vegetables by many, they were therefore vegetables. This flies in the face of science! Anyway, the same is true for synthetic oil. If an oil behaves substantially like a synthetic oil, then it can be labeled "synthetic".
So what is real synthetic oil? It might be easier to start out with where we get convectional mineral oil. This oil is refined from the crude that comes from the ground. It is kind of like dropping an ice cream cone in the dirt. The ice cream is still there, but you need to separate it from the dirt, which is no easy task. So it is with separating high quality lubricating oil from crude. Synthetic, on the other hand, is made by combining molecules, often times methane (CH3), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). This is much like making ice cream out of cream, sugar and vanilla, as opposed to separating it from dirt. As you might guess, you get an oil where you can more carefully control the characteristics you are looking for. Different engines by different car manufacturers have different lubrication needs at different loads and temperatures, hence many different types of oils are produced. So, in addition to the common numbers like 0w40, which pertain to the viscosity of the oil, there are now many other designations such as Dexos, GF4, GF5, A5/B3, and 502, just to name a few. We will always make sure to advise you as to the best oil for your car.
There are normally two abs lights. The both pertain to the Antilock Brake System. One light is RED colored, and the other one is AMBER or yellow colored. If the red light comes on, it means that the brake system most likely has low pressure or is low on fluid. This car should not be driven since it may not have enough pressure for proper brake operation. Have this checked immediately.
The other light means that the computer has an input that does not makes sense. Since it would be unwise for it to operate the ABS at a time when it is not needed, rather than rely on the faulty information the system shuts down. In most cases, normal braking is maintained and you can safely drive it to the repair shop to have the cause of the failure checked.