In this time of year I get a lot of phone calls about the heat not working in peoples cars. You might imagine the surprise my customers have when I ask when the last time the have checked their coolant. The response almost always is “no my HEAT isn’t working.” I know. Here’s the low down. Coolant does indeed help regulate the temperature of your engine. However when it does it heats up. In a lot of cases it’s upwards of 170 degrees. Coolant is routed not only through the engine and radiator but also your heater core. Where does the heat come from in your car? It’s from the hot coolant passing through your heater core. So the next time your heat seems weak, double check your coolant level. Listen, you likely have a bit of a leak somewhere. That needs to be found. And performing a coolant exchange every 2-3 years or 50,000 miles is just preventative maintenance. But a quick fix to your heating issues? Make sure you have the proper amount of coolant. Stay well!

The light that tells you when there’s a problem with your tire pressure also has a way to let you know when it’s not working properly. A flashing TPMS light lets you know that either the sensors or the receiver isn’t transmitting or receiving a signal. These sensors are normally located in your tire, unless you have a passive system. And normally the fix is a new tire pressure sensor. The battery life on them is between 3-5 years, although I have seen them last up to seven years before going offline.

My name is Matt, I have been tinkering with cars in a professional setting for approaching a decade! I feel like it’s worth saying my if I want you to trust me, I need to share some information. So let me start with something simple. You don’t have to own an air compressor to maintain a good monitor on the air pressure in your tires. Most tire shops will happily adjust your air pressure and give you an update on the health of your tires for free! Let’s connect over some of the funny issues in your cars!