Best Auto Repair, Bushwood

Click on the mail icon below to schedule an appointment!
FacebookYelp - TransparentGoogle My Business White

AUTONET TV

Working Hours
  • Mon 8:00AM - 5:00PM
    Tue 8:00AM - 5:00PM
  • Wed 8:00AM - 5:00PM
    Thu 8:00AM - 5:00PM
  • Fri 8:00AM - 5:00PM
    Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

AUTONET TV

Archive for September 2014

Easy Miles ? Do Bushwood Driving Conditions Affect Service Intervals?

Posted September 24, 2014 12:00 PM

Have you ever noticed that your vehicle has a schedule in your owner's manual for what is called “severe service” maintenance? Let's define what severe driving conditions aren't: The easiest driving a vehicle experiences is traveling on the interstate for 20 miles (32 kilometers) or more at a constant rate of 65 miles per hour (105 kilometers per hour) in 75°F (24°C) weather with only passengers on board. Change any one of those parameters and you are adding stress to your engine. Change them significantly and you are driving under severe conditions.

Let's look at the parameters one a time. First, the length of the trip. Short trips around Bushwood are harder on an engine than longer ones. As your engine cools down, water in the air condenses onto the engine. When you heat the engine again, the water evaporates off. This is healthy. But on short trips, the engine doesn't stay hot enough long enough for all of the water to evaporate. So it starts to build up in the engine oil leading to sludge, which can clog up your engine and lead to serious engine damage. If most or all of your trips around the Bushwood area are less than four miles, you should be using the severe service maintenance schedule. Changing your oil more frequently at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. in Bushwood will help prevent the formation of sludge.

Most of us Bushwood drivers think of severe Maryland weather conditions when we think of severe driving conditions. And we're right. Cold Maryland weather takes its toll on the oil in your vehicle. Remember how water has to evaporate out of the oil to keep your engine healthy? It can take up to ten miles of driving for an engine to get hot enough to get rid of moisture in the oil when the weather is cold.

Hot Bushwood weather is also bad for vehicles. When an engine runs, it gets hot. The longer it runs, the hotter it gets. If it gets too hot, it breaks down. So it has to be constantly cooled to keep running. Hot Maryland weather means your cooling system has to work harder to keep your engine from getting too hot.

So, in the end, most of us Bushwood auto owners drive under severe conditions some of the time. Smart Bushwood residents will ask themselves the question: "Should I follow the severe service maintenance schedule?" An honest evaluation of our driving habits is the best way to determine which schedule to follow.

Hill's Auto Repair, Inc.
22829 colton point rd
Bushwood, Maryland 20618
301-769-2400

 



Treat Your Vehicle to Good Tires at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc.

Posted September 17, 2014 12:00 PM

When we shop for shoes, most of us know that we can get two pairs of cheap shoes or one good pair for about the same price. And since the two cheap pairs wear out in about the same time as the good pair, there really is no difference in cost. If you like having a closet full of shoes to match your moods and outfits, then cheap shoes can be what you want. But if you spend a lot of time on your feet, you probably know that cheap shoes can come with an added cost of sore feet and other foot ailments. When you add in the benefits of comfort and protection, the more expensive shoes are actually the better value.

Buying tires at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. in Bushwood is a lot like buying shoes, except that Bushwood vehicles don't have changeable apparel and don't need a closet full of tires to match. Vehicles spend a lot of time on their tires—all the time, in fact—so they need tires that can stand up to the job. Tires are work shoes: they have to deal with a lot of crazy Maryland road conditions, all while carrying the weight of a vehicle and its passengers.

Bad tires, like cheap shoes, can also be a safety concern for Bushwood drivers. Tires need good traction, and they need to be strong enough to handle the loads they carry. Vehicles that carry heavy loads or tow trailers around Maryland need tires with a high load rating, in the same way that you are better off on a rough Maryland mountain trail with sturdy hiking boots rather than flip-flops.

The best tires on the market are called Tier 1 tires. These are high-quality tires engineered to stand up to a lot of wear while maintaining good traction. They are also the most expensive tires on the market, although prices don't vary much from brand to brand.

Tire chain stores in Bushwood often carry tires with their own brand name. These are private label tires. They are less expensive than Tier 1 tires but are still a quality product. In fact, many private label tires sold in the Bushwood area are manufactured by the same companies that make Tier 1 tires. Don't hesitate to ask your Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. tire professional who makes their private brand.

The cheapest tires on the Maryland tire market are Tier 3 tires. Most of these tires are imported from Asia or South America, and they just don't have the same standard of engineering behind them that the higher-priced tires have. When it comes to Tier 3 tires, you get what you pay for.

At Hill's Auto Repair, Inc., we sometimes express tire quality in terms of the warranty. In other words, we call a tire a “40,000 mile/65,000 km tire,” or a "60,000 mile/100,000 km tire." This refers to the number of miles/kilometers a tire will be under warranty. Tires with a higher mileage warranty are made with higher quality rubber compounds and have more tread. As you might expect, they also cost more than tires with low mileage warranties.

Cheap tires often have no warranty at all. However, if you find yourself in a position where you need new tires and you're really strapped for cash, purchasing Tier 3 tires is better than waiting until you can afford Tier 1. It's always better to drive on new tires, even cheap ones, than driving on tires that are worn past their safety limits.

That said, if you're driving on Tier 3 tires, it's a good idea to budget and plan to buy higher-quality tires the next go-around. Two sets of cheap tires may wear out in the same time as one set of quality tires, but the quality tires actually cost less than two sets of cheap tires. That's the great fallacy of cheap tires. In the long run, they actually cost more than good tires and come with significantly reduced performance and durability to boot. Not exactly the best value for Bushwood area drivers.

So, some good auto advice would be to always buy as much tire as you can afford. That way you'll get the most durability and performance and the most mileage out of every tire. Plus, with a better tire, there's some peace of mind that comes with knowing you won't have to purchase tires as often.

Good vehicle care requires checking your tires occasionally for tread wear and road damage. Practicing this preventive maintenance can help you avoid flats and blowouts.

Hill's Auto Repair, Inc.
22829 colton point rd
Bushwood, Maryland 20618
301-769-2400

 



What?s Up With Diesels in Bushwood?

Posted September 9, 2014 12:00 PM

Would you be surprised to learn that about half of the passenger cars in Europe have diesel engines? You might also be surprised to learn that most car makers produce a variety of diesel-fueled cars for purchase abroad.

Diesel-fueled vehicles haven’t been as popular in the North American markets like Maryland. But that won’t be true for long. North Americans are seeing a lot more diesel-fueled vehicles on the road. And we’re not talking about buses and trucks. These vehicles will be passenger cars, pick-ups and SUV’s.

There are two reasons for this. The first is a recent change in environmental laws that have upgraded emissions standards for diesel fuel in North America. Diesel fuel in North America used to have higher sulfur content than European fuel, meaning that it was a dirtier fuel to burn. That was okay for larger vehicles, but the lighter-weight engines in passenger vehicles just couldn’t tolerate it.

But that high sulfur content is now a thing of the past. Fuel producers are now required to sell cleaner diesel fuel in Bushwood. That opens the North American market to more diesel-powered vehicles. The second reason we’re going to see more of these vehicles in Bushwood is that they’re more fuel-efficient than their gasoline-powered counterparts. Diesel fuel has higher energy density than gasoline. That translates to more power per barrel of fuel. In your tank, that translates to better engine performance and about 20% more miles per gallon.

Bushwood motorists may associate diesel engines with black smoke, noise and a definite “shake, rattle and roll.” That’s also a thing of the past. Modern diesel engines are smooth and quiet and produce cleaner emissions than gasoline engines. Also, forget that three-second wait behind a diesel vehicle at a stoplight. Modern diesels are just as quick to accelerate as other vehicles on Bushwood roads.

Diesel engines have other advantages over gasoline engines. Diesel engines are heavier than gasoline engines because they require more heavy-duty parts, but that means the engines are more durable and can last longer than gasoline engines. Also, diesel engines may be the engines of the future since they can burn many of the new bio-fuels.

Bio-diesel can be manufactured from vegetable oils, including used cooking oil from Bushwood restaurants. Just think, one day you could fuel your vehicle on stuff that was once considered waste—one step closer to a cleaner environment here in Maryland. And if you think hybrid cars are environmentally sound, consider what a diesel-electric hybrid could mean. They will soon be available for
Bushwood drivers.

Bushwood auto owners who are considering buying a diesel-fueled vehicle, should know that critical preventive maintenance and inspection schedules are different for a diesel engine than a gasoline engine. Diesel fuel is harder on emissions systems than gasoline, so the filters and other devices have to be changed and checked more often. Also, the fuel injection system operates at much higher pressures for diesel than for gasoline, so keeping it clean becomes a higher priority.

When you switch from a gas vehicle to a diesel, you’ll have to learn some new rules of car care. But you won’t be alone. Most
Bushwood service centers are aware that diesels are coming to North America and are already prepared to provide service for diesel engines. At Hill's Auto Repair, we are well-versed in diesel technology. You can rely on our team of automotive professionals to provide quality service for diesel powered vehicles.



Busting Automotive Myths in Bushwood, Maryland

Posted September 4, 2014 12:00 PM

Myths passed around our Bushwood, Maryland community start with a grain of evidence and are then built up with a lot of imagination and very elastic logic. And the internet is a breeding ground for automotive myths. Some bloggers recall the vehicles of yesteryear and declare their modern decedents to be virtually maintenance free and that anyone who says otherwise is out to rip you off.

To get the truth about auto myths you hear around the Bushwood area, come over to Hill's Auto Repair, Inc..


Let's examine a couple of the more popular rants and look at the truth behind them.

The first one is that the chassis no longer needs lubrication for suspension, steering and the driveline. They declare that anyone who has charged you for lubrication is a charlatan.

The truth on which this myth is based is that many new vehicles come from the factory with sealed joints and cannot be greased. However, there are still some grease points on many cars around Bushwood. A grease fitting may have been installed in conjunction with a repair. And most trucks and truck-based SUVs driving in Bushwood still require chassis lubrication. This is because they are more heavy duty and proper greasing is still required to keep them going.

Another common rant you'll hear around Bushwood is that modern vehicles don't need tune-ups. That depends on your definition of a 'tune-up', which has changed as technology has progressed. Before engine control computers, electronic ignition and fuel injection, a tune up meant replacing mechanical parts that wore out. Service technicians at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. would manually adjust fuel and air mix and timing. When these adjustments were off, spark plugs would foul and need to be replaced.

This definition just doesn't apply to modern vehicles. Service centers like Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. generally consider a tune-up to be the major service visit, recommended by your manufacturer, every 30,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) or so.

Of course you can't lubricate a sealed joint. Of course you can't adjust a carburetor if your car doesn't have one. You probably don't need to change spark plugs every year if your manufacturer says they can go 30,000 miles (50,000 kilometers). What are these bloggers getting so worked up about?

The danger with these modern-day myths is they prevent people in our local Bushwood community from taking care of the routine preventive auto maintenance that manufactures recommend. Check out this partial list of things you still need to do to take care of your car. How many of them are really any different today than they were 20 or 30 years ago?

Oil change, cooling system service, transmission service, tire balancing, tire rotation, wheel alignment, suspension service, power steering service, proper tire inflation, brake service, differential service, battery maintenance, engine air filer, PCV valve, breather element, fuel filter, belts, hoses, timing belt, windshield wipers . . .

You get the picture. Your vehicle is still a machine that needs to be maintained. And, hey, your service advisors at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. have always adapted to keep pace with automotive technology. Next time you come across an angry voice about your car care, talk to your Bushwood service advisor at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc., or do some research of your own.

Hill's Auto Repair, Inc.
22829 colton point rd
Bushwood, Maryland 20618
301-769-2400



Search



Archive

September 2011 (18)
October 2011 (3)
November 2011 (5)
December 2011 (4)
January 2012 (5)
February 2012 (3)
March 2012 (5)
April 2012 (4)
May 2012 (5)
June 2012 (4)
July 2012 (4)
August 2012 (5)
September 2012 (4)
October 2012 (5)
November 2012 (4)
December 2012 (4)
January 2013 (4)
February 2013 (4)
March 2013 (4)
April 2013 (4)
May 2013 (5)
June 2013 (4)
July 2013 (4)
August 2013 (4)
September 2013 (5)
October 2013 (5)
November 2013 (4)
December 2013 (4)
January 2014 (5)
February 2014 (4)
March 2014 (4)
April 2014 (4)
May 2014 (5)
June 2014 (4)
July 2014 (4)
August 2014 (5)
September 2014 (4)
October 2014 (5)
November 2014 (4)
December 2014 (5)
January 2015 (4)
February 2015 (4)
March 2015 (4)
April 2015 (5)
May 2015 (2)
June 2015 (6)
July 2015 (4)
August 2015 (5)
September 2015 (4)
October 2015 (5)
November 2015 (4)
December 2015 (3)
February 2016 (1)
March 2016 (7)
April 2016 (4)
May 2016 (5)
June 2016 (4)
July 2016 (5)
August 2016 (4)
September 2016 (4)
October 2016 (4)
November 2016 (5)
December 2016 (4)
January 2017 (5)
February 2017 (3)
March 2017 (5)
April 2017 (4)
May 2017 (5)
June 2017 (4)
July 2017 (5)
August 2017 (3)
September 2017 (3)
October 2017 (5)
November 2017 (4)
December 2017 (3)
January 2018 (5)
February 2018 (4)
March 2018 (4)
April 2018 (4)
May 2018 (5)
June 2018 (4)
July 2018 (5)
August 2018 (4)
September 2018 (4)
October 2018 (4)
November 2018 (4)
December 2018 (5)
January 2019 (5)
February 2019 (1)
March 2019 (4)
May 2019 (2)
June 2019 (5)
July 2019 (2)
August 2019 (2)
September 2019 (3)
October 2019 (5)
November 2019 (4)
December 2019 (5)
January 2020 (5)
February 2020 (4)
March 2020 (5)
April 2020 (1)
May 2020 (2)
June 2020 (1)
July 2020 (1)
August 2020 (5)
September 2020 (4)
October 2020 (4)
November 2020 (5)
December 2020 (4)
January 2021 (6)
February 2021 (4)
March 2021 (4)
April 2021 (4)
May 2021 (5)
June 2021 (4)
July 2021 (4)
August 2021 (5)
September 2021 (4)
October 2021 (5)
November 2021 (4)
December 2021 (4)
January 2022 (6)
February 2022 (4)
March 2022 (4)
April 2022 (4)
May 2022 (5)
June 2022 (4)
July 2022 (5)
August 2022 (2)
September 2022 (4)
October 2022 (5)
November 2022 (4)
December 2022 (4)
January 2023 (5)
February 2023 (4)
March 2023 (4)
April 2023 (5)
May 2023 (4)
June 2023 (4)
July 2023 (5)
August 2023 (4)
September 2023 (2)
October 2023 (1)
January 2024 (1)
February 2024 (4)

Categories

Air Conditioning (17)Alignment (16)Alternator (6)Auto Safety (6)Automotive News (8)Battery (20)Brake Service (4)Brakes (22)Cabin Air Filter (8)Check Engine Light (6)Cooling System (19)Customer Detective Work (1)Dashboard (3)Diagnostics (5)Diesel Maintenance (2)Differential Service (4)Drive Train (9)Emergency Items (1)Engine Air Filter (2)Exhaust (12)Fluids (17)Fuel Economy (10)Fuel Pump (1)Fuel Saving Tip: Slow Down (2)Fuel System (48)Headlamps (6)Inspection (10)Keys to a long lasting vehicle (4)Maintenance (59)Monitoring System (3)Oil Change (7)Older Vehicles (4)Parts (8)PCV Valve (2)Safe Driving (1)Safety (6)Serpentine Belt (6)Service Intervals (10)Service Standards (13)Shocks & Struts (11)Shocks and Struts (1)Spark Plugs (2)Steering (16)Suspension (3)Timing Belt (6)Tire Rotation and Balancing (4)Tires (10)Tires and Wheels (42)TPMS (3)Transfer Case Service (1)Transmission (11)Trip Inspection (4)Warranty (2)Water Pump (1)What Customers Should Know (81)Wheel Bearings (1)Windshield Wipers (9)Winter Prep (7)Winter Tires (1)

What People Say About Us

  • reviewicon
    , 03/21/2024

    The staff was very honest and transparent. They were very professional and helpful and I would definitely trust them with my vehicle again.

  • reviewicon
    , 03/14/2024

    Been using Hills Auto for quite some time now, it’s close and convenient for me. I’m big on small business support, never had any trouble, they aways meet my high expectations. Employees here make you feel at home, some of the best personalities in the automotive field I’ve ever experienced. They are precise, accountable, strive at completing the tasks requested in a timely professional manner.

  • reviewicon
    , 02/29/2024

    The best experience I’ve had with getting auto work done. Customer service and communication is great and pricing is honest. Super friendly and will be recommending to everyone

  • reviewicon
    , 02/28/2024

    everyone is friendly and helpful. Work completed as promised.

  • reviewicon
    , 02/24/2024

    Excellent service, Affordable prices and high Quality Customer service! Leave the dealer behind with confidence and visit HILL’S AUTO!

  • reviewicon
    , 02/14/2024

    Got a note on my phone that it was time for an oil change at Jerry Hill's. I called, because I've learned to trust notes from Hill's; for the past ten years I've had reliable service and trustworthy service. Was in and out after a pleasant hour, and my good old 2013 car is still giving wonderful service. Thanks, Jerry and friends!

Call us for service: 301-769-2400

ASE (Automotive Service Excellence)
IATN (International Automotive Technicians' Network)
Jasper
NAPA
BG Products
Amsoil
  • Car Care Aware