Best Auto Repair, Bushwood

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AUTONET TV

Archive for October 2014

A New Battery in Bushwood

Posted October 28, 2014 12:00 PM

Hello Bushwood drivers, let's talk about batteries. Car batteries are just like any rechargeable battery. They will eventually wear out and die. If you are shopping for a new battery in Bushwood, here's some auto advice to help you.

There are two measurements to consider when purchasing a new battery: cold cranking amps and reserve capacity. The power required to start a cold engine is measured in cold cranking amps. The number you need is determined by what kind of vehicle you drive and where you live. In general, higher-cylinder engines require more cold cranking amps than lower-cylinder engines. In other words, an eight-cylinder engine needs more cold cranking amps than a six-cylinder one. Also, diesel engines require more cold cranking amps than gasoline engines.

The weather where you live in Maryland also determines the number of cold cranking amps you need. The colder the vehicle engine, the more power it takes to get it started. Also, cold Maryland weather reduces the electrical efficiency of the battery, which reduces the amount of energy available in the battery to start the engine. Thus, in freezing temperatures, you need more power to start an engine, but you have less power available to get it started.

Your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. in Bushwood can help you choose an appropriate battery for your vehicle and your lifestyle. If you need extra power owing to cold weather or a need for more reserve capacity, you may want to choose a heavy-duty battery. Just make sure it fits into your vehicle. An oversized battery may give you the power you need, but it's a serious safety hazard if the terminals come into contact with other parts of the vehicle.

Keep in mind that preventive maintenance performed at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. and good vehicle care can extend the life of your battery. Judicious use of electric gadgets and good driving habits are wise and can help you get the most out of your battery.

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



Bushwood Tire Repair

Posted October 23, 2014 12:00 PM

Most Bushwood residents have experienced a flat tire. You know it's inconvenient and a pain. Our tires are important. Keeping them in good working order isn't just a big safety issue for Bushwood drivers – it also has a financial impact. With high Maryland gas prices, we've all heard about the importance of keeping proper tire pressure to save on gas. In addition, proper inflation promotes even tread wear so your tires last longer. 

There's another danger with under-inflated tires for Bushwood residents. Low tire pressure puts added stress on the structure of the tire itself, causing it to break down prematurely. Also, under-inflated tires generate more heat which also reduces tire life. So get those slow leaks fixed quickly – don't just keep adding air every few days. You want to avoid tire damage.

Bushwood residents should only hire qualified tire professionals to perform repairs - we have a whole team of them at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc.. Bushwood folks can buy self-repair kits, but we advise you to save those for emergencies, like when you're off-roading and need a quick fix so you can hobble back to civilization and get professional help. If you need to use a repair-in-a-can product, remember it's a temporary measure only and your tire needs to be properly repaired as soon as possible.

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



Bushwood Alignment Service

Posted October 15, 2014 12:00 PM

Your car might have an alignment problem if: it drifts or pulls to one side, your steering wheel is off center, you have uneven tire wear or your car doesn't feel like it handles right. When all of a vehicle's wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Running into potholes around Bushwood and smacking a curb or other object are great ways to knock your car out of alignment. Then, one or more of your wheels starts pulling in a slightly different direction and the problems begin.

There are several things involved in an alignment check at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc.. First, there's an inspection of the steering and suspension systems - their components should be checked to see if anything's bent or broken. Then the tire condition needs to be inspected. From there, the vehicle is put on an alignment rack and an initial alignment reading is taken. If all four wheels are adjustable, they are lined up perfectly parallel with the vehicle's center line. If the back wheels aren't adjustable, a technician at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. can determine the direction they push and then align the front wheels to match.

Like most things, your manufacturer has suggested a mileage interval for having your alignment checked. But if you run into a curb, pothole or something else that's given you a big jolt, pay attention to whether your vehicle is pulling to one side when you drive. It's better to have your alignment checked before waiting to see if there is uneven tire tread wear - by then, the damage is done.

Getting your alignment checked at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. in Bushwood when needed is a great way to extend the life of your tires and suspension parts. It also makes sure that your tires meet the road properly for maximum performance and safety.

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



Automotive Detective Work in Bushwood

Posted October 10, 2014 12:00 PM

There's a reason we use the word “diagnose” when we talk about fixing cars in Bushwood. Figuring out what's wrong with your vehicle has a lot of similarities to figuring out what's wrong with someone who is ill. Vehicles are a mass of complex systems that can produce a variety of symptoms when something goes wrong. As with human diagnoses, a specific symptom may be indicative of a number of problems, and figuring out the specific cause takes training and experience.

Sometimes the diagnosis of your vehicle's trouble comes down to a matter of trial-and-error. This can be frustrating for Bushwood drivers because time and money are on the line. You may feel you should only be paying for repair work. Of course, you only want to pay for the right repair – and a proper diagnosis is part of getting it right. Like at the doctor's office — some of what you pay for is the doctor's time and effort to figure out what's wrong with you, not for the actual cure.

The good news is that Bushwood drivers can do a lot to help out their friendly and knowledgeable service advisors at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. in figuring out what's wrong with their vehicle. Again, the medical office is a good analogy. The more information you can give your doctor about where it hurts, when it hurts and how it hurts, the more quickly he will be able to help you. In the same way, the more you can tell your Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. service technician about when the problem occurs, what is sounds like, how often it occurs, where it occurs, etc., the more efficiently he will be able to get you back on the road.

Good preventive maintenance goes a long way to keeping your car out of a Bushwood repair shop, but if you need to get it , good communication will get you back on the road quickly.

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



The Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. Guide to Caring for Your Transmission

Posted October 3, 2014 12:00 PM

Most vehicles have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of Bushwood drivers only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in Bushwood. You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down shift for hills, stuff like that. Think of your legs as the engine – there's an ideal speed you can pedal and you change gears to leverage the work you're doing.

Lower gears for power on hills or for starting out. Higher gears for more speed. That's what the automatic transmission does – it automatically starts in lower gears and shifts up to higher gears to go faster on Maryland roads. And it automatically shifts back down to climb Bushwood hills, pass or start up again.

Vehicle automatic transmissions have certainly gotten more sophisticated in recent years. They have more speeds than before: the base is four speeds, five is very common.

At Hill's Auto Repair, Inc., we routinely service transmissions with six speeds and several have seven or even eight speeds. As you can imagine, this means more parts. Any they all have to fit into roughly the same space.

Transmissions are computer controlled these days, with some high end transmissions having two or three computers. Transmissions are engineered to last. But they are also engineered to tighter tolerances. If a portion of the transmission is starved for lubrication, it can lead to failure.

Not enough fluid can starve the transmission, or dirty transmission fluid can clog small passages in the transmission. Then the lubricant is blocked and can't get to all the parts to protect them, so they wear out prematurely. The technicians at Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. see far too many transmissions that needlessly failed due to neglect.

And, as you can imagine, repairing one of these new transmissions at any Bushwood service center can be quite costly. That's why owner’s manuals have a schedule for how often you should change the fluid and what type of fluid to use.

It's really important for Bushwood area drivers to carefully follow the manufacturer's transmission service schedule.

At Hill's Auto Repair, Inc. in Bushwood, we hope you never become shiftless in Bushwood because you didn't take care of your transmission.

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

 



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What People Say About Us

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    , 03/27/2024

    Quick service, I highly recommend.

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    , 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.

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    , 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.

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    , 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

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    , 02/28/2024

    everyone is friendly and helpful. Work completed as promised.

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    , 02/24/2024

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

Call us for service: 301-769-2400

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