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Day: May 14, 2020

How to Clean a Car Battery Terminal

How to Clean a Car Battery
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How to Clean a Car Battery Terminal

If you have an old battery or a mechanical failing, that’s probably going to require intervention from an automotive specialist. But if the problem is simply that the terminals on your battery need to be cleaned, that’s something you can do yourself.

Here’s what you need to do to make sure your battery terminals are spotless:

  1. First and foremost, turn off your engine. While cleaning the terminals is a fairly straightforward DIY project, there is still a slight risk of injury. You can avert this risk simply by making sure you have the engine turned off while you work.
  2. Next, loosen the nut holding your negative cable in place; you’ll likely need a wrench for this. Detach the cable from the post. Then, follow the same steps with the positive cable.
  3. Take just a moment to visually inspect your car battery. Specifically, look for any fissures or cracks. If you see any, that means there’s a problem with your car battery that you probably won’t be able to fix on your own; more likely than not, you’re looking at the need for a battery replacement.
  4. You’ll also want to look at the cables and clamps themselves. Again, what you’re looking for is very obvious evidence of wear and tear. If your cables or clamps have big rips or tears, you’ll probably need to have them replaced. These things really can’t be mended.
  5. Assuming you don’t see any of these obvious signs of wear and tear, you’ll want to mix your cleaning solution—one tablespoon of baking soda into one cup of water. Mix ‘em up thoroughly, then dip an old toothbrush into the mixture.
  6. Use the toothbrush to scrub away any signs of corrosion you see on your battery terminals. Don’t be afraid to really scour thoroughly to get things squeaky clean. You may have to soak your toothbrush in the baking soda mixture a couple of times as you keep scrubbing away.
  7. When you finish, use a spray bottle with cool water to rinse off any residue. It is imperative to make sure all baking soda and corrosion is washed away. Then, use an old rag or towel to pat the battery and clamps completely dry.
  8. Use a little bit of petroleum jelly to lubricate the terminals.
  9. Reattach the cables to their correct terminals.

That’s the basic guide to cleaning your battery terminals—but here’s an alternate approach: If you’re on the go and don’t have access to the above supplies, see if you can find a Coca-Cola or a Pepsi somewhere, and pour it over the terminals. Let it sit for two or three minutes, then rinse your battery clean with cool water. Note: You’ll want to follow the same basic safety steps we outlined above, including turning off your engine and detaching the cables.

You wash, wax, and vacuum your car to keep it looking sharp. But have you ever considered cleaning things under the hood? By cleaning your vehicle’s battery terminals, you can actually help the car battery perform stronger, longer! We’ll show you how to clean the terminals and help prevent car battery corrosion in only FIVE steps—with materials you probably already have at home!

 

5 Steps to Clean Corroded Battery Terminals

Materials

  • Protective gloves, like dish gloves
  • Baking soda
  • Water
  • Old toothbrush
  • Rag
  • Petroleum jelly

Step 1: Mix up your homemade battery cleaner.

The recipe is simple. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda into one cup of water, and stir it together until it’s thoroughly mixed.

Step 2: Undo the cables from the battery and inspect it.

Make sure your engine is off. Pop open your hood and undo the negative and then positive cable attached to your battery. (Turn to your owner’s manual for help on this part.) Then, assess your battery. Buildup, battery corrosion, and grime on the terminals can greatly impact your engine and battery performance. If you notice that the battery case is leaking, swollen, or bloated, skip the cleaning and head straight to your nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care for a new battery. Yours is on its way out!

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Step 3: Dip a toothbrush in your cleaner and start scrubbing!

Grab an old toothbrush, dip it in your baking soda cleaner, and start scrubbing the terminals. This will take a little bit of elbow grease and you’ll need to continuously clean off the toothbrush as you work. Clean the terminals thoroughly, until all of the buildup has been removed.

Step 4: Rinse off the residue with water and dry.

After you’ve removed all of the corrosion and dirt from the terminals, give the battery a quick rinse. Fill up a spray bottle with a bit of water and spray down the terminals. If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can also wipe everything down with a damp rag. Then, use another rag to dry the terminals completely.

Step 5: Rub petroleum jelly onto the terminals and reattach the cables.

Once the terminals are dry, dab a bit of petroleum jelly onto them. This will lubricate them, help prevent further corrosion, and help strengthen the connection. Reattach the positive and negative cables, and you’re all set!

Keeping your car battery clean can help get things moving when your car won’t start and battery flow is weak. Staying on top of your battery’s charge is crucial to avoid getting stranded. Stop by for a free battery test at your convenience! Our technicians will let you know just how much “life” is left in your battery so you can hit the road with peace of mind – and a new battery, if necessary!

Why is my parked car leaking oil
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Why Is My Car Leaking Oil When Parked?

It is often said that changing the oil is the single most important thing you can do to take care of your car. Nevertheless, it is something that many automobile owners delay—and the results of procrastination can be dire.

The purpose of oil is to cut down on friction within your engine. When you have high quality, clean oil that is doing its job properly, it means the components of your engine are working well without rubbing together and causing corrosion. Over time, though, oil becomes contaminated and loses its viscosity. In a word, it gets dirty. And when that happens, it loses its ability to prevent friction—which means the components of your engine will literally be wearing each other down, causing erosion and potentially significant mechanical failings.

 

Common Signs of Oil Leaks

One way to know that you’ve gone far too long without an oil change is that oil is leaking from your engine. One of the most typical signs of oil leak is seeing a puddle of greasy-looking brown liquid under your car, after it has been parked for a while. (By contrast, if the liquid is pink, it’s transmission fluid; if it’s green or orange, it’s coolant.)

However, many vehicles today have shielding underneath, which will most likely catch the oil before it hits the ground. That can hide a potentially major oil leak. In this case, a low oil level indicator will be your sign of leakage.

An engine covered in oil is also a pretty good sign of leakage. Open your hood every once in a while, and check your vehicle’s fluids. You will be able to notice if the oil is leaking or seeping from several places. Last, but not least, when oil is leaking, it can get in contact with hot engine surfaces, which means it will burn, and you’ll be able to smell it.

 

But What Causes Oil To Leak, Exactly?

Usually, it is due to degraded engine gaskets or oil seals. Sometimes these components will erode over time, but more likely than not, if you have this kind of leak, it’s because you have old, dirty oil—perhaps because you have not had your oil changed recently enough.

Damaged Oil Gaskets or Pans

Your vehicle’s oil pans and gaskets can easily be damaged by road debris since they are located at the bottom of the engine. Rough roads can lead to a hole which will cause an oil pan leak. The pan’s gasket usually suffers a lot of wear and tear, or it can also get damaged, which leads to an oil gasket leak.

Incorrect Installations

It may happen that one of the gaskets that keep oil inside is Improperly installed. Most commonly, this happens when the oil pan gasket or valve cover gasket are over-tightened. It can also happen when tightness is not evenly distributed. Another reason can be the improper attachment of the oil filter, as the engine oil flows continuously through it, and if it’s loose, you can experience a leak there.

Bad Rings or Valve Seals

Leaking rings or valve seals can also be contributing to your car losing oil. However, if there are no holes in your gaskets, the oil will not make it outside the engine, so you won’t notice it, as it will get burned up in the combustion process.

Regardless of the specific cause, it is urgent to stop an oil leak, so take your vehicle to the Meineke shop immediately. Following the oil leak, you may encounter the smell of burnt oil, followed by blue smoke and ultimately some major damage to your engine. Do not delay in addressing this issue.

Wheel Bearing Warning Signs
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Wheel Bearing Warning Signs

You already know that your car cannot function safely or properly without good, sturdy wheels. What you may not know is that the wheel is far from a simple component. Actually, there is a lot of complexity that goes into the design of a wheel, and several components that must all be integrated together.

A good example of this is the wheel bearing. Wheel bearings are critical for your wheels to work together—specifically, for the hub, tire, and assemblies to work harmoniously. They are also prone to abuse, which is why it’s essential to know the warning signs. But before we go deeper into bad bearings, symptoms, impact, and costs, it’s equally important to understand what it is.

 

What is a Wheel Bearing?

A wheel bearing is a set of steel balls held together in a metal ring, called a race. At the center of your wheels, there is a hollow piece of metal, called a hub. The wheel bearings fit tightly inside this hub, and ride on a metal axle shaft, helping reduce friction when the wheel spins.

These are different from the engine bearings, as there is no constant source of lubrication for the wheel bearings, which means they need to be tight enough to keep away water and road dust. They also support the entire vehicle weight while driving, which is why they suffer a lot of abuse from rough roads, potholes, as well as lateral forces when turning.

As with most automotive components, the wheel bearing can eventually give way to wear and tear, and may even need to be replaced. How will you know when it’s time for a wheel bearing replacement or at least have your vehicle looked at by an automotive professional? Pay attention to some of the key warning signs of a bad wheel bearing.

 

How to Tell When Wheel Bearings Go Bad

Ball bearings are the most common type of wheel bearings used today (along with roller bearings—though the latter don’t have the versatility of the ball ones). Other types include tapered roller bearings, mainly used for trucks, and precision ball bearings, designed for intense radial loads. Regardless of the type your vehicle has, the warning signs are the same, specifically a bad wheel bearing sound.

 

Here are just a few things to keep in mind:

First and foremost, listen! The most common and most easily identifiable symptom of a bad wheel bearing is an audible one. If you notice a grinding or grating noise coming from your wheel or tire, take note that this is very likely caused by a bad wheel bearing—especially if the noise gets louder as the vehicle accelerates.
Another revealing sign of bad wheel bearings: A car that feels loose as you drive it. Looseness can be difficult to convey, but basically, it refers to steering your car and finding that it seems less responsive or less precise than usual. Loose steering is not always due to a problem with the wheel bearings, but it very often can be. Sometimes the wheel bearings can become worn down, which causes them to loosen within your wheel assembly.
A related phenomenon is pulling. When you drive, does the car go where you tell it to or does it seem like it has a mind of its own, veering in a particular direction? Again, this is not always because of a problem with the wheel bearing, but that can certainly be a culprit.
Finally, pay attention to your tires. Rotating your tires regularly can help prevent wear—but if you find that you have extremely uneven wear, you may want to have the wheel bearings looked at.

 

How to Distinguish Bad Wheel Bearing Noise

Humming Noises: There are many sounds coming from a vehicle that are reason for concern, so it’s important to differentiate between them in order to avoid misdiagnosis. Noise can be misleading: a humming noise while driving can be caused by several different issues, starting with your tires, but it can also be the wheel bearing or CV joint.

Squealing & Growling: The classic sounds of a bad wheel bearing are cyclic chirping, squealing and/or growling noise. You can also tell that the sound is related to wheel bearings if it changes in proportion to vehicle speed. The sound can get worse with every turn, or it can disappear momentarily.

Rear Differential Noise vs Wheel Bearing Noise: Howling noise that solely occurs during deceleration is a pretty good indicator of loose pinion-bearing preload. If the howling happens under acceleration at different speeds, then it’s probably worn out gears. However, overly worn out bearings tend to make a howling noise as well, when they don’t support the gears correctly. They also tend to make a rumbling sound when turning.

Anti-Lock Brake Problems and Repairs
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Anti-Lock Brake Problems and Repairs

Anti-lock braking technology is standard on virtually all new automobiles, and is one of the most essential things your car offers to keep you and your passengers safe. As with any automotive system, though, it requires regular maintenance and upkeep, or else it ceases to do its job properly—the results of which can be devastating.

In this post, we’ll give some overview on how anti-lock braking systems, or ABS, work; what makes them stop working; and what you can do to keep yours in good working order.

ABS Brake System at a Glance

While there are some technical complexities to modern-day braking systems, ABS is pretty simple at its core. Basically, there are sensors on each wheel that detect when you encounter a slowdown or a skid. This briefly causes the wheels to stop rotating, which makes it easier for you to control your vehicle and steer it out of trouble. ABS technology helps you avoid danger when the roads are slippery, icy, or wet; only on snow- or gravel-covered roads can ABS come up short. Essentially, ABS will automatically slow your vehicle before you even have a chance to apply your brakes, which means more control and decreased braking distance. Of course, this is all assuming your brakes are working as intended.

ABS Problem

Of course, this isn’t always the case; over time, you may encounter some issues with your ABS, and it’s important that you quickly troubleshoot them and begin the necessary repairs. You may notice that there is an ABS service light on your dashboard. This light will briefly come on when you start the car, but should go off after a moment. If it remains illuminated, then your car is telling you there is a problem with the anti-lock braking system. Crucially, this is rarely a problem with the brakes themselves. More often, there is a malfunction with one of the sensors. This is most often caused because the sensors become contaminated, either with dirt or with metal shavings. It is also possible that the problem is a malfunction in the sensory wiring; usually, this happens either due to driving through extreme environments, or by major neglect of your braking system. For those who take care of their brakes and get their vehicle serviced regularly, this is not a very likely occurrence.

Maintaining and Troubleshooting Your ABS

The best way to avoid problems with your brakes is to have them inspected regularly; you might make this part of your routine maintenance cadence, along with tire rotations and oil changes. Trained technicians, like those at Meineke, can let you know if there’s any work that needs to be done to clean or repair your sensors.
If you do experience problems, such as that ABS service light coming on, make sure you take your car in for servicing quickly. Your brakes are far too important to neglect. Your safety hangs in the balance!
To schedule an ABS service call or routine maintenance, contact your local Meineke service center right away.

The anti-lock braking system on a vehicle is an additional safety feature found on many modern vehicles. The ABS system is designed to help prevent wheels from locking during heavy braking situations, preventing the vehicle from skidding or hydroplaning. The ABS system is made up of the ABS module, and ABS sensors at each wheel. The sensors detect wheel speed, and will send a message to the ABS module to rapidly pump the brakes when it is detected that the vehicle is skidding or has lost traction.
When the ABS system is not functioning then loss of traction, skidding, and hydroplaning are far more likely to occur under heavy braking conditions. The ABS system on most vehicles is usually designed to give you plenty of warning signs when there is any trouble with the system. Being aware of these warning signs, and addressing the problem as soon as they arise will help ensure that your ABS system and vehicle remains functioning for maximum safety.

 

1. Unresponsive brake pedal

In certain cases, depending on the model of vehicle, when the ABS module fails, the brake pedal may become unresponsive. This is an obvious problem, as an unresponsive brake pedal will not stop a vehicle, or will not be able to do so in an adequately safe manner. In most cases, this will happen slowly, over time. Usually the brake pedal will become increasingly hard to press until it is no longer responsive.

 

2. Brake pads require more effort to push

When all components of the braking system are working properly, the pedal should require very little effort. It should be very easy to press down on, and once pressed should have an immediately noticeable effect in slowing the vehicle down. If you start to notice that over time the pedal requires increased effort in order to achieve the same amount of braking force, then that may be a sign of a possible issue with the ABS module.

 

3. The ABS Light is on

The most common sign of an issue with the ABS system is the ABS Light coming on. The ABS Light will show an amber color, and is the equivalent of a Check Engine Light, except it is only to diagnose problems with the ABS system. Older vehicles equipped with earlier ABS systems may not have an ABS Light, and may use a Check Engine Light instead. If the ABS Light comes on then that is a sure sign that there is a problem with the ABS system.

 

4. The brakes are locking up

When it is functioning correctly the ABS system is designed specifically to prevent the wheels from locking up during heavy braking, preventing loss of traction. However, there can be certain instances where a faulty ABS module can behave erratically, causing your brakes to lock up even under normal driving conditions. If you are experiencing sporadic behavior from your brakes, such as random clicking noises, and/or pumping of the brakes, then the ABS module may need to be replaced.

Anti-Lock Brake Problems and Repairs

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