Automobile Fluids For Your Sedan

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Jim Nelson

If you’ve walked through the automotive fluids of an auto parts store in Brookfield, you’ll know how overwhelming the sheer number of products available can be. How do you know what’s right for your vehicle?

As you know, these fluids all serve a function in making your car run as you drive around the Brookfield area. Your vehicle manufacturer has specified a particular type of fluid for every system from the motor, to the cooling system, brake fluid and so on. When you realize that not every variation is applicable to your vehicle, the task becomes more manageable.

First let’s talk about why there are so many varieties. Starting with motor oil, we see that manufacturers match the properties of a particular weight or type of oil with the design needs of the engine. For example, engines with sophisticated valve trains often require a thinner weight of oil.

Some vehicles around Brookfield come from the factory filled with synthetic oil and the recommendation to use it for life. The safe bet is to always use what the factory recommends. The recommendation is what’s been proven to work in function and durability tests. The recommended oil is also a factor in determining oil change interval schedules.

Pewaukee WI Auto Fluids A good quality oil has more additives that are engineered to clean and protect the engine. They cost a bit more, but are worth the extra protection. If you buy budget oil, you might want to consider shortening your oil change interval.

Sometimes fluids are developed specifically to meet the needs of a particular family of engines. An example would be coolant. Because of the different materials used to build the cooling system, the coolant has to be formulated to protect those parts, which vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, from corrosion. We’ve seen special coolant in Brookfield for General Motors, Volkswagen, Chrysler and others.

The same is true of transmission fluid and brake fluid in recent years.

The really good news is that your Brookfield service center has databases that tell them the recommended fluids for your vehicle. This takes all the guess work out. If you have some special needs, like a higher mileage engine or want enhanced performance, ask your service advisor for upgrades or additives that’ll meet your needs while being consistent with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Of course, your full-service oil change will top off your fluids. But it’s a good idea to have some of everything at home in case you need to top something off yourself or to take on a trip. Ask your Brookfield service advisor at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee or check your owner’s manual for fluid specifications.

It’s important to know that there are national warranty laws that say that a manufacturer cannot require you to use their brand of fluid to maintain your warranty. That said, there are two things that may affect your warranty.

Using the wrong type of fluid may void the warranty. Going back to radiator coolant, the correct type protects against corrosion and the wrong type will not. So it’s important to be right.

Also some warranty protections are conditioned on taking care of scheduled preventive maintenance. Please review your warranty if you have questions.

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Busted: The Maintenance-Free Myth In Pewaukee

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Jim Nelson

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There’s a segment of the Pewaukee population that’s not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Mistaken perceptions have crept into the WI area over time. Many Pewaukee motorists think the root lies in the fact that modern cars are so reliable. Reliability has improved dramatically in recent years. Quality surveys report fewer problems with new cars than ever before.

Back when cars spent more time in the repair shop, Pewaukee drivers were more mindful of routine service. Now, it’s much easier to put it off.

Take tune-ups for example. In the days of mechanical ignition systems, an engine needed to be tuned-up every couple of years. The ignition points had to be replaced, spark plugs and coils replaced and the timing adjusted. If your engine was out of tune, you knew it. It ran poorly and got bad fuel economy.

Waukesha The Maintenance-Free MythNow, the ignition system in your Sedan is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as a hundred thousand miles. So tune-ups used to force you in to Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee for service and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.

Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new cars in Pewaukee have been leased. These folks plan on turning the car in after two or three years, so they haven’t focused on the maintenance that helps your car last longer.

Given all that, what’s the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your Sedan will perform better and return better fuel economy.

Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that major repairs are prevented. And these aren’t just repairs that are a long ways off. Modern Sedan engines are far more sophisticated and have many parts that are in critical need of proper lubrication. Missing just one oil change can allow oil sludge to start forming. Sludge clogs small engine passages, robbing parts of the lubrication they need. An expensive failure could easily occur within two or three years.

And modern engines require more sophisticated fluids. Because of the different types of materials that are used to make auto parts, things like aluminum, plastics and steel, different types of additives are required to protect automotive components from corrosion. These additives deplete with time as well as with use.

For example, your Sedan engine coolant could actually become so corrosive that it eats holes in your radiator or other cooling system parts. Of course, that could lead to massive engine damage, all for the want of replacing the coolant on schedule.

Taking care of the little things now prevents big problems later. At Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee, we have been taking care of all those little things for 2 years. Your Sedan still needs to be taken care of – it’s just that some of those points of care have changed with automotive advancements. The need for proper maintenance in Pewaukee did not go away.

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Technician Training at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Jim Nelson

Your car is important to you and keeping it running is vital to your Pewaukee lifestyle. That’s why you should have it serviced regularly at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right.

It’s also very important to your Pewaukee service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our Pewaukee service center spends every year to make sure our technicians are properly trained.

Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee offers a variety of car care services to many kinds of vehicles. We need to be up to date on the latest techniques and parts so that they can care for your car properly. Our Pewaukee centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer.

And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee technicians follow these procedures so they can safely deliver a consistent level of high-quality service.

Some services require the use of specialized equipment. Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee technicians are trained extensively on this equipment so that they can service your car quickly and efficiently.

Classroom, video and hands-on training is provided by the company and outside trainers. It’s not only important that service technicians be able to perform a given task, they also need to be thoroughly trained in inspection and diagnostic techniques. One of the great services they perform is to spot potential problems before they become serious.

The automotive service industry has standards for classifying and communicating problems to customers. For example, it’s one thing to learn that your manufacturer recommends that you change your serpentine belt every 30,000 miles and another to learn that the belt is on the verge of failure. These standards help you understand the urgency of recommendations, letting you make better service decisions.

You may be interested to know that service technicians are trained in compliance with federal and local Pewaukee laws and regulations, including environmental regulations regarding the disposal of used parts and fluids.

It’s the goal of our Pewaukee service center to provide fast, courteous service. You should feel free to ask your technician or one of the managers about your service or for more information about their recommendations.

Well-trained service providers, established procedures, industry standards, and, of course, AutoNetTV, combine to give you the best service experience possible.

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Emergency Items For Your Sedan

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Jim Nelson

Local Brookfield roadside emergencies can range from a flat tire downtown to being stranded in a snowy ravine for three days. So you may want to consider a basic emergency kit to keep in the car at all times and a travel kit tailored to a specific trip.

Your close-to-home kit for around Pewaukee would have some basic items to work on your car: everything you need to change a tire, gloves, a couple quarts of oil, some antifreeze and water. A can of tire inflator is a great temporary fix for minor flats. You’ll also want jumper cables or a booster box, flares, a flashlight and some basic hand tools.

Now for your comfort and safety: a first aid kit, drinkable water, high calorie food (like energy bars), blankets, toilet paper, cell phone, towel, hat and boots. Keep some change for a pay phone, emergency cash and a credit card.

People who live in areas with frequent severe weather or earthquakes may want to carry provisions for longer emergencies.

For trips away from home, consider the weather and geography as you assemble your emergency supplies. You’ll need to have a source of light and heat and will want to provide protection against the elements as well as adequate food and water for everyone in the car.

Always tell people where you are going and have a plan for checking in at waypoints. Then if you run into trouble, you can be reported missing as soon as possible and rescuers will be able to narrow the search area.

The key to safe travel is to keep your vehicle properly maintained, plan ahead, and let others know your itinerary.

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How Catalytic Converters Work.

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Jim Nelson
Great Converter Video

Catalytic converters are one of the most expensive emission control items on our cars that have been there since I’ve worked on them. They are a piece of the puzzle that allows us to drive on our highways or walk in a highly congested area of vehicles without putting on an oxygen supply.

Yet when someone needs one of these replaced, they tend to not want to spend the money as it gives them no direct benefit other than to turn off that big yellow check engine light. In reality we should be excited to be replacing our worn out catalytic converter as it is so important in keeping us driving combustion engines and yet not leaving the person behind you green and nauseous.

The one thing they don’t speak of in this video is the difference in the original equipment converter and the less expensive converters. I would like to tell you that someone on the end of the supply chain is just pocketing some extra cash, but that isn’t the reason. They talk about very expensive metals that cause the reaction to occur and are the key to the whole thing working. Well the OEM suppliers are regulated under different standards than the aftermarket units. This is why a factory built converter can sell for $1600.00 while the aftermarket will sell for $800.00. You will in some cases install the less expensive unit and shortly after have the same failure even though the unit was installed to specification.

So when your supplier is recommending the more costly option, remember, there is a very good reason for it and the money you spend will be to preserve our very precious God given air we breathe and our children will breathe till the combustion engine runs out of things to burn.

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Commitment to Make Your Sedan Last At Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Jim Nelson

For advice on how to make your Sedan last longer, visit us at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee
N49W22900 Commerce Center Dr
Pewaukee, WI 53072
262-691-7113

These days many people in the Brookfield area are really committed to making their cars last a long time. First thing: you’ve got to start with what you’ve got. It’d be ideal if people started with a brand new car, never missed a scheduled service item, paid attention to the severe service maintenance schedule and had regular inspections. But if you’ve had the vehicle for a while, or bought it used, its maintenance history is what it is; and that’s where you start.

Go through the maintenance schedule for your Sedan and see what’s been done and when. Have your Pewaukee service advisor at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee do an inspection and come up with a list of stuff that needs to be done. Review the list and prioritize the work, talk about budget and make a plan to get caught up.

Making a plan is so important. Suppose you go in for an oil change and learn you need your cooling system serviced, a transmission service and are coming up on a timing belt replacement in the next 5,000 miles. You might be pretty overwhelmed.

To make it even more stressful, these are all very important systems that are expensive to repair if there’s a failure. In consultation with your Pewaukee service advisor, you might decide to take care of the transmission on this visit, set an appointment for the cooling system service next month and get an estimate for the timing belt replacement so you’ll be prepared for it in a few months.

Having a plan for taking care of these important services will set your mind at ease.

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Tire Tread Depth for Pewaukee WI

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Jim Nelson

So, when are your tires actually worn out? This is a question a lot of us in Pewaukee WI ask ourselves. For many, the answer is ‘when they no longer pass a safety inspection’. But waiting that long can have a serious impact on your safety.

The U.S. Federal government doesn’t have any laws for tread depth, but 42 of the states, and all of Canada, do have regulations. They consider two-thirty-seconds of an inch to be the minimum legal tread depth. Two other states, including California, consider one-thirty-second to be the minimum and six states have no standards at all. Call us at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee (just call 262-691-7113) to find out what your requirements are in the Pewaukee WI area.

Since 1968, U.S. law has required that a raised bar be molded across all tires. When tires are worn enough that this bar becomes visible, there’s just 2/32” of tread left. But does that older standard give you enough safety?

Well, Consumer Reports issued a call to consider replacing tires when tread reaches 4/32”. And the recommendation is backed by some very compelling studies. Now before we go into the studies, you need to know that the big issue is braking on wet surfaces.

We tend to think of the brakes doing all the stopping, but you also need to have effective tires to actually stop the car. When it’s wet or snowy in Pewaukee WI, the tread of the tire is critical to stopping power.

Picture this: you’re driving over a water-covered stretch of road. Your tires actually need to be in contact with the road in order to stop. That means the tire has to channel the water away so the tire is actually contacting the road and not floating on a thin film of water – a condition known as hydroplaning. When there’s not enough tread depth on a tire, it can’t move the water out of the way and you start to hydroplane.

This is where the studies come in. We think you’ll be surprised. A section of a test track was flooded with a thin layer of water. If you laid a dime flat on the track, the water would be deep enough to surround the coin, but not enough to cover it.

A car and a full-sized pick-up truck were brought up to 70 mph and then made a hard stop in the wet test area. Stopping distance and time were measured for three different tire depths. First, they tested new tires. Then tires worn to legal limits. And finally, tires with 4/32” of tread were tested – this is the depth suggested by Consumer Reports

When the car with the legally worn tires had braked for the distance required to stop the car with new tires, it was still going 55 mph. The stopping distance was nearly doubled. That means if you barely have room to stop with new tires, then you would hit the car in front of you at 55 mph with the worn tires.

Now with the partially worn tires – at the depth recommended by Consumer Reports – the car was still going at 45 mph at the point where new tires brought the car to a halt. That’s a big improvement – you can see why Consumer Reports and others are calling for a new standard.

Now without going into all the details, let us tell you that stopping the truck with worn tires needed almost 1/10 of a mile of clear road ahead to come to a safe stop. Obviously this is really a big safety issue.

The tests were conducted with the same vehicles, but with different sets of tires. The brakes were the same, so the only variable, was the tires.

So, how do you know when your tires are at 4/32”? Well, it’s pretty easy. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn’t cover George Washington’s hairline, it’s time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.

Now you may remember doing that with pennies. But a penny gives you 2/32” of an inch to Abraham Lincoln’s head. The quarter is the new standard – 4/32”.

Tires are a big ticket item and most people in Pewaukee WI want to get the most wear out of them that they can. But do you want that much more risk just to run your tires until they are legally worn out? For us, and we would guess for many, the answer is “no”.

Well, Mr. Washington, let’s go out and look at my tires.

Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee
N49W22900 Commerce Center Dr
Pewaukee, WI 53072
262-691-7113

Posted in Tires and Wheels | 1 Comment

Fuel Filter Replacement

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Jim Nelson

You would never like to drink a glass of mud, right? Well, your car feels the same way. It needs a steady supply of clean fuel in order to run well and deliver good fuel economy. The fuel filter’s job is to clean dirt and rust out of the fuel before it gets to your engine. A clogged fuel filter can actually choke off the engine so that it won’t start or run. Some fuel filters have a bypass valve that allows fuel to go around the clogged filter so your car will still run. But, then the contaminated fuel can plug your fuel injectors and allow damaging particles into your engine.

A car with a partially clogged fuel filter might run well around town, but sputter and strain on the highway because it’s starving for gas. There are two things that affect how often you need to replace the filter. They are: where you drive and the gas you buy. If you drive a lot in southeastern Wisconsin with all the road construction in the summer and the sand and salt grit in the winter, your fuel filter will have a harder time keeping the fuel clean.

And, we hate to say it, but buying the cheapest gas from some of the cut-rate Brookfield area stations sometimes means dirtier fuel that’ll clog the filter sooner. Major brands tend to be cleaner and certainly have higher levels of detergent additives.

Of course, your manufacturer recommends intervals for changing the fuel filter. But, it’s a little more complicated than that. Some manufacturers stopped listing recommended intervals for fuel filter replacement or have very long intervals like every five years or eighty thousand miles. So you may need to look to other sources for recommendations. Cars older than six or seven years are especially at risk because they have had time for dirt and rust to build up in the fuel tank. A clean fuel filter keeps the gas flowing. Even a partially clogged filter puts added strain on the fuel pump. That can shorten its life and result in a costly repair.

E46 Fuel Filter

BMW E46 Fuel Filter

As is often the case, spending a little money now on something as inexpensive as a fuel filter can save money down the road. At Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee in Pewaukee, we can check your fuel filter. It is better than fixing a burned out fuel pump or ruined fuel injectors.

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Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee Often Asked About Premium vs. Regular Gas

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Jim Nelson

People in Pewaukee WI often ask the question: “Will using premium gas make my car run better?” The answer is simple. But first, let’s talk about what exactly premium gasoline is.

Different grades of gasoline have different octane ratings. Regular gasoline has the lowest octane rating and premium the highest. Most gas stations around Pewaukee WI also carry a mid-grade that falls in between the two. The octane range for the different grades of gas varies by region due to altitude differences.

Engines require different octane ratings because of design differences. For example, turbocharged engines usually require premium gas.

There’s a sticker on your gas tank filler lid that tells you the minimum octane rating your manufacturer recommends.

For help identifying the type of gasoline your engine needs, come by our Pewaukee WI service center:
Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee
N49W22900 Commerce Center Dr
Pewaukee, WI 53072
262-691-7113

Read your owner’s manual carefully to see if it’s acceptable to use lower grades. With some cars in Pewaukee WI it is; the engine control computer can adapt. You’ll lose some performance, but won’t do damage. With other engines, using a lower grade of fuel could result in serious damage; so you don’t want to save a couple of bucks at the pump only to pay it out a hundred fold at the repair shop.

Your car will run best on the grade of gasoline recommended by the manufacturer.

Today’s computer controlled vehicles are optimized to run well on the recommended grade of fuel. Using a higher grade than is recommended will not give you any additional performance or better fuel economy.

Regulations require detergents for all grades of gasoline, so your engine will have the same protection, regardless of the grade of fuel you use. If you do hear some knocking or pinging from your engine, take it seriously and get your Sedan into Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee. It may be a sign that you need a tune-up or some other repair.

In times of high gas prices, we’re all conscious of making our fuel dollar go further as we drive around Pewaukee WI. Be sure to use the right gas for your car. Keep your tires properly inflated and your vehicle well maintained and you will get the best fuel economy possible.

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On Board Diagnostics For Pewaukee Motorists

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Jim Nelson

Some motorists are confused by Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee charges for diagnostic services for a vehicle repair. Many services at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee and other Wisconsin automotive repair shops include diagnostic fees.

When you take your laptop into a Brookfield computer repair shop for a problem you’ll likely have to leave a deposit for diagnostics. When we visit our Pewaukee doctor for a medical problem, we’re paying him to diagnose our ailment and of course for the tests that go along with it.

On Board Diagnostics For Pewaukee Motorists

So receiving a diagnostic charge at Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee for a tricky automotive problem shouldn’t be a surprise. In the Brookfield area, automotive diagnostics can cover quite a range. If you hear a noise in your BMW brakes when you slow down in rush-hour traffic on a busy Wisconsin expressway, you pull off the next off-ramp and take a quick visual check. That is usually enough to know what needs to be done. If you’re having an intermittent problem with your Sedan engine, Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee diagnosis may be much more involved.

Much of the Brookfield public’s confusion comes when the problem involves the check engine light. The check engine light comes on when the engine management computer has sensed a problem.

There’s a common misconception among Pewaukee, Sussex, and Waukesha drivers that the trouble code tells the Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee technician exactly what’s wrong. Why then is there a diagnostic charge, the scanner just gave the diagnosis?

Reality is more involved than that. The computer monitors many sensors throughout the vehicle. When one of these sensors has a reading that’s out of parameters, the computer will record a trouble code and turn on the check engine light.

The Sedan computer’s trouble code just tells the technician what engine parameter is out of range – not what’s causing it. The technician needs to determine the underlying problem that’s causing the symptom.

There are many problems that could cause a troublesome sensor reading. Our technician makes a list of the most likely causes and begins tracking down the source of the problem.

Our service center subscribes to databases that document possible causes for a given trouble code. They outline procedures for confirming a diagnosis and provide the documented fix. These databases are specific to each vehicle and engine combination.

Some diagnoses are quick and easy. Others are more involved and difficult. Of course Nelsons Automotive of Pewaukee wants to figure out what’s wrong with your Sedan and get you back on the road as quickly as possible.

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