May 18, 2012

Battery Replacement In Wheat Ridge

Filed under: Battery — casmansa539 @ 5:49 pm

Battery Replacement In Wheat Ridge

Car batteries wear out just like any other battery and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things Wheat Ridge minivan owners should know when looking for a new car battery: one is cold cranking amps and the other is reserve capacity.

Let’s start with cold cranking amps. This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold minivan engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live around Wheat Ridge, specifically how cold it is where you live. The two factors are that the colder an engine is, the more power it takes to turn the minivan engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with. The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient in the cold.

So the colder it gets in Wheat Ridge, more power is needed, but the available power drops.

If you live where it’s cold, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it’s moderate or hot. You should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as the manufacturer recommends, but may want to upgrade at Casman’s Automotive LLC if you live where it gets real cold.

An important note: Batteries may also list the Cranking Amps – CA – number. It is the Cold Cranking Amps – or CCA – that is the important number here. CCA is the number to use in your comparisons.

Now with all this talk of cold temperatures in Wheat Ridge, it’s important to note that heat is the real enemy of long battery life. In other words, the damage that’s done over the hot summer months in Wheat Ridge shows up with the increased demands on the minivan battery when the weather turns cold.

Now on to reserve capacity: It’s a measurement of the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has at a given load. The number is more important these days because of parasitic drain. Parasitic drain is the battery energy that’s used when the key is off. So the power drawn by the minivan security system, the remote start system, even the power the minivan computers require to maintain their memory.

Reserves are also needed when you make very short trips around Wheat Ridge. You’re not driving long enough for the battery to recover the energy it used to start the minivan engine.

So go with the minimum recommended by your manufacturer and upgrade if you need more. Talk with your caring Casman’s Automotive LLC service advisor about options. If you need more from your battery, a larger capacity battery may be called for.

Batteries are a big ticket item for most Wheat Ridge motorists, so the warranty gives peace of mind. Be sure to ask about the car battery warranty at Casman’s Automotive LLC so you know what you’re getting. At Casman’s Automotive LLC, we have been providing quality auto service in Wheat Ridge for 20 years.

Give us a call

Casman’s Automotive LLC
5208 West 38th Ave
Wheat Ridge, CO 80212

At Casman’s Automotive LLC in Wheat Ridge CO (80212) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.420.1850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 10, 2012

Wheel Alignment Service At Casman’s Automotive LLC In Wheat Ridge

Filed under: Alignment — casmansa539 @ 6:26 pm

Wheel Alignment Service At Casman's Automotive LLC In Wheat Ridge

When all of a vehicle’s wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Hitting a road hazard in Wheat Ridge or even just the normal bumps and bounces of everyday CO driving can cause your minivan wheels to be out of alignment. This can lead to expensive premature tire and suspension wear.

Here are some alignment basics from Casman’s Automotive LLC:
The first angle is called toe: do the wheels point in towards each other or away from each other at the front of the tire.
The next angle is called camber: do the wheels tip in or out at the top.
And finally, there is castor. Castor measures the angle where the front axles attach to the vehicle.

The ideal alignment for your minivan was designed by its engineers. Casman’s Automotive LLC alignment service starts with an inspection of the steering and suspension – so see if anything’s bent, broken or worn out. Then the Casman’s Automotive LLC technician will look at tire condition. From there, the minivan is put on an alignment rack and an initial alignment reading is taken. The wheels are then aligned to manufacturer’s specifications.

Your owner’s manual probably has a recommendation for how often your minivan alignment should be checked – usually every couple of years. If you suspect an alignment problem with your minivan, get it checked at Casman’s Automotive LLC before you suffer expensive tire or suspension damage.

Give us a call

Casman’s Automotive LLC
303.420.1850
5208 West 38th Ave
Wheat Ridge, CO 80212

At Casman’s Automotive LLC in Wheat Ridge CO (80212) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.420.1850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 3, 2012

Brake Service At Casman’s Automotive LLC In Wheat Ridge

Filed under: Power Brakes — casmansa539 @ 4:41 pm

Brake Service At Casman's Automotive LLC In Wheat Ridge

Most Wheat Ridge drivers know that braking means slowing or stopping a vehicle. The mechanical aspects of the brakes themselves are just one issue. There’s also the power brake system and brake fluid. And then there are the tires, which are critical to the effectiveness of the brakes.

Let’s step back. A car or truck rolls brand new off the showroom floor at a local Wheat Ridge dealer. It has brand new brakes with brand new brake pads. The brake lines and the power assist are filled with fresh fluid and are completely clean inside. And the minivan tires are brand new, with full tread. Naturally, braking power is at its peak performance.
 
Now, as your drive from Wheat Ridge to Arvada and back, the miles start to add up. Most Wheat Ridge car owners tend to focus on the brake pads. In the Wheat Ridge automotive service community, the pads, and shoes on drum brakes, are called the friction material. That’s because they provide the friction used to stop the minivan. The pads are designed to be effective throughout their useful life – it’s not until they are worn so thin as to be out of spec that they lose stopping effectiveness.

The mechanical parts of the brakes have pistons and springs that get quite a workout while stopping the minivan. Over many miles, these wear and get gummed up. They start to lose effectiveness gradually and could even fail. That’s why a regular brake inspection is important. At Casman’s Automotive LLC, we can test the operation of the brakes and see if any parts need cleaning or replacing.

That leads us to brake fluid service at Casman’s Automotive LLC. Some of the critical additives in the fluid that lubricate and clean the minivan fluid system are depleted over time. That and moisture building up in the system deteriorate the performance of the brake fluid. Brake fluid replacement at Casman’s Automotive LLC includes flushing the brake system to clean out deposits, water and dirt. Then the system is filled up with fresh fluid.

The tires are what connect the minivan to the road. The stopping force is ultimately dependent on the traction provided by the tires. The better they grip the road, the quicker you’ll stop as you drive around Wheat Ridge.

For questions about brakes, brake pads, brake service, cabin air filter, or tires, talk to Casman’s Automotive LLC  manager Melanie Bernhardt.

Give us a call

Casman’s Automotive LLC
303.420.1850
5208 West 38th Ave
Wheat Ridge, CO 80212

At Casman’s Automotive LLC in Wheat Ridge CO (80212) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.420.1850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 25, 2012

Cooling System Service At Casman’s Automotive LLC

Filed under: Cooling System — casmansa539 @ 8:52 pm

Cooling System Service At Casman's Automotive LLC

Your minivan cooling system’s job is to keep your engine cool. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it’s cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the cooled mix circulates back through the minivan engine to absorb more heat.

Coolant, or antifreeze, is specially formulated to keep your engine safe in a wide range of environmental and operating temperatures in Wheat Ridge.

Without coolant, the minivan’s metal engine parts would expand so much that the engine would seize up and stop running.  Expensive parts could be broken or warp so badly they would have to be replaced at Casman’s Automotive LLC in Wheat Ridge. It could even be so bad that the whole engine is ruined and has to be replaced.

Also, if it’s freezing outside in Wheat Ridge, the water in your engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the CO cold. This is why you check coolant levels frequently and have your cooling system inspected for leaks. Also your manufacturer has a maintenance requirement for draining and replacing your coolant. These recommendations can vary widely, so check your Wheat Ridge owner’s manual or ask your service advisor at Casman’s Automotive LLC in Wheat Ridge.

The reason you need to change the coolant is that it has additives in it to protect the cooling system. As you can imagine, with all the heat, the cooling system’s a pretty harsh environment. The additives keep the fluid from becoming corrosive and damaging the radiator and other Wheat Ridge cooling system components. Over time, the additives are depleted and the coolant just has to be replaced. A simple pH test can measure the coolant’s acidity.

You may have noticed that there are different colors of antifreeze at Casman’s Automotive LLC: it is very important that you use the correct type.  The different coolant types are different colors so you don’t mix them up.  Manufacturers use different materials to make the cooling system, and they require different types of antifreeze to protect them.

So check with your caring Casman’s Automotive LLC service advisor or owner’s manual for the right kind because using the wrong coolant can void the warranty for your minivan cooling system.

Ask us about emissions testing, cabin air filter and fuel filter.

Give us a call

Casman’s Automotive LLC
303.420.1850
5208 West 38th Ave
Wheat Ridge, CO 80212

At Casman’s Automotive LLC in Wheat Ridge CO (80212) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.420.1850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 20, 2012

Viva la Differential At Casman’s Automotive LLC

Filed under: Differential Service — casmansa539 @ 6:44 pm

Viva la Differential At Casman's Automotive LLC

With front-wheel drive being so common in Wheat Ridge these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Wheat Ridge folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive minivan differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for CO people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many minivan differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and Casman’s Automotive LLC technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Casman’s Automotive LLC service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Wheat Ridge four wheel drive minivans need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at Casman’s Automotive LLC at different intervals.

Your Wheat Ridge service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your minivan owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Casman’s Automotive LLC
303.420.1850
5208 West 38th Ave
Wheat Ridge, CO 80212

At Casman’s Automotive LLC in Wheat Ridge CO (80212) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 303.420.1850. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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