Monthly Archives: April 2018

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Is Your Vehicle That Complex?

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Vehicles are constantly changing, they’re changing faster and faster with more complex system.

Lawrenceville drivers may feel intimidated when they take their vehicles to a service center. They have questions but aren’t sure how to ask. They don’t want to feel embarrassed about their lack of knowledge. They don’t want to make the service technician feel that they don’t trust him.

Our staff at Global Auto Solutions are prepared to assist you and guide you to better understanding your vehicle. We understand that it may seem that your vehicle’s numerous operating systems may be overwhelming due to its complexity and intricacies.  However, at Global Auto Solutions, we prefer not only to provide solutions but to educate our customers on their vehicles. If your service advisor at Global Auto Solutions uses a term you don’t understand, just ask him to explain. Remember, they are the auto service experts. If they came to your place of work, they probably wouldn’t understand the jargon, either. When you take your vehicle in to be serviced, make sure you understand the financial issues up front. Ask about payment policies, warranties and, of course, the cost of the work being done.

It helps to understand basic services your vehicle needs. Know the difference between a quick check-up and a thorough inspection, which you are getting and which you are asking for. Understand that diagnosing a problem takes time, and time isn’t free. If you have concerns about cost, negotiate your limits before service is done. Don’t be afraid to ask your service advisor for auto advice on how to keep your vehicle on the road within your budget. He can help you prioritize your vehicle’s needs. Some repairs are for the safety and future health of your vehicle. Others can wait. Your Global Auto Solutions service advisor can help you set up a plan to get all the work done as you can afford it.

It may be tempting for Lawrenceville drivers to save money with budget parts. Your service advisor can help you to sort through the options to work within your budget. High-quality parts are always preferable for any auto repair. Your service advisor will make sure the parts used won’t compromise the safety of your vehicle.

Don’t leave your Lawrenceville service center without your paperwork, either. Ask about warranties for parts and labor. You may need these for claims or if there is a problem in the future. Get detailed explanations of the work done on your vehicle. These records will help you keep track of repairs, service, and warranties.

Those records may also help close a deal when it comes time to sell your vehicle. After all, the biggest concern most people in Lawrenceville have when buying a used vehicle is that they are inheriting someone else’s problems.

Records of repairs and service are a good picture of your vehicle’s condition and performance and what problems a new owner can expect. People are always happier to purchase a vehicle they know has been well-maintained. Whenever we climb into a vehicle, we are entrusting our health and safety to it. Perhaps it’s time to take our vehicles’ health a little more seriously. Open up; ask and learn.

Global Auto Solutions
2710 Lawrenceville Highway
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
770.931.0222

 

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Extend Your Car Battery

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One thing all Lawrenceville drivers can do to extend the life of their battery is to keep it clean. A greasy, dirty battery holds in damaging heat. Same goes for removing corrosion from the terminals. Global Auto Solutions can help maintain your battery.

Allowing your battery to be deeply depleted – like from using your headlights when the engine is off – is very harmful to your battery. Most automotive batteries can only take that about 10 times before they are ruined.

Also, making sure you have a full charge every month or so extends battery life. Either an extended drive at freeway speeds around the Lawrenceville are or using a battery charger will preserve your battery’s ability to hold a full charge.

Give us a call.

Global Auto Solutions
2710 Lawrenceville Highway
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
770.931.0222

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Understanding Your Cooling System

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The cooling system keeps GA vehicle’s engines from overheating while they are driving around Lawrenceville. Its job is to move heat away from the engine. Let’s talk about the various components of the system and how they make this happen.

Your cooling system is simple, click here for an easy  visual understanding

The radiator is the part most Lawrenceville drivers associated with the cooling system. Coolant flows through the radiator which has fine cooling fins that draw the heat out of the coolant and dissipate it into the air. To make sure there’s enough airflow over the radiator, a fan pulls air over the cooling fins even when the vehicle is idling.

In some vehicles, the fan is powered by the serpentine belt. On others, an electric motor runs the fan. Electric fans turn on and off as needed. You may have heard the fan kick on shortly after you turn your vehicle off. The sensor has determined that the engine needs a little help cooling down to a safe temperature.

A hose connects the radiator to the water pump. The water pump pushes the water into the vehicle engine block. Now the engine block and cylinder heads have passages for the coolant to pass through without getting into the oil or the combustion chamber. In the automotive community, these passages are referred to as the “water jacket.”

While the coolant is passing through the water jacket, it absorbs heat from the vehicle engine on its way to the radiator for cooling. Between the engine and the radiator is a gatekeeper called the thermostat. The thermostat’s job is to regulate the temperature of the engine just like your home thermostat regulates the temperature in your house. It gets your engine up to the correct operating temperature and then keeps it from overheating.

When you first start the engine, it’s very cold and needs to warm up. So the thermostat blocks the flow of coolant to the radiator. As the engine warms up, the thermostat starts to let coolant flow through the system.

The final component the team at Global Auto Solutions wants to point out is the overflow reservoir. This bottle is designed to hold some of the coolant. It’ll have a mark that indicates whether or not you have enough coolant. This is where you should add coolant if you just need to top it off.

Caution: never open the reservoir or the radiator cap when the car’s hot. The cooling system is pressurized, and opening those caps while it’s hot can cause hot coolant and steam to escape resulting in serious burns.

Cooling system failure is the most common mechanical failure in vehicles around Lawrenceville, GA. At Global Auto Solutions, we can do a periodic inspection of the components for  leaks, loose connections and weakening hoses.

Your vehicle manufacturer has also specified a cooling system service interval. With a cooling system service at Global Auto Solutions in Lawrenceville, the old coolant is replaced with correct clean fluid that contains the additives required to prevent corrosion. The additives are depleted over time and you need fresh fluid for adequate protection. Your radiator pressure cap should be replaced at this service as well.

Global Auto Solutions
2710 Lawrenceville Highway
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
770.931.0222

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Seasonal Auto Inspection at Global Auto Solutions

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Good vehicle care for us Lawrenceville residents has always meant taking our vehicles in every spring and fall for a check-up. Vehicles needed routine maintenance to prepare them for the changes in weather. You can imagine, after the harsh winter period chances are your vehicle has taken some level of battering. Today’s vehicles aren’t quite as sensitive to seasonal changes. Older vehicles required different weights of oil for summer and winter. But today’s engines can run on the same oil all year. Both the engines and the oils have been improved.

Antifreeze—or coolant as it’s also called—protects the engine from both freezing and hot temperatures and thus is required by the engine year-round. Modern coolants don’t have to be changed as often as they did in the past, but your owner’s manual has a recommendation for when it should be replaced to extend cooling system life.

Getting a spring and fall checkup at Global Auto Solutions in Lawrenceville for your vehicle is still good auto advice.

First of all, there is a lot of preventive auto maintenance involved in properly caring for a vehicle. Dropping your vehicle off twice a year at Global Auto Solutions for a quick inspection and routine maintenance is still part of good vehicle care. The changes in the GA seasons can provide a good reminder that it’s time to get the vehicle serviced, just as they remind us that it’s time to take care of the furnace or air conditioner, purchase school clothes or bathing suits, drag out or put away the coats and boots.

There are other advantages to spring and fall maintenance for Lawrenceville residents. Springtime signals the advent of warmer weather. Although modern coolant is designed to last longer than one season, it’s a good idea to check it regularly to ensure you have enough. While you’re at it, your vehicle should also be checked for leaks and worn hoses in the cooling system.

Summer is the time when most of us Lawrenceville residents take vacations or go on road trips. So a spring check-up for our vehicles can lead to a stress-free summer and better memories on the road.

Fall, of course, signals the advent of colder weather in the Lawrenceville area. This is a good time for a routine battery check. The hot weather of summer takes a toll on battery life – then comes winter. Cranking up a cold engine takes a lot more battery power than starting a warm one. So before that cold weather hits, it’s a good idea to check your battery and replace it if necessary. But your tires aren’t completely adapted to changing weather conditions. If you live where temperatures drop below 45°F (7°C) in the winter, or if your commute frequently takes you through snow or ice, you may want to consider changing to winter tires in the fall.

A fall check-up at Global Auto Solutions, just like a spring check-up, can keep you on the road no matter what GA weather brings. Consider how much a worry-free summer vacation and a less stressful Lawrenceville winter commute are worth to you. Then, spring and fall, reset your clocks, change the batteries in your smoke detectors and take your vehicle in for a check-up.

Global Auto Solutions
2710 Lawrenceville Highway
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
770.931.0222