Auto Repair Shop
If you take great care of your vehicle and follow the manufacturer’s recommended service schedule, your car, truck, or SUV can run well for many years. No matter how well you stay on top of routine maintenance and drive carefully, your vehicle will eventually need more work than preventative care and scheduled service. The mechanical systems in your vehicle take a lot of abuse due to the processes involved with driving each day, and all of that wear and tear adds up. That is when it is important to have an auto repair shop that you can trust and depend on to take great care of your vehicle and get you back on the road.
Here at Loganville Ford, we pride ourselves on offering the highest level of customer service and care for your vehicle. We are here to help you with routine service, scheduled maintenance, major repairs, and larger issues that can arise for a wide range of reasons. Whether you have hit the 100,000-mile marker and need thorough service to keep your vehicle running beautifully, or you have started hearing a strange sound and want to get it fixed before it becomes a bigger problem, we are here to help. No matter what you and your vehicle need, you can count on the amazing team of people we have put together at Loganville Ford to be here for you today, tomorrow, and for many years to come.
What to Know About Major Repairs
When it is time for your vehicle to get some work done beyond routine maintenance and typical service, it is important to ensure you have people you can trust working on it. An oil change or filter replacement is easy to do at home in your driveway or garage, but engine repairs and transmission rebuilds are much more demanding. Not only does this type of work require the right equipment and know-how, but it is a far bigger problem if something goes wrong. Having people you can trust means the work gets done properly, and you can drive with confidence, knowing your vehicle is in great shape.
Engine Repairs and Rebuilds
Few parts of your vehicle take as much abuse through daily driving as your engine; fortunately, it is built to last a long time and endure tremendous heat and use. That being said, there will still come a point when even the best engine starts to have issues that need to be repaired. If your car will not start or the engine begins to overheat regularly, then these can be signs that you need some sort of major repair. Occasional overheating can be caused by a variety of issues, and something as simple as adding more coolant or changing your oil can fix such a problem—persistent overheating usually indicates a larger issue.
Similarly, if your vehicle starts but stalls while you are driving, then this can be a sign that your engine is having larger issues like misfiring or problems with fuel delivery. Problems with your engine can also manifest as strange sounds coming from it or unusual vibrations and roughness while you are driving. If you notice any of these issues, you should not wait to bring us your vehicle and let us look at it. Engine problems can often start small and might have simple fixes, but if ignored, they become much bigger issues that require major repairs or full engine replacements/rebuilds before you can get back on the road.
Head Gasket Repair
One specific part of your vehicle’s engine you should know about is the head gasket—you may have heard people refer to a “blown head gasket” at some point. These three words are known to strike fear in most drivers because it is a serious issue that requires major repairs rather than something minor. A blown head gasket is at the extreme end of head gasket issues, however, so other things can come up and let you get ahead of a total failure and expensive repairs. The gaskets keep the main engine block cylinders and the cylinder heads separate from each other so combustion can occur properly. When they are compromised, you can end up with combustion gasses getting into your cooling system and other issues.
If you notice something that feels off about how your vehicle is running or that your engine oil looks off, these can be signs of a compromised head gasket. Minor issues to the head gasket can potentially be fixed using a stop-leak product that is added to the cooling system and that can mend minor head gasket damage. If the head gasket is severely compromised or the cylinder head is warped or otherwise damaged, a full head gasket replacement is necessary. We can take a look at your vehicle, test to see if the head gasket is the likely problem, and then recommend the best course of action to you.
Radiator Repairs
The radiator in your vehicle is there to help keep your engine cool by offering a way to eliminate excess heat while you drive. Fiery explosions are the source of energy for your vehicle, which creates tremendous heat in the engine; liquid coolant travels through the engine and warms up. That coolant then runs through the radiator, where it cools off, then cycles back into the engine and repeats this process, removing heat from the engine and dispersing it through the radiator. You can see how important this is.
If you have issues with your vehicle overheating repeatedly and do not see any leaked coolant under your vehicle, a radiator problem is likely a culprit. Even if you notice leaked coolant, there could still be a leak related to the radiator; no matter where the problem is, we can find it and determine the best way to fix it. Replacing a radiator cap, changing hoses, or replacing an entire radiator is much simpler than replacing an engine that has overheated to the point of serious damage. No matter what is causing your car to overheat, we can fix it and have you back on the road in great shape.
Transmission Repairs
The transmission is a vital part of your vehicle; without it, you are not going anywhere. Through the transmission system, power generated by the engine is transmitted to the wheels—either two or four, depending on if you have a two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive model. If something goes wrong with the transmission, then power from your engine will not reach the wheels, and you will be stuck. This fairly complicated system includes numerous heavy-duty parts and a fluid system, including hoses, gaskets, valves, and more.
In some cases, you might have a relatively simple transmission problem—like a leaking fluid line, bad seal, or damaged gasket. These are all easy and inexpensive to fix, but you need a talented professional to spot the issue and know how to take care of it properly. Larger problems can require a full transmission rebuild or replacement, which will be a bigger expense and require more time to fix. If you notice the engine working harder to get you going, experience difficulty switching gears or your car slips gears, or you smell something strange, like burning chemicals, then these can all be signs that your transmission has a problem.
Alternator Repairs
Despite their large size, car batteries do not actually provide much power for your vehicle on their own—the battery just needs to deliver enough power for your vehicle to start. Once your car starts, the alternator kicks in, and it keeps the battery charged while you drive, which is why the battery does not have enough charge normally to let you drive for hours. If the alternator stops working or is having issues, you will quickly find yourself with a dead battery, even if the battery is in good shape.
The tricky part with alternator issues is that they can look like a lot of other things—many people assume a dead battery means they need to replace the battery or that dimming headlights means they need new bulbs, but both of these things can be caused by a dying alternator. Minor alternator problems can be as simple as replacing a drive belt that connects the engine to the alternator, or you might need a full replacement if there is a larger problem. Whatever the case might be, here at Loganville Ford, we can diagnose your car’s issues and make sure you get the right fix to have you back on the road.
Exhaust System Repairs
Car engines are powerful machines that run on intense explosions; these explosions create energy that your vehicle uses but also create fumes within the combustion chamber. These fumes need somewhere to go safely, which is what your vehicle’s exhaust system is all about. Much more than simply the tailpipe you can see at the back of your vehicle, the exhaust system runs all the way from that endpoint to your engine, which means there are a lot of places where things can go wrong and need to be fixed up.
The catalytic converter is one of the most important parts of your car’s exhaust system and changes the dangerous gasses from combustion into carbon dioxide—you still do not want to breathe that, but it is better than what was initially created. These gasses then run through the exhaust pipes and out through your tailpipes; if you smell exhaust while driving, you might have a leak in this system that needs to be repaired. Similarly, the exhaust also includes your vehicle’s muffler, which helps reduce the loud noise your vehicle’s engine naturally makes. If it is louder than usual, then your muffler might need to be fixed or replaced.
Steering and Suspension Repairs
When you are behind the wheel, few things are as important as your ability to control your vehicle and to have it respond to your actions. From the steering wheel in your hands to the tires on the road, everything you do goes through a number of different systems to ensure your vehicle can react accordingly. Your steering system likely includes a power steering mechanism with rack & pinion assemblies and other components, along with power steering fluid. If your steering begins to feel non-responsive and you have to work harder to control your vehicle, then this system likely has an issue that needs to be addressed right away.
Your vehicle’s suspension includes shocks, coil springs, struts, and more components that all connect to your wheels and the tires that wrap around them. All of these parts are crucial for proper vehicle performance, not only ensuring you enjoy a smooth ride but also helping you remain in control while you drive. Shocks and struts last about 80,000 miles and will naturally wear and need to be replaced; other things like hitting potholes or curbs can also throw off your alignment and suspension, so keep that in mind. If your vehicle has started running rough or feels off, you might have a suspension or steering issue that we can help you with.
Hose and Belt Replacements
You might have noticed several times while discussing other issues that we have mentioned hoses and belts. That is because there are a number of different belts and hoses throughout various parts of your vehicle directly tied to the overall performance of your car. While these components are designed to last a long time and take a tremendous amount of abuse as you drive, they will still wear out and break down eventually. The trick is to stay ahead of them when possible and act quickly when an issue begins to show itself.
In general, the hoses in the various parts of your vehicle should last about 80,000 miles before developing cracks and other issues. If you start noticing fluids under your vehicle, even in small amounts, you should have your hoses checked out immediately—a small leak today is much easier to fix than a major rupture or damage down the road. The timing belt on your vehicle is essential for proper performance, and it will need to be replaced, preferably before it wears out and becomes a problem. Depending on your vehicle and the quality of its timing belt, it might need to be replaced after about 60,000 miles, though many modern belts can last up to 100,000 miles before you need to replace them.
Spark Plug Replacements
Even though spark plug replacements are some of the most well-known vehicle issues (for some reason, everyone has heard of them), they do not need to be replaced very often. You will need to check the owner’s manual for your vehicle to see where they fall in the service schedule, but some vehicles can go 100,000 miles without replacing the spark plugs. If you feel the timing is off with your engine or feel it misfiring, you might have an issue with your spark plugs. They are inexpensive and easy to replace, so they are a great place to start if something feels off and there are no other signs of a major problem.
Water Pump Replacement
Much like the radiator, the water pump in your vehicle is an integral part of cooling off your engine because it is what circulates coolant through the engine and radiator. When your water pump starts to fail, the entire system begins to break down, and you will have an overheating engine before you know it. Minor issues like a hose break or compromised seal can be fixed easily, but larger issues can require completely replacing the water pump. If nothing else comes up, it is a good idea to replace the water pump after about 60,000 miles to avoid future problems—overheating is not good for your engine and can cause damage that is much more expensive to repair.
Get the Care Your Vehicle Deserves Today
With everything we have looked at, the most important thing to remember is that it is almost always quicker, easier, and less expensive to fix a problem when it first pops up rather than putting it off. We will not pretend that replacing your radiator is a good time, but it is far better than letting your engine overheat repeatedly until it seizes up or the cylinders warp and the entire thing needs to be rebuilt or replaced.
When you have people you can trust to take the best care of your vehicle possible, you always know where to turn, and you can rest easy knowing that whatever the problem might be, it will be fixed the right way. Here at Loganville Ford, we have assembled a remarkable team of people ready to help you and your car with everything you need. Call or come visit us at our service center today to make sure your vehicle runs beautifully, and we will have you back on the road as soon as possible.