What is the benefit of winter tires?

Winter Tires

Question:
What is the benefit of winter tires?

Answer:
This is a really good question. Most new vehicles in Grand Rapids come with all-season tires that work pretty well in the Ada winter conditions many motorists encounter. First, let’s talk about the things that dedicated winter tires do really well, touch on all-seasons and then you should have some information to help you in your tire selection.

The first thing about winter is that it’s cold. The rubber compound used in summer and all-season tires gets a bit hard when MI temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter tires, on the other hand, stay more pliable as the thermometer drops in Ada. This means better dry road traction in the cold.

Ice and snow is the next thing Grand Rapids motorists worry about during MI winters. Now some MI car owners live where there is a lot of snow, a lot of the time. Extreme winter condition snow tires have a tread design that cuts into and expels deep snow for maximum traction. These tires have a mountain and snowflake icon on the sidewall of the tire.

If you live in MI where the ice and snow are more moderate you can still benefit from winter tires. Their tread has many small “cuts” called sipes that really help them get a grip on ice.

Now, all-season tires are a year-round compromise between high summer performance and high winter performance. They just don’t handle either extreme as well as do dedicated summer or winter tires for MI driving. For example, winter tires offer 25% to 50% more traction than all-season tires. And studies have shown that all-season tires can take upwards of 40% longer to stop than winter tires. This could be enough difference to prevent getting stuck or in an accident.

So what’s best for you? You can meet with your Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service tire professional and reflect on the conditions in which you drive in MI throughout the year and how important performance is to you. For many Grand Rapids drivers that put a premium on handling performance, dedicated summer tires in summer and dedicated winter tires in the winter (for cold as well as ice and snow) are what they need to satisfy their performance needs. Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service will mount different tires depending on the season.

Your considerate Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service tire professional can help you elect a great all-season tire if that is what best suits your needs. No matter which route you take, remember that quality tires are not immune to the laws of physics – so it’s important to drive safely in all Ada road conditions.

Give us a call

Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service
939 Fulton Street NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

What is the Heater Core?

Grand Rapids drivers may wonder where the balmy air in your passenger compartment comes from. Well, as your engine starts to warm up, it also warms the coolant/antifreeze that circulates around the engine and through the radiator. There is also a hose that conveys coolant/antifreeze from the engine to the heater core and another that takes it back into the engine. The heater core looks like a little radiator and lives in the air blend box behind the dashboard.

When motorists turn on the heat, air blows over the heater core, is warmed, and comes into the cabin. Some vehicles have a heater valve that transfers coolant through the heater core when the heat is on and bypasses the heater core when the heat is off. In other vehicles, the temperature of the air is controlled within the air blend box by how much air is directed over the heater core.

The engine cooling system, in a larger sense, also encompasses the heater core. Things that adversely sway, say, your radiator will also harm your heater core. The coolant/antifreeze contains corrosion inhibitors that coat the surfaces inside the cooling system, including the heater core. When the corrosion inhibitors are depleted, the cooling system can become corroded, filled with contaminants, and may even start to leak.

There are several important signs that warn motorists of a leaky heater core: First you may notice a sweet smell from your vents. This is coolant leaking out and getting into the air. You may even notice vapor coming out the vents and notice a film building up inside the windows. Of course, breathing coolant vapors is detrimental for you.

You may also experience coolant on the driveway. Furthermore, depending on the design of your vehicle, you may even get coolant leaking out into the foot wells of the cabin.

Coolant/antifreeze leaking out through the heater core means that the overall coolant level in the system will be low and the engine is in danger of overheating – which is typically the cause of a steep mechanical breakdown.

The good news is that the things you do to protect your cooling system also protect your heater core. Changing your coolant/antifreeze as directed by your auto manufacturer or upon the counseling of your Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service tech will help ensure your coolant has enough corrosion inhibitors working to protect this vital system. Also, quickly repairing any leaks and inspecting hoses for signs of internal breakdown will help keep any trouble from becoming an emergency.

Make sure you talk to with your considerate Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service service specialist about when a cooling system service should be performed.

Give us a call

Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service
939 Fulton Street NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616.459.8941

At Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service in Grand Rapids MI (49503) we install quality NAPA replacement parts.

Automotive Service for Grand Rapids: Check Engine Light

Some are simple and some are complicated

Question:
My check engine light is on and my boyfriend thinks he can get the code read and know what part to replace to fix my sedan. I say it’s not that uncomplicated. Who’s right?

Our Answer:
Good news – you are! Just look at it logically: there are hundreds of things that can go wrong with your sedan. Some are simple and some are quite complicated.

Let’s take a step back. Over 80% of engine functions are computer controlled. The computer receives important information from dozens of sensors. When a sensor reading is out of range, a trouble code is entered in the computer and the Check Engine Light is illuminated.

It’s a common misconception by Grand Rapids motorists that the trouble code will tell you exactly what is wrong. For any given trouble code, there are any number of faults that would trigger the code. For example, a code indicating a misfire on cylinder three could be due to a bad spark plug, a failed coil, ignition problems, compression issues, etc. Each of those possibilities requires additional vital diagnosis to confirm or rule out a cause. Once a trained Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service service professional with state-of-the art diagnostic tools and extensive research databases is able to nail down the problem, then he can set about getting it corrected.

A complicated diagnosis may take some time. Your boyfriend might be tempted to bypass a diagnosis charge by taking a trouble code reading with an inexpensive scan tool and start replacing parts. He might get lucky, but chances are you’ll end up spending more time and bucks than if you went to a professional with the right equipment.

A final word – a flashing Check Engine Light indicates that a condition exists that could lead to serious, pricey damage. Grand Rapids motorists should get to their service center or Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service in Grand Rapids right away. A steadily illuminated Check Engine Light is less urgent so you can get it checked at your convenience. But keep in mind that a minor issue today can become more serious for Ada drivers if left unresolved.

Give us a call

Spaanstra Bros. Automotive Service
939 Fulton Street NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616.459.8941