Cary Auto Repair

Frustrating to many people that need their vehicle repaired, is running into a shop that does not give prices or estimates over the phone. Four things that show you why this is not a bad thing but a good thing. Determining what is wrong. When your check engine light comes on you immediately want to know what is going on. Many people go to the auto parts stores because they advertise free scan of your check-engine light. Auto parts advertising gives you the false impression that it could be as easy as replacing your gas cap. While it could be your gas cap, probably not, the scanners used by the parts stores are very basic, they read engine codes and point toward a particular system or part. Auto parts stores want to sell auto parts, so likely it will point toward part replacement. To truly determine what the codes mean, you must visit a shop that has an advanced diagnostic scan tool. These advanced tools can pull up the main codes that the auto parts store can see, bu ... read more

When you are teaching a teenager to drive, you’re naturally focused on some of the most important things about being behind the wheel. Maybe you’re constantly shouting, “The brake is on the left. The LEFT!” But somewhere in the middle of showing your teenager how to drive and handing them the car keys to motor off to who knows where on their own, you really should show your teenager how to take care of a car especially if they have their own vehicle. You don’t want to someday pick up your child that is waiting for you on the side of the road, and learn that they’ve never had the oil changed. So, with that in mind, here a few things you will want to remind your teenager to do when taking care of a car. Get the oil changed. We’ll start with the easiest and most obvious thing first. Changing the engine oil. You know it’s important. Your teenager probably knows, too, but if you never discuss getting an oil change, you ... read more

Many times when your vehicle is taken in for a repair or when you have it in for an oil change it would make sense to have all of your filters inspected for replacement.  There are several different kinds of filters on cars, with each serving a different function.  Here is an overview of what they do to protect your car and why they need to be replaced on a regular basis to help keep your vehicle running properly. Oil filter - This automatically gets replaced whenever you come in for an oil change. The oil filter keeps dirt particles from circulating through your engine and keeps them from settling in your oil pan, which is at the bottom of the engine. If dirt particles are allowed to circulate in your engine, they would cause premature wear on the moving parts in your engine. Why? Because the oil in that pan is pumped throughout the engine to lubricate, clean and cool the moving parts. By getting your oil changed on a regular basis, you will assur ... read more

Driving when it is foggy is a unique experience and it’s far more dangerous to drive in the thick, soupy stuff than you likely realize. According to the Federal Highway Administration’s latest numbers, over 38,700 vehicle crashes occur annually as a result of foggy conditions. Over 600 people killed and 16,300 people are injured, every year, because of it. So, the next time a fog settles over your community, and you have no choice but to drive in it, please think about these seven safe driving tips. Turn on your low beams. You would think since you can’t see much, if anything, that you’d want to turn on your headlights to the brightest setting possible. But fog is made up of little drops of water, and when you turn on your lights to the brightest setting, the light is reflected by the water. In other words, the light is diffused in a way that can make it harder for other drivers and yourself to see. Your High Beam lights project a taller b ... read more

Your vehicle is a compilation of hydraulic, electrical, emissions and mechanical systems working together to provide you safe and reliable transportation. Brakes to stop you. Engine and transmission to move you along the road. Emission control systems to keep our planet safe. And of course, electrical to power all the multiple creature comforts. All these systems are interconnected through multiple networks that constantly monitor the safe operation of your vehicle. When your vehicle has an issue, it communicates with you through how it runs and drives, and through dashboard warning lights. This information is the starting point to determining the source of the issue. Often the condition must be reproduced to gather information and properly diagnose the issue. Some information is hidden within the vehicle’s multiple computers. All the available information needs to be gathered by the technician during a vehicle inspection, such as fluid colors, levels and even smells. When ... read more

You would think that most drivers, if a check engine light came on, would take their car into be serviced right away, because it says “Check Engine”. But as you know, if you’ve been driving awhile and owned a few cars in your lifetime, that doesn’t always happen. People are busy. Sometimes money is tight. And if the car is still driving and seems okay, it’s easy to justify not taking your vehicle in. And the more days, weeks or even months that go by, the easier it becomes to rationalize. Understand that the “Check Engine” light has two urgency levels. The first is a constant message light. This indicates something is wrong and requires attention, but you can safely make it to your destination. The more urgent light is a flashing “Check Engine” message light. If your check engine light is on and is flashing this must not be ignored. It is indicating a severe issue with your vehicle and continued driving may cause ser ... read more

When you love your car, you want to take care of it as best you can. That includes giving it the absolute best in everything from maintenance to car washes. But in the case of gasoline, what you see at the pump could be deceiving you. What’s the difference between premium and regular? How will the different types of fuel affect your vehicle? We at Milex Complete Auto Care /Mr.Transmission are here to tell you once and for all which type of gas your car should really be getting. The first thing you should know about premium fuel is that if your car requires it, you should absolutely use it. In an automobile that requires premium fuel, the engine can be damaged if this fuel isn’t used. Engines of cars like this compress fuel using more pressure than a normal engines. If your car has a turbocharged or high-performance engine, premium fuel will help you get the most out of your engine. But if premium fuel is ju ... read more

We often talk about how important it is to fix potential car problems as they present themselves, rather than letting them fester and become major issues. We see examples of this every day. At Milex Complete Auto Care/Mr. Transmission we want to educate our customers about the proper care for their vehicle.  Nobody likes having to spend $1,000 on car repairs when, if they had just come in two months earlier after the car first started acting strangely, that same bill might have been $100 or less. Reality is, if your vehicle is indicating a minor problem it doesn’t fix itself or remain minor. It usually gets worse. Obviously, it isn’t feasible for anyone to get their car examined by a mechanic every day, and it isn’t necessary. You may or may not know much about cars, but if you know what to look and listen for, you can prevent a l ... read more

  It is a common practice in winter and maybe you’ve even done it several times. There is snow covering your car and ice has settled over your windshield. And it is very cold. So, you trudge outside, start up your car and go back in your house and wait for the car to defrost. Contrary to popular opinion, that isn’t what you should be doing. In fact, there are several mistakes people make with their cars during the winter. Here are a few. Letting your car idle while it warms up. Several minutes isn’t going to kill your car, obviously, but letting it run while you finish breakfast inside is can be bad for your engine – unless your model is one that was built before 1995. Most cars built before 1995 had a carburetor, which combines air and fuel. With those cars, it was a good idea to let the car warm up for a while, as it helped your odds of the ... read more

When choosing a vehicle, it can sometimes be difficult to understand why one car is different from any other, even after you test drive and purchase them. There are a lot of small features that go into a car that you may miss. These little details often only become apparent when something goes wrong with your vehicle. That’s when you find out about a part or something that needs to be replaced, costing you a lot of money. Understanding at least some of the differences between the various types of cars is important when thinking about your future and whether you’ll need auto repair. This is especially the case with newer hybrid vehicles, which have unique functions designed to save you fuel and thus money. Knowing what makes hybrids special can save you a lot in the long run. The experts at Mr. Transmission would like to offer you some important points on what makes these relatively new cars stand out, so that repairs are more affordable. A little more sophistication The m ... read more