Battery Maintenance

Kwik Kar offers customers the value-added benefit of a battery service. This is the most inclusive starting and charging system check and battery installation process in the industry and includes:

• A full analysis of your battery’s condition, including its state of charge and ability to hold a charge.

• An inspection and analysis of the car’s starting and charging system, including the starter, the alternator and the voltage regulator.

• A cleaning of the battery’s connection and cable ends, as well as an application of corrosion protection.

• Installation of a new battery if purchased from a Kwik Kar.

 In order to choose the best battery for your needs, you should consider the following: vehicle manufacturer’s specifications, driving habits, and any additional accessories, such as extra lighting, stereos, CBs, etc.

Most customers agree more power is better. That is why they often choose to exceed the bare minimum power requirements of their vehicle’s manufacturer.

Kwik Kar recommends battery maintenance every 12,000 miles or 12 months.

Gas Mileage

Fuel Filter Service

Every time a driver presses a vehicle's gas pedal, they are controlling how much air and fuel enters the engine. The air filter helps keep debris from entering the engine and a fuel filter helps protect the fuel system.

The fuel from the fuel tank is typically pumped from a pump inside the fuel tank to the engine. In the line between the fuel tank and the engine, a fuel filter is typically present to help protect the fuel system. As a fuel filter slowly becomes clogged, the restricted fuel flow could lead to poor acceleration and reduced engine performance as well as other issues.

Kwik Kar's Fuel Filter service includes:

• Removal of old fuel filter
• Installing a new quality fuel filter
• Inspection for leaks after installation

Is your vehicle in tune?

Tune-Up Service

Your car's engine is made up of hundreds of complex components working together to ensure that your vehicle starts and runs properly. Over time, however, these components can wear out, resulting in a loss of performance and fuel economy. The technicians at Kwik Kar are trained to work on today's high tech engines. We're here to help maintain your vehicle and extend its life.

The nature of an engine "tune-up" has changed considerably over the years, but the basics of how a gasoline engine works has not. Clean gas and air needs to be driven to the vehicle's cylinders where combustion initiated by a spark plug creates the power necessary to move a heavy vehicle. Clogged fuel injectors, dirty air and fuel filters, and corroded spark plugs can all decrease engine performance and contribute to decreased gas mileage and performance. That's why we examine your vehicle's air filter when your stop in, and why we recommend that you follow manufacturer's recommendations for replacing such key components as fuel filters, PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valves, and spark plugs when they are no longer working at maximum efficiency.

It may be time for a "tune-up" if you notice one or more of the conditions below when starting or driving your vehicle:

• a decrease in gas mileage
• a noticeable loss in power
• your engine running "rough" or stalling when at a stop
• engine "knocking" when accelerating or running-on after the ignition is turned off
• your "Check Engine" or "Service Engine" light remaining on after initial start-up

A standard tune-up, or spark plug replacement, done at the suggested maintenance interval will make an engine easier to start, improve fuel economy, lower emissions and restore lost power. Another (often overlooked) service designed to help your vehicle's engine running properly is the cleaning of fuel injectors and the fuel intake system. When dirt and deposits collect on fuel injectors, the amount of fuel delivered to the engine is restricted, leading to deterioration in performance and responsiveness. At Kwik Kar, our trained technicians can perform a Fuel Injection Service that will remove these deposits and help your vehicle maximize its performance and gas mileage capabilities. Regular maintenance of your vehicle's fuel ignition system is the key to reliability, fuel efficiency, and effective engine performance. From fixing a fuel system problem when it occurs to helping you prevent one from happening in the future, the technicians at Kwik Kar are there to keep your engine "tuned-up" and ready to go.

Need a belt?

Serpentine Belt Service

Imagine your car without the air conditioner compressor, air pump, alternator, cooling fan, power steering pump, water pump, and other accessories. That's exactly what you'll have if your serpentine belt snaps. So it's important to have it inspected regularly, and replaced according to your manufacturer's recommended schedule.

As part of the complete maintenance check you receive with every full-service oil change, we visually inspect your car's serpentine belt. If it has more than four cracks per inch in the ribbed section of the belt, and/or cracks that penetrate more than halfway through the thickness of the belt, it should be replaced.

Still, the serpentine belt's appearance doesn't always reveal whether it's on the verge of failure. Be sure to have it replaced on schedule — no matter how it looks. For most vehicles, this only takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Control is a good thing!

Shocks & Struts

Shocks and struts are one of the critical components that control your vehicle’s steering, stopping and stability. As they begin to wear or degrade, they lose their ability to control lean or sway and provide tire grip or adhesion when encountering bumps. A shock absorber's firmness or control affects the rate of weight transfer from one side to another in a turn. Excessive weight transfer from bad shock absorbers can cause the unloading tire to pass from sticking to slipping or sliding, very abruptly. A loss of stability and vehicle control can compromise your vehicle’s safety and the safety of the passengers who ride with you. It’s important for drivers to understand that shocks and struts play a critical role in their vehicle’s safety.

Remember, properly functioning shocks and struts will:

• Keep your tires on the road
• Give the vehicle a comfortable ride
• Help maintain alignment
• Stabilize the vehicle
• Prolong the life of other parts of the suspension

When a shock or strut is not operating properly, you may notice several warning signs:

• Your car will continue to “rock” after hitting a bump
• Your car’s ride will begin to feel bouncy or mushy
• Nose dives on hard braking
• Excessive fluid leakage
• Broken or worn bushings
• Unusual tire wear

Because these changes occur gradually over time, they may be difficult to notice. Kwik Kar can inspect your shocks and strut for you anytime

Check Engine Light?

Engine Diagnostic Service

In order to meet Federal Exhaust Emission and Fuel Economy regulations, today's vehicles are equipped with highly sophisticated electronic engine control systems. Your vehicle’s onboard computer receives information from a network of sensors and switches that convert engine operating conditions into electrical signals.

Based on the information and instructions stored in the computer program, commands are then sent to three primary systems:

• Ignition System
• Fuel System
• Emission Control System

and can ultimately illuminate a “check engine” light. About 85% of vehicles on the road have either a check engine light on or some other safety issue such as a broken license-plate light, loose gas cap, a worn spark plug, poor emissions, low transmission fluid or cracked hoses and belts, according to the Car Care Council, a nonprofit consumer-education organization.

The first step to determine the problem behind an engine light is hooking up a scan tool or code reader to an On-Board Diagnostics connector that usually sticks out from under the driver's side of the dashboard.