Vehicle Maintenance

  • Using Your Jumper Cables

    Man with jumper cables

    At some point or another, it’ll happen to you. You leave your headlights on, your battery finally fails, or for some other reason, you don’t have enough juice to start your car. Don’t call a tow truck just yet, though...South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown has the info you need to properly jump-start your car.

  • Valve Adjustment are an essential part for keeping your car running

    Valves on car

    In the realm of performance engines, valve adjustments are an essential part of keeping your car running its best. When you add customization to the mix, valve timing becomes even more critical, and it’s important the technician adjusting them really knows their stuff. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we’ve got you covered.

  • Warning - Your Transmission May Be Failing

    Transmission

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we know that transmissions are witchcraft to most people. More often than not, if major damage has occurred, it’s a lot more time and cost effective to just replace the entire unit and get a fresh start. Here’s what to look out for, from South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD.

  • What Does a Ball Joint Do?

    ball joint

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, we know you’re busy. We also know that while there are certain issues with your car, truck, or SUV you can ignore for a while, some of them shouldn’t wait. While serious issues are often obvious, sometimes they aren’t - ball joints are one such case.

  • What Does That Check Engine Light Mean?

    check engine light on in car dash

    It’s a busy morning, you’ve finally gotten everyone where they need to be and you’re just pulling into the parking lot at work when your dash light starts glaring at you. Your check engine light shines bright, but you have no idea why. Whether you can tell a difference in the way your car, truck, or SUV is running, your car is trying to tell you something. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we can help!

  • What Does That Check Engine Light Mean?

    check engine light on dash image

    It’s a busy morning, you’ve finally gotten everyone where they need to be and you’re just pulling into the parking lot at work when your dash light starts glaring at you. Your check engine light shines bright, but you have no idea why. Whether you can tell a difference in the way your car, truck, or SUV is running, your car is trying to tell you something. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we can help!

  • What does the PCV System do & why is it important to you?

    emissions testing being done on a vehicle

    On modern vehicles, the PCV system (Positive Crankcase Ventilation System) is essential to ensuring your car or truck is ready to go when you are and remains a long-lasting, reliable vehicle. It’s much more than just emissions control - your PCV system serves multiple purposes and is quite interesting! How does it work, and what are those purposes?  Here at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we have those answers for you!

  • What is a Carrier Bearing?

    driveshaft carrier bearing

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, our goal is to keep your car, truck, or SUV shifting and riding as smoothly as it did the day it rolled off the lot. A big part of that is the mounting hardware that keeps the moving parts in your drivetrain running smooth.

  • What Is A Short Throw Shifter

    mechanic

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, routine maintenance and repair isn’t the only thing we do. For custom parts installation, you can also count on us. Common modification enthusiasts do is swapping to a short-throw shifter; but what actually is a short-throw shifter, and what does it do?

  • What Is a Transmission “Flush”?

    transmission fluid being poured into vehicle

    You’ve probably heard the term “transmission flush” before at some point in your automotive experience. But what exactly does it mean to have your transmission flushed, and why does it matter? South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD has the answers.

  • What is an ASE Certified Technician and Why Does it Matter?

    mechanic standing in garage and holding wrench

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, quality and precision are our top priority. We specialize in well-engineered performance and luxury vehicles like BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Land Rover, and Subaru - cars and SUVs that require the right touch. For this reason, we employ ASE certified technicians, to guarantee we’re the best in the business.

  • What It Means When We Say Ground Connection!

    testing battery

    At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, we know that few problems are simultaneously as simple and confusing as a bad ground connection on your car, truck, or SUV. Here’s a look at some symptoms of a bad ground, and what you can do to correct it.

  • What Makes Up a Transmission - Hydraulic Components

    transmission

    Hydraulic power has a lot to do with how your transmission operates. There are some basic hydraulic components that keep your transmission running smoothly.

  • What Parts Operate A Turbocharger?

    turbocharger under hood of car

    Turbochargers are intricate and precise components, but not all that complicated or difficult to understand. By knowing the parts of your car’s turbocharger and its functions, you’ll have a much better idea of how one works. South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD has exactly what you’re looking for.

  • What should you do if you blow a tire?

    man frustrated leaning on car

    The best way to deal with a blown tire is to prevent it from happening in the first place. However, eventually, a flat tire is going to occur, and it’ll most likely be when you least need it. From South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, here’s what you need to do.

  • What To Do When Your Exhaust System is Exhausted

    exhaust coming from a muffler of a truck on the road

    Whether you drive a Duramax, Cummins, or Powerstroke diesel pickup, you have an exhaust system that is prone to failure. When you have a leak that needs attention, South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD can help.

  • What to Know About Your Vehicle's Lights

    Vehicles driving on a highway with headlights on

    All the lights on your vehicle have an important job to do. Brake lights, tail lights, blinkers, reverse lights, and headlights are a crucial part of driving. Lights make you visible, make things visible to you, and allow you to communicate with other drivers. All of a vehicle’s lights make driving easier and safer, and all of them are important...not to mention legally required.

  • What’s The Noise? Diagnosing Manual Transmission Issues

    mechanic working on car in garage

    Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a transmission is working the way it should or not. Is it supposed to make that noise? Is that problem a symptom of the transmission or something else? Fortunately, South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD has the answers.

  • When and Why Your Vehicle Needs a Tune-up

    man holding spark plug in hands

    Tune-ups are an important and frequently neglected aspect of automotive care. Most drivers don’t really consider the mechanical condition of their car, so long as nothing is wrong with it. However, if a vehicle is tuned-up and maintained correctly, many mechanical failures (and expenses) will be avoided altogether. So whne is the right time to get a tune-up?

  • When Do I Need A Heavy Duty Torque Converter?

    torque converter

    If you drive a lightweight car, truck, or SUV, the torque converter you have installed is probably just fine. For those of you with more heavy-duty applications, like high horsepower setups or towing rigs, the stock converter may not be enough. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we can help you determine if your torque converter is right for the job you need to be done. 

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