Automotive News & Information - South Mountain Collision & Auto Center

Dirty Hands Working on a diesel truck engine

Keeping your fuel system maintained will prevent premature parts failure and poor running conditions. Here are some important aspects of diesel fuel system maintenance, to keep your fleet running smoothly. While your system and components should typically be serviced by a professional technician, there are some things you can be conscious of that will go a long way toward keeping your engine in good shape.

For the first several decades of automotive history, transmissions weren’t reliant on electronics for operation. Today, that simply isn’t the case. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we have the knowledge and equipment necessary to take care of even the most complex transmissions, no matter what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive.

If you own or operate a fleet or commercial truck, you know it’s hard to keep everything working perfectly all the time. You have to choose what to give priority to, and what can wait. However, some small problems are indicators that a bigger issue is on the way. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, our goal is to keep you and your fleet going.

Part of maintaining your vehicle is keeping its safety devices in good working order, especially when there are kids in the vehicle. Seat belts, window locks, and airbag sensors work together to keep children safe in an automobile. Though safety components are generally very reliable, they do occasionally fail. South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD is here when they do; here are some things to watch out for.

While fuel pump issues are common, they often get misdiagnosed. What is your fuel pump, how do you know if yours is bad, and what should you do about it? At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we are going to make sure that you are an informed driver so you know what to look for and what you should do about it.

“Valve body” is one of those nebulous car terms you hear all the time, but nobody seems to really know what it is. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we know exactly what a valve body is, what it does, and are well equipped to address any issues your valve body may be experiencing.

As cars become more technologically advanced, the importance of your vehicle’s battery becomes more important. In the old days, a car battery essentially worked, or it didn’t; if it was good enough to start the car, it was good enough. Modern vehicles are a different story. A faulty battery can cause a variety of issues, including engine codes, sensor failures, irregular transmission behavior, and the list goes on.

Battery failure often causes issues that are commonly misdiagnosed, and in the hands of the wrong auto repair shop, a mechanic may spend hundreds of your hard-earned dollars chasing problems that don’t exist. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, our mechanics are familiar with modern vehicles and the problems that accompany them.

Unless you are confident in your abilities as an automotive mechanic, there is really only one rule when purchasing a flood-damaged vehicle: don’t do it. Unfortunately, sometimes sellers aren’t particularly straight-forward with their used cars. Many will try to hide the fact that it’s been damaged by floodwaters at all or try to convince potential buyers that the car is in fact fine. “It has gone months with no issues” or “technically it is flood-damaged but” are two red flags, and while it isn’t impossible for a flood car to be fine, it’s altogether a good idea to stay away.