Automotive Industry News & Information - South Mountain Collision & Auto Center

Your alternator is a central component on any engine. The alternator is responsible for powering anything electronic on your vehicle, including the coils that fire your spark plugs (unless it’s a diesel). At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we know a bad alternator when we see one - here’s how you can spot one too.

With all fleets and commercial vehicles, there comes a time you have to decide - do we fix this vehicle, or replace it? At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we’re here to help you figure that out.

Keeping track of maintenance done on your fleet vehicles and commercial trucks is one of the most important aspects of fleet management. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we track maintenance and repairs for a number of reasons. Here’s why:

The time to know if your brakes are going bad is NOT when you go to stop at that red light or on the parkway when someone suddenly swerves in front of you. It's not always "just" brake pads either, your brake master cylinder could be an issue. How do you recognize the signs that you have a real problem with your brake master cylinder and just what is it? Here atSouth Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD we not only have the answers, but we also put together a service schedule for you and keep an eye on issues based on your driving habits, vehicle type and your description of issues you are having. We treat your car, truck or SUV as if it were ours keeping you informed of issues we find so you can get them fixed "before" there are larger repair bills so you can keep your vehicle Newer - Longer! Below is everything you need to look for and tips on your brake master cylinder.

Keeping your fuel system maintained will prevent premature parts failure and poor running conditions. Here at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center we have tips on the important aspects of diesel fuel system maintenance, to keep your diesel fleet trucks running smoothly - longer.

Air. Air in the system causes all kinds of issues, from hard starting, poor running conditions, or an engine that won’t run at all. If too much air gets in the system, the fuel pump won’t be able to deliver fuel, and the engine will stall, die, or fail to start. Air enters the system via a leak or a bad seal - a deteriorated o-ring, worn component, faulty hose, or otherwise. Here we inspect your lines and connections to ensure they are in good shape and track down any leaks we notice air in the system.

Automatic transmissions aren’t easily understood outside of specialists like those at South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD. While it would be impossible to teach you enough to make you a transmission expert in a series of articles, what we can do is give you the fundamental knowledge you need to have a good idea of what your transmission is doing, and how it works.

If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle, you know that your precision engineered equipment demands precision tuning. At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we specialize in high-end imports and performance vehicles and keeping them up to par.

What condition are your tires in? At South Mountain Collision & Auto Center in Middletown, MD, we want to make sure you can tell if your tires are in good condition or ready to be replaced. A simple visual inspection is all you need - it’s easy if you know what to look for. Our technicians have been trained to identify trouble before it hurts your vehicle, but they can also help you understand how to keep your eyes open for serious issues.