FALCONER AUTO REPAIR

It’s always intriguing for car buffs when an automotive feature or technology exclusive to race cars starts making its way to production cars created for the masses. For example, large aerodynamic spoilers that first appeared on race cars have now been incorporated into street legal autos for years. One innovation that is much less conspicuous is the paddle shifter. If you enjoy driving or the latest auto tech, however, you might want to try them out. What are paddle shifters? Let us explain. Race car makers are always looking for the next technological advancement so that they can gain an edge over their competitors. While transmissions are regularly upgraded, there are few substantial modifications. For a long time, it was either an auto ... read more

Ordinarily, we purchase autos compatible with our needs. Do we need to run children back and forth to school? Or do we need to haul motorcycles and ATVs into the great New York outdoors? Some men and women will always prefer trucks and some will always prefer cars. Let’s discuss a few main points that continue to keep people on either side. If you were to guess the three top selling vehicles in America in 2016, what would your guess be? My guess would probably be a mid-sized sedan. But it turns out that my speculation would be very wrong. First is the Ford F-Series, second is the Chevrolet Silverado, and third is the Dodge Ram. So what makes trucks so popular? People love the fact that most full-size pickup trucks now have seating for five which is just as much seating as a family sedan. This makes running errands, going on road trips, a ... read more

Have you ever seen a car that seemed absurdly pricey when it first came out and then a few years later you see it being sold for a lot less as a used car? That’s the result of depreciation. Today we’re going to look at some cars that have appreciated or depreciated considerably in the past few years. Let’s start with a car from the famous German car maker, Porsche. Back in 2004, Porsche established an absolutely incredible supercar called the Carrera GT. It was a breathtaking two seat supercar with an F1 type V10 engine in it! The original price of this car was an extraordinary $440,000 but due to the limited number made, the Carrera GT at once turned into a highly sought-after car. What did that do to the resale value? It skyrocketed! Not all autos maintain their value like the Carrera GT. Unfortunately, most cars drop in va ... read more

If you ask Falconer car owners how often the oil in their auto should be changed, you might get a different answer every time. Every 6 months? Every 5,000 miles? Only if your automobile has problems? Who really knows? Let’s talk a little about oil. The Lifeblood of Your Engine  Why do autos even need oil? A car engine is very complex; thousands of parts must function properly to make it run. Oil is required to lubricate all of the parts that move and come in contact with each other. Most parts in the engine are metal and easily get hot. Oil is an effective way for the engine to stay cool because the oil absorbs heat quickly. Protect Your Investment Fixing the issues from not changing your oil will cost you more than paying for regular oil changes. A lot more. The answer is never truly straightforwa ... read more

You walk onto the car lot, you know exactly what car you want, and you’re ready to pull the trigger. But then you’re asked the difficult question; “Do you want to lease or finance your car?” There are benefits and drawbacks to both financing arrangements, so today we’re going to try to give you a little clarification so you’ll be prepared to answer with confidence. (If you are fortunate enough to be able to pay cash—congratulations—you won't have to deal with this choice.) Taking Out An Auto Loan Financing a car is simply taking the full price of the car you want to purchase and splitting it up into monthly payments via a loan. The most common ways to get a car loan is either through your bank or through the financing department of the dealership (if the dealership has one) ... read more

Rewind the clock 30 years ago and imagine someone saying, “Hey, did you know that I can hail a cab right from my phone?” I’m guessing your reaction would be one of disbelief and you might even call the person crazy! Fast forward to today and millions are now using their phone to call for a ride. A Better Way This idea of ordering a taxi with a smartphone app has not taken a lot of time for people to get used to. Uber took advantage of the popularity of taxis while greatly improving the user experience by providing service in areas where conventional taxis don't line up at the curb. (Why didn't I think of that?) In 2010, Uber introduced a location-based ride-share service out of San Francisco, California, to assess how the market would receive such an idea. The results were amazing and from there the ... read more

Automotive technology zooms along in the fast lane on the innovation highway. Some of the parts in a car have been simplified, while some have become even more complex. As automobiles have become more advanced, so have the ways that we diagnose and repair troubles as well as perform routine maintenance services. Let’s review the state of automotive diagnostics. The ECU and OBD Two dynamic tools are the engine control unit and the on-board diagnostic reader. For short, they’re called the ECU and the OBD. The ECU and OBD devices are onboard computers that help control and manage all the functions of the auto. The ECU’s main responsibility is to read and test the engine. ECU technology was introduced in 1939 but had v ... read more

Car thieves have advanced significantly from busting windows and hot-wiring. In today's article, we are discussing a more sophisticated way professional car thieves are stealing cars and covering their tracks: VIN Cloning. No, it's not the latest sci-fi movie, but a real-life epidemic that is resulting in misery for victims here in New York and around the country. VIN Cloning is not about reproducing actual cars, but stealing VIN numbers. The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is the unique 17 digit number assigned to each car by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It is used like a social security number to track the car's history throughout its life. You probably have discovered that a valid VIN is need ... read more

Have you ever left your parking brake undone (or left a manual transmission out of gear), climbed out of your vehicle, and off your car goes? It’s not common, but with over 1.2 billion cars in the world, it happens from time to time. You may have experienced something like this if you have ever driven an automobile with a standard transmission. This is a typical scenario: you fire up the motor and then realize that you forgot something inside your house. Leaving the engine running, you start getting out of the vehicle to quickly reclaim the item. A more dangerous situation is when your car waits until you are out of sight before it decides to take off. This is what happened in an unusual story we heard the other day. The auto owner parked his car in front of a friend's home on a gently descending rural road. After spending some time ... read more

Some Falconer drivers are loyal to one car brand, while others will mix and match different makes to suit all of their needs. There are hundreds of brands of cars internationally but most of the small ones are owned by one of the following mega-corporations: General Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota, Fiat-Chrysler, Daimler, Renault-Nissan, Honda, BMW, Ford, FCA, TATA, PSA, and Hyundai. Just about every car maker offers a car that caters to the wants, needs, and delight of any Falconer motorist. At I-86 Truck & Auto Repair, we have had the privilege of servicing a broad range of autos and have received a lot of feedback from customers. Here’s what they’ve had to say. Audi owners love their A4 sport sedan, Q7 SUV, and their outrageously fast R8. BMW matches with the very popular 3 Series seda ... read more