FALCONER AUTO REPAIR

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