FALCONER AUTO REPAIR

While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there's one that isn't complicated but still important.  It's your engine air filter. (And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn't to be confused with the cabin air filter.  The cabin air filter cleans air that goes into the passenger compartment while the engine air filter cleans air that goes into the engine itself.) Why does your engine need a filter? Think of all the stuff–dirt, dust, and debris in the air¬–that gets kicked up on the road.  If that were to go unfiltered into your engine, it could damage other components. There are many different materials used in an engine air filter, including paper, cloth (frequently cotton), and other synthetic fabrics.  The material is usually folded tightly to maximize the filtering capability over a relatively small surface.   Before computers were employed to determine the proper mix of ... read more

Your vehicle's engine is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a power plant.  But it has another power source that is vital as well: the alternator. The alternator is what puts out the electricity that powers such things as your lights, power windows, sound system, and navigation.  Maybe you've started seeing those electrical components behaving in strange ways.  Maybe your power windows are going up and down a little bit more slowly than they used to.  Or perhaps your engine doesn't start as easily or is misfiring.   Other signs of a failing alternator are headlights that are either brighter or dimmer than usual.  If your battery keeps going dead, it could be that the alternator isn't recharging it.   The alternator has to get its power from somewhere, and in vehicles with internal combustion engines, that power comes from a drive belt powered by the engine.  Sometimes that belt can fail.  If you hear a whining soun ... read more