Posted on 6/5/2016
Falconer area residents may remember when the U.S. government's “Cash for Clunkers” program made a splash on the news scene. People were offered incentives to trade in old vehicles for new, in the interest of better and improved air quality from reduced emissions.But a lot of Falconer drivers want to hang onto their old clunkers. They're dependable and they're paid for. Owners would love to see the odometers on those vehicles turn past 200,000 miles (320,000 km), as long as the repair bills don't get too expensive.There are a lot of vehicles on New York roads that have run past the 200,000 mile (320,000 km) odometer reading. Is there something that their owners are doing that keeps these vehicles on the road? Or did they just win the “lemon lottery,” and luck out by getting a particularly good vehicle? Not surprisingly, most of these owners have something in common. They never skip an oil change. Can keeping a vehicle on the road for ... read more
Posted on 10/22/2013
There's a segment of the Falconer area population that's not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Now, the ignition system in your vehicle is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers). So tune-ups used to force you in to I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service for service, and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.
Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new vehicles in Falconer have been leased. These folks plan on turning the vehicle in after two or three years, so they haven't focused on the maintenance that helps a vehicle last longer.
Given all that, what's the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy.
Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus i ... read more
Posted on 5/3/2013
A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the news. Falconer people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better fuel economy and receive a government rebate. A lot of Falconer motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They’re good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they’re paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their sedans for 200,000 miles or more – as long as it’s economical to do so. There are plenty of Falconer drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles. We can learn from what they’re doing to keep our own sedans on the road in New York. Falconer drivers of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. ... read more
Posted on 3/29/2013
No matter how well they’re made, cars are bound to have problems with their design or manufacturing. When the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice to Falconer residents and to fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone who owns that type of car in Falconer and elsewhere until the work is done. These recalls always affect safety, so you need to take them seriously. It’s really easy to find out if a vehicle is being recalled. For links to government sites, look in the AutoNetTV website. Other website include: carfax.com; autobytel.com; and dmv.org. All of these sites have free recall searches. Recalls are pretty s ... read more
Posted on 3/5/2013
Sometimes we hear people say, "What's up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don't break down." While it is true that today's cars and trucks are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials than ever before. All that complexity demands higher tolerances for everything. For example, most folks don't realize how high tech automotive fluids have become. Fluids like, engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid. Did you know that a modern engine would not run for more than a few months using motor oil formulas from 30 years ago? Today's automotive fluids contain a much higher percentage of additives to protect your vehicle's components from premature wear and corrosion. Time and miles march on for all of our cars. Please don't think we're using scare tactics to get you to take care of your ... read more
Posted on 11/23/2012
We live such busy lives nowadays: work, social events, running the kids all over Falconer. Some days it’s all we can do to keep track of everywhere we need to be. That’s why you’ve gotta be organized. Lists, PDA, calendar- we have to keep track of it all. So let’s talk about schedules. Specifically, automotive service schedules. And particularly, the scheduled services that are sometimes forgotten. We have a list of 10 service items that are often overlooked. They’re all very important and need appropriate attention. So here we go, in no particular order. 1. Power Steering Service Be honest; have you ever thought of this on your own? Your power steering fluid gets dirty and builds-up moisture over time. Cleaning out your power steering system means that dirt and gum are removed and your power steering parts are protected from corrosion. Ask your service advisor if it&rsqu ... read more
Posted on 8/28/2012
Life's full of surprises in Falconer New York, some of which cost money. A leaky roof, a broken tooth, or an unexpected car repair. I-86 Truck Repair & Auto Service of Falconer New York and AutoNetTV have done some research on how we can budget for proper vehicle care. Everyone in Falconer New York does our best to budget for scheduled vehicle maintenance. What's hard is unexpected repairs. The truth is that our vehicles can stay on the road longer than ever before with proper maintenance. That's because of improved vehicle design and manufacturing quality. But some of those same improvements also lead to higher repairs costs. Let's take the fuel pump. Previous generations were often stranded by the side of the road by vapor lock. This occurred when the gas vaporized between the gas tank and the fuel pum ... read more
Posted on 4/27/2012
The hottest Falconer news story may be different everyday, but there’s one topic that seems to come up over and over again – the price of gas in Falconer. But we’ve found several basic things that any Falconer vehicle owner can do to greatly reduce their gas consumption, save money, and help the Jamestown environment. You can really impact your fuel economy by how you drive – but first, here’s a review of things you can do for your car that’ll save gas no matter how you drive. The first one is keeping your tires properly inflated. That can save two miles per gallon. Driving on low tires is like driving through sand – your car just has to work harder. Most Falconer service centers will fill up your tires for free, so just ask your service advisor. Also, make a habit of checking your tire pressure whenever you get g ... read more