Posted on 9/20/2013
Today's Allen's Automotive Center post focuses on using coolant. If you pour in the wrong kind, it won't protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Check your vehicle owner's manual. Of course, your Allen's Automotive Center service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.Brake fluid is confusing for some Memphis drivers. Back when we opened Allen's Automotive Center, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Memphis residents mistakenly think the higher numbers are an upgrade. You know, if 3 is good then 4 must be better. That's not how it works. They are different formulations to meet the demands of differences in brake systems. Only one of them is designed for your vehicle.Ditto for transmission fluid. For decades there were two basic types of tranny fluid used at Allen's Automotive Center: friction modified or not. With the tremendous engineering advances in vehicle automatic transmissions, there have been several n ... read more
Posted on 9/11/2013
The price of gas in Tennessee has got people in Memphis talking. It seems that Memphis folks who need a bigger vehicle to carry family and gear, or provide four wheel drive, are hit especially hard. That is why we thought it would be good to review some things that anyone can do to improve fuel economy. First let's start with how we drive around Tennessee. People in Memphis may not realize that they can really save on gas by just changing a few driving habits. One of the biggest is jackrabbit starts - you know, flooring the gas as soon as the light turns green. That really wastes a lot of fuel. Building up your speed at a slower pace uses less fuel and is easier on your engine and drive train. And don't drive with one foot on the brake. That's also a drag on fuel economy, and it wears out your brakes faster, too. Another thing Memphis drivers can do is drive more slowly - but only when it's safe. Sometimes on the freeway we drive an e ... read more