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Diagnosing Worn Shocks & Struts and Why You Should Care

October 10, 2011

Most of our customers care enough about the longevity of their vehicle to keep up with common maintenance jobs like transmission flushes, brake replacement, tire changes and timing belt replacements. One important maintenance job that often gets over looked is the replacement of shocks and struts. 84% of junk yard vehicles still have the original shocks on them despite the fact that most auto industry professionals recommend replacing them every 50,000 miles.  We would be honored to consult you on your needs for brake repair in Gainesville and timing belt repair in Gainesville. Driving on worn shocks and struts is as risky as driving on bald tires or on brakes that are well past their prime. In fact, worn shocks can greatly effect braking and cause your tires to wear … Continue reading →

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Timing Belts

September 19, 2011

There has been more articles written about timing belts on the internet than any other single engine part, yet it continues to be the single most destructive part of engines that use a timing belt. This week we had a beauty, car came in with a no start condition, after doing the basic checks, we discovered something I have not seen after over 40 years working on cars.  The timing belt had disintegrated so bad, to the point where the debris from the timing belt accumulated at the bottom of the engine where it blocked the crankshaft sensor from being able to produce the signal to get the car started; what a blessing. This illustration shows what’s left of this timing belt. This customer just arrived in Gainesville for school, … Continue reading →

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Don’t Forget to Brake!

June 14, 2011

The brakes are an incredibly important part of any vehicle. Due to the laws of physics, objects in motion will stay in motion unless something acts against it. So, without brakes, your car will continue careening along at whatever speed you accelerated up to without any change until something, like a wall or another vehicle, acts against that forward motion to stop it. When that happens, it usually is not pretty. The best in brake repair Gainesville FL has to offer, Smitty’s Auto Service, will tell you that it is important to maintain brake pads and proper fluid levels. Not only can they enumerate the many reasons why such maintenance is so important, they can also perform it at a reasonable and low cost to you.These guys are the best … Continue reading →

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Keep Your Transmission Healthy

May 23, 2011

Everyone knows that one of the worst things to have to repair on your vehicle is the transmission, and while Smitty’s mechanics are the best at transmission repair Gainesville FL or anywhere nearby, it can still get expensive. So in order to help you save your time and your wallet, here are several ways to keep your transmission looking spiffy. First of all, you need to check your transmission fluid regularly. It is best to check it while the vehicle is still hot, or after you have been driving for a little while, in order to get the most accurate reading. Ideally, you want to check all of your fluids, transmission, brake, coolant, and oil, every time you gas up, even if it was not even a full week ago … Continue reading →

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