Monthly Archives: March 2021

Replace Your Engine Air Filter At Carmasters Automotive

Replace Your Engine Air Filter At Carmasters Automotive

When driving around Norfolk, your vehicle engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons (820,000 liters) of air for every tank of gas. All that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually the filter gets completely full. Because the filter can only hold so much, dirt starts getting through. This dirty air passes through the mass airflow sensor and starts to accumulate on the delicate sensor element. The mass air flow sensor measures how much air is getting into your engine. When the airflow reading is incorrect, your vehicle engine doesn't get the proper amount of fuel. It runs rough and doesn't perform as well as it should. Eventually, the sensor is so damaged it needs to be replaced – which is pricy. In fact you could buy a case or two of air filters for the cost of a sensor replacement. Of course, that dirty air keeps on going through to your vehi ... read more

Will It Damage My Engine If I Continue to Drive My Car with the Check Engine Light On?

Will It Damage My Engine If I Continue to Drive My Car with the Check Engine Light On?

The check engine light in your car plays a critical role in the vehicle's onboard diagnostics system. If anything goes wrong with any component tied to the system, the check engine light flashes, usually an amber/yellow light. The problem is usually in the form of an OBDII code, and you need a professional with a diagnostic scanner to troubleshoot the issue. Once diagnosed, a certified technician repairs the problem. This article provides insights into some of the measures to take when the check engine light flashes when you drive and how to tell whether you can drive with the light on. Steps to Follow When Engine Light Flashes Step 1: Observe the Check Engine Light When the check engine blinks, observe it for w while. If it flashes for more than six (6) seconds, that's an indication that there is an emergency problem. Step 2: Pull Over Safely Pull over to the side curb and bring the car to a stop. That gives you a chance to check what the issue is. If you ignore the prob ... read more

Prevent Costly Repairs

Mar 13th, 2021 You’ve probably seen auto parts delivery trucks in Norfolk making their rounds. Every part has a story behind it. Unfortunately, some of the stories are tales of repairs that could have been prevented. One stop may be to deliver an engine air filter and a mass air flow sensor for a customer’s pick-up. His service advisor has been recommending he replace that dirty air filter for the last couple of oil changes. The guy’s been saying no to save a couple of bucks. Now dirty air has been getting into his mass air flow sensor for so long that it’s ruined. Talk about stepping over dollars to pick up a dime. Perhaps the next stop is for a fuel system cleaning kit and a set of four fuel injectors. This nice lady has never had her fuel system cleaned. Over the years, gum and varnish have completely ruined her fuel injectors. Her tech will replace the injectors and clean the system, removing carbon deposits from her valves and combustion chamber. Her eng ... read more

Busted in Norfolk: The Maintenance Free Myth

Mar 5th, 2021 Quality surveys report fewer problems with new cars than ever before.  So, does that mean that modern vehicles have become maintenance free? Back when cars spent more time in the repair shop, people were more mindful of routine service.  Now, it’s much easier to put it off.  Take tune-ups for example.  In the days of mechanical ignition systems, an engine needed to be tuned-up every couple of years.   If your engine was out of tune, you knew it.  It ran poorly and got bad fuel economy. Now, the ignition system is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer.  Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as a hundred thousand miles.  So, tune-ups used to force you in for service and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list. So, what’s the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance?  Well, your car will perform better and return better f ... read more

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