Morgan Automotive Repair

If you have a tire that has a small hole or rip, patching or plugging the tire may be possible. Both tire patches and tire plugs help to fill or cover the small hole on the tire, helping to prevent air from escaping. A properly placed tire patch or plug that is installed at a car repair shop can last the life of your tire. If you have never had a tire repair completed before, you may be wondering what the difference is between a tire patch or plug. Read on to learn more. 

What is a Patch? 

Think of a tire patch like a Band-Aid. It goes outside of the hole, completely covering the hole so that air does not escape. A patch is typically made of a rubber material and adhesive is used to apply it to your tire. It needs to be cut to the proper size to completely cover the hole, while also not interfering with any of the treadwork on your vehicle. 

What is a Plug? 

A plug is a piece of rubber that is coated with leather that is typically fed into the hole or small cut on the tire to completely fill it. This helps to prevent air from escaping by filling the hole, rather than covering it. Plugging a hole is usually a faster process compared to patching a tire, as you do not have to wait for a patch to completely dry or seal before driving your vehicle. 

Is Patching or Plugging Better?

Both patching and plugging a tire have their benefits and downsides. As a general rule of thumb, if the damage is evenly shaped, such as a nail hole, a patch may be the perfect solution. However, if the damage is jagged or uneven, such as a tiny slash or slit, a patch may be perfect. The location of the damage also plays a role in whether a tire should be patched or plugged. Damage that is on the tread work is easier to plug, whereas damage closer to, but not on, the sidewall, is easier to patch. A professional can take a look at the damage and its location to determine whether patching or plugging is the better fit for your tire. 

Both plugging and patching a tire can be a great way to fix a tiny imperfection on the tire and allow you to get more use out of the tire. However, if you are looking to have a tire repair completed, you should always bring your vehicle to an auto repair shop. Completing tire repairs on your own can be dangerous and may void your tire warranty. Here at Morgan Auto Repair, our professionals can help you with all of your car repair needs, including tire repairs. Call us to schedule an appointment or swing by one of our shops to get your tire repairs completed. 

The catalytic converter on your vehicle typically lasts for about 10 years. However, some may last longer and some may have a shorter lifespan. The catalytic converter is an expensive part, and as such, should only be replaced when yours is going bad. Learning what signs your car may give you if this part is going bad can help you determine when to bring it to an auto repair shop for replacement. 

Your Check Engine Light Comes On

Most people assume that their check engine light only comes on if something is wrong with the engine. This is not the case. Your check engine light may come on if your catalytic converter is going bad. Your catalytic converter sits between the engine and the muffler, helping to convert emissions from the engine into safer, cleaner ones. As it is close to the engine, a bad catalytic converter can trigger the check engine light. 

Poor Engine Performance

One of the problems that you may experience if your catalytic converter is nearing the end of its lifespan is poor engine performance. Many people state that their car feels shaky while it is being operated, and may feel like it is sputtering or about to stall when the car comes to a stop at stoplights or stop signs. Unfortunately, poor engine performance can be linked to many different car issues, so if you are experiencing this, you will want to bring your vehicle to a car repair shop for an inspection. 

Dark Smoke Coming From the Exhaust

A common sign that your catalytic converter may be going bad is dark smoke coming from the exhaust of your vehicle. The catalytic converter helps to clean emissions from your engine. When it is cracked or damaged, it can no longer do that, and black smoke comes out of the exhaust. Your car will fail a smog check, and you will likely see this dark smoke, especially when you start your car. 

A Sulfur or Rotten Egg Smell Coming From the Exhaust

One of the tell-tale signs that your catalytic converter is no longer functional is a scent that smells like sulfur or rotten eggs coming from the exhaust of your vehicle. If you smell either of these scents, your catalytic converter is not cleaning the emissions from the engine, which is why this scent is present. This is a giveaway that your catalytic converter has reached the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced as soon as possible. 

If you suspect your catalytic converter is going bad, or you know for certain it is, you should bring your vehicle in to a car repair shop. An auto repair shop can examine the catalytic converter and definitively determine if it is going bad and get to work replacing it. Here at Morgan Automotive Repair, we can help you with all of your vehicle repair and maintenance needs, including testing and replacing catalytic converters. Schedule an appointment with us today to bring your vehicle in. 

If you are like most people, you are tempted to continue driving after a fender bender.  However, even if your vehicle isn’t falling apart, you should know it is a grave mistake to continue riding around town after a minor collision.  Do the smart thing by having our auto repair shop work on your vehicle after a fender bender or other accident and you will enjoy an invaluable peace of mind.

Fender Benders Often Result in Internal Damage

The damage to your vehicle after a fender bender is likely more than merely superficial.  There is probably internal damage below the surface.  So don’t assume the harm is strictly cosmetic.  Even an accident at low speeds will cause damage beneath the visible exterior.  However, you won’t know the extent of the actual damage unless you reach out to our car repair shop for analysis and repair.  Keep in mind, the unseen damage will inevitably worsen into much more significant problems that require even more repair down the line unless you take action now.

Fender Benders can Even Compromise the Electrical System

Though few drivers know it, fender bender accidents can cause considerable damage to the underlying electrical system.  This means the anti-theft system, power locks, and doors, power windows and other electrical components can be damaged as a result of a fender bender.  Even the battery connector can be negatively impacted by the fender bender, leading to shorter battery life or unexpected electrical component behavior.

Alignment Problems

Your vehicle requires the optimal alignment to ride even and smoothly.  A fender bender might not seem significant when it occurs yet the truth is it can easily cause a misalignment that results in your vehicle drifting to the left or right when driving.  Such drifting is can lead to tire damage, premature tire wear, and the need for a replacement sooner than should be necessary.  Your alignment issue might even lead to a tire blowout that causes a serious accident, prompting a costly repair.

The Frame Might be Bent

Minor auto accidents are likely to result in unseen damage to the vehicle frame.  This is the type of damage only a mechanic can fully assess and repair.  Every driver should be aware that even minor frame damage has the potential to prevent the airbag from deploying in an accident.  Furthermore, a crooked frame can make it more difficult for the vehicle to absorb impact in a subsequent accident, ultimately putting you and everyone else in the car at risk for serious injury.

Schedule Auto Repair at Morgan Automotive

Bring your vehicle to our car repair shop after your fender bender or other accident and we’ll get it back to normal as quickly as possible.  We work fast yet we also sweat the small stuff of auto repairs.  You can contact our auto repair shop by phone at (209) 836-4909. If you live or work in the greater Manteca area, give us a call at (209) 825-9335.  Stockton residents can call us at (209) 952-7901.

It is common for individuals to make mistakes removing ice from a car’s windshield. Unfortunately, these mistakes can damage the windshield. Learning how to correctly remove ice from a windshield can help to prevent unneeded trips to a car repair shop for repairs and can help to quickly get ice off the windshield. Here are three of the best ways to remove ice safely from your windshield. 

Use a De-Icer Product

If you live in a part of the valley where temperatures normally dip below the freezing mark, you will want to remove your regular windshield washer fluid and replace that with a de-icer windshield fluid. A de-icer will not freeze, and when sprayed on the windshield, will help to break ice apart quickly. Always check your windshield wipers as well, and if the rubber is damaged, replace the windshield wipers. 

Rubbing Alcohol

One of the fastest and cheapest ways to remove ice safely from a windshield is to mix two parts 70 percent or higher isopropyl alcohol with one part water in a spray bottle. Then, spray the mixture directly on the ice. The rubbing alcohol will warm up the ice and get it to melt away faster. You may need to spray multiple times to remove thick layers of ice. One of the benefits to rubbing alcohol is that rubbing alcohol does not freeze, so you can keep a spray bottle of the mixture in your car without having to worry about it freezing overnight. 

Defroster and Ice Scraper

The final way to safely remove ice from your windshield is to use your car’s defroster and a plastic ice scraper. This method does take time, but turning on your defroster and allowing your car to slowly heat up, all while gently breaking apart the ice, is one of the most efficient ways to remove ice from the windshield of your car. If you opt to use a scraper, it is important that the scraper should be lightly run along the windshield. Never dig in deep or push down heavily on the scraper or you can scratch your windshield. 

Never pour hot water over an icy car window or the window may shatter. Also avoid using metal ice scrapers, as they can etch into your windshield. Using the above three methods can help you safely remove ice from your windshield. However, if you have already made a mistake, and now your windshield is damaged, Morgan Auto Repair Shop, with locations in Tracy, Manteca, and Stockton can help you. Schedule an appointment with us today. 

Most auto and battery manufacturers recommend that you have your battery tested at least once per year, preferably in the fall. Hot summer temperatures can wear on your battery and freezing cold temperatures require your battery to work extra hard, so having your battery tested between the grueling summer months and before your battery works hard in the winter is ideal. Read on to learn more about having your battery tested this winter. 

Why Should You Have Your Car Battery Tested Before Winter? 

During the summer months, hot temperatures can lead to fluid evaporating out of your battery. This causes wear on the battery. Then, when the temperature drops, your battery has to use extra power to turn on. This creates a perfect storm for older batteries. Having the battery tested in fall helps to ensure that your battery has the strength to make it through the cold winter months without unexpectedly leaving you stranded. 

Where Can You Have a Car Battery Tested? 

When you take your car to a mechanic and get your battery tested, they will hook it up to a diagnostic battery tester and check the battery for free-flowing current and voltage. Additionally, they will recharge the battery, if possible and if needed. They will also check the battery connections and the terminals to look for signs of wear and tear and will remove any built-up corrosion, which will maintain an unobstructed flow of current to the battery. Your mechanic can extend the life of your battery and make sure you make it through the winter. 

Should You Replace the Battery Even If It Still Works? 

When it comes to ensuring you have a battery that will work through the cold winter months, you will want to consider the following. First off, if your battery is less than three years old, you will likely have a good battery. However, you still want to check for clear and clean connections and signs of corrosion. Secondly, if your battery is older than three years, a proper diagnostic check is recommended. In any circumstance, if you see issues with your battery, it is advised that you get a replacement battery and not be caught out in the cold with a dead battery. 

Here at Morgan Auto Repair shop, with locations in Tracy, Manteca and Stockton, we can help to test your battery, clean your existing battery and/or replace your battery as needed. If it has been a while since your battery was last tested, bring it to us and let us test it. This helps to ensure your battery will make it through the winter months without leaving you stranded. Call our car repair shop now to schedule an appointment. 

Most people have heard gearheads state oil is the lifeblood of an automobile.  Oil reduces friction within the vehicle’s engine, ensuring it functions as designed and transports drivers from point A to point B.  The average driver is aware that the failure to change a vehicle’s oil in a timely manner will spur the need for an engine replacement.  However, most drivers do not understand if oil dripping from the underbody of their vehicle is a sign of a potential repair. 

Why Oil Leaks are Cause for Concern

Though there is the potential for the air conditioning system to develop moisture/condensation that results in a leak below, it is better to be safe rather than sorry by having the car repair specialists examine your vehicle.  The little bit of money you pay for auto repair will pale in comparison to replacing a compromised engine resulting from old or dirty oil.

An oil leak is likely to result from a degraded oil seal or gasket.  Such components are fallible, meaning they will eventually break down.  If the oil is dirty due to age, the components will erode that much faster.  Furthermore, there is also the potential for your vehicle’s pans or oil gaskets to endure damage.  Road debris can easily contact these components.  Even a rough road that causes a hole to form can lead to an oil pan leak.  Oil pan gaskets with even moderate wear and tear or damage really can lead to a leak that necessitates car repair.

Lean on the Experts to Determine the Quality of Gasket Installation

If your vehicle is leaking oil, do not hesitate to reach out to the automotive repair professionals for guidance.   Our team might determine one of the gaskets that ensure oil remains within the engine was not properly installed.  We might also find the gasket’s oil pan or valve cover was tightened too much.  Even the failure to tighten these covers at an equal force across the board can cause a leak.  In other cases, the oil filter is not properly attached, causing a loosening that spurs a leak.

The Engine Might be Overheating

Motor oil is an important determinant of the engine’s temperature.  If the oil is old, dirty or otherwise flawed, it will not properly lubricate the pistons.  Pistons that do not glide as they should within the housing due to a lack of oil will grind against engine components, creating heat that might cause the engine to stall.  If the oil level drops down low, the engine is likely to overheat, potentially to the point that it requires a full replacement.  Replacing an engine will cost several thousand dollars.  The better approach to a potential oil leak is to bring the vehicle to a car repair shop for analysis and potential repair.

Morgan Automotive is at Your Service

Our auto repair experts are here to get your car back to normal as quickly as possible.  Contact our auto repair shop today to schedule your vehicle repair.  You can reach our car repair shop by phone at (209) 836-4909.  If you prefer to reach us online, we invite you to fill out our estimate request form.