Smooth Shifting In Greer

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed that SC vehicles are getting more and more powerful and at the same time are getting better and better fuel economy. Much of that’s because of better transmissions. To get a understanding of why that is, let’s turn to gear experts – Greer bicyclists.

A cyclist’s cadence is the number of times per minute he or she pedals. Their ideal pedal speed is the zone where they can most efficiently generate power over a sustained period of time. The experienced cyclist uses his gears to keep his pedal speed in the ideal zone whether he’s climbing a steep Duncan hill, cruising on a flat stretch or killing a downhill.

Look at how it works: if you have a 1-speed bike, you really have to pump hard to get up to speed. And your top speed is limited by how fast as you can pedal. And if you’ve got a hill to climb – forget about it.

Now let’s add a couple of gears: one lower and another one higher. With the lower first gear, you can get up to your ideal pedal speed quicker. When you shift to second, your pedal speed drops below ideal for a while as you work to get back to peak efficiency. Same thing happens when you shift to third, but now you can go much faster than you could with a 1-speed bike using the same effort.

Add more gears and you can see that it’s much easier to maintain ideal pedal speed. The result, quicker starts, better hill climbing, higher top speed and, most of all, a lot less fatigue for the rider.

Like a cyclist, every minivan engine has an ideal engine speed called its power band. When an engine is running in that zone, it can make power very efficiently. It’s the transmission’s job to keep the engine in the power band over a wide range of operating conditions. Today 5 or 6 speed automatic transmissionsare pretty much the minimum in SC, and 7 and 8 speeds are fairly common.

Obviously these sophisticated minivan transmissions are very expensive. In fact, next to your engine, your transmission is the most expensive component in your vehicle, so it pays to take good care of it. Modern transmissions can adversely affect minivan engine performance when they aren’t working right.

All car makers have a recommended service interval for changing your old, contaminated transmission fluid. Getting transmission service on schedule at Advantage Auto in Greer keeps it operating at its best and can prevent expensive damage. Ask your caring Advantage Auto service advisor if it’s time for a diagnostic examination of your transmission.

Give us a call

Advantage Auto
864.801.1810
2561 Country Club Road
Greer, SC 29651

At Advantage Auto in Greer SC (29651) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at864.801.1810. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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The Advantage Auto Guide To Synthetic Oil

Synthetic motor oil has been around for a long time in Greer and more and more new cars are leaving vehicle manufacturers factories with synthetic in their engines. But a lot of Duncan auto owners don’t really know much about it.

Let’s start with conventional oil – the kind Greer folks are used to. Conventional oil is made up of naturally occurring hydrocarbon chains, which means its molecules are long and have various lengths. Like a pile of pencils, some of them new and some of them used.

Synthetic oil is man-made. Its molecules are more uniform and regular in shape – more similar to marbles than pencils. Some synthetic oil starts with a petroleum base that’s modified and others are entirely synthesized from other materials.

Synthetic motor oil works better in both hot and cold Duncan temperatures. It’s more chemically stable so it doesn’t readily evaporate or breakdown in the high heat produced inside your minivan engine. This means it resists turning to sludge, which is a real engine killer.

Remember that marbles and pencils thing we were talking about? Well, that makes synthetic oil slipperier than conventional oil which means less friction in your engine. Your minivan engine runs cooler, wears less and lasts longer. You also get a boost in power and maybe even an improvement in fuel efficiency.

Synthetic oil also lasts longer so you change it less often – which is great for the environment. With longer oil change intervals, you need an oil filter specifically built for the longer service life of synthetic oil. Talk with your caring Advantage Auto service specialist about synthetic oil and synthetic blends – they might be just what you need toimprove engine performance and extend the life of your minivan.

Give us a call

Advantage Auto
2561 Country Club Road
Greer, SC 29651

At Advantage Auto in Greer SC (29651) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 864.801.1810. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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The Maintenance Mindset: Full-Service Oil Change At Advantage Auto

Duncan people generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance: their teeth, clothes, yards and so on, but SC motorists often don’t apply the idea of maintenance to their vehicles.

If you never brush your teeth or go to the dentist, you’ll become painfully aware of your neglect when you get a big cavity. Once the damage is done, we learn our vital lesson and start to take better care of things.

Unfortunately, Greer people too often learn the hard automotive lesson when they bring their vehicle to Advantage Auto on a tow truck. So many times, a little routine maintenance would have prevented a significant breakdown.

So how do Greer motorists get into the habit of taking care of their minivans? It’s so easy to forget; not like cutting the grass which you see it every time you pull in the driveway.

Here’s something that will help: The key to good minivan maintenance starts with the oil change. Think about it – when you go in for a full-service oil change in Greer, your caring Advantage Auto service advisor will check all your fluids. If one of them is low, he can look for the reason why. If your serpentine belt is worn, he’ll see it and let you know. Corroded battery cable – they’ve got you covered. And they’ll check to see if your manufacturer has recommended any vital services at your current mileage.

The oil change becomes kind of a focal point, a way to check in to see what needs to be done.

The fact is that vehicle inspection surveys consistently reveal that over 80% of vehicles have one or more unperformed repair or maintenance service. Vehicles are generally very reliable and can take a lot of abuse and neglect – but you can only press your luck so long.

So when you come into Advantage Auto for an oil change, you get a visual inspection of your car and a reminder for recommended services so you can avoid a total failure. And remember that your service advisor can help you work out a maintenance and repair plan for your minivan, prioritizing and scheduling the work to make sure you and your family are safe, and avoid expensive breakdowns.

In addition to full-service oil changes, at Advantage Auto we also offer brake service, serpentine belt replacement and wheel bearing service.

Give us a call

Advantage Auto
864.801.1810
2561 Country Club Road
Greer, SC 29651

At Advantage Auto in Greer SC (29651) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 864.801.1810. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

read more