Posted on 11/27/2022
When the weather turns cold, it's nice to crank up the furnace and enjoy the heat. But if your home's furnace doesn't work, it's not too comfortable. Same goes with your vehicle. When the heater's not working, things can get miserable. It could also signal some major problems, which we'll discuss later. A vehicle's heating system is fairly complicated. It's made up of several parts, including a blower motor/fan, a heater core and some mechanical and electrical components. In basic terms, a vehicle's engine warms up coolant which is then sent to the heater core (which is kind of like a small radiator) behind the dash. That blower motor sends cold air through the heater core which heats up the air. Voila! Heat. Diagnosing problems in this system takes a trained mechanic because of the different possible issues. Your heater core may need replacing; they are sometimes in tight spots and may be difficult to work on. Another possible problem could be a defective thermostat, which regulates h ... read more
Posted on 11/20/2022
We've all seen drivers who do things that—let's be frank—really irritate us. They're inconsiderate, can put people in danger and make the road a much less friendly place. They really "T" us off. These are the bad drivers who fit their description to a "T." The Tailgater. You've seen this terrible driver who follows a few inches off the bumper of the vehicle ahead. We all know what's going to happen if the driver ahead of the tailgater has to slam on the brakes. And we've all been that driver followed by the tailgater, whose vehicle fills up your entire rearview mirror. The tailgater is likely not in a great frame of mind and, thanks to his or her stupid driving practices, the "tailgatee" is getting pretty ticked off as well. That's a formula for a big problem. Know anybody who respects or likes a tailgater? Didn't think so The Texter. All sorts of people think they are perfectly capable of texting while driving. I ... read more
Posted on 11/13/2022
NAPLES drivers want their tires to last as long as possible. Two ways to extend tire life are wheel balancing and tire rotation.When wheels are out of balance, they wobble and vibrate. That makes the tires wear in a cupping pattern. If a front wheel is out of balance you'll feel it in the steering wheel. If it's a rear wheel you'll feel it through your seat. To fix this, your technician at Happy Wallet Quality Auto Repair puts weights on your wheels to balance them out.That brings us to tire rotation. The front tires on a vehicle wear out faster than the rear tires. As they push through turns, the shoulders of the front tires wear down. So rotating front and rear tires allows them to all wear at about the same rate over the life of the tire.Proper tire inflation will also help NAPLES folks' tires last longer. Underinflated tires wear more on the shoulder and may even overheat. This could cause tire damage or a blow out. Overinflated tires wear too fast in the middle.Fo ... read more
Posted on 11/6/2022
Blind spots may be a good thing when it comes to a spouse's annoying habits, but when driving an automobile in NAPLES, they are definitely to be avoided. So, while it's not good marital advice, it's good auto advice to minimize your own blind spots and stay out of other NAPLES drivers' blind spots, especially when it comes to large, heavy vehicles like trucks and buses.First, minimize your own blind spots. Do this before you pull out of the driveway or parking space. Adjust your rearview mirror so that you see as much of the area behind you as possible. And, no, this doesn't include the passengers in the back seat. The rearview mirror isn't designed to be a baby monitor.Next, lean to the side until your head almost touches the driver's side window. Now adjust the driver's side mirror so that it just catches the side of the vehicle. Then, lean to the middle of the car and adjust the passenger's side mirror in the same way. Thes ... read more
Posted on 10/30/2022
Every car in NAPLES, FL, is at risk for theft. So it's up to us to make our cars a less appealing target and more of a challenge – hopefully sending potential thieves to look elsewhere.The National Insurance Crime Bureau recommends a layered approach to protecting vehicles: Common sense Visible and audible devices Immobilizing devices Tracking devices Let's review each of these. One is common sense; you would be surprised how many vehicles are stolen in FL where the keys were left in the ignition with the doors unlocked. Always take your keys and lock the doors. In fact, in some places it's against the law to leave a vehicle unattended with the keys in the ignition.And don't leave spare keys in the car or hide them outside – because a thief will find them. NAPLES drivers would be wise to park in well-lit areas that have a lot of foot traffic. If possible, park near the end of a row and n ... read more
Posted on 10/23/2022
There's not much we can do about the price of gas in NAPLES, FL, but we do quite a bit about how much we use as we're driving on our NAPLES streets.Our driving habits can dramatically affect our fuel economy.The first thing we can do is watch the 'go-pedal.' Hard acceleration just sucks the gas. Gently leave stop lights and plan lane changes so you don't need to floor it. That can save you hundreds of dollars a year.Go a little slower on the freeway. Once you're going more than 65 miles an hour (105 kilometers per hour), your fuel economy starts to drop dramatically. Leave early so you don't need to rush to be on time. And cruise control is your friend – steady speed uses less gas.Plan errands ahead. Make fewer trips by combining errands.Hey at current gas prices, a lead-foot might as well be a gold foot. Happy Wallet Quality Auto Repair 3661 MERCANTILE AVE STE A NAPLES, FL 34104 2394047589 http://ha ... read more
Posted on 10/16/2022
Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at NAPLES car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of NAPLES, FL, folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacturing, there's no reason a modern vehicle can't be made to last for a 150,000 miles (250,000 kilometers) or more for smart NAPLES drivers.The old adage: 'a stitch in time saves nine' is really true for NAPLES residents when it comes to car maintenance. A great example is coolant service.Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. Smart NAPLES drivers have their cooling system service taken care of right on schedule at Happy Wallet Quality Auto Repair.Ditto for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. Of course, oil changes should be done right on schedule to avoid the build-up ... read more
Posted on 10/9/2022
Most NAPLES auto owners want to save on gas and seek our advice on improving economy. At Happy Wallet Quality Auto Repair, we are frequently asked, however, if it is really worth the extra effort. Just how much money can NAPLES drivers actually save?In today's Happy Wallet Quality Auto Repair article, we're focusing on the things you can do to improve your vehicle’s economydriving around FL. We'll tell you the potential savings per gallon of gas at $3.50, and we'll show a chart that also shows the savings at $3.00 and $4.00. DOLLARS PER GALLON $3.00 / $3.50 / $4.00 TUNE UP 4%.12.14.16 The next item is replacing a clogged engine air filter. Your engine needs enough air to burn fuel efficiently for the best mileage. A clean air filter means you get plenty of air. The fact that the air's clean protects your engine. That can save you up to 10 percent or 35 cents a gallon. DOLLARS PER ... read more
Posted on 10/2/2022
Most of us know a bad muffler when we hear it. That loud, rumbling sound is unmistakable. Did you also know you can get a ticket for driving around with a loud exhaust system? If your exhaust system has a leak in it, it may be allowing poisonous gases inside your vehicle and could make you seriously ill (or even kill you!) if you breathe too much in. Unfortunately, your exhaust system faces a lot of destructive forces out on the road. Rust is the worst, and not just in colder climates where they use salt and brine as de-icers. Exhaust systems can rust from the inside out when moisture condenses inside the pipes. Vibrations and jolts from rough roads (and the occasional run in with a rock or a curb) can wreak havoc with exhaust systems. Even a bad oxygen sensor can send too much fuel into the catalytic converter, and the resulting heat can wind up destroying this very expensive component. Your exhaust system is made up of several parts, and all need to be i ... read more
Posted on 9/25/2022
Today at Happy Wallet Quality Auto Repair we want to talk with you about a very important safety issue. This automotive safety warning is coming from a very unusual source: fire fighting experts. You've probably heard of E-85 gasoline being offered in the NAPLES area. Some newer vehicle models are specifically built to run on E-85 – the rest are not. Does your vehicle use E-85 gasoline? Bring it down to Happy Wallet Quality Auto Repair at 3661 MERCANTILE AVE STE A in NAPLES, FL 34104, to find out, or give us a call to make an appointment by calling 2394047589. E-85 gasoline has been developed to fight air pollution and reduce oil consumption. E-85 fuel is a mix of 85% ethanol, a grain-base alcohol, and 15% gasoline. So-called Flex-Fuel vehicles are designed to use either normal gasoline or E-85 gas. The result is lower exhaust emissions to our local NAPLES community.All gas en ... read more