Does Preventive Maintenance Really Save Money?

Over the years, an overwhelming amount of information has been provided proving the fact that well-maintained vehicles in Bedford PA. simply last longer and have lower repair bills. Yet when economic times get a little tough, preventative maintenance is one of the first things to go out of one’s budget.

But considering the cost of the initial automotive purchase today, is this a smart choice? The average age of vehicles driven in the Bedford PA. area is more than 11 years old. This is not surprising being that it seems every year new car prices go higher and higher while the quality of the vehicle seem to get lower. In order to get a strong, long-lasting vehicle it sometimes takes a significant investment; naturally the best way to get a return on your investment is to have Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. properly maintain it.

Proper oil changes

Oil is the lifeblood of an engine and needs to be changed regularly. As the vehicle ages in Bedford PA., changing the weight of the oil or “viscosity” is one of those tricks of the trade that the ASE Master certified and factory trained technicians at Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. utilize to help increase the life of the engine and keep important internal components lubricated. Using quality oil products like those found made by Valvoline can also help your engine extend its life utilizing a variety of different products designed for specific vehicle uses and conditions in Bedford PA


Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford, PA. is your one stop facility to keep your car performing at its best year around. Call Today to see the Difference Experience makes – 814-310-2221


Spark Plug Replacements

Spark plugs are an often neglected component because, while they rarely fail, the age and use of the spark plug can often be costing you at the gas pump. When spark plug replacement is not performed regularly there is a buildup of carbon and debris on the spark plug that decreases its efficiency. This decrease in efficiency can not only rob your engine of horsepower but can also cause fuels not be properly burned as they are moving through the combustion chamber. As a result; gasoline is going out your exhaust pipe instead of being used to generate power for your engine.

While the industry as a whole recommends the replacement of spark plugs at 100,000 miles, it is true that, modern spark plugs can easily last that long; however the fact that the spark plug can last that long does not mean that the spark plug will not have carbon and debris build-up on the spark plugs themselves.

Because most modern vehicles have spark plugs very accessible it is one of the less expensive preventative maintenance services that you can do that will save you the most in your wallet. Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. recommends changing your spark plugs every 30 to 45,000 miles to make sure that you always have fresh, clean spark plugs performing at their best.  

The costs of neglecting your vehicle maintenance

The cost of neglecting your vehicles preventative maintenance can be as simple as poor performance; however in Bedford PA., it’s more often felt in the wallet. With a vehicle not performing at its peak it often means that it will cost more at the gas pump. Additionally it may cost more in vehicle repairs down the road as well. A common example is those that would not have their coolant system properly flushed and filled as a preventative maintenance measure find themselves needing to have expensive cooling system repairs performed.

Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. is your one stop facility to keep your car performing at its best year around. Our ASE Master certified technicians are dealer trained to perform services as simple as an oil change all the way through major engine and transmission repair. Trust our years of experience in the automotive field to not only give you the best price but always provide you with excellent quality service along the way.

Useful Links

Learn more about the services provided at Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. – Click Here

Read more on the importance of tune-ups for your Bedford, PA. vehicle – Click Here

Adventures in Diagnostics

One of the joys and challenges the Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. sometimes faces is in the arena of vehicle diagnostics. While diagnosing an automotive problem can sometimes be difficult, it is a necessary part of being a full-service automotive repair center; is also the reason why Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. hires some of the automotive industry’s best local talent when it comes to automotive troubleshooting. This article we thought we would take a moment to reflect on some of our favorite “adventures in diagnostics” that we have… (clearing throat) survived through over the years.

The Test Drive

Sometimes, in order for us to proper diagnostics of an automotive problem, we need to have the customer duplicate the problem on a test drive. I recall one test drive where a customer complained of a vibration coming from their car which warranted a test drive with the shop foreman. Apparently the vibration was felt when taking a tight right hand turn at 40 miles an hour; but we didn’t know that until the customer demonstrated the vibration. Feeling like he was in a NASCAR road race pulling 2 g’s in the corners; the shop foreman, holding on for his dear life, actually was able to narrow the problem down to a tie rod. As a result, we did learn to ask a few more questions before going on test drives with customers who think they are a race car driver.


Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. is your one stop facility to keep your car performing at its best year around. Call Today to see the Difference Experience makes – 814-310-2221


Can you hear it now?

One particular automotive diagnostic adventure was with a certain female customer that had a 2003 Honda with an intermittent sound coming from the front of the vehicle. After three separate service visits where the shop foreman and technician test drove the vehicle, we were never able to duplicate the noise that she described. Then one day I get a phone call where she said that she was hearing the noise and wanted me to hear it over the phone: before I could tell her that “I can’t pinpoint a noise over the phone”…  She had put her cell phone out the window at 55 mph. I heard a noise all-right, the noise of wind blowing past a cell phone at 55 mph! Needless to say the phone call did not help me narrow down the problem. Still a regular customer, we often joke about it; today it’s one of our favorite “adventures in diagnostics”.

The Mystery Blue Light

One perplexing diagnostics adventure was a customer that continued to bring in her car for a blue light that was flashing on her dash. When asked what shape the blue light was, she simply said it was a dot; not a picture (like a check engine light would be). This brought about an even larger question because there was no blue light set up on her dash as a warning indicator. Insistent that the problem was there, she would mention it at every service visit hoping that we would eventually be able to diagnose the mystery blue light. Late one Friday afternoon as we were fixing to close she pulled into the service drive wanting me to see the light: yet when I look at the dash, I saw no light. With her sitting in the driver’s seat (my leaning into the driver’s window)… I finally discovered the source of the mystery blue light! She had a Bluetooth earpiece that in certain shadowed circumstances would reflect against her eyeglasses making it appear that there was a blue light on her dash! Now it is a classic for our “adventures in diagnostics” scrapbook.

Count on Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. when experience counts.

Needless to say that the staff at Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. has been serving the automotive community long enough to have some “adventures and diagnostics”. These adventures: however, do illustrate our desire to work with the customer to find the problem, if it can be found. Our dealer trained, ASE Master certified technicians use their skills and training as well as the latest technology to track down a diagnostics problem and get you back on the road safely. Whether your needing and simple oil change or a major engine rebuild we can handle it all big or small.

Stay tuned for more “Adventures in Diagnostics”…

Useful Links

Learn more about the services provided at Town Hill Auto Repair Service in Bedford PA. – Click Here

Read more on the importance of tune-ups for your Bedford PA. vehicle – Click Here

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