Posts by Mountain View Automotive

We’re often asked questions about the cooling system – the system that cools your engine and keeps it at the proper operating temperature.  Let’s examine the topic in two areas: first the coolant itself and, second, the parts that make up the cooling system. The coolant is the mix of water and antifreeze that circulates…

Let’s debunk some of the myths about diesel powered vehicles. Diesel Burns Dirty This was true years ago. Since 2006, however, U.S. diesel vehicles have been required by law to use ultra-low-sulfur diesel or USLD. Modern diesels are soot-free and have a smaller carbon footprint. Diesels Are Sluggish Not any more. They are as fast…

When your Check Engine light comes on, you may be torn between utter panic and just wanting to ignore it and hope it goes away. That’s perfectly understandable. That same Check Engine light could come on for anything from a serious engine or transmission problem all the way down to a loose gas cap. There’s…

Let’s address a very important maintenance item for everyone in Thornton Colorado – timing belt replacement. It’s important because letting this one slide can lead to very expensive engine damage. Your timing belt choreographs the timing of your combustion process. Your pistons travel up and down in the cylinder. Intake valves open at the right…

It means that one or more of your tires has low air pressure. The dashboard warning light, which looks like a cross-section of a tire with some lines in it, comes on when the tire pressure is 20% below what the manufacturer recommends. So if your recommendation is for 35 psi (pounds per square inch),…

When we Thornton travel around Colorado, each of us must deal with blind spots. We can greatly reduce our blind spots by properly adjusting our vehicle mirrors to give the widest coverage possible. We should make the adjustments before we pull out of our Thornton driveway. First, adjust your rear view mirror to give the…

Synthetic motor oil has been around for a long time, and more and more new vehicles are leaving factories with synthetic in their engines. But a lot of drivers don’t really know much about it. Let’s start with conventional oil – the kind folks are used to. Conventional oil is made up of naturally occurring…

First of all – your vehicle does have a differential. If it’s a rear wheel drive, your differential is on the back. If it’s front wheel drive, your differential is built into your transaxle (transmission). Thornton drivers with all wheel drive or four wheel drive will have differentials front and rear and maybe one in…

New tires are a big ticket item for most Thornton drivers. You’re not only concerned about the price, but you want to know that it’ll be a long time before you need to buy new tires again. And of course there’s the safety aspect as well. The tires do a lot of work – they…