Vehicle Maintenance

Sluggish. Squealing. Unreliable. Vibrating. If any of these descriptors fit your vehicle’s recent behavior, it just might be trying to tell you something – like it’s time for a tune-up.

Today’s vehicles differ significantly from their decades-old brethren that required a tune-up every 10,000 or 20,000 miles. With newer vehicles, it’s increasingly common for manufacturer-recommended service intervals to stretch to 100,000 miles before certain maintenance items, such as replacing the spark plugs, should be completed. 

Your vehicle's engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot of clean air. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons of air for every tank of gas. All that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually, the filter gets completely full, and because the filter can only hold so much, dirt starts getting through. At Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, we ensure you get the best air quality in your vehicle and explain the process of where this dirty air is going to our area drivers. 

Your car’s fuel system works with the rest of the engine control system to deliver the best performance with the lowest emissions. Check your car’s fuel system regularly or immediately if you smell gas or suspect a problem.

What does it do? - The fuel system transfers fuel from the fuel tank and passes it through a fuel filter for straining before it arrives at the injectors. A pressure regulator controls fuel pressure to ensure good engine performance under a variety of speed and load conditions. Fuel injectors, when activated, spray a metered amount of fuel into the engine. Some vehicles use a return line system to return unused fuel back to the tank.

There are a few things that matter when mounting new tires on your vehicle. First, you want it done right. Second, you want it done fast. For both, Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, AL has you covered.

Brakes are one of the most important components of your vehicle. You need the confidence of knowing that when you press your foot to the brake, your vehicle is going to stop. That's why it's important to keep these tips in mind to help keep your brakes functioning properly. Schedule an appointment with us at Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire for a brake service checkup today!

Whether you drive a BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche (some exclusions apply), Subaru, or other performance automobiles, your car has a cooling system. With winter right around the corner, at Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire we want to make sure your cooling system is ready for the cold.

At Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, AL, we understand how frustrating it is when your vehicle makes mysterious noises that it shouldn’t be making. Here’s a rundown on suspension bushings, to help you figure out what that sound is you keep hearing.

If you’re ever in a situation where you must remove the battery from your vehicle, it’s important to know what you’re doing. It seems pretty straight forward, and it is. However, there are some important things to remember when disconnecting the battery in your car, truck, or SUV. Here are some tips on disconnecting a car battery, from Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, AL.

When you get in your car, truck, SUV, or minivan to drive and the A/C does not work what could be wrong? Here at Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire, we have some simple answers to help you understand how your vehicle A/C system works. The first question we are asked is "Why isn't my air conditioner blowing cold air?" Let's talk about what could be happening. 

If you’ve owned a vehicle long, particularly one with a few miles on it, you have probably encountered a peculiar smell that grabbed your attention. Scents that you encounter while driving (emanating from your vehicle, not the horse farm down the road) are indicators of your vehicle's health and often the first warning that something may be wrong. Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort has assembled this list to prepare for you for the next time you smell something odd, so you’ll know what’s going on next time you notice a funny smell.

There are many parts and systems outside of the car’s transmission that is equally as important as the parts and systems inside the transmission. Without them, the transmission won’t do much. There’s no way to transfer power from the engine to the shafts, disengage it to shift the gears, or power the differential without them. Just in case you need us, at Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, AL, we can help keep your transmission in top shape, but here’s what you need to know.

Obviously, the dirtier your fuel system is, the bigger the improvement you will see in performance and fuel economy after a fuel system cleaning. But it is important not to wait until your system is running poorly. If you do, by the time you get a cleaning, you’ve wasted hundreds of dollars in gas or even possibly damaged your fuel injectors and catalytic converter.

What condition are your tires in? At Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, AL, we want to make sure you can tell. A simple visual inspection is all you need - it’s easy if you know what to look for.

Manual transmissions are generally more reliable than automatic transmissions. They don’t have as many parts, aren’t as complex, and can take a lot more abuse. However, if an issue is allowed to persist, more and more damage to surrounding components on your manual transmission will occur. Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, AL can help you take care of your car as soon as you notice a problem.

No matter what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, maintenance is the key to giving your engine a long life. At Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, AL, we focus on keeping your engine running strong.

When driving around town, your vehicle's engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons of air for every tank of gas. All that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually, the filter gets completely full, and because the filter can only hold so much, dirt starts getting through. At Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, we want to help you get the best air quality in your vehicle, but first, we want to explain the process of where this dirty air is going. 

If you drive a car, truck, or SUV that runs on gasoline, there's a good chance you’ve run it low on fuel a few times (or more than a few times,) and maybe even run out of gas completely a time or two. At Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort, AL, we like to provide information applicable to you. Running a vehicle low on fuel is something we’re all guilty of, and most of us don’t think twice about it. But, can it be bad for your car?

If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle, there are important points to remember in preserving not only your car or SUV, but it's resale value as well. Luxury and performance vehicles depreciate more quickly than other cars. Many who own these cars like to have the newest and the best of the best. In that way, the odds are stacked against you when trying to get a good price for your car. Fortunately, Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire has some steps you can take to ensure you get the most for your car when it’s time to sell. 

At some point or another, it’ll happen to you. You leave your headlights on, your battery finally fails, or for some other reason, you don’t have enough juice to start your car. Don’t call a tow truck just yet, though...Andrew's Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Auto & Tire in Spanish Fort has the info you need to properly jump start your car.

If you drive a vehicle with more than a few miles on it, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed an occasional drip underneath it that leaves spots wherever you park. Identifying what is leaking from your car will help you determine whether or not it’s a cause for concern, and what to do about it.

There are seven liquids a car can possibly drip: oil, gas, brake fluid, transmission fluid, gear oil, water, and coolant. How do you tell the difference? This article aims to help your know-how.