At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, we know that in order to keep your car in good shape, it helps to know how it works. Here’s a quick rundown of a system that’s very important, but you take for granted until there’s a problem; your brakes.

If you drive a car with a manual transmission, you already know you have a clutch. But what exactly is it, and what does it do? At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, we believe that knowing a little more about your car better prepares you to keep it maintained. Here’s what you should know about your clutch disc.

What does a flex plate do, and how do you know if yours is faulty? Your vehicle may be telling you things you may not know. Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River has the answers you need.

Obviously, your brakes are essential. However, it’s easy to neglect or ignore brake issues, and even miss them altogether; as long as the truck still stops, many people don’t see the need to have their brakes serviced. From Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, here are some common brake issues, and why you should fix them.

At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, we know that some of the most elusive issues with any car, truck, or SUV are often caused by the simplest of malfunctions. While you might consider a gas cap fairly innocuous, it can actually malfunction too, prompting a check engine light on your dashboard.

At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, we know there’s a lot of conflict on when you should maintenance certain things on your truck. We also know there are consequences to neglecting maintenance; the difference between a truck that breaks down all the time and a truck that has covered over a million miles virtually trouble free all boils down to maintenance.

At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, we understand that big trucks mean bigger risk on the road. Here are some tips to remember, to reduce the likelihood of an accident resulting in large repair costs next time you're on the job.

At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, we know that hearing you need a new transmission is a dreaded affair. Here’s some advice from the transmission experts on how to prevent that day from coming.

As your vehicle ages, it not only gains sentimental value but a number of maintenance measures arise as well. Trucks from previous decades have the potential to keep their value and functionality for many years. Here are some tips from Dirk’s Auto Clinic to keep your older truck running for a prolonged time.

For obvious reasons, air brakes are an essential part of your rig. They also add a level of complication to the braking system that a conventional vehicle doesn’t have. At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, our mechanics have the knowledge, equipment, and ability necessary to keep your air brakes in top shape.

At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, we understand that maintenance is the difference between a truck that makes it to the million-mile mark and a truck that doesn’t come close. Here are some tips to keep your truck in shape for many miles to come.

Ride quality is an essential part of your driving experience. At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, we strive to keep your car, truck, or SUV as smooth and comfortable to drive as the day it came off the lot. Your shock absorbers play a huge role in ride quality; here’s what you should know.

We know you’re busy. At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, we also know that while there are certain issues with your car, truck, or SUV you can ignore for a while, some of them shouldn’t wait. While serious issues are often obvious, sometimes they aren’t - ball joints are one such case.

Does your steering wheel feel like it’s fighting you when trying to drive in a straight line? Does your truck turn too aggressively when you try to go one direction, and poorly when you try to go another? There are a few possibilities as to what it means if your truck resists going in a straight line. Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River has the answers for you.

If you drive a standard shift car, truck, or SUV, there’s a good chance reliability was a factor in your decision to get a stick shift. However, from time to time, even a manual transmission needs to be serviced; when it does, Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River has you covered.

Trucks aren’t like cars...your average personal vehicle usually holds about 5 quarts of oil, and you are supposed to change it every 3-5k miles. However, the same logic doesn’t apply to large trucks. At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, we know how important proper oil changes and diagnostics are to keep your truck on the road, for hundreds of thousands of miles. Here’s what you need to know:

At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, we aim to keep your four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive car, truck, or SUV ready for anything. 4X4 systems are pretty low maintenance, but equally as important to maintain as your engine or transmission. At Dirk’s Auto Clinic our technicians have the tools and knowledge to help keep yours going strong.

While most fleet vehicles are chosen for their reliability, low maintenance, and durability, sometimes maintaining several of them at a time can become overwhelming. Just keeping up with the maintenance schedule alone is a task and then to ensure you keep your scheduled routes for those fleet vehicles is another task in itself. Let Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River put your mind at ease, with our fleet maintenance programs for any and all fleet vehicles. We will take the stress from your business fleet program and get your fleet trucks and fleet cars running at optimum performance with a routine that works for your business that often REDUCES costs!

Correct fluid levels are essential to keeping your Ram, Ford, or Chevrolet diesel pickup on the road. Luckily, checking your coolant, oil, brake, and transmission fluid are easy to do, and will save you from a variety of issues down the road. Here’s what you should know about keeping the fluid levels in your truck maintained, from Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL.