Automotive Industry News & Information - Dirk's Auto Clinic

There’s a lot of information on buying used cars out there, but at Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, we don’t think it’s possible to go into a purchase armed with too much information. The condition of the transmission in a used car is perhaps the most essential aspect of a pre-owned car purchase - this article explains why, and how to make sure your prospective buy is everything you want it to be.

Like anything else on your vehicle, keeping various systems clean and in good shape is essential to long life and reliability. Your fuel system is especially important - parts are expensive, problems can be difficult to diagnose, and it doesn’t take much contamination to cause a huge issue. It’s much easier to keep your fuel system clean than it is to clean a dirty or problematic system. Performing regular fuel treatment can prove very beneficial to the life of your vehicle.

Leaks and drips that get the interior of your vehicle wet are definitely an inconvenience. Sitting water promotes rust, bad smells, and can ruin your carpet. Furthermore, the water often seems to come from seemingly nowhere, adding to the frustration. From Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, here are some of the leading causes of water on your floor, and what you can do about it.

By now, the numbers are clear; seat belts save lives. But just wearing one isn’t enough - it needs to be working properly to actually keep you safe. Here’s what you need to know about the seat belts in your car, truck, or SUV, from Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL.

Transmission problems aren’t always as dramatic as they seem. Often, a huge inconvenience is caused by a simple problem, if you only know what to look for. At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, we know what to look for, and would like to pass some of that knowledge on to you. Here, we investigate an easy fix that causes a lot of people problems; a faulty neutral safety switch.

If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle, you know that your precision engineered equipment demands precision tuning. At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, we specialize in high-end imports and performance vehicles and keep them up to par.

True safety starts with being able to see where you are driving. Your lights and wipers play a major role in safe driving and the chance of an accident increases if you can't see or be seen. No matter what time of year, it's important to make sure your vehicle's lights and wipers are working properly so your visibility is not compromised and you can be seen by others. From the driver's seat, you may not notice a light that isn't working, but when a big rain comes it becomes easier to see what you are missing! When wet weather hits your roads is not the time for you to discover limited visibility problems. Here at Dirk’s Auto Clinic we take our Crystal River drivers' safety seriously and inspect their vehicles when they come in for service.

At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, our mechanics have diagnosed and repaired every transmission problem in the book. We’d like to pass some of our knowledge along to you, in order to help you understand your transmission a little better. Here, we discuss the synchronizers in your manual transmission, and how to know if one of yours is faulty.