Automotive Industry News & Information - Dirk's Auto Clinic

Prevention is better than cure. You've probably heard that said plenty of times. The phrase is most often used to talk about health and medicine, but it is just as valid to apply it to vehicles. It's great if your problem can be sorted without much trouble, but even better not to have a problem in the first place. This is especially true when it comes to your vehicle's transmission, as this can be one of the more specialized parts to repair. Not all transmission problems require an extensive overhaul, but they will all cause at least some trouble and inconvenience. Avoiding transmission problems is clearly preferable to even the problems that are quickest and cheapest repair. This is why it is important to ensure you take good care of your transmission. This will help prevent problems and keep it working smoothly. Ideally, it will mean that it doesn't develop any faults at all. Even if it does eventually go wrong, however, it is entirely possible that good care will mean the fault is less serious and easier to repair than it would have been otherwise. Here's some insight on how to prevent problems from our team here at Dirk’s Auto Clinic.

If your brake lights are giving you trouble, it’s something you want to get fixed. It’s a safety hazard, and you might also get a ticket out of it. Why aren’t they working, and what can you do about it? Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL has the answers.

Your transmission suddenly isn’t shifting right. So what’s wrong with it? Do you need your transmission rebuilt? To find out what’s causing your transmission problem, one of our technicians here at Dirk’s Auto Clinic is going to have to perform a series of tests. Basically, these tests are designed to answer the simple question: “Is it inside or outside?” That is, is the problem inside the transmission, or in one of the many control systems that operate the transmission?

At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, our goal is to keep your car, truck, or SUV on the road. The best way to prevent a huge problem is to pay attention to the small ones and get issues taken care of before they leave you stranded. As you know, small problems can lead to big problems and if you're not careful you could miss the signs and your transmission could fail you.

At Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, we see a lot of the same mistakes that cause a transmission to fail. With our help, you can avoid a preventable transmission failure and keep your car reliably on the road.

Foggy headlights are a problem that has arisen in the past couple of decades, as we have moved away from glass sealed beam bulbs and into an era of plastic lenses with bulbs inside. While modern headlights are superior to the sealed beam headlights of years ago, they do tend to fog up after years of use. It’s a good trade for far better illumination and easier replacement, but an issue nonetheless. Hours and hours of heat, sunlight, and age eventually cause them to cloud up, which can reduce visibility at night in addition to worsening the appearance of your car, truck, or SUV. From Dirk’s Auto Clinic in Crystal River, FL, here are some tips on taking care of your foggy or cloudy headlight issue.

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 Dirk’s Auto Clinic for a brake service checkup today!

Whether you’ve never had any trouble out of your transmission, or you are all too familiar with transmission issues, you may wonder how often a transmission requires repair. In truth, it really just depends. There are hundreds of different transmissions, some more reliable than others, with different levels of stress demanded of them. Age, mileage, type, and usage are all aspects of the transmission condition.