Graham Auto Repair

5 Signs of Low Transmission Fluid: What Every Driver Should Know Curious about the health of your car's transmission? Understanding the signs of low transmission fluid is crucial for maintaining your vehicle's performance. By keeping up-to-date with vehicle maintenance you can help prevent costly repairs down the road. Let's dive into the telltale indicators that your transmission fluid might be running low. Here are a few signs that your transmission fluid may be low, or may need to be replaced. 1. Delayed or Rough Shifting: Difficulty shifting gears smoothly, such as a noticeable hesitation or jerkiness when accelerating or decelerating. 2. Transmission Slipping: ... read more

Understanding the Importance of Transmission Fluid Maintenance In Your Vehicle Today, we're diving into an essential aspect of vehicle maintenance that often goes overlooked: transmission fluid. Many of us wait until something goes wrong with our cars before scheduling maintenance appointments. But understanding the significance of transmission fluid and regular servicing can save us from costly repairs down the road. Transmission fluid is a crucial component of automatic transmissions. It serves multiple functions, including lubricating moving parts, cooling the transmission, and maintaining hydraulic pressure. Essentially, it's the lifeblood of your transmission system. Here are a few reasons why it's important to complete regular maintenance of your Transmission Fluid: 1. Optimal Performance: Fresh transmission fluid ensures smooth gear shifts and overall performance of your vehicle. 2. Prevents Damage: Regular serv ... read more

Maximizing Fleet Efficiency: The Cooling System In today's competitive business environment, maximizing fleet efficiency and minimizing downtime are crucial for success. Regular cooling system services plays a vital role in achieving these goals. Here's why regular cooling system services are essential for your fleet:1. Prevents costly breakdowns: Overheating, corrosion, and other cooling system issues can lead to expensive repairs and unexpected vehicle downtime. 2. Ensures optimal performance: A well-maintained cooling system optimizes engine performance. This can lead to improved fuel efficiency and reduced operating costs. 3. Extends the lifespan of your fleet: Regular service not only prevents breakdowns but also extends the lifespan of your vehicles. This can greatly reduce your overall replacement costs. By investing in regular cooling system services for your fleet, you can sig ... read more

Have you ever wondered about the importance of your vehicle's cooling system? Understanding it's role is essential for maintaining optimal engine performance. With proper coolant, and regular cooling system services, you can prevent expensive repairs. Join us as we explore the significance of coolant and how it protects your vehicle. Yes, the words antifreeze and coolant can be used to describe the same fluid. Coolant is a vital fluid in your vehicle's engine. It helps regulate the engine's temperature, ensuring it doesn't get too hot or too cold. This is important because an engine that is too hot can overheat and cause damage. In addition, an engine that's too cold can freeze up and stop working. Essentially, coolant keeps your engine running smoothly in any weather conditions. Let's discuss why coolant is essential for your vehicle. When your engine runs, it is generating a lot of heat! The cooling system, which includes the radiator and the wat ... read more

What are the signs you need new brakes? We understand that maintaining you car can be both rewarding and puzzling. One crucial part of your vehicle that demands attention is your brake system. So we are here to guide you through 5 signs that your brakes need extra attention. To help ensure your safety and peace of mind on the road! 1. Squeaky Symphonies: Have you ever noticed a high-pitched squeal when you apply your brakes? This can be a clear sign that your brake pads are getting worn down. Most brake pads have built-in wear indicators that will emit a sound when the pads are worn down. This sound is to ensure you never miss the memo! To let you know it's time to replace your brakes, before it becomes dangerous to drive. 2. Vibrations and Shakes: Does your car shake or vibrate when you brake? Warped brake rotors could be the culprit. This not only affects your vehicle's performance. It also poses a safety risk! There are other things that can cause your vehicle to vibrate ... read more

Is it time for an Oil Change Service?  It's always a good idea to be prepared and up-to-date on your vehicle maintenance services. So if you're asking yourself, "Is it time for an Oil Change?" then the answer is most likely yes! Regular oil change services are essential in keeping your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently. For most vehicles, you should schedule an oil service every 3-4 months. Why? Oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle. It ensures that all of the vehicle components are properly lubricated. This helps to reduce friction between the moving parts, which can improve overall engine performance and efficiency. Keeping up on your maintenance services assists in preventing future breakdowns!  With every service at Graham Auto Repair, our Technicians will perform a digital vehicle inspection. This inspection is free! Why do we do this? Because it's our goal to keep you and your loved ones safe when you're on the road! We do this by inspect ... read more

Winter is here! Many of us are getting ready to travel for the holidays. You may be asking, "How do I prepare my car for winter driving? It can seem like a daunting task. But we're here to help you! With these 4 maintenance services, you will be better prepared on the road this winter. We also have 1 more bonus tip for you at the end! 1. Tire Rotation One of the most important services to prepare your car for winter is a tire rotation. When you don't rotate your tires, they wear down unevenly. This can lead to dangerous conditions while driving in the snow. It's super important to have good tire grip when driving on ice and in the snow! By rotating your tires every few months, you'll help them to wear evenly. This will prolong the life of your tires as well.   2. Change Your Air Filter & Cabin Air Filter Did you know that most vehicles have more than one air filter? There is the engine air filter and the cabin air filt ... read more

How do you know when to change brake pads? Knowing when to change your brake pads is important! Not only for your safety, but for the longevity of your vehicle. Brake pads are located between the caliper and the rotor. Their purpose is to create friction to help slow down or stop your car. Over time they will wear out, which will impact their performance and your safety. There are a few signs that indicate its time for a change! When Braking it Feels Spongy Pay attention to how the brakes feel when you use them. Does it feel spongy when you press down on the brakes? Spongy may feel like you're pushing against a spring. This may indicate there is air in your brake system or that you have contaminated brake fluid. You may also have a bulging brake hose or a sticking caliper. In some instances it can also mean that the brake pads have worn down and need to be replaced ... read more

The video above is meant to make you laugh! But expensive vehicle repairs are not fun! It is our job to partner with you in maintaining your vehicle. We know that you have places to go! You want to get there safely, preferably without any breakdowns. By completing Maintenance Services you can extend the life of your vehicle. How do maintenance services extend the life of your vehicle? When you keep the fluids inside your engine clean, they can do their job better. Their job is to protect your engine and keep your vehicle running smoothly. Performing maintenance services will reduce the wear and tear of the engine and it's components. In turn this extends the life of your engine, and keeps you on the road longer! There are many different Maintenance Services that should be performed on your vehicle. Which ones and how often will depend on many different factors. The year, make, and model of your vehicle is one part. It will also depend on how often you drive, th ... read more

Meet Bill, our ASE Certified Master Technician. Bill has specialized training in European Vehicle repairs. Which cars does Bill enjoy working on the most? His favorite is BMW repairs and Mercedes Benz repairs. Bill started out in the Automotive Industry in 1998 and he has been serving on our Team since August 2020. One thing that you may be interested to learn about Bill: He does Autocross Racing and has earned multiple awards! What does it mean to be an ASE Certified Technician? Bill has completed all of his ASE Certifications and continuously renews them, every time they expire. Acquiring these certifications isn't easy! And in order to renew them, you have to re-take the tests. What does "ASE" stand for? I'm glad you asked! ASE stands for "Automotive Service Excellence." In case you'd like to read more about the ASE testing, check out their site ... read more