112 South Service Court, Unit A * Myrtle Beach, SC 29588843-236-2040
Automotive FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers from Pro-Tech Automotive & Tire.
If you would like to submit a question that you did not find an answer for on this FAQ page, please send us an email at tech@protechautocenter.com. Do not forget to include your name, email address, and any other information we may need to contact you and answer your question.
Please limit your questions to general automotive information. We will not answer questions regarding a particular vehicle's problem, or questions that require troubleshooting and diagnostic equipment. If you are having a problem with a particular vehicle that will require troubleshooting, please bring the vehicle to Pro-Tech Automotive & Tire where our technicians can properly diagnose and repair the problem.
How often should I get the oil changed in my vehicle?
The general rule of thumb is "every 3 months or 3000 miles, whichever comes first." As your oil gets put to the stress of heat, cold, and use, the lubricating ability breaks down. The oil will not be able to lubricate the engine components correctly, which causes premature engine wear and irreversable engine damage. Even oil that just sits in the engine coagulates and loses it's lubricating ability.
How often should I rotate my tires?
For front wheel drive vehicles, every other oil change is the recommended interval. Since the front tires are the ones moving the vehicle and turning, they will get the most wear. Rotating your tires regularly will usually double or triple your tire life, as long as your front end components are in good condition and your vehicle is kept in proper alignment. Rear wheel drive vehicles don't need their tires rotated quite as often, but every other oil change is still a good rule to follow.
How tight should the lug nuts on my wheels be?
Lug nut torque specs vary from vehicle to vehicle. Most cars and light trucks have a torque spec of between 85 and 110 foot pounds. This is not alot of torque, and can actually be accomplished with a small amount of effort by hand with the lug nut tool that comes with your vehicle. Some European vehicles have a torque spec of only 80 ft lbs. Many trucks with 6 or more lug nuts or large lug nuts could have a torque value of 120 ft lbs or more. Lug nuts should either be put on with a torque wrench or with an air gun using a torque stick. Overtightening of the lug nuts can warp brake rotors and drums. It can also ruin the threads in the lug nut causing it to lock up on the stud and break.
What is the difference between a transission filter change and a transmission flush?
A transmission filter change only consists of removing the transmission pan, replacing the filter and gasket, and adding any lost fluid, which is only about 3 to 5 quarts. This is recommended for automatic transmissions every 30,000 miles. A transmission flush is done by connecting a machine to the vehicles transmission lines which removes all of the old transmission flush from the vehicle and installs new fluid. This is usually between 12 and 15 quarts. There are usually chemicals added before the flush that clean the transmission system thorougly, and conditioners added after the flush. The transmission flush is recommended for automatic transmissions every 30,000 miles.
What do I do if my 'check engine' or 'service engine soon' light comes on?
Both the 'check engine' and 'service engine soon' lights mean the same thing. When either of these lights come on, it means that your engine computer has detected a problem with a sensor or with something a sensor has detected. Your vehicle probably will need a computer scan to determine the problem and how important the problem is. If the vehicle still runs good when one of these lights comes on, chances are it is not an emergency problem. However, you will not want to wait very long to get this diagnosed, since any computer sensor problem can cause driveability problems and possibly even severe engine damage. Also, beware of free computer scans without a real diagnosis as they are very rarely accurate.
What gas should I use in my vehicle?
Most vehicles now days can use just about any grade of gas depending on a few factors. Most fuel now days is made to work in most vehicles. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. If any modifications have been made to the fuel or spark systems, a higher octane gas may be necessary, for instance. Also, as a vehicles engine wears internally, a higher octane gas may be necessary. The rule of thumb is, "use the lowest octane gas your vehicle can run on without it spark knocking or running rough." We recommend running the middle grade fuel most of the time, with an occasional fill-up of the hi grade fuel. For best results, face follow your vehicles recommendations in your user manual.
Should I use gas additives to clean out my injectors?
99.9% of the time, the answer is NO. Todays injectors can be ruined by adding fuel injector cleaners and other gas additives to your fuel. When fuel injection first came out injectors did have problems with internal buildup causing driveability problems. Today injectors are almost 100% self cleaning. They have a coating on them that nothing can cling to, but the coating can be removed with fuel injector cleaners and gas additives. Also, octane boosters and gas additives don't fix a problem. They are only good for absorbing moisture and bringing the octane levels up a couple of points. If you feel as though your fuel injectors need cleaning, take your vehicle to a repair shop that has the Motor-Vac fuel Injection Service machine. This machine is one of the only injector-safe fuel injection machines that actually tests and cleans the entire fuel injection system.