Gardner Auto Repair

What is the danger of underinflated tires? Flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances can all be the result of driving around KS on underinflated tires. Now, it's hard to tell when a radial tire is underinflated but your friendly and knowledgeable Bret's Autoworks can help you. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds – which is significantly underinflated. Tire Pressure Monitoring System-TPMS Your newer vehicle or light truck might be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). This technology has been used by race car drivers for years. They are able to head off problems from underinflation by closely monitoring tire pressure on the track. Obviously, TMPS systems don't come free for car buyers. U.S. government studies have estimated the net costs of the TPMS system itself, maintaining the system, replacement of worn or broken parts and tire repair cost increases. The costs are partially ... read more

  Let's talk shocks and struts. Shock absorbers and struts last a long time for drivers and wear out pretty slowly for most vehicles. They're easy to take for granted, but your shocks and struts do a very important job so you need to pay attention to them. They keep your tires on the road; and your tires are what connect your vehicle to the road and allow you to safely handle your car through turns, over bumps and even stop in time. What happens when your shocks and struts are worn? Your tires bounce excessively over bumps. Your vehicle will wallow through corners, your front-end will dive when you stop and your rear-end will squat when you accelerate. All this hurts your ability to control your vehicle. And your ride just isn't as comfortable. Tire Wear Worn shocks or struts cause excessive tire wear so drivers will have to replace their tires sooner than they should. Worn shocks and struts also stress other ... read more

Imagine you are driving on a snowy or rainy KS road. You need to slam on your brakes and your rear wheels lock up. Chances are good that the rear end of your vehicle will try to pass the front end and you can easily lose control. What would happen in the same circumstance if your front wheels locked up? Well you certainly would not be able to steer properly and your front end would go to wherever momentum leads it. The ABS modulates your brakes on and off as many as 15 times a second. This keeps your wheels from locking up while providing the greatest amount of braking possible. You are better able to steer your vehicle and maintain control. Olathe service advisors often talk about the 3 S's of anti-lock brakes: Stomp – Stay – Steer. Stomp on the brake, Stay on the brake and Steer normally. Modern anti-lock brake systems  utilize a computer to receive information from sensors and control the ABS. There are wheel speed sensors at each wheel rep ... read more