Automotive Tips from Auto Lab Troy: Wiper Blades ? Signs of Wear

January 15, 2020

90% of our driving decisions are based on vision. Anything that impedes your vision can affect your driving safety including a dirty windshield. In that sense, your wiper blades are an important safety system. Most Troy drivers will wait until their wipers have failed before they replace them. T... More

Idle Talk about Engines (Causes of Rough Engine Idling)

November 17, 2019

When you slow down at stoplight, your vehicle's idle should be smooth as silk. But what happens when the engine is missing or idling roughly? That's your engine's way of telling you, "Hey, I've got something wrong with me and if you don't get someone to find out what it is, I may not start the n... More

Wash Me, Wash Me Right (How to Wash a Vehicle)

November 3, 2019

Most would agree they'd rather drive around in a clean, shiny vehicle than one coated with a layer of dirt. When warmer weather comes around, some of us are bound and determined to wash our own vehicles. And to protect the paint and its luster, there are a few things to keep in mind when you ge... More

H20 No! (Driving Through Standing Water)

October 6, 2019

In a year marked by unusually heavy flooding in North America, drivers are very aware of the possibility they may find themselves driving where water has come over the road. It can be a daunting and frightening situation. Flooding waters can move quickly and unpredictably, so you have to keep y... More

DOG FOOD IN YOUR ENGINE (Keeping Rodents out of your Engine)

September 8, 2019

A technician was telling us the other day that he was servicing an engine and spotted something he'd never seen before: A collection of dry dog food siting on a horizontal metal ledge near the base of the engine. It was neatly stashed and was in a spot where the food pellets couldn't have simply... More

When "Oh, no!" Turns Into, "All right!"

June 30, 2019

Things we don't expect happen to our vehicles. And let's face, no one really wants to spend money on an unexpected repair. But if you are putting off going to your vehicle repair facility because you're dreading bad news, you might just be putting off some good news. There was one minivan driver ... More

"Current" Affairs (Blown Fuses)

June 2, 2019

You may be driving along and find that suddenly your radio stops working. There are no numbers on the display. Then when you get home, you notice the garage door opener doesn't do a thing when you press the button. Hmm, this was working just fine this morning. Are the two problems somehow rela... More

Wipe Out! New Wiper Blades for Troy Drivers

January 28, 2019

When people in Troy talk about vehicle safety, they think of tires and brakes. But do we think about our windshields? Isn't the ability to see a prime safety factor when it comes to driving around Michigan? Yet we often don't even notice our windshields until we can't see through them or ... More

Wishy-Washy in Troy

January 20, 2019

Perhaps you've found yourself driving when something all of a sudden splashes on your windshield, obstructing your view. You know that sinking feeling when you try to turn on the windshield washers and no fluid comes out. Now you're blinded even more. What can you do? The best thing is to make su... More

Tacky or Techie? The Tachometer.

December 30, 2018

There's a gauge that many vehicles have that says RPM on it. And there are a lot of people who either don't pay any attention to it or don't even know what it is. Here's why it's a good gauge to know about. It's called a tachometer, and that "RPM" label means it is measuring how many revolutions... More