Unlike an oil change, this maintenance does not come with a convenient sticker on the windshield.  

What Signs Should I Look For?

When a muffler needs to be replaced, you might not necessarily see anything wrong with it, but you will most likely hear something wrong. If you are among the majority of individuals that drive every day, you have probably become familiar with how your vehicle normally sounds. Be on the lookout for any strange or rattling noises, or if your vehicle suddenly seems louder than normal.

Another sign of muffler failure is physical damage or weakness. When mufflers are affected by excessive corrosion or punctures, they can be harmful to the driver and the passengers. The purpose of a muffler is to direct the exhaust of out the vehicle, but a hole in the muffler can cause the exhaust gases to seep inside the car.

This is especially dangerous because toxic gas can cause headaches, dizziness, difficulty breathing, nausea, and even be lethal in high enough doses. In addition to harming your passengers, a damaged muffler can affect your vehicle’s emissions, which leads to pollution of the atmosphere.

As you check your mufflers physical appearance, it is also important to check for water leakage. Mufflers are designed to have a small hole, or “weep hole”, that drains water from the lower end. While this hole is supposed to be there, other holes are not.

If your muffler is leaking water from several holes, it may escalate into more serious problems throughout the rest of the exhaust system. The holes will cause the exhaust system to condense, meaning the moisture from the vehicle will have no way of moving outside; too much moisture inside can cause instant muffler failure.  

The final sign you should be observant of is if your gas mileage has drastically decreased. When a muffler is in tip-top condition it helps with gas efficiency, but a damaged muffler can cause fuel injectors to malfunction. These malfunctions result in extra fuel being sent to the engine, which causes your vehicle to burn rich or stall out from lack of oxygen.

If you have inspected your vehicle’s muffler and noticed any of these signs, or heard any unusual sounds, it seems like a replacement is in your future. If you are not quite sure if your vehicle needs a new muffler, come out to Trick Trucks for a second opinion. 

Trick Trucks Has the Answers to All Your Vehicle Care Questions

If you want to upgrade your vehicle, then come to see us at Trick Trucks. We are happy to make sure your truck is in great condition and is looking fresh all year round. We have over forty years of experience, so there is nothing we haven’t seen.

Give us a call at 1-866-60-TRICK or visit us online. Follow us on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube to keep up with our newest projects and to gain inspiration for your next one!

The post How Do I Know When to Replace My Muffler? appeared first on Trick Trucks.

The chill of fall is on the way. With the change in seasons, you might not think you can go on any long road trips. But there are a variety of day trips you can enjoy, all of which are less than three hours away from Baltimore. Before you can go anywhere, here are some vehicle maintenance tasks to take care of first.

Check the Heater and Defroster

No one wants to climb into a hot car on a hot day when the onboard air conditioning isn’t working. Likewise, morning frosts during the fall and winter are going to be much more common. So, to avoid any problems, check on the heater and defroster and make sure they’re working correctly. That way, you can look out through both windshields to see approaching motorists, or bicyclists and pedestrians.

Ensure Windshield Wipers Work

Our second vehicle maintenance task is just as important as the first. Since it’s going to start raining and even hailing during the fall, you’ll want to be sure that your windshield wipers work. Plus, you’ll have to deal with fog and mist whether you’re commuting in your car or heading into the woods in your truck to spend a weekend hunting and fishing. Either way, you can’t get to where you’re going if you can’t see along the way.

Double Check the Tires

Adequate tire pressure is also essential to keeping your vehicle in top condition. No matter where you’re going, you don’t want a tire to blow out along the way. Plus, it takes more gas to get to your destination, and you don’t want your fuel efficiency to suffer. Also, make sure you inspect the treads on your vehicle’s tires. The better your treads, the more traction you’ll have on slick roads this fall!

Get a Look at Steering

Every so often, you should have your vehicle’s steering system inspected. Don’t overlook the suspension and wheel alignment, too. All three of these systems are critical to keeping your car running and preventing accidents, which can help keep your vehicle maintenance costs down.

Change the Oil

Oil changes are also vital for keeping the engine running smoothly. If you have a bumper to bumper warranty on your vehicle, getting an oil change shouldn’t be anything to worry about; but you should keep an eye on how many miles you’ve traveled since your last oil change and determine if the time has come for it or not.

Trick Trucks Has the Answers to All Your Vehicle Maintenance Questions

If you want to upgrade your vehicle, then come to see us at Trick Trucks. We are happy to make sure your truck is in great condition and is looking fresh all year round. We have over forty years of experience, so there is nothing we haven’t seen. Give us a call at 1-866-60-TRICK or visit us online. Follow us on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube to keep up with our newest projects and to gain inspiration for your next one.

The post 5 Vehicle Maintenance Tasks to Complete This Fall appeared first on Trick Trucks.

Whenever something goes wrong with our cars, we tend to put off making repairs. But basic vehicle maintenance can be simpler than you might think. Instead of playing a dangerous waiting game, which could potentially make any problems worse, consider attempting some vehicle maintenance before reaching out to the pros. Is it true you need to do these basic vehicle maintenance tasks?

Changing Your Oil

Don’t overlook the importance of an oil change; although you could always take your car or truck to the shop and have them take care of it, changing your ride’s oil by yourself is something of a lost art. It could just be that modern convenience has given way to the rugged image of the car owner who can fix everything. Even so, you should make sure your oil is properly changed every time you reach 5,000 miles, and definitely before you exceed your next 10,000 miles. You’ll need several necessary items to get this done, such as:

• Wrench
• Liquid funnel
• Brand new filter
• Oil pan

Rotating Your Tires

Rotating your tires from time to time will also help them keep them from blowing out. You don’t want to be going down the road to school or work or the grocery store when one of your tires unexpectedly explodes. So when you try switching your tires around, just remember that the front tires should go on the back, and the rear tires should go on the front. Likewise, tires on the right-hand side should go on the left, and so forth. Take this opportunity to check on the condition of your brakes, and make sure you have adequate air pressure in each of your tires.

Ensuring Tire Pressure

The air pressure during cold weather is lower than normal, so the pressure inside your tires is going to be affected as well. Guaranteeing you have enough tire pressure will help your vehicle run more smoothly and safely, and you can get more fuel efficiency out of your ride as well.

Checking Your Brakes

Our last basic vehicle maintenance tip has to do with checking on your brakes. All you need to do is see how quickly your brakes respond when you press the appropriate pedal. It if starts screaming, shrieking, or squealing, then you’ll know something is wrong. It might be time to replace them before they can deteriorate even more.

Vehicle Care and More From Trick Tricks

Does your car or truck need servicing or some new accessories? Trick Trucks is happy to service your vehicle and make sure your truck is in great shape all year long! With over forty years of experience servicing trucks, we have the expertise and equipment you need. Contact Trick Trucks online or by calling 1-866-60-TRICK. To find out more about our services and trucks, follow us on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube.

The post True You Need to Do These Vehicle Maintenance Tasks? appeared first on Trick Trucks.

When it comes to maintaining your vehicle, safety and performance should be your two top priorities. After all, whenever you’re behind the wheel, you want to be sure that you and all of your passengers are as safe and comfortable as possible. Good shocks and struts make for a smoother, more enjoyable ride. Can you recognize when your vehicle’s shocks and struts are worn out? What about when they need to be replaced? Here’s how you can see it’s time to get new shocks and struts installed.

Rougher And Noisier Rides

Bumpy roads are to be expected when you’re out for a drive. But when something is wrong with your shocks and struts, you’ll have a rougher and noisier ride than usual. Struts are installed on your vehicle to help it handle all the bumps in the road that you encounter on a daily basis. You can identify a problem with your struts when you hear a strange clunking sound that is due to metal scraping against metal. Aging shock systems might also feature a piston system that is beginning to fall apart, which means any little vibration from the vehicle in motion will reverberate up through your steering column and into your hands and arms. Once you decide to replace both your shocks and your struts, you should change them at the same time to prevent future problems.

Alignment Problems While Braking

You could also run into alignment problems while you are using your brakes. Your car could float to one side when you brake, which obviously isn’t a good sign. Fatigued struts can cause all sorts of alignment problems with your vehicle. If the seals inside your shocks have broken, even small changes in steering or braking will give you lots of recoil. All of your truck’s weight could potentially shift forward when you hit the brakes, which will cause the nose of the truck to dip as well.

Delays in Braking Response

Along with alignment problems, badly worn shocks and struts will cause your brakes to be unresponsive at worst or slow to respond at best. Thus, it’ll take longer for your brakes to work, meaning you can’t stop as quickly. To find out if your shocks and struts are shot, conduct the bounce test on your vehicle – push down on each corner of your vehicle before you get in. When you let go of each corner, you should see it resume its original position, or resting height. If the corners of your vehicle don’t bounce back to their original position after two bounces, you should invest in some new shocks and struts.

Worn Out Tires

Worn out shocks and struts can also wear down your tires. Worn out tires are going to cause even more problems, especially with your suspension. You should replace your tires as soon as possible because worn down tires will make the ride even bumpier if you don’t. However, tire replacement alone won’t fix the problem. You will also need to realign your suspension and have your shocks and struts replaced.

Hydraulic Fluid Leaks

Lastly, be on the lookout for hydraulic fluid leaks. Any sign of leaking means your shocks are not performing at their optimal levels  – and the leaking will leave some ugly stains on your driveway!

For All of Your Car or Truck Needs

Do you want to be sure your vehicle stays clean this summer? Trick Trucks is happy to service your vehicle and make sure your vehicle is in great shape all year long! With over forty years of experience servicing trucks, we have the expertise and equipment you need. Contact Trick Trucks online or by calling 1-866-60-TRICK. To find out more about our services and trucks, follow us on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube.

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The post How Do You Know When Your Vehicle Needs New Shocks and Struts? appeared first on Trick Trucks.