A muffler is an important component of your car; it’s responsible for safely removing all of the exhaust gases from your vehicle and reducing noise pollution. Although regular checkups are advised, it helps to know signs that your muffler might need repairs yourself. Here are a few of them:

Holes in your muffler:

This can be extremely dangerous, as it allows carbon monoxide to leak from the vehicle. Continual exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to fainting or death.

Bumping/thumping or increased volume:

Either of these signs emanating from the back of your vehicle indicate that something is wrong. Don’t wait to get them checked out, even if the overall health of your vehicle otherwise seems fine.

Rust:

If you can see rust on the outside of your muffler, chances are the inside is much worse. This will cause problems with the exhaust system.

Smoke:

If thick, billowy smoke is coming out of your muffler in large amounts, something is wrong. Your car shouldn’t look like a factory.

Water:

Condensation build-up is normal. Some mufflers have a drain built in to get it out. However, if there is a lot of water dripping from multiple places in your muffler, you need to get it checked out.

Overheating:

One of the causes of your car overheating is a dysfunctional exhaust system.

These are the basic things to keep an eye out for to preserve the health of your muffler. Here at J1 Auto Repair, we can repair mufflers and also offer a host of other auto-services. For more information, please give us a call at (630) 932-4427.

Nobody likes to do it, but regular oil changes are an important part of vehicle maintenance. A host of problems can arise if you take too long to bring your car in. Here are some reasons to always remember to get your oil changed:

It lubricates the engine:

Motor oil keeps the pistons from hitting the piston walls to alleviate friction. The heat from the constant firing of the pistons eventually makes the oil useless at its job. When this happens, severe damage to the engine isn’t far behind.

It prevents contaminant buildup:

Water and debris from the air starts to dilute the supply of oil over time. These contaminants begin to coagulate after a while, which will start to wear out the engine. 

They will change your filter:

Oil filters are meant to prevent the buildup of contaminates in the oil. Getting them replaced during each oil change will ensure that they are kept at a minimum, as the more contaminants that build up in the filter the less effective it is.

It ensures the proper oil level:

Generally, most people don’t remember to check their vehicle’s oil level despite the ease of doing so. When the level gets below a certain amount, irreparable damage to the engine isn’t far behind. Experts recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles. They are just one of the many auto-related services we offer here at J1 Auto Repair. Give us a call at (630) 932-4427.

Are you doing everything you can to extend the life of your vehicle? According to AutoMD.com, many people aren’t. At all. They’ve come up with a helpful list of expensive auto service and repair mistakes to avoid. Among them:

• Driving on fumes. Unlike the vehicles of yesteryear, most of the ones on the road today have fuel-injected engines with pumps that don’t take kindly to running on fumes. A pump repair could cost hundreds of dollars.
• Neglecting your belts and hoses. They should be inspected every 30,000 miles, or every two years.
• Failing to properly communicate your repair issue. Keep a log of your vehicle’s symptoms and share them with your mechanic.This could prevent the auto shop from having to spend extra time diagnosing the problem.
• Not asking for your parts back. If a part needs replacing, always ask for your old one to be returned to you in the box.
• Ignoring noises. Sqealing, grinding, clicking, knocking: These sounds won’t just go away on their own. Ignoring them could lead to expensive damage.

Do I need a wheel alignment?

Perhaps it has been a long time since you last got your car aligned. Or perhaps you are a new car owner and you are looking for more information on wheel alignment. Either way if you are concerned that your car may be in need of an alignment check out the following four top signs you need a wheel alignment.

#1: Uneven Tire Wear

Check the tread of your tires on the front and back of your car. Are your tires wearing unevenly? There usually is more wear on the outside of the tires and the wear is overall uneven. Uneven wear on your tires is the number one indicator that your car is in need of an alignment.

#2: Pulling Wheel

When you drive down the highway or even down the street, does your car pull strongly one direction? Test this on a few different areas of road to ensure it is not a groove in the road you are driving down. If your car is consistently pulling to one side you may need a wheel alignment.

#3: Vibration in the Wheel

When you are driving do you feel vibrations in the wheel? These are not the good vibrations the Beach Boys once sung about. Instead vibration in the steering indicates your alignment is off and should be adjusted.

#4: Crooked Wheel

If you are driving straight down the road, but your steering wheel is crooked you are probably in severe need of an alignment. This does not happen as frequently as the first three signs, but when it does you should head to an auto shop as soon as possible.

If you have not had an alignment performed in a long time or your car is demonstrating one of these four top signs you are in need of a wheel alignment, give us a call. At J1 Auto Repair we are ready to help you get your car back on track.

Taking care of your car’s appearance is a great, easy and affordable way to keep your car looking good and help it retain value. Professional car cleaning and detailing services can costs hundreds of dollars. Here are some great car detailing and cleaning tips that can help you do it yourself and save you money.

If you’re going to detail and clean the car yourself, be ready to spend a little amount of money. Getting the proper car detailing tools and product can cost between $30 to $100 depending on the quality of product you want to use and what tools you already have at home.

Always use two buckets when washing the exterior of your car. Use one bucket to hold your cleaner and the other to hold water to clean of your cleaning tools. Before dipping your cleaning towel,mitt or cloth into the cleaning product bucket, rinse it the water bucket and squeeze it dry. This ensures that your towel, mitt, or rag is clean before you start washing your car. Using two buckets also ensures that your getting all the dirt and grim off your car and not just rubbing it back on with one bucket.

Microfiber towels and cloths are the best product to use for detailing your car. The microfibers in the towel produce less friction when wiping and scrubbing than conventional towels. Less friction means greater efficiency cleaning and less scratching. Microfiber cloths also make it easier to wash,rinse and dry your vehicle.

Other tips for detailing and cleaning your car:

• Always brush the interior of your car before cleaning or vacuuming it
• Apply waxing and protective products with a buffer and remove it with a towel
• Wipe your interior and exterior glasses in two different directions to see which side is clean and which one is dirty
• Never use dish or other household cleaning products to clean your car
• Never move the cleaning towel or cloth in a circular motion. It can cause scratching.
• Move the cleaning towel horizontal down the vehicle, one area at a time, to prevent scratching and marks.

How to Reduce Your Chance of a Car Theft

Car thefts are a massive crime problem here in the United States. It is estimated that car thefts cost over one billion dollars in damages per year. Here are the two best ways you can reduce your chance of damage and items getting stolen from your car.

Always Lock Your Car Doors

Locking your car doors should always be the first precaution you take for the security of car and the items in it. 25% of all car thefts in U.S. happen because car doors are left unlocked. Always lock your car door no matter what. Locking your doors is the first and best measure you should always take for your safety and your vehicle’s safety.

Don’t Leave Items Out

Leaving any valuables or items out in your car, where they can be clearly seen, presents a crime of opportunity. Someone is more likely to take the risk of a breaking into a car if the can see the valuables and the rewards of breaking into it. Always put away and hide your valuable items before leaving your car. Doing this will help reduce your chance of a car theft.

Squeeze The Most Out of Your Fuel Dollar

With government restrictions being even more stringent on gas mileage, auto makers are starting to make engines more efficient and smaller.  We will never have the days of the fire-breathing Chevy Chevelles with their 454 big blocks engines again, which is sad for car enthusiasts.  But it you’re looking for the best possible value for your dollar, there’s no time like the present to swoop up one of these gas misers.

Ford Focus Sedan 2.0L 6AT – 37 mpg

The Ford Focus has been a mainstay in the economy category for a while now and Ford has found a way to make subtle touches to shape this fuel sipper since 1998.  Although not the tops in the MPG category, this car has one of the larger and peppier engines in the category.

Mazda 6 2.5L 6AT – 38 mpg

The Mazda 6 has been one of the best values in the automotive industry for the last 10 years at least.  Although this car is easy on your wallet both with it’s $21,190 purchase price and of course at the pump, you get a lot of car with your money.  Automotive reviewers have always praised it’s responsive suspension, great steering, and sticky brakes making this a fuel economy car that you might confuse for a low end sports car.

VW Passat 2.0L TDI Diesel 6MT – 43 mpg

If you haven’t looked at a turbo-diesel for your fuel efficiency car needs, you’ve been missing out.  With the patented low-end grunt that diesel engines are known for, these 2-liter German fuel-savers are surprisingly quick and fun to drive.  Diesel engines by nature are the very durable due their heavier and stronger engine components used to handle the increased compression ratios compared to a regular gasoline engine.

There are quite a few options out there today that are both purely fuel powered vehicles as well as hybrids.  With the strides that hybrid technology has taken in the last 5 years, there’s no good reason to not check them out as well.  If you have any questions for us regarding maintenance on these vehicles or any others feel free to give us a call!

As gas prices continue to rise, more and more people are starting to purchase hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, for their unbeatable fuel economy. Although hybrids have been on the market since 1999, many people still aren’t that familiar with how they operate and how they differ from a traditional, non-hybrid vehicle.

Unlike a conventional vehicle, a hybrid vehicle uses multiple forms of energy for propulsion. They still house a fuel tank and combustion engine, but they are coupled with an electric motor and battery pack. The electric motor will draw power from the battery to give the acceleration an extra kick. However, hybrids are not the same as electric cars. Hybrids primarily use gasoline as the main energy source but utilize electric components to collect and reuse energy that would normally go to waste in a stand vehicle.

How do hybrids get better fuel economy?

When a hybrid car is stopped in traffic, special software shuts off the engine. When the driver releases their foot from the brake pedal, the software then signals the car to automatically start back up again. Not only does this method increase gas mileage but cutting down on idling, but it also cuts back on tailpipe emissions.

Another cool ability that a hybrid has is that it can absorb energy from the momentum the car generates while coasting downhill or slowing down. In standard cars, the energy in this momentum would be wasted as heat in the brakes.

The specifics of a hybrid will vary depending on the auto manufacturer and the technology used. If you need hybrid car repair in Lombard, call J1 Auto repair today!

For the last ten years, Allstate has been analyzing the driving habits of cities across the United States to determine who were the safest drivers as well as the not-so-safe drivers. Every year, they take the information they’ve gathered and create a report that includes list of cities with the safest drivers. Any guesses as to who made the number one spot? In 2013, the city with the safest drivers was Fort Collins, Colorado.  

If you’ve followed the report for previous years, it shouldn’t be too surprising since Fort Collins has occupied the number one position for past three years. For the last nine years, they’ve ranked in the top ten. The average frequency of accidents between drivers in Fort Collins is 28% lower than the national average. In Fort Collins, the average time lapse between accidents is 14 years! Quite impressive to say the least.

Dishonorable Mention goes to….

For some of us, it may be more beneficial to know which city has the worst drivers so that we can avoid it as best as possible. Sadly enough, our nation’s capital has the worst drivers in the country where on average drivers are involved in an auto accident every 4.8 years. Way to represent, Washington D.C.  Maybe Fort Collins can teach our capital a thing or two about safe driving.

Wondering where your city ranks? Click here to check out the full report. 

Self-driving cars are all the rave right now in both the tech world and the auto world. Google is paving the path right now with their smart car that can self-navigate by using GPS data, sensors, and an onboard computer.

But instead of making cars smarter, what if we made roads smarter instead? Volvo recently conducted a research project where they built a roadway fitted with magnets underneath the pavement. The idea behind this project is that cars equipped with sensors would be able determine their position on the road. Volvo believes this is a safer solution than autonomous vehicles because of a lower margin of error for positioning inaccuracies.

Though innovative, the idea isn’t financially feasible. To upgrade the roads with this technology, it would cost approximately $39,362 per mile. With nearly 40 million miles of roads, that’s a whopping $157.5 billion! Not to mention the cost of maintenance.

Another thing to take into consideration is that since the roads are public owned and operated, governments would be in charge of constructing these new roadways. Currently, 32 percent of the nation’s streets are in poor or mediocre condition. If the government struggles to keep our current road systems maintained, successfully building magnetic roads doesn’t look too promising.

Sorry Volvo, it’s a good idea in theory, but it’s just not practical at the moment. But in the future—maybe. We’ll just have to see what’s in store for us.