At Downtown Automotive in Siler City, NC, we service all types of transmissions, on any car, truck, or SUV. This includes both All-Wheel Drive and Four-Wheel Drive vehicles, but you may be wondering...what’s the difference? Both types of vehicle supply power to all four wheels, so why use two different terms? Due to the increasing demand for AWD and 4WD vehicles over the last decade, equipped on everything from sports cars to pickup trucks, more and more people are asking these same questions.

If you’re ever in a situation where you must remove the battery from your vehicle, it’s important to know what you’re doing. It seems pretty straight forward, and it is. However, there are some important things to remember when disconnecting the battery in your car, truck, or SUV. Here are some tips on disconnecting a car battery, from Downtown Automotive in Siler City, NC.

When you get in your car, truck, SUV, or minivan to drive and the A/C does not work what could be wrong? Here at Downtown Automotive, we have some simple answers to help you understand how your vehicle A/C system works. The first question we are asked is "Why isn't my air conditioner blowing cold air?" Let's talk about what could be happening. 

If you’ve owned a vehicle long, particularly one with a few miles on it, you have probably encountered a peculiar smell that grabbed your attention. Scents that you encounter while driving (emanating from your vehicle, not the horse farm down the road) are indicators of your vehicle's health and often the first warning that something may be wrong. Downtown Automotive in Siler City has assembled this list to prepare for you for the next time you smell something odd, so you’ll know what’s going on next time you notice a funny smell.

While some keys or key fobs can only be obtained from dealerships, most cars can be programmed to accept a new key or key fob without expensive dealer intervention. At Downtown Automotive in Siler City, we often provide such services, at a fraction of the cost.

Your brakes have a lot to do with how your car drives. Brakes are a frequently neglected item on a lot of people’s checklist, and many drivers on the road have subpar brakes and don’t even know it. A car that brakes well and brakes correctly are just as important as acceleration, handling, or any other aspect of a vehicle’s drivability. A car with brake issues has the potential to be a far more enjoyable ride when fixed.

Obviously, your brakes are essential. However, it’s easy to neglect or ignore brake issues, and even miss them altogether; as long as the car, truck, or SUV still stops, many people don’t see the need to have their brakes serviced. From Downtown Automotive in Siler City, here are some common brake issues, and why you should fix them.

If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle made by manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes, Subaru, Land Rover, Porsche, etc., you’re probably no stranger to state of the art electronics, sensors, and control systems. At Downtown Automotive, our technicians have the right knowledge, ability, and equipment necessary to keep your car or SUV in top-notch condition.

At Downtown Automotive in Siler City, NC, we enjoy providing you with useful knowledge that pertains to the ownership and maintenance of your car, truck, or SUV. You may have noticed more and more electric cars hitting our roadways over the past few years. With that in mind, here’s a brief, but interesting look at the history of electric cars.

At Downtown Automotive in Siler City, we know how irritating an issue with your car, truck, or SUV can be, even if it doesn’t immediately affect your vehicle’s performance. One such problematic issue, the excessively loud radiator cooling fan, is a common plague many automobile owners will experience.

Who created the world’s first car is actually a matter of debate; since the invention of the engine, people had been installing them on horse carriages to make them self-propelled. Even when automobiles specifically designed for engines came around, they were hardly recognizable as a car by today’s standards. However, the first patented automobile, a vehicle specifically designed to be propelled by an engine, was built by Karl Benz and completed in 1885.

At Downtown Automotive in Siler City, we know that some of the most elusive issues with any car, truck, or SUV are often caused by the simplest of malfunctions. While you might consider a gas cap fairly innocuous, it can actually malfunction too, prompting a check engine light on your dashboard.

Good gas mileage is something we all want. In fact, many drivers purchase certain cars solely for gas mileage, and almost all of us at least take it into consideration when purchasing a vehicle. While it is true that gas mileage is by and large determined simply by the type of car, there are actually a variety of things you can do to increase the gas mileage of any automobile. The tips Downtown Automotive in Siler City want to provide you here are simple and effective steps you can take to increase your gas mileage, often more considerably than you think.

What condition are your tires in? At Downtown Automotive in Siler City, NC, we want to make sure you can tell. A simple visual inspection is all you need - it’s easy if you know what to look for.

If your car, truck or SUV is experiencing engine issues and you are concerned about having to purchase a new vehicle, our technicians at Downtown Automotive in Siler City have an answer that will save you money and help you maintain the value of your vehicle. Today's vehicles cost more than they ever did and you typically have a loan for a much longer time period - yet the warranty it seems stays relatively short!

Here, we believe in treating your vehicle as if it were ours and if your engine is not reliable we can replace it with a JASPER replacement engine with a nationwide parts and labor warranty! It is what we would do with our car, truck or SUV instead of trading it for a higher payment or a vehicle we didn't like as much as what we had!

Automotive windows are one of those things that you take for granted, until something goes wrong. One of the more irritating issues a window can develop, is dislocating from its track while attempting to roll it up or down. Why does this happen, and how do you fix it? At Downtown Automotive in Siler City, NC, we’ve got answers to your questions and solutions to your problems.

When you are having trouble with your car or truck starting and you open the hood up to take a peek to see this....you'll see what an overly corroded battery looks like. This happens naturally over time on vehicle battery terminals.  If you are like 99% of normal Siler City drivers, you don't check your oil or your battery so you don't keep an eye on the amount of corrosion that's building up on your car or truck battery.  Here at Downtown Automotive, we do and there are solvents that we can use here in the shop during a battery maintenance service that will help slow the corrosion process but nothing that can prevent it 100%. Way before it gets to this point, we will be suggesting you consider replacing the battery. 

We all love the sunshine but getting into that HOT car isn't always so wonderful even when you have a remote start it will take the breath out of you when the temperatures are soaring. Makes you want to pack your lunch instead of meeting friends for lunch! We decided that you should meet friends for lunch! So we got together and found some quick ideas for you. It isn't much but enjoy the sunshine on us here at Downtown Automotive here in Siler City! Call it our fun day fact!

Your drive belts are simple but integral components to the function of your car, truck, or SUV. At Downtown Automotive in Siler City, belts are one of the first things we assess when looking over a vehicle, as they alone are in charge of operating your AC, water pump, alternator, and power steering.

If your car, truck or SUV is experiencing major engine issues, the technicians at Downtown Automotive in Siler City, NC have you covered. You hear the engine knocking when it decides to start? Is there smoke pouring from your truck’s exhaust pipe? Whether you’re burning oil, your engine is on it’s last leg or has simply given up altogether, we can help. And if you’re not sure what you need, we can help with that too.