Our Auto Repair Service Blog – Bucaro Brothers Auto Care

A Guide to What Those Strange Noises May Mean You may never have thought of it, but your car can give you feedback in the form of strange car noises indicating there may be a problem that needs attention. But what are those noises and what do they mean? Read on, and your friends from Bucaro Brothers Auto Care in Lincoln Park will try to explain a few of the more common ones and what they might mean. 1) A hum that increases as you accelerate In this case, we’re not talking about the normal hum of your engine as you drive down the road, but a different kind of hum that may sound like a plane taking off and tends to get louder as you accelerate or make a turn. What it means: That hum could well mean a worn wheel bearing. It’s easy to confuse this noise with engine noise, and one way to check is to speed up a bit and then take your foot off the accelerator. If the humming noise continues, it’s probably not coming from your engine but from one or more of your wheel bearings. 2) A droning noise Like the humming noise… Read more

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The Coin Test for Tires Having a good set of tires with treads that can grip the road is an essential safety feature for your vehicle, and there’s a quick, easy, and cheap way to test your tread depth. It won’t cost you a penny, but the lowly penny is an essential part of the test. The Penny Tread Test – What is It? As we said, the penny tread test is a quick and easy way to check your tire treads. And because it’s so easy, it’s a good idea to perform this test every month or so, especially if you do a lot of driving. Here’s all that you do. For checking treads, take a penny, hold it between your thumb and forefinger, then point Lincoln’s head into the tread at several places on each of your tires. As you move from point to point and tire to tire, if you see the top of Lincoln’s head, that means your tread is badly worn and no longer safe for driving. In that case, you need to head to your favorite garage and replace your tires. And that’s it, the tire test with a coin! And Don’t Forget to… Read more

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What Can Happen if You Don’t Get an Oil Change? Routine oil changes are an essential part of vehicle maintenance, whether you drive an expensive sports car, or a safe and economical minivan. Without regular oil changes, you risk component failure, damage to your engine system, sludge build-up, poor fuel economy, and even a failed emissions test, among other things. Oil is the lubricant that cools the moving parts of your engine and keeps various components from wearing down due to excess friction. It’s no wonder scheduling regular oil changes is so important to vehicle performance. The benefits of oil changes range from better fuel efficiency and part protection, to extended engine lifespan. You can’t go wrong by ensuring your vehicle receives fresh oil and a new oil filter every 3,000 miles, or more or less depending on your vehicle’s specifications. Does it Matter Where You Get Your Oil Changed? One question many drivers ask is, Where should I get my oil changed? Some people may say you have to go to the dealership in order to protect your warranty and receive quality motor oil. This misconception is understandable, because car and truck owners want to take care of their… Read more

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From Bucaro Brothers – Ways to Spring Clean Your Car and Prep for Summer As winter gradually starts to loosen its grip, many of us start looking forward to the pleasures of summer, including, possibly, summer road trips. Before summer arrives and we start making those trips, it’s a good idea to clean off and clean out all the gunk and junk that’s accumulated on and in your car during winter. Tips for Spring To keep your car problems to a minimum during the coming months, here are some of our best spring cleaning tips. 1. Get rid of the salt and synthetic deicer. In areas like Illinois, as we all know, these things are used extensively to keep our roads open and passable. But left on the undercarriage of your car, they can do a lot of damage. The easiest way to clean it all away is to take your vehicle to a professional car wash and pay for a package that includes an undercarriage wash. If you’re a dedicated DIY kind of person, you can prepare a 50-50 mix of water and vinegar in a spray bottle and crawl under your vehicle to clean off the accumulated gunk…. Read more

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From Bucaro Brothers Auto Care – Taking Care of Your Hybrid or Electric Vehicle (EV) Let’s come right to the point: Hybrid and electric vehicles are here to stay, in large part because of rising federal MPG fuel standards. In 2016 the standard was about 35 MPG, but by 2025 it will rise to slightly over 54 MPG. Given the necessity of meeting those standards, the only choice vehicle manufacturers have is to turn out an ever increasing number of hybrid and electric vehicles. Basic Maintenance Tips for Hybrids and EVs So, as we said, electric vehicles in one form or another are here to stay, and the following tips are offered by your friends at Bucaro Brothers to help keep your electrified vehicle in good running condition for years to come. Watch the Fluids Since hybrids are propelled by both electricity and an internal combustion engine (ICE), that means they have the usual assortment of under-the-hood fluids. These need to be checked regularly and include radiator coolant, brake fluid, and oil. In addition, most hybrids have transmission fluid that needs to be checked underneath the vehicle. If you don’t feel comfortable making this check, take your hybrid to your… Read more

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