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Welcome New Connection magazine readers. Let me introduce myself. My name is Rob Avanti, owner of Rob's Auto Service. Let me start by saying, I am in no way, shape or form a writer. The last thing I probably wrote, other than a birthday card, was a high school English paper. That said, I am going to attempt to write a little something each month automotive related that may be of some interest to the readers of this column. . .

If you are in the market for a new car, I do not recommend purchasing a warranty from the dealer. The major reason for this is because your new car will come with a minimum of a 3 year or 36K mile bumper to bumper warranty from the factory. Why should you pay for something you wont need for around 3 years? Another reason is because you may sell the car, the car may unfortunately be stolen or totaled in an accident and you will be out the money you spent on the warranty . . .

If you have an amber check engine, or service soon light on, your vehicle is telling you there is a problem. It may be something as simple as a loose gas cap, or something like a bad oxygen sensor that could be robbing your fuel economy. It is very important to get it checked out as soon as possible to prevent other problems. For instance, if you have a bad sensor that causes the fuel system to dump too much fuel, you can ruin your oxygen sensors and even clog your cat converter or converters...

Every month I will try to discuss a little something about maintaining your car. This month I will try something a little different. How many times can you honestly say that you reached your destination without getting annoyed by another driver? If your like me, not many. It seems like there are a lot of drivers that don't seem to know the rules of the road, and or exhibit any common courtesy toward other drivers. I am not trying to offend anyone here, I am just trying to reiterate a few ...

If your car has 60K miles or more there are several things you may need to do. Most important is to have your timing belt replaced if 60K miles is the specified mileage for replacement. Most cars have what you call an interference engine. What that means is, if your timing belt breaks, some valves are left open while the pistons are still coming up. They then hit and bend the valves and sometimes puncture your engine. On some cars. . .

Don't be afraid to bring your car in to your mechanic for fear of receiving a large repair bill. I know of some people that will only go to a quick lube service type shop for oil changes because they know that they will never get a bill over $100.00. This is a big mistake by going to these type of shops. You have no idea of the condition of the condition of some very important things like brakes, tires, if you have any steering parts that are ready to fall off your car. Not only is this a sa...

Does it seem like your repair bills are higher than they should be? This may be the case. Most people who have been going to a repair shop for a long time that they fully trust may not even realize they are paying too much. I know of several very busy shops that sell their customers some things they may not need or charge a lot more for things than you really should be paying. In some cases, you may bring a vehicle in for a noise that may be caused by a simple. . .

Does your car just not sound and drive like when it was new? There are several very common problems that could cause this even if your vehicle has under 20K miles. One very popular vehicle that is prone to front end noises over bumps is the Dodge Caravan / Plymouth Voyage / Chry. Town and Country. Every one of these vehicles that comes through my door with over 20K miles on it has a bad sway bar bushing. It is an easy fix that can get rid of. . .

If you have any type of shake or vibration in your vehicle while stopping this is a sign that your brakes may need servicing. This shake or vibration is caused from your brake rotors, or drums, being out of round. Several things may cause this. One of the causes may be from aggressive braking. Late braking, or a panic stops causes excessive heat to warp the rotors and or drums. Another cause could be that the rotors are too thin and. . .

Welcome to the website for Rob's Auto Service LTD. We make it easy to find tires and schedule automotive services in Smithtown, New York. We've included many features on our new website that allow you to find the information you need and take action with the simple click of the mouse or tap of your finger. . .