Precision Auto Repair

Why does my car shake when driving?

Take a look at the difference between these two tires.

A tire is built in layers. The outside rubber is the part that grips the road. Under that rubber are strong steel belts that help the tire hold its shape and stay together while you're driving.

This tire was worn completely bald. It wore through the rubber, through the steel belts, and into the base of the tire. At this point, there isn't enough material left to safely hold the tire together.

Besides causing shaking and vibration, a tire this worn has very little grip for stopping or driving in the rain. It's also at a much higher risk of coming apart or blowing out.

For this customer's Mercedes, we replaced all four tires, balanced them to eliminate the vibration, and performed a wheel alignment to help the new tires wear evenly.

They were also able to use our convenient online scheduling and our 0% for 90 days payment option to make the repair a little easier.

If your vehicle shakes, pulls, or your tires are wearing unevenly, don't wait until they look like this.

"Why does my Ford clunk when the transmission shifts gears?"

This customer came in convinced their truck needed a new transmission. Every time the transmission shifted gears, they would hear and feel a loud clunk. Another shop had told them the transmission was bad.

Fortunately, the transmission wasn't the problem.

After inspecting the Ford, our team found a failed transmission mount. This particular mount is liquid filled, and you can see in the photo where the old mount had worn out and started leaking.

So what does a transmission mount do?

Think of it like a small shock absorber that holds the transmission in place. Your transmission is heavy and moves slightly when the truck accelerates or shifts gears. The mount cushions that movement so you don't feel or hear it.

When this mount failed, the transmission was able to move too much every time it shifted. That movement was creating the loud clunk that sounded like a much more serious transmission problem.

The repair was straightforward. We replaced the failed transmission mount, verified the clunk was gone, and saved the customer from replacing a transmission they didn't need.

The customer was also able to take advantage of our 0% for 90 day payment option.

If your vehicle is clunking, shaking, or making a strange noise, don't assume the worst. Schedule online anytime and let our team find out what's actually causing it.

"Can I get my car repaired and detailed at the same time?"

Absolutely! This truck came in for Brake and Suspension Repairs, but we didn't just take care of the mechanical work. Before handing back the keys, our team gave it a courtesy Detail so the customer could leave with a repaired and freshly cleaned vehicle.

Want more than a courtesy cleanup? We also offer Full Service Detailing.

We've made it easy for customers at both Precision Auto Repair locations. Schedule a Full-Service Detail and drop your vehicle off at either West Springfield, MA or South Windsor, CT. We'll handle the rest.

It's one more way we're trying to make taking care of your vehicle a little more convenient.

"What happens if someone puts sugar in your gas tank?"

This customer came in because their car would randomly not start. Sometimes it ran normally, and other times it wouldn't start at all.

After testing the vehicle, we found something you definitely don't see every day, sugar in the gas tank.

Someone wasn't happy.

So, what does sugar in a gas tank actually do?

Think of your car's fuel system like a bunch of tiny straws carrying gasoline from the tank to the engine. Sugar doesn't dissolve properly in gasoline. Instead, it contaminates the fuel and can get carried through the system, clogging filters, damaging the fuel pump, plugging injectors, and contaminating the fuel rail and lines.

Once that happens, simply draining the gas tank isn't enough.

This repair involved removing the contaminated fuel, cleaning the tank, replacing the fuel filter, the fuel pump, flushing the fuel lines, and flushing or replacing the components that the contaminated fuel traveled through.

It's an unfortunate repair, but no job is too big or too small for our team. The customer was also able to take advantage of our 0% for 90 day payment option to make an unexpected repair a little easier.

Having a strange problem with your vehicle? Schedule online anytime and let us figure out what's actually causing it.

"Where can I get my car detailed near me in South Windsor, CT?"

Did you know Precision Auto Repair also offers full-service auto detailing at our South Windsor location?

This Cadillac came in for a full detail, inside and out. Our team cleaned and refreshed the interior, detailed the exterior, and got it looking its best before returning it to the customer.

Whether your vehicle just needs a good cleanup or it's overdue for some serious attention, our South Windsor auto detailing service is available for cars, trucks, and SUVs.

And because detailing is offered at the same location as our repair shop, you can even have your vehicle serviced and detailed during the same visit.

Looking for car detailing near you in South Windsor, CT? Give Precision Auto Repair a call or schedule your visit online.

"Why is my car's AC blowing warm air even though it just needs Freon?"

This customer came in because the AC in their Volvo was blowing warm. They had done some research and believed the system was simply low on refrigerant, so they just wanted us to add more.

The problem is that an AC system needs the right amount of refrigerant and the right pressures to work properly. Too little can cause warm air, but adding too much can also keep the AC from working correctly. If it's low, there's also a reason the refrigerant went somewhere.

That's why our AC checks start by properly charging the system so we know the pressures are correct. We then add a special UV dye that helps our technicians find refrigerant leaks.

On this Volvo, we found a leak in the evaporator core.

What's an evaporator core? Think of it like a tiny cold radiator hidden inside your dashboard. Air passes across it, gets cold, and then your blower pushes that cold air through the vents. If the evaporator develops a leak, the refrigerant escapes and eventually your AC starts blowing warm again.

Replacing an evaporator core requires getting deep into the vehicle's HVAC system, so this wasn't just a matter of adding more refrigerant. Our team completed the entire repair in about a day and got the Volvo's AC blowing cold again.

The customer was also able to take advantage of our 0% for 90-day payment option.

If your AC isn't blowing cold, schedule online anytime. We'll test the system, find out why it isn't working, and recommend the repair needed to fix it correctly.

"Why is my Honda ABS light on and why is my car braking by itself?"

This customer came in with an ABS warning light and a much more concerning problem. Their Honda would occasionally apply and release the brakes because the system incorrectly thought the vehicle was sliding and skidding.

They had been told by a friend that the problem was a bad ABS sensor and questioned why we needed to inspect the vehicle before replacing it without just giving them a quote over the phone.

The photo shows exactly why proper testing matters.

The highlighted area is called the tone ring. The ABS sensor reads this ring to determine how fast each wheel is turning. On the old wheel bearing, most of the tone ring had rusted away and was missing. This gave the ABS system incorrect wheel-speed information and caused it to activate when it shouldn't.

The ABS sensors themselves were in great shape. Replacing them wouldn't have fixed the problem.

We replaced the faulty wheel bearing assembly, tested the system, and had the Honda back to the customer in about half a day.

Need your vehicle looked at? You can schedule online anytime, and qualified customers can take advantage of our 0% for 90 day payment option.

"Where can I get a full service car detail near me?"

This Volkswagen Tiguan came in for Scheduled Maintenance and a Full Service Detail. Our team gave it a complete cleanup inside and out!

We know finding time to get your vehicle detailed isn't always easy, so we've made the process simple. Customers can schedule a Full Service Detail and drop their vehicle off at either Precision Auto Repair location — South Windsor, CT or West Springfield, MA.

We'll take care of the rest, and in most cases, your freshly detailed vehicle will be ready to pick up the same day.

Whether it's your daily driver, family SUV, a special collection, or a vehicle that just needs some extra attention, our team can help get it looking clean and and smelling refreshed again.

Looking for full service car detailing near you? Schedule online anytime and choose the Precision Auto Repair location that's most convenient for you.