Kansas City Auto Repair

Warm weather or cold, Kansas City drivers still need to think about their vehicle's air conditioning. Most Kansas City people don't service their air conditioning until after it fails. At I - 70 Auto Service, we can advise you on your vehicle manufacturers preventive maintenance schedules for air conditioning service, just as we do for transmission service, oil changes and so on. Maintaining your air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the vehicle's air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can't cool the air as well. We see that a lot at I - 70 Auto Service in Kansas City.The refrigerant also contains oil that lubricates air conditioning components and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and all Kansas City vehicle owners know that air conditioning ... read more

Many Kansas City drivers have been hearing about technological advances in power steering, specifically electric power steering. Some very high-end cars have been featuring electric power steering. Power steering fluid has the necessary hydraulic properties and the ability to lubricate the internal parts. The power steering fluid also protects vehicle components from rust and corrosion.Kansas City car owners should be aware that vehicle manufacturers recommend that the fluid be replaced on schedule. At I - 70 Auto Service, the old fluid is drained and the system cleaned thoroughly. Fresh fluid is then installed.Unfortunately, many Kansas City drivers don't realize how important it is to service their power steering, and some may not even know that it's necessary in the first place. A neglected power steering system can develop leaks that will shorten the life of the pump.Kansas City drivers ... read more

At I - 70 Auto Service we get a lot of Kansas City drivers asking about vehicle trip preparation. That's a big deal. You could be driving through mountains and deserts in some pretty lonely areas around Missouri, so it's important to know that the vehicle is up to the task and won't leave you stranded.Smart Kansas City drivers plan ahead for a major road trip – and there are a lot of things to get ready. Where should you start? You could start with the tires. Look them over for tread wear and check to see that they are properly inflated. Take a quick test drive around Kansas City to see if you can feel any vibrations: Are the wheels in balance? Is the car tracking straight? Is the alignment ok? Come to I - 70 Auto Service for a peace-of-mind trip inspection.3111 Stadium Dr. Kansas City, Missouri 64128 816-921-0505http://www.i ... read more

Sometimes we hear people in Kansas City say, "What's up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don't break down." While it is true that today's vehicles are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials than ever before. All that complexity demands higher tolerances for everything. For example, most Kansas City drivers don't realize how high tech automotive fluids have become,  fluids such as engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid.Did you know that a modern engine would not run for more than a few months using motor oil formulas from 30 years ago? Today's automotive fluids contain a much higher percentage of additives to protect your vehicle's components from premature wear and corrosion. Time and distances march on for all of our cars. Please don't think we're using scare tactics to get you to take care of your maintenance - but here are some personal stories we've hea ... read more

So you love your job, and your family life is great. Congratulations! You have achieved balance. But can you say the same for your wheels? Kansas City drivers can tell if their tires are out of balance by vibrations at higher speeds on Missouri roads. If one of the front tires is out, you feel the vibration in the steering wheel. If it's a back tire, you'll feel the vibration in your seat.Tires and wheels are pretty heavy. When a tire is mounted on a wheel at I - 70 Auto Service, it is usually not perfectly balanced. So the technician will spin the tire on a machine to determine where it's too heavy. He will then place weights on the wheels in strategic locations to balance it out. When a tire is out of balance, it actually bounces down the road instead of rolling smoothly. Since the average size tire rotates at about 850 revolutions per minute at 60 mph/97 kph, it is actually slamming into the pavement 14 times a second. That's where you get your vibration.Most people in Kansas City ... read more

A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the Missouri news. Kansas City people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better gas mileage and receive a government rebate. A lot of Kansas City motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They're good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they're paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their vehicles for 200,000 miles (320,000 kilometers) or more – as long as it's economical to do so. There are plenty of Kansas City drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles (240,000 or 320,000 kilometers). We can learn from what they're doing to keep our own vehicles on the road in Missouri.The Kansas City drivers of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. That may sound a bi ... read more

The function of the fuel filter is pretty self-explanatory. It filters your fuel. The fuel filter is in the fuel line somewhere in between the fuel tank and the engine. Both gas and diesel vehicles around Kansas City use fuel filters. For more information about your fuel filter, visit I - 70 Auto Service at 3111 Stadium Dr. in Kansas City, Missouri 64128.Please call 816-921-0505 to make an appointment. Generally speaking there's not a lot of dirt in our Kansas City area auto fuel supply, but there is enough that you want to screen it out. The problem actually gets worse the older your vehicle becomes. That's because dirt, rust and other contaminants will settle out of the fuel and onto the bottom of the fuel tank. After your vehicle is five years or older, it can actually have a fair amount of sediment built up.That just means that the fuel filter has to work harder as your vehicle ages. It'll get clogged sooner and need to be rep ... read more

  How do Kansas City drivers know if an odometer is telling the truth?Well, back in '86, Congress passed the Truth-in-Mileage Act to protect Missouri consumers against mileage fraud. It says a Missouri seller must certify the mileage reported is the actual mileage.To have your odometer checked in Kansas City, Missouri, stop by I - 70 Auto Service: I - 70 Auto Service3111 Stadium Dr.Kansas City, Missouri 64128   If it isn't, the seller must say why; for example, maybe the odometer is past its mechanical limits. Some older odometers only go to 99,999 and then start over at 0. Or, the odometer has been tampered with, broken or replaced.If the seller tells you the mileage isn't accurate, there's not much chance of putting a good number to it. And there's the unscrupulous seller who claims the reading is true, but it isn't. What can Kansas City vehicle owners do?You can go to www.CarFax.com, where, for a small ... read more

Something you're going to be hearing a lot about around Kansas City, Missouri, is diesel engines. We're not talking about semi-trucks and buses; we're talking about diesel engine cars, pick-ups and SUVs.Most people in Missouri are surprised to learn that around half the cars on the road in Europe have diesel engines. Nearly all import brands offer a range of diesel engines abroad – even the ultra-luxury brands like Mercedes and BMW. For the most part, these diesel engines haven't been available in Kansas City, Missouri. But that's about to change.In the past, North American diesel fuel has had a much higher sulfur content than European fuel. Recent environmental laws have required changes in diesel formulation and emissions standards here in Kansas City, Missouri, so we are now ready to start seeing more diesel options offered over the next few years.Why are so many Kansas City drivers interested in diesel engines? Well first off, diesel fuel is more energy dense ... read more

Every vehicle on Missouri roads has a differential, and it is important to the proper operation of the vehicle.  But most Kansas City residents don't have a clue what it is.The differential compensates for differing wheel speeds. For example, when you turn, the inside tire on the turn travels a much shorter distance than the outside wheel. So the inside wheel of the vehicle must move at a slower speed than the outside wheel. Without a differential, the wheels would hop and scrape while turning.Have you ever seen the large bulge in the middle of the rear axle of a truck? That's the differential. In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the differential is located on the back axle. Four-wheel drive vehicles and SUV's have differentials on both the front and the rear axle.You might expect that the differential is located on the front axle of a front-wheel drive vehicle. You'd be right. But the differential is called a transaxle on a front-wheel ... read more