Somersworth Auto Repair

Customers often want to know what Fluids to check in their Vehicle during the time in between Service at Central Park Garage. There are five primary fluids you want to check to stay safe on the road. These fluids are Brake Fluid, Engine Coolant, Engine Oil, Power Steering Fluid, and Transmission Fluid. Brake Fluid is the component in the Braking System which allows for the Brakes to compress and decompress when using the Brake pedal. Insufficient or contaminated Brake Fluid can cause failure of the Brake System, so maintaining the Brake Fluid is key to ensuring safety on the road. Most manufacturers recommend performing a Brake Fluid Flush every 30,000 miles. Engine Coolant is the fluid that is found in the Radiator and Cooling System. It keeps components such as the Water Pump functioning properly and at optimal levels. There are several different types Coolant and it is important to make sure the proper Coolant is used in your vehicle. The additives in the Coolant break down over tim ... read more

To help keep you healthy and safe, we here at Central Park garage would like to pass along some important information about COVID-19 (coronavirus). First and most importantly, the government is urging people to stay home unless you need to go out for work, food or medications and follow the social distancing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is crucial in helping to prevent the rapid spread of the virus, resulting in the overwhelming of our healthcare system. Secondly and equally important, if you have symptoms, call your Primary Care Provider and they will advise you of the next steps to take. There are several designated testing sites for those that need testing. It is imperative that you remain isolated if you think you might have the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends these additional preventative actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, including: Avoid close contact with ... read more

 “Why should I Rotate My Tires?” is a common question Motorists in Somersworth and Dover ask. In normal driving conditions around the seacoast of New Hampshire, your front Tires Wear more on the shoulders because they handle much of the cornering forces in turns. Front-wheel drive vehicles have even more force on the front Tires. We Rotate the tires so that all the Tires do some miles on the front end as well as on the back end. This allows for all four Tires to Wear More Evenly over their Life and last longer. For most vehicles in Somersworth and Dover, Tires are Rotated front to back. Some Manufacturers Recommend a cross Rotational pattern that may include the spare tire, and some High-Performance Vehicles have different sized Tires and may even have Uni-Directional Tires that can only be on the left or right side of the vehicle. We will be sure to check all the information regarding your Vehicle and the Tires and Rotate the Tires in the appropriate manner. Your Tir ... read more

“What does a Cabin Air Filter do?” is a common question Motorists in the Dover area ask. Cabin Air Filters are relatively new to Vehicles and not all Vehicles have them, so people confuse their Cabin Air Filter with their Engine Air Filter. A Cabin Air Filter Cleans the Air going into the passenger compartment. The Cabin Air Filter Cleans out dust, pollen, spores and other pollutants. It can also catch rodent droppings, leaves and other unwanted debris from entering the HVAC System. To give a point of comparison, a grain of sand is about 200 microns across. A Cabin Air Filter can stop particles that are just 3 microns in size. It really does make the Passenger Cabin a much more pleasant Environment. Essentially, the air you’re breathing when inside a vehicle, is coming through your Cabin Air Filter. When the Cabin Air Filter gets Dirty, you just need to Replace it. Your owner's manual may have a recommended interv ... read more

It is possible for a car to last a lifetime. However, there are certain elements that cars are exposed to which can greatly shorten the life of the vehicle. If your car will spend any of it’s life near the ocean, the salt in the water can be carried in the wind and can easily damage your vehicle. To combat the effect the salt air has on your vehicle, you should frequently wash your vehicle with soap and water to remove any salt residue. Individuals that live in snow states where salt is used to de-ice the roads will find that their vehicle is under constant attack by the salt. It reacts with the metal of the vehicle and causes rust to form. To combat the rust, you should routinely wash your vehicle during the winter months, as often as three times a week. An easy way to remove the salt residue from your vehicle is to go to a coin-operated car wash that has high-powered hoses. Spray the underside of your vehicle, as well as the rest of the car’s body, to remove all of the sa ... read more

Maintaining your vehicle is important for its optimal performance. If your vehicle is left unchecked and unmaintained, you can end up with a large repair bill or may even lead to having to the big expense of purchasing a new vehicle. Your car oil is an important component of your car. The oil needs to be changed at regular intervals to ensure that the engine remains in good shape. Oil changes should happen typically every 3 months or 3,000 miles. Car tires also need to be checked. You should make sure that they are properly inflated on a monthly basis. Check the pressure rating that’s listed in the driver’s side doorjamb for the correct reading. Having the proper amount of air in your tires, as well as frequently having them rotated, will extend the life of the product. Air filters also need to be changed at scheduled intervals. The car engine will endure a great amount of stress and have reduced performance if it cannot properly breathe. You can either refer to you ... read more

Weather can change for the worse at any moment. Knowing how to properly handle your car can prevent serious damage to your vehicle and can even save your life. A severe rain storm or snow storm sometimes form quickly. They can cause slippery or whiteout conditions that will make your trip dangerous. When you are caught driving in a bad weather pattern, you will need to consider several things. Do you feel comfortable traveling at your current rate of speed? Is the road congested with other traffic? Driving slowly is always sound advice to follow, however depending upon the circumstances, it may not be an adequate amount of precautionary measures. If you feel that you can continue driving, then you should slow down so that you can have a large distance between your car and those that are in front of you. If you are uncomfortable driving, you should pull over immediately onto the shoulder and turn your hazard lights on. You should remain in the car until you feel at ease with ... read more

Bad tires can make your vehicle difficult to drive or create a driving hazard, because balding or misaligned tires will slip in certain weather conditions. In addition, if your tires are not properly inflated, by being under or over inflated, your ties can wear down prematurely which will require a new set of tires. Even without premature wear, tires need to be replaced a few times during the span of your car’s life. It’s important to check your tires at least once a month to see signs of advanced wearing on the inner and outer side of the tires, or if one side of the tire is wearing faster than the other. If you notice either of these premature conditions, then you should consider purchasing new set of tires from our shop. Some tires have wear-indicators that will notify you that it is time for a new set of tires. If you do not have these indicators, you can use the penny test to determine if your tires are good. This test requires you to insert a penny into a tread groove ... read more