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Automotive Tips from Walker Automotive: Making Your A/C System Last Longer

Wilmot drivers know that if their air conditioning system isn’t making cool air like it used to, there is a problem. It may be as simple as adding more of the right kind of refrigerant.Your A/C requires special compressor oil, which circulates through the system along with the refrigerant, to lubricate and protect expensive components and keep seals and gaskets from drying out. If refrigerant has leaked out – so has the compressor oil. This oil needs to be replenished whenever refrigerant is added.An air conditioning inspection at Walker Automotive will uncover any potential problems and identify any necessary repairs needed to get Wilmot drivers on the road to cool air once again.Give us a call.Walker Automotive3 Deerwood DriveWilmot, NH 0328760

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Air Conditioning

Which Item Is Most Stolen from Vehicles in Wilmot?

  Which item is most often stolen from vehicles in Wilmot?Is it: Stereo Wheels Air Bag DVD System Well, if you said stereo – you used to be right. But airbags have now surpassed stereos as the biggest target for theft in NH – approximately 50,000 a year are stolen across the country. New airbags cost about $1,000, but go for $50 to $200 on the black market in NH.Stolen airbags are making their way back into cars that have been in an accident. Of course, the danger to the consumer of having a stolen airbag installed is that you can never be sure what may have previously affected them and if they will work right when you need them. Contact us at Walker Automotive for more information about where to get your airbags checked or replaced.Find us at 3 Deerwood Drive, Wilmot, NH 03287You can reach us by phone at: 603.526.4848 There are reports that 1 in 25 airbag replacements are stolen  ... read more

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Maintenance

Positive Crankcase Ventilation ? PCV Valve Service at Walker Automotive

Hello Wilmot! Did you know that the first federally-mandated emissions control device was introduced in the 1960's? The Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve, or PCV valve, has been installed in NH vehicles since 1964 and represents the first legislation by the United States government to regulate harmful emissions as well as to improve performance in the country's vehicles.The PCV valve, as you can probably guess, is located on the crankcase. The crankcase is the lowest part of a vehicle's engine. It houses the crankshaft and the engine oil. The crankshaft connects to the pistons that power the engine.Pistons are pushed down when fuel is burned in an engine. This causes the crankshaft to rotate, which sends power to the transmission.  It ultimately turns the axles and causes the vehicle to move. Some of the gases released by the burning fuel squeeze around the pistons and down into the crankcase.If the escaped gases mix with the engine oil in the ... read more

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Exhaust

Deep Clean Your Fuel System at Walker Automotive

Having trouble with your fuel system? Bring your vehicle into Walker Automotive for a check up.In today's Walker Automotive auto post,we're talking about fuel system cleaning. The first thing to know is how important it is to have a clean fuel system. Wilmot residents need fuel to go, and the cleaner the fuel system, the more efficiently the fuel will burn. That means more power and better mileage .A clean fuel system saves money for Wilmot drivers at NH gas stations. We guess you could say it all starts and ends at the pump. One of the most important things Wilmot residents can do to keep their vehicle fuel system clean is to buy good quality gas. Major brands have detergents that keep gum and varnish from rapidly building up in the fuel system.So buying cheaper gas in NH can actually be more expensive for Wilmot drivers in the long run. Now, most cars on NH roads are more than five or six years old. That means they've had time for some dirt and rust to start acc ... read more

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Fuel System

Blind Spot Safety for Wilmot Driving

Blind spots may be a good thing when it comes to a spouse's annoying habits, but when driving an automobile in Wilmot, they are definitely to be avoided. So, while it's not good marital advice, it's good auto advice to minimize your own blind spots and stay out of other Wilmot drivers' blind spots, especially when it comes to large, heavy vehicles like trucks and buses.First, minimize your own blind spots. Do this before you pull out of the driveway or parking space. Adjust your rearview mirror so that you see as much of the area behind you as possible. And, no, this doesn't include the passengers in the back seat. The rearview mirror isn't designed to be a baby monitor.Next, lean to the side until your head almost touches the driver's side window. Now adjust the driver's side mirror so that it just catches the side of the vehicle. Then, lean to the middle of the car and adjust the passenger's side mirror in the same way. Thes ... read more

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Safety

Vive la Differential at Walker Automotive in Wilmot

There are a lot of drivers in Wilmot who are due for a differential service, but had never heard of a differential before.With front-wheel drive being so common in NH these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Wilmot folks don't even have to think about it. And rear-wheel drive differentials don't need to be serviced for years, so it's understandable that it's not something on the top of your mind. It's not uncommon for people in Wilmot to not know they have a differential, let alone know that it needs service.To better understand what a differential does, think about a track at any NH high school. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That's to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the sa ... read more

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Drive Train

Wilmot Car Owners Ask: Why Do I Need to Change My Serpentine Belt?

Any Wilmot driver who understands preventive maintenance knows that “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” is bad auto advice. Replacing a part before it breaks is much less costly for Wilmot residents than repairing the engine damage that comes after a part breaks or fails. A good example of this is the serpentine belt.The serpentine belt gets its name because of its circuitous path around the engine. The serpentine belt is driven by the engine and powers a number of systems, as follows:1. The serpentine belt spins the compressor that generates the cool air for the air conditioning system.2. The serpentine belt powers the alternator. The alternator generates electricity for use in the vehicle's electrical systems and to charge the battery. Without the alternator, the battery wouldn't last more than a few miles.3. In many Wilmot residents' vehicles, the serpentine belt runs the pumps for both the power steering and the power brakes. In other vehicles, the power steering pump may ... read more

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Serpentine Belt

Exhaust Service at Walker Automotive in Wilmot

Whenever they hear the term "exhaust service," most Wilmot residents think about exhaust pipes and mufflers. Well, actually, exhaust service at Walker Automotive is a lot more comprehensive these days. For example, catalytic converters were mandated in 1976 and on-board emission control computers in 1990. Governmental emissions requirements have forced manufacturers to come up with much more sophisticated ways to comply with environmental regulations.Exhaust service has really become exhaust and emissions service. High-tech computer controlled emissions devices are now a big part of exhaust service. Because it is so sophisticated, your recommends you have your emission system checked out by a qualified Wilmot exhaust technician regularly to make sure everything is working right - usually every 6 months or 10,000 miles/16,000 kilometers.If your Check Engine light comes on, especially if it's flashing, get your car looked at right away. Technicians at Walker Automotive in Wilmot handle e ... read more

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Exhaust

Put on the Brakes: Brake Service at Walker Automotive

When it comes to preventive maintenance and vehicle care, most Wilmot drivers know how important it is to check their brakes. But brakes are more than just brake pads and shoes. There are a lot of components in the brake system, and they all need to be in good working order.The pads and shoes are known as the friction materials in the brake system. They push together, providing friction which stops the vehicle. It's no wonder they have to be checked regularly for wear, and brake pads and shoes need to be replaced periodically.Brake pads/shoes gradually wear out, but that doesn't mean your braking gradually becomes less effective. The pads are engineered so that they maintain good braking until they wear too thin to provide adequate friction. At this point, they need to be replaced.But your braking system also has mechanical parts. These pistons and springs can also gradually wear out or get gummed up by oil, dirt and other road spatter. A brake i ... read more

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Brakes

Treat Your Vehicle to Good Tires at Walker Automotive

When we shop for shoes, most of us know that we can get two pairs of cheap shoes or one good pair for about the same price. And since the two cheap pairs wear out in about the same time as the good pair, there really is no difference in cost. If you like having a closet full of shoes to match your moods and outfits, then cheap shoes can be what you want. But if you spend a lot of time on your feet, you probably know that cheap shoes can come with an added cost of sore feet and other foot ailments. When you add in the benefits of comfort and protection, the more expensive shoes are actually the better value.Buying tires at Walker Automotive in Wilmot is a lot like buying shoes, except that Wilmot vehicles don't have changeable apparel and don't need a closet full of tires to match. Vehicles spend a lot of time on their tires—all the time, in fact—so they need tires that can stand up to the job. Tires are work shoes: they ... read more

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Tires and Wheels
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