Keep Your Royal Oak Car Breathing Free: Engine Air Filter

December 3, 2023

Hey Royal Oak - this is something really amazing: Your vehicle uses 12,000 times as much air as fuel when you drive it. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.That's like 100 gallons (380 liters) of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very im... More

10 Services Royal Oak Drivers Often Overlook

June 25, 2023

We live such busy lives nowadays: work, social events, running the kids all over Royal Oak. Some days it's all we can do to keep track of everywhere we need to be. That's why you've gotta be organized. Smartphones, calendar apps - we have to keep track of it all.So let's talk about schedules. Sp... More

Maintaining Your Older Car in Royal Oak, Michigan

June 18, 2023

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars in Royal Oak, Michigan: emission devices and control computers, safety equipment like airbags and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the Royal Oak motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new vehicle.Bec... More

Your Vehicle Is NOT Maintenance Free, Royal Oak Car Owners

April 30, 2023

A generation ago, Royal Oak drivers seemed to be more inclined to keep their vehicle's preventive maintenance on schedule. One reason for this may be that vehicles back then were a lot less reliable than they are today. Taking your vehicle in to your Royal Oak shop every year or two for repairs ... More

Severe Service Requirements

July 23, 2022

A lot of Royal Oak drivers have asked whether or not they should use their severe service maintenance schedule, which is listed in their vehicle's owner's manual. It can be somewhat confusing, so we decided to consult an expert. Cricket Killingsworth is from QMI/Heartland, a manufacturer of au... More

Clean Air for Your Engine: Engine Air Filters In Royal Oak

July 19, 2022

Every Royal Oak car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when the filter should be replaced. So... More

TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires and the Maintenance Mindset

July 18, 2022

When it comes to their vehicles, some Royal Oak residents don't have a maintenance mindset. They know they need to take care of their cars, but it just seems really hard to get them to remember to do it. Royal Oak drivers generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance but ... More

TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires Maintenance Tips: The Belt Goes On

July 14, 2022

All Royal Oak service advisors know that without the alternator, the battery will go dead in a few miles. The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering and power brakes. And on many vehicles, the serpentine belt powers the water pump. The water pump circulates coolant t... More

Keeping Your Car Young in Royal Oak

July 11, 2022

As Royal Oak consumers, we live in a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away.New stuff comes out so fast in Michigan, and much of it is fairly cheap, so we just toss the old and move on. It seems like when we were kids our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our ... More

Busted: The Maintenance-Free Myth in Royal Oak

June 28, 2022

There's a segment of the Royal Oak area population that's not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Now, the ignition system in your vehicle is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as 100,000 miles (160,000 kilom... More