Preparing for Spring: Lawnmower Maintenance and Tune Ups

One gas powered motor that can be found around many garages is one that is often overlooked when it comes to servicing. Your lawn mower typically is low on the totem pole for servicing, but is actually relatively easy to maintain with just a few things here and there. Our blog this week will show you items to check within your push-behind mower, and how you can make your mower run more efficiently. For the most intuitive repair advice, always consult with your owner's manual before doing any repair on your lawn mower. 

• Air Filter- Typically, this paper filter is located on the top half of the stroke motor. It is often in a black plastic box, that is typically held in by a few retainer clips. Release the clips to access the filter, check for the dirtiness of the filter. The picture below illustrates the filter location on a Craftsman lawnmower. 
  
• Oil Change- Since there is no odometer to read mileage, oil change cycles typically depend on how much you use your mower. Consult with your owners manual for the proper interval, as well as oil type that your mower uses. 
• The proper oil change procedure will vary from make/model of lawn mower. Check your owner's manual or do an online search to find out the proper method. One method involves simply opening the oil cap and emptying the old oil this way. Another method involves taking out the drain plug, and draining oil this way. 
• Be sure to take any used motor oil to your local Bob Sumerel Tire for free recycling!
• Spark Plug/Wire- Find the spark plug wire, which typically runs on the front face of the top end of the motor. From there you should be able to locate the spark plug. Using a wrench, take out the plug and inspect for corrosion or a burnt white color near the top of the electrode. Typically these only run a few bucks at any parts store, and can drastically improve fuel consumption when replaced! See the picture to the right to find where the spark plug is typically located on most mowers.
  
• Blades- Turn your mower over, exposing the underside where the blade(s) are located. You are primarily checking for dullness of blades, or any severe scoring of the blades. Typically, these can be replaced by just undoing a few bolts, and increase the cutting power of the mower. You may have to order these blades direct from the manufacturer, as they are often not an item you can find in a store. 

With these few touches to your mower, it will be ready to cut once the weather starts to warm up! As stated previously, always check with your owner's manual or an online search if you have any questions about performing these procedures.Typically, if a question cannot be answered through the owners manual, there usually is a hotline number to call for any questions regarding service. As always, be careful when working on your lawn mower, and use the correct safety equipment when doing so!

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Nitrogen vs Oxygen from Ohio's Tire Experts

One of the common stories everyone can relate to is when your driving along the freeway when suddenly, your check tire pressure light pops up on the dashboard. Some panic immediately, while others will try to stop at the nearest gas station to get some air. Often times, your everyday driver will not think about tire pressure, let alone whether or not to use oxygen or nitrogen. Recent technologies have lead drivers to start using nitrogen in racecars, planes, as well as passenger vehicles. In this week's article, we are going to address the pros and cons for using nitrogen, and if it really a significantly greater substitute from using oxygen! If you ever find yourself low on air, come by any Bob Sumerel Tire, and we will check your pressure at no charge!

• Wheel corrosion-In areas where they salt the road, a common problem is the corrosion that can come from compressed air, as well as salt. Nitrogen has a slight advantage with this, mainly because the gas does not retain moisture, and can repel water from getting in the seal of the wheel itself. 
• Maintaining pressure- Again, nitrogen has a slight advantage when compared to oxygen. Since nitrogen molecules are slightly larger, they have a harder time escaping from the rubber. Given this, nitrogen ultimately does a slightly better job at retaining pressure overtime. 
  
• Fuel economy- This category is a tie, as both gases will handle equally under any given condition. A properly inflated tire will deliver the best fuel economy, not indicative of the type of air inside the tire. 
•  Cost- This topic can differ depending on the area you live in. Some areas of Ohio offer free nitrogen at select shops, but air is typically what you will find at your local gas station or lube shop. It can sometimes be cost up to $1.50 at gas stations, but can be found free in many different locations. 

In conclusion, it truly depends on what the type of application that someone drives. Nitrogen does have a slight advantage over oxygen, but in reality almost 80% of the air we breathe is composed of nitrogen. The most important thing to remember when dealing with tires is to routinely check the air pressure in them, assuring they are at a normal operating temperature. Doing so is one of the surefire ways to ensure maximum life, as well as even tread wear. Stop by your local Bob Sumerel Tire Company

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Fuel Injector Cleaners: What They are & How They Help

Aside from getting gas periodically, not much thought it usually put into the components that go into your fuel delivery system. Over the past 20 years, we have seen fuel injection emerge as a more efficient and economic form of fuel delivery, when compared to Throttle Body Injection (TBI) or Carbonated engines. With Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI), your vehicle's computer controls the precise amount of fuel it is letting into the engine. This causes for more fuel efficient vehicles, in addition to the elimination of "flooding" an engine with gasoline. Although this method of fuel delivery is much more innovative, it is still a system that should not be overlooked when servicing your vehicle. This week's blog will give you an in depth look on your fuel system, and the various methods you can maintain it, and thus optimizing your fuel economy!

Using fuel injector cleaner does several things for your fuel system, but it typically is not as extensive as having an entire fuel system cleaning. A bulk of these gas tank pour bottles are an ether based compound, which mainly aims at flushing out carbon build up from various parts of your fuel system. These parts include: intake valves, combustion chambers, fuel injectors/carburetor, throttle body,

valves, and cylinders. The main reason people use these products is to improve fuel economy. You can get them at any auto parts store, and they are relatively cheap in price.  

Your local Bob Sumerel Tire Company offers a fuel system cleaning service, which is a 3 step system. The first part is cleaning the throttle body of the vehicle, which can have carbon buildup under severe driving conditions. Secondly, we run a fuel system treatment through your car's vacuum lines, which removes any deposits in the fuel system or vacuum compression lines. Lastly, a bottle of gas treatment is added to the fuel tank, which helps stabilize the inside of the tank and the gas lines themselves.

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Inspecting and Changing your Engine Air Filter with Ohio's Filter Experts

In addition to oil changes, there are other various components that should be changed periodically as you rack up the miles on your car. Your air filter is no exception to these components, and should be checked at every oil change for wear and tear. The typical life of an air filter varies upon driving conditions, but the standard time frame is about once a year or every 20,000 miles. Your local Bob Sumerel Tire techs will check your filter for free, and every time your car is in for an oil change! Below are a few tips and tricks to checking your air filter, and knowing whether it is time for a replacement!

• Checking the filter-Any filter that is visibly dirty can be a sign to change it. The one universal way to check the filter is by holding it up to a light source...if light still passes through the filter, you don't need to replace it! For expert advice, visit your local Bob Sumerel Tire for more information!
• New filters get you better fuel economy-Replacing the filter allows for your car to not work as hard, which can increase your MPG by about 1 or 2 miles more per gallon. 
• Some filters optimize horsepower-K&N reusable filters are an alternative to your standard paper air filter. These are meant to last longer, but also increase horsepower of up to 5 more horses! 
• Air filter housings vary in location, but are easy to find- Locating your car's engine air filter is relatively straight forward on most vehicles. There will be a large hose coming from the engine's
  
  throttle body, which will lead to a large plastic black box. This is your air filter housing, check out the picture to the right to view what one looks like on a Honda Civic. 
• Housings are usually held in by a series of clips of screws-Once you locate the housing, see if there are clips or screws holding the housing together. Usually bolts will either be an 8 or 10mm in size, but can sometimes have Phillips or flat head screws holding the container together. 
• Air filters primary duty-Your engine air filter serves one primary purpose, which is to keep harmful debris and contaminants from entering the working mechanisms of your engine. By keeping this debris out, you can ensure smooth operating conditions, and a proper flow of oil and coolant. 

There really is no set interval as to when you air filter needs replacing, it really comes down to how much you drive and the climate of which you drive in. Not replacing your filter will not "hurt" your vehicle necessarily, but can rob your engine of performance and fuel economy. Most air filters are the same in quality, and don't really have a difference from brand to brand. If you have any questions about the right time to change your filter, your local Bob Sumerel techs are here to help! Give them a call, or stop on by today!

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Check Engine Lights: What They Mean, and How We Can Help

Almost everyone at some point in time has been driving down the road, when all of the sudden, a dreaded "Check Engine Light," or "Service Engine Soon" has illuminated on their dashboard. Some may panic and want to get to the bottom of the issue, others may procrastinate and put off investigating into it. Our blog this week will explain what this dreaded light means, and what we can do to help you fix the problem at hand!

• Fuel Leak/Engine running lean or rich-This can be as simple as a loose gas cap, or as complex as a fuel injector malfunction. Starting with the gas cap is a good bet, but more sophisticated scanners will give a more detailed report as to where the fuel problem is coming from.
• Engine misfire/Emissions-Most of the time, these codes are brought on by a problem with the vehicle's ignition system. Anything from a spark plug, to an ignition coil, to ignition wires can be the culprit of these codes.
• Traction control/Suspension-In the case of a malfunction with the vehicles traction control, it is common for a Traction Control light to coincide with a check engine light. This can be a simple wire malfunction with the vehicle's TCS system.
  
• Transmission codes-Typically, these are more complex codes that indicate a malfunction with the electrical parts of a vehicle's transmission. We recommend getting a comprehensive vehicle diagnosis for these type of codes. 
• Exhaust codes-Anything from a bad O2 Sensor, to a failing catalytic convertor will be the reasons for an exhaust code to trigger. O2 sensors are relatively easy to have serviced, catalytic convertors are a bit more complex jobs to perform/ 
• ABS Codes- Either a Check Engine light, or an ABS light will illuminate when this error code comes on. It is typically indicating a fault somewhere in the electronic portion of a car's Anti-lock Braking system.

Essentially what happens when a check engine light comes on is that the car's computer has detected a fault in one of the multiple vehicle components. This "error" is transmitted as an electric signal, which then pulls up the Check Engine Light on your vehicle's dashboard. There are times when this comes up by accident, in which case the light will illuminate for a period of time, and likely go away once the vehicle's ECU (computer) recognizes there isn't a fault in the system performance.