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There’s a common misconception that anti-lock brakes (ABS brakes) help you stop faster. That’s not always the case on loose gravel or snowy surfaces. In fact, the role of ABS brakes is to help you maintain control of your vehicle in an emergency braking situation. Imagine you are driving on a snowy CO road. You need to…

Here at Dakota Ridge Auto in Littleton, we understand that vehicles these days come with all kinds of warning lights that can be confusing to decipher. However, if your tire pressure warning light comes on, it means just what you think – that one or more of your tires has low air pressure. The dashboard…

Your car thermostat is an important part of your cooling system. As our experts at Dakota Ridge Auto can explain, the vehicle’s thermostat performs a similar function to the thermostat in your home. At home, you set your thermostat to maintain a comfortable temperature range. When your home gets too hot, the air conditioning kicks…

What’s the harm in putting off replacing my engine air filter a little longer? It’s a question we hear often. According to our Dakota Ridge Auto experts in Littleton, this is a fair question because the harm takes a while to manifest. What an Engine Air Filter Does The air all around us contains dust,…

You know that long belt that snakes around the front of your engine? It’s called the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt is driven by the engine as it turns. It powers your alternator, air conditioning compressor and power steering pump. On some vehicles, it also runs the water pump, radiator fan and power brakes. Sounds…

If you’re old enough, you’ve heard the term “fan belt.” Back in the day, the radiator fan in your vehicle was turned by a belt driven by the engine. There are still belt driven fans, although most are now driven by the serpentine belt. But most vehicles now have electric fans that draw fresh air…

If there’s something wrong with your car and it needs repair, you might think about skipping the mechanic and saving a few bucks with used auto parts. When you take on such a big task as tinkering with your car engine, it’s vital that you look in the right places for quality parts, especially if…

An oil change at Dakota Ridge Auto in Littleton, Colorado sounds simple, but there are some pretty important things to know about preventing oil sludge. Oil eventually starts to turn into jelly, literally: petroleum jelly. Sludge clogs up oil passages and keeps oil from getting to some areas of the engine, causing parts to wear…

Today, Dakota Ridge Auto talks water pumps for vehicles in Littleton, Colorado. The engine is cooled by coolant/antifreeze mixed with water. This mixture circulates around the engine, absorbing some of the heat. The coolant then flows through the radiator where air cools it down for the return trip back through the engine. Your vehicle’s water…

Today, Dakota Ridge Auto in Littleton wants to talk shocks and struts. Shock absorbers and struts last a long time for Littleton drivers and wear out pretty slowly for most vehicles. They’re easy to take for granted, but your shocks and struts do a very important job so you need to pay attention to them.…