Posts by dakotaridgeauto

No matter how well they’re made, vehicles will have design or manufacturing problems.  And when the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the car free of charge.  The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone who owns that type of car to get the…

Nobody loves wasting money.  Gasoline costs money, so using less saves money.  One of the ways vehicle manufacturers are helping you save gasoline (and money) is with smaller, turbocharged engines. You might have heard of turbos associated with race cars, but more and more everyday street vehicles are getting into the turbo game.  The big…

Brrrr.  It’s cold outside.  And if your vehicle’s heater isn’t working, then it’s cold inside too.  No fun – and potentially dangerous: heat is needed to defrost your windshield.  Unlike your house that has one furnace, a vehicle’s heating system has several different components, so it takes a trained technician to figure out where the…

“Emergency Shopping” is not to be confused with a “Shopping Emergency.”  This one is encouraging you to go shopping for a few items that could help you out if you ever have an emergency in your vehicle.  They’re all things carried in emergency vehicles. This goes beyond the old standards like a first aid kit,…

Oh, thank goodness for oil filters on our vehicles.  As your engine runs, dirt gets into the oil.  Oil sludge can also start to build up.  Fortunately, motor oil contains detergents that clean the engine and gather up contaminates.  The oil circulates through the oil filter where clumps of dirt and sludge are captured.  An…

Here are 5 tips from Dakota Ridge Auto for used car buyers: 1. Ask for service records. Most owners who document regular maintenance service take care of their vehicles. 2. Inspect the vehicle thoroughly. Check for uneven tire wear, alignment, suspension issues, strange sounds and funky odors. 3. If everything checks out up to this…

Most in the Littleton area may not know much about transfer cases, but if you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, you’ve got one. It makes sure you have power available for both the front and rear axles when driving around CO. For example, if you have a rear-wheel drive SUV, power goes to the rear wheels…

Many Littleton drivers have probably noticed a bunch of warning lights on their dash when they start their engine. They flash on to test the circuits and then go off if everything’s OK. One of the warning lights looks like a car battery. Its job is to tell you if your vehicle battery’s not charging properly.…

We know we need to take care of our cars, but it just seems hard to remember to do it.  We generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance, but just may have not applied it to our vehicles. For example, we water and mow the lawn every week.  And weed the flower…