Christmas on the Prairie.

Here is a thought to break the monotony of 2020 and think ahead to 2021. Why not have a “Little House on the Prairie” Christmas? You could start by having your family read-aloud parts of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s novels and then brainstorm how you can celebrate Christmas like Laura's family did in the 19th century.

For example, some of the foods mother made were –

 

1.  Salt-rising bread

2.  Something known as Swedish crackers

3.  Baked beans cooked with molasses

4.  Apple pies and cookies

All that remains is your imagination! What was it like celebrating Christmas on the prairie in the 1870’s and 1880’s? However you decide to celebrate the holiday season, your friends at A.J.’s Import Garage hope that you and your family will have a safe and healthy time. A.J’s will be here to serve you in 2021. Happy holidays to one and all in the Topeka area.

What Constitutes Regular Maintenance.

As it pertains to your finely tuned foreign vehicle in the Topeka area, it involves a number of different things. Owning a vehicle is definitely not cheap. If you look beyond the price tag on any new or used foreign car to what is required to keep your vehicle operating safely it may make you gasp!

Here are some common maintenance tips to follow –

 

1.  Always the oil…the lifeblood of your car.

2.  The tire pressure…safety first.

3.  Your braking system…safety second.

4.  The antifreeze level.

5.  The air filter…it must not be clogged.

6.  The transmission fluid.

7.  Your car’s lights.

If you remain diligent with these things and more, you may extend the life of your foreign or domestic vehicle by years! A.J.’s Import Garage will assist you in that endeavor. Just schedule a routine maintenance check late in the year and be fully prepared for winter driving in the Topeka area in 2021. They are located at 501 S.W. Harrison. See them on the internet at ajsimportgarage.com. Call (785) 233-1000 to schedule your check-up.   

Give Yourself a Brake.

Notice the spelling above…the brake in this case refers to your vehicle’s braking system. Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and a harsh winter is probably on its way. Extreme weather in and around Topeka comes in the form of ice, snow, sleet, and heavy rain. It is often encountered while driving during these upcoming winter months.

Before the onset of winter, it may very well be the best time to arrange to have your vehicle professionally serviced. It’s best to explain to your mechanic that you want a ‘winter check’, and you should especially mention a brake safety check which will involve the system components meaning the brake discs, pads, and brake fluid levels.

There is no better place to have your foreign or domestic vehicle’s brakes checked in the Topeka area than A.J.’s Import Garage. A.J.’s located at 501 S.W. Harrison in the capital city is the home of Master ASE certified mechanics. Go ahead, check them out on Google at ajsimportgarage.com then call for an appointment at (785) 233-1000.

It Is About to Get Cold Out Here.

No doubt about it, Topeka is about to go into winter mode with temperatures well below freezing. Is your vehicle’s heating system ready for that? For most of us in the area we may not have really cranked up the heat in our vehicle yet this fall, but we certainly will be soon enough! Be sure you are ready with a few easy steps.

Here are some of them –

 

1.  Have your cooling system thoroughly checked.

2.  Listen for noise coming from the blower.

3.  Is your A/C working? It seems odd, but your heating system relies on that.

To be sure that you are not stranded for even one minute on a freezing Topeka morning please visit A.J.’s Import Garage first. They will check your car’s heating system and keep it comfortable throughout the upcoming winter. A.J.’s is found on the web at ajsimportgarage.com and locally at 501 S.W. Harrison in Topeka. Call ahead at (785) 233-1000.

Do You Pay Attention to your Car’s Temperature Gauge?

Many of us probably give it little or no consideration. A car’s temperature gauge measures how cold or hot the engine is. Did the needle in the gauge suddenly move into the red? We probably do not have to tell you your car is overheating! At this point, the question is obvious…what should you do as the driver?

Here is a very strong suggestion…if the needle is in the red zone, do not continue to drive. Pull over and turn off the engine. It may seem as if you could drive your vehicle for a short distance, but that may well cause damage to the engine cylinder block. Pull over when safe to do so and call a tow truck to haul your vehicle to us.

We are A.J.’s Import Garage at 501 S.W. Harrison in the beautiful capital city of Topeka, KS. A.J.’s mechanics know exactly what to do whether you drive an import around Topeka or a domestic make and model. Routine maintenance is also our specialty. Check us out on the web at ajsimportgarage.com. When you need us just call (785) 233-1000.

What is the Conversion Rate?

This is not about high finance, but rather pertains to your vehicle’s catalytic converter. Most of us have heard of this device, but exactly what is it?  Catalytic converters are used in exhaust systems to provide a site for the oxidation and reduction of toxic by-products. These are noxious gases such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons.

 

For example, a three-way catalytic converter has three functions –

1.  Reducing nitrogen oxides into elemental nitrogen and oxygen

2.  Turning carbon MONoxide to carbon DIoxide

3.  Oxidizing hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water

That all sounds environmentally friendly as well as necessary, doesn’t it? What about where to go in Topeka KS to get a fair estimate when your car’s catalytic converter needs to be replaced? The answer is A.J.’s Import Garage at 501 S.W. Harrison. Visit us on the web at ajsimportgarage.com and call for an appointment at (785) 233-1000.

Timing Belt vs. Timing Chain…How Important is it?

Fundamentally, a timing belt and timing chain serve the same purpose. If you drive a Porsche, Mercedes Benz or BMW with an internal timing chain or an Audi or Volkswagen with an external timing belt, these devices are designed to keep the relative position of the valves opening and closing to the position of the piston as the engine is running.

Here is the rub…opening a valve at the wrong time can cause it to contact the piston, causing catastrophic engine failure! A properly timing engine will allow the piston to rise and the valves to open precisely, allowing air and fuel to enter the combustion chamber and exhaust to exit within 1000th of a second.

Proper maintenance of timing belts in foreign cars are one of the specialties of the mechanics at A.J.’s Import Garage in Topeka. If you drive a Benz, a BMW, Audi, or VW among others you can count on A.J.’s Import Garage located at 501 S.W. Harrison in the capital city. Just give A.J.’s a call for an appointment at (785) 233-1000.

ABS Warning Sign.

ABS stands for antilock braking system. If the ABS warning light is illuminated on your car’s cluster of gauges that means the antilock system has been deactivated because of a malfunction. 

While your car’s regular brakes could be working fine, the antilock feature that prevents wheels from locking up during braking will not work.

Here is what may be happening to your ABS system –

1. There is simply a blown fuse in the system.
2. A wheel-speed sensor has been damaged.
3. There is a broken wire.
4. The ABS controller has, for whatever reason, stopped working.

Don’t waste time waiting for it to heal! Make an appointment with ABS brake experts A.J.’s Import Garage. They are the guardians of your car’s health in Topeka regardless if it is foreign or domestic. At the first sign of a light on your dashboard call A.J.’s Import Garage located at 501 S.W. Harrison in Topeka. Just call (785) 233-1000.

It’s Getting Even Hotter in Here.

That is the mantra that some are saying around the Topeka area these days. One of the more dramatic malfunctions that you may have to deal with as a driver is your car’s radiator. Because of the nature of the heat and pressure within the cooling system, these types of problems are what we associate with the stereotypical cloud of steam coming from under your car's open hood.

Here are some of the most common problems with a vehicle’s cooling system –

1. The thermostat has gone kaput…the most common problem
2.  Radiator hoses are leaking
3.  Air becomes trapped in the cooling system
4.  The water pump fails
5.  There is an obstruction in the cooling system

Whatever the cause, the right solution is to make an appointment at A.J.’s Import Garage. That is especially true if you are driving an import car around the capital city. You can rely on the Master ASE certified mechanics who specialize in radiator repair on foreign cars. They are located at 501 S.W. Harrison in Topeka. Call (785) 233-1000.

Out Dang Light.

Just quoting and perhaps cleaning up Shakespeare.  That “dang” light is the check engine light of your vehicle.  Oh, for the days when that light was not a part of your car’s maintenance system warning sign.  But then again, how many times has a check engine light suddenly illuminating on a vehicle’s dashboard saved the owner HUGE dollars?

Is it safe to drive your car with the check engine light on?  Well, the check engine light is tied into your car’s onboard diagnostics system, and it’s designed to light up (we are mostly all familiar with that yellow colored light!) whenever something goes wrong with this complex collection of components and sensors.

If you are not aware, there is a trouble code that assists trained mechanics in identifying the exact nature of the problem.  Some of the best auto mechanics in the Topeka area are employed by A.J.’s Import Garage.  Fear not, their expertise is not just confined to foreign vehicles.  Stop in to 501 S.W. Harrison in the capital city or call (785) 233-1000.