Author Archives: Rolling Auto Service

When it comes to our loved ones, we all worry about the dangers of the road. Even the safest and most experienced driver can find themselves in an accident because of someone else’s mistake. We don’t allow drunk driving for just this reason. However, other things can raise the risk of car crashes on the road, including sleep deprivation. Recently, driving tired has gained a lot of attention for the damage it causes. Remember, stay awake to stay safe.

Why to avoid drowsy driving:

Driving drunk increases your risk of an accident because it decreases both your reaction time and your ability to stay focused. Especially at high speeds, it only takes a moment for everything to go wrong. Studies have found sleep deprivation comparable in risk to moderate alcohol usage.

National Sleep Foundation Reports:

In 2005, the NSA conducted a poll which yielded surprising results. They found that 60% of adults reported driving drowsy just within the last year. 37% said in the poll that they had fallen asleep completely behind the wheel once, if not more, in their lifetime.
 
We don’t want any such avoidable tragedies affecting our community; remember, stay awake to stay safe. If you worry about the health of your car, give Rolling Auto Service a call. We offer top level services, and we come to you! You can reach us at (941) 493-6511.

Technology has progressed so much that it seems almost impossible that we could keep up learning even about the devices we use every day, such as our car. However, if we take it slow, piece by piece, we can learn this stuff without too much trouble. To help you with that, we’ve gone over one of your car’s lesser known, but important, parts: the catalytic converter.

Why do we need one?

3 noxious byproducts of your internal combustion engine get produced each time you drive. These include carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. All of these 3 things can prove harmful to both your person and the ecosystem.

What does it do about these byproducts?

Your catalytic converter uses something called a catalyst (usually platinum or palladium) to convert these byproducts into less harmful chemicals; it turns carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and oxygen.
 
Did you find this article informative? We hope so. If you need auto repair services in Venice, Rolling Auto can help. Remember, we’ll come to you! To find out more, give us a call at (941) 493-6511.

Cars take a lot of engineering and technology to get made; it should come as no wonder that a lot of interesting facts about them exist. We’ve put some of them together for you here. Enjoy:
 

• Fact 1: In the beginning of their production, the first cars had a level rather than a wheel for steering.
• Fact 2: In 1769, the first vehicle to run from its own power got invented; at 8,000 pounds, people used it to haul canons across long distances.
• Fact 3: Almost all car horns in America honk in the F key.
• Fact 4: By 1915, Ford Model Ts made up a whopping 55% of all the cars in the world. No make has beaten this record yet.
• Fact 5: If you drove at 60 miles per hour, you would reach the moon in 157 days.
• Fact 6: If you run your car down completely out of gas, you could be shortening the life-span of your fuel pump.
• Fact 7: In Switzerland, the law prohibits slamming your car doors.

Hopefully these facts proved entertaining. Should you require any work done to your vehicle, Rolling Auto Service can help. Remember, we’ll come to you! For more information, just give us a call at (941) 493-6511.

When you’re driving 70 miles per hour on the highway and suddenly you come upon traffic, there’s only one thing between you and sudden death: your brakes. Everybody uses them. But, how do they work? Here is a quick basic overview of what goes on when you step on the brakes:

Most cars have 2 or 3 different types of brakes. A lot of cars have disc brakes on all four wheels, some have drum brakes on the back wheels. They work similarly, but with a few differences. Disc brakes, which you can see inside your wheels, are latched onto by clamps which create friction to slow down your vehicle. Drum brakes are little shoes inside the wheel hub that push outward to create friction to slow down. The force that causes this friction (which you need a lot of to stop a speeding 1 ton car) is applied by a hydraulic system.

Braking Process:

• Push pedal
• Pedal pushes lever, increasing force
• Lever pushes piston
• Piston pushes hydraulic fluid through narrow cylinder
• Fluid rushes through other wider cylinders, increasing force
• Brake pad is pushed toward brake disc
• Friction slows down car

That’s the gist of how your brakes work. If you find yourself in need of brake repairs or any other kind of auto service, give Rolling Auto Service a call at (941) 493-6511.

Your car’s charging system is made up of 3 main components: the battery, voltage regulator, and alternator. Your alternator and battery work in conjunction to power your car: everything from the lights to the instrument panel. The alternator gets its name from the alternating current, invented by Nikola Tesla. Alternating currents are more effective than direct currents (invented by Thomas Edison). Cars used to use generators (that used direct current), but as car technology progressed more power was necessary.

The alternator is usually in the front of the engine; it’s driven by a crankshaft that turns the piston’s up-and-down movement into circular movement. Basically, the effect of the alternator is to produce power from an alternating current through electromagnetism. Two main components produce this power: the rotor and stator. As the nomenclature suggests, the rotor rotates inside the static stator.
Alternators don’t last forever; they get dirty and worn over time. The most common problems that pop up with alternators come from bearing failure. The needle bearing is what allows the rotor to spin inside the stator.
There’s a lot of science and technology that goes into understanding fully how an alternator works. These are just the basics to give you a general idea.
 
Luckily, there are experts available to understand this technology for you. Here at Rolling Auto Service, we offer alternator replacement alongside a host of other auto-services. For more information, give us a call at (941) 493-6511.

Brakes are unarguably the most important part of a vehicle. You’ll live if your car won’t accelerate, but if it doesn’t stop you probably won’t. There are a few indicators that your brake pads might need changing. Here’s when you should take your car in:

Are your brake pads worn?

You can check the state of your brake pads yourself. In between the spokes of your wheel there is a shiny metal rotor and towards the edge there are metal calipers. Between these is where you’ll find the brake pads. In almost all instances, brake pads need to be AT LEAST a quarter-inch thick. Any thinner, and you need to take your car into the shop.

Do you hear a high-pitched squeal?

One part of your braking system is a device that emits a high-pitched squeal whenever your brake pads are too worn. Take your car to the shop whenever you hear this sound. If you’re the type to blare music whenever you drive, set aside a moment of silence every once in a while; sounds your car makes can alert you to problems that need to be fixed.

Does your wheel pull to one side?

This problem could have a host of different causes: brakes, worn tires, poor alignment, damaged suspension, etc. When it’s the brakes, usually a stuck caliper is pulling on your wheel. It’s a good idea to take your car in if your wheel pulls, no matter which cause it is.
 
Here at Rolling Auto Service, we offer brake pad replacement and a host of other auto-related services. For more information, give us a call at (941) 493-6511.

4 Benefits of a Vehicle Tune-Up

Here at Rolling Auto Service we provide a wide array of vehicle services. More often than not, we are called out to someone’s vehicle because they have experienced a major breakdown. That is why we recommend to our clients routine maintenance. Did you know you should have a tune-up performed on your car every 30,000 miles? Perhaps you are left wondering, what is the importance of a tune-up? We have compiled a list of four benefits of a vehicle tune-up.

1: Saving at the Pump

Having a tune-up performed will save you money at the pump. Did you know that even something as simple as a dirty air filter can decrease your mpg by up to 20%? Having a mechanic perform routine maintenance will save you money on your next trip to the gas station.

2: Keeping You Safe

When your car is not maintained, you are in danger of having a break down in the middle of traffic. While we do travel to you no matter where you have broken down, it is safer to have a tune-up performed at your house to prevent a breakdown from ever happening. We will check a wide variety of components during a tune-up and will ensure your car is operating safely and smoothly. We will be replacing parts like spark plugs and air filters which will keep you from being stranded on the side of the road.

3: Helping the Environment

When your car is not properly maintained you are more likely to emit dangerous fumes into the air. If you want to reduce your emissions, have a tune-up performed. This will not only keep you safer, but will protect the environment too.

4: Adding Resale Value

Although it may be years down the road, if you eventually want to resell your vehicle having a detailed record of maintenance performed will add to the resale value. Keep records of all the tune-ups you have completed on your car to present to a potential buyer. This will demonstrate to the buyer that you were conscientious in your care for your car.
If you are ready for a tune-up on your vehicle, give us a call. We will come to you to perform the tune-up which means your schedule doesn’t have to be interrupted. Soon you will be reaping the benefits of your vehicle tune-up.

The battery plays a very vital role in your car, it supplies the electric energy to start the motor, power the lights and start the ignition for the engine. Car batteries typically perform well and last two to three years. What are the car battery problems signs that indicate that you need to get a new car battery?

The Engine Cranks & There’s No Start

When you go to start your car and the engine cranks and doesn’t start, is a tell tale sign of a car battery problem. This sign is often mistaken for an alternator or starter problem. Typically when this happens your battery is just a few volts shy of starting your vehicle and running it effectively. If this happens, jump start your vehicle to get it running and let it run for at least half-an-hour. After doing this, turn the engine off and start it again a few time to make sure it will start again if you have to stop somewhere.

No Starting & No Cranking

This one is the most straight forward car battery problem. If your car doesn’t crank or start, you have a dead car battery. Your car might also have alternator problem to go along with the dead battery. Jump start your car and immediately replace your battery and have your alternator checked out.
 
 

Changing your vehicle’s motor oil is a simple and affordable maintenance task that is too often overlooked. Motor oil plays a very important part in keeping your car’s engine running  properly. A motor oil change is recommended for every 3,000 to 5,000 mile driven, depending on what type of motor oil you use. So how can you tell when your motor oil has gone bad and you need to change it?

Noisy Engine

A louder or noisy engine than what you normal hear is a sign that you should probably change your oil. Motor oil is used as lubricant for your engine to reduce the friction of the pistons and other moving parts in it.  Hearing strange or louder than normal noises coming from the engine means more friction is occurring and parts are staring to rub against each other. You should change your oil immediately if this happening to prevent any further damage to your engine and avoid costly repairs.

Dirty Oil

New motor oil starts out with light yellow or honey color to it. Over the course of a few weeks of use, new motor oil will start to darken in color. Residue builds up in the oil over time and can hurt your engine. Always get your motor oil changed when the product you use recommends it.
 

Windshield wiper blades are an extremely important part of your vehicle’s driving safety. Windshield wiper blades are the vital component that ensure you can see clearly through your windshield. They help create better visibility when there is rain, mud and other debris hitting your windshield.
Old wiper blades can get worn out quickly and become faulty. Wiper blades that are faulty can cause smearing , which will hurt your windshield’s visibility and impede your ability to see clearly and drive safely.This can make driving in bad weather and conditions very dangerous.
Windshield wiper blades need to be replaced every six months to a year. Replacing your wiper blades every half-year or year ensures that they won’t be worn out. This will protect your ability to see clearly from your windshield and to drive safely
If you need a windshield wiper blade replacement in Venice, Osprey, North Port, Nokomis or Englewood, FL, call Rolling Auto Service. We’re a mobile auto repair shop that can come to you for a wiper blade replacement or any other auto service you need.