Auto Repair Ballston Spa

We love to get questions about routine car maintenance.  One that we seem to get pretty often is "how long do windshield wiper blades last?".  So we came across this article in our reading on the internet and thought it would be good to share! Windshield wiper blades don't get the respect they deserve. They remove rain, snow and sometimes even ice and dirt from the windshield of your car and they do it quickly and smoothly, at the push of a button. They endure extremes of temperature, from sub-zero winter weather to scorching desert sunshine. They may have to operate for hours at a time. And yet they're made out of thin, flexible rubber -- not exactly the sort of material that can take this kind of abuse indefinitely. This makes windshield wiper blades one of the hardest working -- yet least durable -- parts of your car. Over time, they'll crack, become misshapen or lose their flexibility. And don't think that just because you live in a sunny dry cl ... read more

Last week we tackled how often you should replace your windshield wiper blades so, naturally, we thought we would tackle the conundrum of how often to replace your car battery.  We found another great resource to share with you on the internet that we thought has a lot of value in it!  When your car battery is behaving, it’s pretty much a silent partner.  It does its job and doesn’t demand very much attention.  This, of course, is when a battery is behaving.  When they get old they don’t have the oomph they used to have and they often misbehave. When that happens, the best thing to do is to replace them with a new battery before it leaves you stranded.  The question is: when?  When should a battery be replaced so it doesn’t let you down? Well, the answer to that question is that it “depends”.  A rough rule of thumb is a car battery lasts “about four maybe five years under normal conditions&rdquo ... read more

Did you know that the tires we use today are vastly different than the tires used years ago?  We found this interesting article that beautifully gives the history of major evolutionary changes in our car tires!  Changes in tire tech keep pushing the performance and handling envelope.Back in the 19th century, before carriages left their horses behind, wheels served mainly to reduce the effort required to drag a payload across often unpaved expanses. Only the horses, mules or oxen that pulled the carts actually needed any real traction, so the wooden wheels of the day were typically wrapped in a strip of iron to provide durability over whatever terrain might be encountered. Once livestock were superseded by on-board propulsion systems, the workload on the wheels changed dramatically. Driver demands for tractive effort, steering inputs and braking forces switched from reigns and whips to pedals, levers, tillers and eventually steer ... read more

Spring has technically sprung here in Ballston Spa, NY and despite mother nature trying to get us down with her last few rogue storms, you just can't help getting outside to enjoy the sunshine!  Why not work on sme spring car care while you make the most of the warming days of spring and get your car in top shape?!  Here is a great article that we found while we were scouring the internet looking for some resources to share with you! Wash and Wax A good, thorough wash and wax is the most important thing to do with your car once the winter is over. Winter driving can cause a huge amount of road grime, debris and -- worst of all -- salt to build up on your car. You want to make sure those items are long gone before spring starts. Allowing debris and grime to build up on your car can affect its paint and finish, while allowing salt to build up can lead to rust and other serious problems. Clean the Inside, Too Nobody wants to spend time cleaning out their car during a cold ... read more

Ah yes, the smell of that learners permit and then the newly issued license, the feel of all 4 wheels turning on the open road and the freedom to go to the mall with out mom or dad in tow!  That's right, we are talking about teen drivers!  We all remember our first car and first time we drove that car anywhere.  But, times have changed and there are many more distractions for new drivers than ever before.  And let's face it, you may not want to be IN the car with them everytime they go somewhere.  But what to do to monitor their driving?  GM is now in the testing phase of a Teen Driver System to help you better understand their driving habits (and help you determine when it's time to take those keys away due to unsafe habits).  This week we found ourselves at caranddriver.com for this article!  And don't fret those minor dings, if you contact us, we will make sure they are ... read more

Car care is not just all about the car.  It is absolutely about the driver as well.  Part of taking care of your vehicle is taking care of yourself and we think this is a very important issue.  In New York alone there is reported to be about 11.2 million licensed drivers.  That is a very large number of our population that can be driving at any one given time.  That said, we feel that it is important to know what to do in order to survive a car accident so that if you should ever find yourself in one, you know what to do and how to take care of yourself.   Car accidents can happen any time, anywhere, and even to defensive drivers with safe driving habits. When faced with an accident, you may be blindsided — or you may see it coming and have an opportunity to act. At that point, you’re shifting from crash avoidance to crash survival. What you do in those few seconds can make a difference in the severity of the accident and may even save you ... read more

Are you as into watching the car technology trends as we are?  We love to watch and see the trends as they rise and see how they evolve and change the car driving experience.  It is always interesting seeing where the tech trends started and how far they have advanced since their integration into our cars.  As we were doing some reading this week we found a cool article explaining some of the up and coming tech that is being manufactured into our cars this year. And if you are currently experiencing a malfunction of some of the "old tech" in your car, contact us and we can get your car fixed and get you back on the road! Will your next car talk to traffic lights? Are diesel engines on their last gasp? Have electric vehicles charged into the mainstream? Those are some of the questions new technologies and vehicles may answer in 2017. The auto industry’s present is starting to sound a lot like scie ... read more

At All Tech Automotive we live and breathe car maintenance.  Part of that maintenance is making sure that the people and families in those cars are safe and comfortable.  That being said, with long distance trips for vacations with children in tow, it's nice to have a little "How to Survive" type reading done before you take off on your big adventure!                 Tips for a Stress-Free Family Car Vacation. Taking a road trip this summer? If so, you're not alone. A Trip Advisor survey found that 89 percent of respondents are planning a vacation, with many driving to their destinations. And there are bound to be lots of people braving the open road with young kids in tow. Before you start envisioning hours of minivan meltdowns and being asked "Are we there yet?" know that you can have a stress-free road trip with your little ones. "My husband and I did one with three young kid ... read more

We all know that after a long hard winter it just feels good to spring clean.  Weather it's your home or your car this is a necessary process in getting ready for the next season and ridding yourself of the dirt of winter.  With a car you have the salt build up outside the car and lots of dirt and debris on your carpets.  But why stop there?  Why not just clean the whole thing and start the season feeling like you did when you first bought the car?  Plus, if you spot any minor mechanical issues NOW, you can bring your car to us to fix before they become a massive bill that eats all of your paycheck and half your tax return!  Here is a great article we found to help you start the cleaning process and be sure that you keep an eye out for any possible mechanical issues so that we can get to fixing them ASAP! Spring is fast approaching and with it comes the need to start cleaning after a long and dirty winter. And few things need a good scrub as much as y ... read more

Here at All Tech Automotive, we love to see how technological advances will be integrated into our everyday vehicles.  Weather used for personal or business, it is looking like self-driving cars are getting closer to becoming a reality. We found this article while looking for interesting news to share with you and we are excited to share it with you!  We hope you enjoy!  Ford Motor is betting $1 billion on the world's self-driving car future.   The Detroit automaker announced Friday that it would allocate that sum over five years to a new autonomous car startup called Argo AI, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., and will have offices in Michigan and California. Ford's financial outlay is part of a continuing investment strategy anchored to transforming the car and truck seller into a mobility company with a hand in ride-hailing, ride-sharing and even bicycle rentals. Argo AI was cofounded a few months ago by Google car project veteran Br ... read more