Scottsbluff Auto Repair

Because 90% of our driving decisions are based on visual information, unobscured vision is paramount. Which brings us to the topic of today's Twin City Auto article: wiper blades. While this isn't the most exciting automotive subject, it's important. You wouldn't drive at night in Scottsbluff with your headlights off, but a dirty or streaked vehicle windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it just as difficult to see.Most of us in Scottsbluff replace our wiper blades when they no longer do the job. They are so worn, hard or brittle that they can't clean the windshield. They may even be falling apart. In other words, we deal with our wiper blades from a failure perspective. We address them when they no longer function. The theory, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," doesn't apply here. Instead, we should think about wipers blades as an important safety system that we should maintain rather than rep ... read more

  Today we're going to be talking about serpentine belts for our Scottsbluff, NE, customers. Let's start by talking about the accessories that are driven by the serpentine belt. First is the alternator. That's the device that makes electricity to power the vehicle and recharge the battery. Then there's the air conditioning compressor that makes cool air for you while you're driving around NE in the summer.The power steering and power brake pumps are driven by the serpentine belt in most Scottsbluff residents' vehicles. Those pumps provide pressure that assists your steering and braking.In many vehicles, the water pump is driven by the serpentine belt. The water pump is what circulates the coolant that protects your engine. In some cars around Scottsbluff, NE, the water pump is driven by the timing belt.The radiator cooling fans on some vehicles are also driven by the serpentine belt. Some have separate electric motors. That's really a lot of work for one ... read more

We live such busy lives nowadays: work, social events, running the kids all over Scottsbluff. Some days it's all we can do to keep track of everywhere we need to be. That's why you've gotta be organized. Smartphones, calendar apps - we have to keep track of it all.So let's talk about schedules. Specifically, automotive service schedules. And particularly, the scheduled services that are sometimes forgotten.Here is a list of 10 service items that are often overlooked by Scottsbluff residents. They're all very important and need appropriate attention. So here we go, in no particular order.1. Power Steering ServiceBe honest; have you ever thought of this on your own? Your power steering fluid gets dirty and builds-up moisture over time. Cleaning out your power steering system means that dirt and gum are removed and your power steering parts are protected from corrosion. Next time you're in for an oil change, ask your Twin City Auto service advisor if it's time ... read more

We live in such a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away. New stuff comes out so fast, we just toss the old and move on. In the old days, NE folks were real sticklers about taking care of their things. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough - they had to do without. Most Scottsbluff drivers couldn't afford new vehicles very often, so they had to make them last as long as they could.It's a good thing that vehicles are more reliable these days. They just don't break down as often. And the good news for us NE penny pinchers is that a modern vehicle can easily go 200,000 miles/320,000 km with proper care. The engineering and the manufacturing quality is tremendous. The missing ingredient is us Scottsbluff vehicle owners making sure we follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedules.Every time you go a little farther between recommended oil changes, you have created an opportunity for sludge to be formed and for c ... read more

Scottsbluff consumers are demanding. We want a safe, reliable vehicle that handles well and is comfortable to ride in. Oh, and we want good fuel economy, too. We also want vehicle repairs that are cheap, fast and easy. Unfortunately, one usually comes at the cost of the other.Today's vehicles have made significant improvements in reliability and performance over the last few decades. They also deliver more power to Scottsbluff drivers more efficiently than ever before. For example, some of today's 4-cylinder engines are equal to yesterday's V-8's. Our vehicles also offer an amazing range of features that make them more comfortable and convenient than ever before.But all of that improvement has come at a price for Scottsbluff vehicle owners. Our vehicles are more complicated and difficult to repair than ever before. They have numerous mechanical and electrical systems. Fuel systems are so complex they have to be run by a computer. Our vehicles are covered with sensors and high-tech ... read more

Ask any Scottsbluff man or woman if they've taken their vehicle in for preventive maintenance lately, and the answer may well be “no.” Surveys indicate that over 80% of vehicles on the road today are in need of some kind of repair or maintenance. Now, ask that same person why he hasn't taken his car in for care. The answer will probably be that he forgot or that he just didn't think about it. Most Scottsbluff residents seem to have a hard time remembering about scheduled maintenance for their vehicles.Funny, because most of us in Scottsbluff have no trouble remembering to wash our clothes, mow our lawns or brush our teeth. It isn't that we can't remember to take our vehicles for service; it's a matter of making it a priority.When it comes to our vehicles, Scottsbluff drivers like myself, need to be a little more maintenance-minded. The fact is, we can choose to do it, or we might find ourselves being compelled to do it.For example, when we ... read more

A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the NE news. Scottsbluff people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better gas mileage and receive a government rebate. A lot of Scottsbluff motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They're good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they're paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their vehicles for 200,000 miles (320,000 kilometers) or more – as long as it's economical to do so. There are plenty of Scottsbluff drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles (240,000 or 320,000 kilometers). We can learn from what they're doing to keep our own vehicles on the road in NE.The Scottsbluff drivers of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. That may sound a bit unsophisti ... read more

Your vehicle is important to you, and keeping it running properly is important to your lifestyle. That's why you're smart enough to have it serviced regularly at Twin City Auto in Scottsbluff. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right by automotive professionals.It's also very important to your Scottsbluff service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our Scottsbluff auto service center spends annually to make sure our friendly and knowledgeable technicians are properly trained.Twin City Auto offers a variety of automotive services for many kinds of vehicles. We need to be current on the latest techniques and parts so that we can give you quality service. Our Scottsbluff service centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer.And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. Twin City Auto technicians follow these procedures so ... read more

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars in Scottsbluff, NE: emission devices and control computers, safety equipment like airbags and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the Scottsbluff motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new vehicle.Because new vehicles are more expensive, people in the Scottsbluff area are driving their old vehicles longer. The average vehicle is now over nine years old. Two thirds of vehicles on the road in NE have more than 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. As cars age, their performance drops, they have difficulty idling for long periods and are more sensitive to weather extremes. Fortunately today's cars are up to the challenge – but they need a little help to keep on goin'.Give Twin City Auto a call at 308.635.7404 to schedule your next maintenance.Some owner's manuals don't specify service requirements at higher mileage. That doesn't mean it doesn't have to be done ... read more

Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at Scottsbluff car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of Scottsbluff, NE, folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacturing, there's no reason a modern vehicle can't be made to last for a 150,000 miles (250,000 kilometers) or more for smart Scottsbluff drivers.The old adage: 'a stitch in time saves nine' is really true for Scottsbluff residents when it comes to car maintenance. A great example is coolant service.Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. Smart Scottsbluff drivers have their cooling system service taken care of right on schedule at Twin City Auto.Ditto for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. Of course, oil changes should be done right on schedule to avoid the b ... read more