May 18, 2012

How To Save Gas In Saint Louis

Filed under: Fuel System — lawlerandb543 @ 8:52 pm

How To Save Gas In Saint Louis

 

High gas prices have hit most of our budgets in the Saint Louis area. If increased fuel costs are consuming a bigger portion of your budget, you may be tempted to skimp in some other areas – like scheduled maintenance at Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis.

According to news reports and industry studies, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten personal vehicles on the road have at least one maintenance or repair item that hasn’t been done. Some of these items are serious safety concerns. Others are just more likely to affect the cost of operating your vehicle in Saint Louis.

In this area, we can take a lesson from professional vehicle owners: fleet owners and operators like trucking companies and delivery services. Because their livelihood depends on it, they have gotten scheduled maintenance down to a science. And the last thing they skimp on is regular maintenance.

Why is that? Well, for one thing they know that routine maintenance prevents expensive repairs and costly breakdowns. They also know that a well-maintained vehicle uses less fuel.  For them, even a small decrease in fuel economy may mean not being profitable.

Here are some Lawler and Balthasar services that could potentially save you some gas in Saint Louis: Fuel system cleaning, transmission service, differential service, wheel alignment, oil change, tune-up.

Ring any bells? Is there at least one thing on the list that hasn’t been done for your truck?

Let’s suppose you chose to spend one hundred and fifty dollars and get caught up on some of these services and that they combine to improve your fuel economy by fifteen percent. What would that mean to your pocketbook?

Well, the average personal vehicle is driven about twelve thousand miles a year. If you get twenty miles per gallon in your truck, over the course of one year you would pay for the hundred and fifty dollars’ worth of service and save an additional hundred and sixty five dollars if gas is at three dollars and fifty cents. If gas is four fifty, you would save two hundred and fifty-five dollars. And you’d rack up savings of three hundred and forty five dollars with gas at five and a half bucks.

Gas Price   $3.50   $4.50   $5.50

20 MPG        165      265       345

From this you can see that the more fuel costs, the more it pays to take care of your truck. Some of us drive trucks for work or recreation – or want a large SUV for family needs. A fifteen percent improvement in fuel economy can generate huge savings – six hundred and sixty dollars a year if gas is four fifty a gallon. Take a look at this table to see where your savings could lie.

Gas Price   $3.50   $4.50    $5.50

10 MPG       480       660        840
20 MPG       165       255        345
30 MPG         60       120        180

So catch up on those services you’ve been neglecting. Talk with your friendly Lawler and Balthasar advisor about your truck’s needs. Get a couple done now and a couple next time. Chances are you’ll save a lot of money on fuel this year – and a lot more on repairs in years to come.

Give Mark Balthasar a call at Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis.

Lawler and Balthasar
314.371.2741
2741 Locust Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103

At Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis MO (63103) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 314.371.2741. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 9, 2012

Cooling System Service At Lawler and Balthasar

Filed under: Cooling System — lawlerandb543 @ 9:13 pm

Cooling System Service At Lawler and Balthasar

Your truck cooling system’s job is to keep your engine cool. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it’s cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the cooled mix circulates back through the truck engine to absorb more heat.

Coolant, or antifreeze, is specially formulated to keep your engine safe in a wide range of environmental and operating temperatures in Saint Louis.

Without coolant, the truck’s metal engine parts would expand so much that the engine would seize up and stop running.  Expensive parts could be broken or warp so badly they would have to be replaced at Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis. It could even be so bad that the whole engine is ruined and has to be replaced.

Also, if it’s freezing outside in Saint Louis, the water in your engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the MO cold. This is why you check coolant levels frequently and have your cooling system inspected for leaks. Also your manufacturer has a maintenance requirement for draining and replacing your coolant. These recommendations can vary widely, so check your Saint Louis owner’s manual or ask your service advisor at Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis.

The reason you need to change the coolant is that it has additives in it to protect the cooling system. As you can imagine, with all the heat, the cooling system’s a pretty harsh environment. The additives keep the fluid from becoming corrosive and damaging the radiator and other Saint Louis cooling system components. Over time, the additives are depleted and the coolant just has to be replaced. A simple pH test can measure the coolant’s acidity.

You may have noticed that there are different colors of antifreeze at Lawler and Balthasar: it is very important that you use the correct type.  The different coolant types are different colors so you don’t mix them up.  Manufacturers use different materials to make the cooling system, and they require different types of antifreeze to protect them.

So check with your friendly Lawler and Balthasar service advisor or owner’s manual for the right kind because using the wrong coolant can void the warranty for your truck cooling system.

Ask us about battery service, cabin air filter and alignment.

Give us a call

Lawler and Balthasar
314.371.2741
2741 Locust Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103

At Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis MO (63103) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 314.371.2741. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 3, 2012

Getting The Right Wheels And Tires At Lawler and Balthasar In Saint Louis

Filed under: Tires — lawlerandb543 @ 8:50 pm

Getting The Right Wheels And Tires At Lawler and Balthasar In Saint Louis

A lot of people in the Lovejoy area want custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes they just don’t fit right: The tires rub in turns or over bumps. Consulting a tire professional at Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis can ensure you get the right fit for your truck. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs and what you want in your new wheels.

Now, not every wheel can go on every vehicle. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside. If you don’t want to make any modifications to your truck, you would need to focus on a wheel and tire combination that would fit. With trucks, some Saint Louis people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most Saint Louis people don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The truck computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong sensor information. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your truck vehicle control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. At Lawler and Balthasar, we can give you information about control computer reprogramming.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in Saint Louis. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your Saint Louis tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs – and the best way to do all this is to have your friendly Lawler and Balthasar tire specialist see your truck in person so mistakes are not made.

At Lawler and Balthasar, we also offer air conditioning service and cabin air filter.

Give us a call

Lawler and Balthasar
314.371.2741
2741 Locust Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103

At Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis MO (63103) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 314.371.2741. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 25, 2012

Wheel Alignment Service At Lawler and Balthasar In Saint Louis

Filed under: Alignment — lawlerandb543 @ 9:15 pm

Wheel Alignment Service At Lawler and Balthasar In Saint Louis

When all of a vehicle’s wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Hitting a road hazard in Saint Louis or even just the normal bumps and bounces of everyday MO driving can cause your truck wheels to be out of alignment. This can lead to expensive premature tire and suspension wear.

Here are some alignment basics from Lawler and Balthasar:
The first angle is called toe: do the wheels point in towards each other or away from each other at the front of the tire.
The next angle is called camber: do the wheels tip in or out at the top.
And finally, there is castor. Castor measures the angle where the front axles attach to the vehicle.

The ideal alignment for your truck was designed by its engineers. Lawler and Balthasar alignment service starts with an inspection of the steering and suspension – so see if anything’s bent, broken or worn out. Then the Lawler and Balthasar technician will look at tire condition. From there, the truck is put on an alignment rack and an initial alignment reading is taken. The wheels are then aligned to manufacturer’s specifications.

Your owner’s manual probably has a recommendation for how often your truck alignment should be checked – usually every couple of years. If you suspect an alignment problem with your truck, get it checked at Lawler and Balthasar before you suffer expensive tire or suspension damage.

Give us a call

Lawler and Balthasar
314.371.2741
2741 Locust Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103

At Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis MO (63103) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 314.371.2741. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 18, 2012

Why Is My Check Engine Light On? Lawler and Balthasar Has Answers

Filed under: Check Engine Light — lawlerandb543 @ 9:54 pm

Why Is My Check Engine Light On Lawler and Balthasar Has Answers

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some Saint Louis drivers and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us in MO.

First, if your truck check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. Get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at Saint Louis highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn’t go off, schedule an appointment with your Saint Louis service advisor to get it checked out.

Some more information from Lawler and Balthasar on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative. Most of your truck engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive in Saint Louis.

In order to make these adjustments, the truck computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range the computer runs some tests and may turn on the Check Engine Light.

The truck computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it’ll then turn off the Check Engine Light.

If the problem can’t be resolved then the light will remain on and you should get your truck looked at at Lawler and Balthasar. Your friendly service technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give your Lawler and Balthasar technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

At Lawler and Balthasar, we also offer air conditioning service and cabin air filter.

Give us a call

Lawler and Balthasar
314.371.2741
2741 Locust Street
Saint Louis, MO 63103

At Lawler and Balthasar in Saint Louis MO (63103) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 314.371.2741. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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