Author: bigoakcity

The young adults in your home may be poised to return to campus — the ramen noodles, microwave popcorn, and mini-fridge are stacked in the garage — but what about the car they’ll be driving?

Many local college students are bequeathed their childhood minivan or Grandpa’s old sedan to take back to school with them and the Big Oak Citgo team wants to make sure it not only survives the journey, but gets them safely back to Bucks County for Thanksgiving Break!

Here is a handy checklist that can help minimize your long-distance automobile anxiety AND help your college student master the responsibilities of maintaining a vehicle:

1)         Locate a reputable local repair shop near campus — use google reviews, yelp, or contact the school itself for a recommendation.  Have your college student save this contact information in their phone!

2)         Also save the phone # and account information for AAA or a 3rd party roadside assistance company.  Keep copies of these cards with the insurance and registration to make them easy to access.

3)         Teach your child how to check fluid levels — oil, coolant, and wiper fluid being among the most commonly-needed and easily-accessible reservoirs.

4)         Teach your child how to install the spare tire.

5)         Teach your child how to check and set tire pressure — here’s an opportunity to present your son or daughter with a tire pressure gauge!  (Expect eye-rolling now and a grateful phone call sometime in November when the weather changes and he or she actually USES the gauge!)

6)         Discuss what to do in emergency situations:

• Blinking check engine light
• Flat tires
• Breakdowns or no-starts

7)         IMPORTANT:  Assess the vehicle’s current condition and anticipate repairs!

Most shops will provide you with a ballpark estimate of the time and mileage at which certain wear items like brakes and tires will need to be replaced.  Before sending your student off to college, get an idea of what to expect in the coming months — you can then make informed decisions about what to address now and what can wait until Thanksgiving Break.  If services will come due during the school semester, you can plan ahead for having the work performed at a local shop.

8)         Schedule a Trip Check — the Team at Big Oak Citgo can perform a Trip Check to inspect the brakes, tires, suspension, belts & hoses, and check the fluid levels.

9)         If you have concerns about battery life or alternator health, request a Charging System test.

9)         Resolve any check engine lights now, before sending your college student back to campus.

With some foresight and attention now, you can avoid many costly or surprising car troubles during the school year — plus, what college-age kid doesn’t want to spend a few hours bonding over a spare tire change and fluid-checking lesson?

Click the link below for a printable Vehicle Information Checklist for you to complete before the big send-off:
Back to Campus with a Car

When contemplating a tire replacement, there are many factors to consider. Sure, brand and model are important, but the broader question is: What type of tire suits my needs?

Snow Tires

These tires perform well in extreme cold, snow, and ice. They feature deeper tread depths and specialized designs that handle snow and ice better than other kinds of tires. Snow tires come in two types; studded and studless. Both types typically use a specific rubber compound that stays soft in cold conditions, which allows for better traction.

Studded tires have metal studs embedded in the tread which allow the tire to “bite” into ice on the roadway. Studded tires are prohibited in most states due to the damage they can cause to roads, but if they are allowed, there are restrictions on their use. For instance, in Pennsylvania, the use of studded snow tires is permitted only from November 1st to April 15th and the studs can project from the tread no more than 2/32 of an inch.

Summer Tires
Summer tires are marketed as “performance” or “high-performance” tires. The tread is generally comprised of large tread blocks with high lateral stiffness, while wide circumferential grooves expel and sequester water. The rubber formulation is calibrated for warm weather and pays little heed to snow and ice. Summer tires typically provide a quieter ride and are more responsive than other types of tires.

All-Season Tires
Many vehicles are fitted with all-season tires when they leave the factory because they are a good choice for most conditions, providing a relatively quiet ride, fuel economy, and good tread life. All-season tires offer versatile performance and are intended to function in a variety of conditions, including wet roads and light winter driving.

All-season tires are designed to offer a combination of qualities found in  Summer and Winter tires, but not without compromise.   All-season tires won’t provide the same amount of extreme dry road grip and sharp handling of a Summer tire. Likewise, an all-season tire is not designed to handle extreme cold temperatures, snow, and ice as effectively as a winter tire does.

Finding the Perfect Tire
Overall, all-season tires are typically the best choice for drivers in our area because they offer a balance of capabilities, but the tire you choose ultimately depends on your driving habits and performance needs.

At Big Oak Citgo, we will help you select the perfect tires for your car and install them with our state-of-the-art equipment. Visit our tire store in Yardley, PA to learn more.

In addition to helping you find the best tire for your needs, we can ensure your vehicle remains safe and reliable with our comprehensive maintenance services.  Our service advisers will be happy to assist you in your quest for the perfect car tires in Yardley, PA — make an appointment by calling 215-295-4535 or visit www.bigoakcitgo.com to make an online appointment request.

When you own a car, there are a lot of routine maintenance checks to keep track of. It’s important to get all maintenance services done or you could face costly repairs or damage.

One of the biggest threats to your engine’s longevity is not maintaining your cooling system as
the manufacturer suggests. Changing your engine’s coolant at recommended intervals is just as important as changing your oil and oil filter.

What is Coolant?

Coolant is a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water:

Water

• Very good at removing heat
• low boiling point and high freeze point
• Can become corrosive (this can damage gaskets, freeze plugs and other cooling system components)

Antifreeze

• Necessary to improve coolant freeze and boiling points
• Controls corrosion

The two ingredients, while they balance each other out, need to be changed regularly. The primary reason to change coolant is to replenish additives in the antifreeze, which deplete over time.

Your antifreeze formulation will depend on your car’s manufacturer. Coolant specifications for your car can be found in your owner’s manual.

When Should You Get Your Coolant Changed?

Coolant change intervals are found in your new car maintenance schedule, and are usually based on mileage or time. Depending on antifreeze formulation, service intervals can be as long as five years, or as short as two years. Like the formulation itself, service intervals are specific to the manufacturer and engine.

What is a Cooling System Service?

A cooling system service consists of:

• Coolant replacement
• Visual inspection of the cooling system
• Coolant fan operation test
• Thermostat operation test

There are no service intervals for things like water pumps, hoses, and radiators, making the visual inspection extremely important to prevent breakdowns.

Where Can You Get Cooling System Service?
When you need a change of coolant or any other car maintenance item in Morrisville, PA, we have you covered. Big Oak Citgo is a family-owned and operated gasoline service station that offers quality automotive repair and service solutions designed to fit any budget.

Located on the corner of Big Oak Road and Makefield Road in Lower Makefield Township, we have been serving the Yardley, Levittown, and Morrisville communities for over 20 years.

When your check engine light comes on in Levittown, PA, trust Big Oak Citgo to help get to the bottom of the problem. Contact us for by calling 215-295-4535 or through our website www.bigoakcitgo.com.

Why is it that car batteries fail at the worst possible time? Of course, there’s no good time, but batteries tend to fail at the extremes of temperature.  The first really cold morning in winter kills many marginal batteries, often with no warning. Even worse, the summer heat combined with high underhood temperatures in late model cars create the perfect storm of conditions no lead acid battery can withstand for long.

With all the wonderful technological advances in cars, why are we still using lead acid batteries in our vehicles? There has been some innovation, but fundamentally the lead acid battery works just about the same as when it was conceived in the 1860’s. The short answer is that lead acid batteries are cheap, and work well for 4 or 5 years. When the puzzle of energy storage is finally solved it will be a monumental step forward, but right now lead acid batteries get the nod by all new car manufacturers.

Since we’re stuck with lead acid batteries for the foreseeable future it makes sense to maximize battery life, and avoid being ambushed when inevitably the battery fails. Automotive lead acid batteries on average last about 5 years. Average car ownership is about 6.5 years, meaning most car owners experience battery failure.

It’s best to think of batteries as consumables, like brake pads, spark plugs, and other traditional maintenance items. Most mechanics in Morrisville, PA that perform car repairs recommend replacing the battery before complete failure, and not just to prevent breakdowns. A weak battery can cause damage to expensive charging and starting system components such as starters and alternators. As the battery slowly loses its ability to reach a fully charged state, the alternator is forced to work at a 100% duty cycle, far above its design capacity. This creates heat, and heat is the enemy. The starter fares even worse, low available amperage causes low starter RPM, which in turn causes starter motor windings to overheat and fail.

In our opinion, new car manufacturers have done a disservice to their customers by not including batteries in maintenance schedules. They do recommend testing the battery, perhaps when your vehicle is in for your PA auto inspection in Morrisville, PA, but the likelihood of catching a battery failure as it’s happening is remote. The answer to why batteries are not included comes down to manufacturers need to keep scheduled maintenance costs down. Projected maintenance cost is used as a sales tool, effectively preventing inclusion of expensive items like batteries and tires. No one should wait for tires to fail, and similarly, no one should wait for batteries to fail. You’re going to have to replace the battery sooner or later anyway, why wait until it leaves you stranded, and possibly causes damage?

Rodents love your car’s wiring!

It’s true, rodents like mice, rats, and squirrels like nothing better than to climb up into your nice warm car and make a meal of your wiring harness. Air boxes make favored nesting areas for rodents, creating an unbelievable mess for us. Of course, this is nothing new. No one likes the cold, least of all rodents! Some new car manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, and others use soy or bio-based ingredients in wire insulation, making wiring harnesses irresistible.

How do they get in?

Mostly they don’t. The most common area of damage is to the wiring harness under the hood. The engine block is nice and warm, a food source (your wiring harness) is readily available, and it shields them from the rain. It’s rodent heaven! They do sometimes chew through wiring grommets to get inside, but it’s rare. If they do find their way inside your car, it’s usually through the ventilation system. The air box that contains the cabin air filter is often where we find nests.

How do I know I’m sharing my car with rodents?

The most common symptom of a rodent damaged wiring harness is the check engine light. The ECM does a good job of keeping track of wiring and is usually the first indication that there’s a problem. Drivability problems including transmission shifting issues, stalling, or not starting can all result from rodent damage. Rodent infestation of the interior often results in odd odors from heater or defroster, and even bits of trash blowing out of the ducts when you turn the heater or defroster on.

How do I keep them out?

Start with cleaning your car, and the area where you park. Make sure nothing edible to a rodent remains. We had a customer with squirrel problems many years ago. It turned out she parked under an oak tree. The squirrels came out to harvest the acorns, and found a wonderful place to rest and snack under the hood of her car! She changed her parking arrangements, and her squirrel problems were no more. Mice and rats usually use the tires to gain access to your vehicle. If you put a mouse or rat trap by each tire, you can resolve your rodent problem in a few days. There are sprays and powders available that are purported to deter rodents, but it’s our experience that they don’t work very well, if at all. We’ve also heard that you should attempt to block potential entry points but that’s ridiculous and impossible! Bottom line, make your car as unattractive to rodents as possible and get the traps out at the first sign of trouble.

Big Oak Citgo has knowledgeable technicians to deal with these types of repairs as well as ready your vehicle for state auto inspections near Yardley, PA, and other nearby areas.

Car braking systems have become quite complex. Most of today’s cars have braking control systems that virtually eliminate skidding. Braking effort is proportioned to individual wheels as necessary to stop in the shortest possible distance, while controlling wheel lockup. Cars have never been safer, and much of the credit belongs to brake technology innovation. It’s important to carefully maintain these systems, and be aware of indications that problems exist. Listed below are a few of the more important things that may indicate that brake service is needed.

 

• Strange noises
  
  Squealing, grinding, and clicking are all indications that brake service is necessary. In general, braking should make no noise at all. The only exception to the no noise rule is when the wheels begin to lockup and skid, and the antilock system takes over. When the antilock is engaged you may hear a clicking or buzzing, and you may notice pedal pulsation, both are normal. It’s best to engage the antilock system in a wet or snowy parking lot, just so you know what to expect.

 

• Veers to the side when braking, or increased pedal effort
  
  Veering and increased braking effort can sometimes be difficult to detect in cars with sophisticated braking systems. In most cases you’ll get a light in the dash indicating problems in the braking system before you notice veering or increased braking effort, but be aware of any changes, brakes should stop your car in a straight line, with consistent pedal effort. Brake inspection is indicated with any change, no matter how slight.

 

• Brake pedal pulsation, and vibration when braking
  
  A very common braking problem is brake pedal pulsation and vibration when braking. These problems are often caused by damaged brake rotors. No amount of vibration is normal, except as noted above, and vibration can cause problems in other car systems. If you notice vibration or pulsation, it’s time for a brake inspection

 

• Antilock light, or other brake system warning light on in dash
  
  Most often cars have two dash warning lights related to braking. The antilock light is usually amber, and indicates a problem in the anti lock braking system. If the light is on, the antilock system is disabled, and antilock brake repair is indicated. The brake warning light is usually red, and can mean anything from low brake fluid, to a serious fault in the system that needs immediate attention.   

 

It would be difficult to overstate the need to keep your braking system in tip top shape. Help keep our families safe while traveling by maintaining not just your brakes, but your entire car.

For more information about brake repair in Yardley, PA, or brake repair in Morrisville, PA or for more information about Big Oak Citgo, please see our website at bigoakcitgo.com, and take advantage of our new online scheduling!

 

It’s easy to determine what size tires will fit your vehicle. Tire size information is available in your new car owner’s manual, and is often found along with tire inflation recommendations on a label inside the driver’s side door jamb. Fitting tires to your life is not so simple.

Do you have a long commute at high speeds every day, or are you the proverbial little old lady who only drives to church on Sunday? Are you a storm chaser, or do you never drive in rain or snow?

Everything matters, even how you drive. Below are a few of the more important factors you need to consider when choosing tires to fit your life.

Tread wear rating

Tires that have a high wear rating a made from harder, more durable rubber. The trade-off is often traction. All other factors being equal, a softer, lower tread wear rated tire will provide better traction, both wet and dry. In tread wear rating, it’s necessary to balance durability and safety.

Speed rating

Tires have a speed rating that determines the top speed the tire can withstand without damage. In general, high speed rated tires have stiff sidewalls. The trade-off here is ride comfort. A little-known fact is that tire sidewalls contribute to ride quality. The stiffer the sidewalls the harder the ride, and the better the handling. In speed rating, it’s necessary to balance ride quality and handling.

Tread design

Tire tread design is a constantly evolving science, and one size doesn’t fit all. The three most prominent designs are snow, highway, and all season. There are many designs that blend characteristics, making tread design choices even more complex. The trade-offs here are dry traction, wet traction, snow traction, and tire noise. In general, the wider the tread design the noisier the tire and the better the wet and snow traction. The tread patterns that grip snow better are often not the best wet and dry traction tires. In tread design, it’s necessary to balance tire noise with traction.

Why not let the tire pros at Big Oak Citgo help you with the many tire choices, and make sure you get the best tires for your life, not just your car! We can also help you with auto repair services near Morrisville, PA, and any other car repair or service you might need. To learn more about our car repair services available near Morrisville, PA, just browse our site or give us a call!

With the hot months of summer coming up, having a properly functioning air conditioning unit in your vehicle is critical. Essentially, a car is like a greenhouse on wheels—when parked in the sun for just a few minutes—as the interior temperature of it will quickly rise well above the temperature outside. If there is an issue and you need air conditioning service or auto repair in Morrisville, PA, Big Oak Citgo is fully capable of tackling any problem you may have. To make sure your air conditioning is working correctly, you should keep these warning signs in mind so if you happen to notice any of them, you can get it taken care of before it’s too late.

1. Air Isn’t Cold

The most obvious warning sign. If the air isn’t cold, or no air comes out at all, then clearly something is wrong. You might be running low on refrigerant, or the cooling fans could be damaged. Or, perhaps the unit is just clogged by debris like leaves.

2. Strange Noises

If there are noises emanating from the air conditioning system when it is running (besides the standard sound of air blowing from the vents) there is probably something wrong with the unit. Listen for any clicking or rattling. There could be debris lodged in there somewhere. Maybe there is a part that is loose. Whatever it may be, don’t ignore it just because the air conditioning still works as it could lead to something worse, or a more expensive problem to fix.

3. Bad Odor

Another warning sign of an issue that needs addressing is a bad smell radiating from the air conditioning. Usually, that means there is mold growing from within the system. You should have it inspected as soon as possible because you are putting your health and the health of whoever else gets in your automobile at risk.

4. Leaks or Stains

If the water isn’t draining out from under your car, that could mean there is a leak where the liquid is secreting somewhere else prior to draining properly. Or, the drain is clogged, so the water backs up and overflows elsewhere. Check the interior of your car for stains and other signs of a leak. They typically pool on the floor in the front seats.

5. Low Pressure

Low air pressure from your unit when the fan is turned up high is a problem. When this happens, you’ll want to bring it to a professional for inspection as most leaks are small and difficult to find.

If you notice any of these signs in your air conditioning unit or you need any other kind of car repair in Morrisville, PA, don’t hesitate. Contact Big Oak Citgo by calling 215-310-0598 to make an appointment or browse the rest of our website for more information.