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Believe it or not, the A/C system in your vehicle is fairly simple in principle and design. Like your refrigerator, it operates on a cycle of compression and expansion of a gas, known as the refrigerant. The compressor turns the gas into a liquid, and as the gas evaporates it provides cooling. Like your refrigerator, its main components are:    Compressor Condenser  Receiver/dryer Thermostatic expansion valve Evaporator Refrigerant Blower  The good news is most automotive A/C sys...

Differential Service – Why Is It Important?    Of all the various things on a vehicle that need regular service and maintenance, the differential is too often neglected. But what exactly is it, and what does it do?    Visualize a rear-wheel-drive vehicle making a right-hand turn. As the car turns to the right, the left rear wheel will have to actually cover a longer distance and spin at a different speed than the right wheel. If the rear axle was delivering the same torque to both wheels, the...

Maintaining a vehicle is more than just filling up with gas and getting an oil change. Routine maintenance is key. Many of us don’t know what needs to be done to our vehicles on a regular basis. Here at Boulder Tire in Boulder, CO we want to make sure you don’t skip any of the important auto maintenance items that most drivers forget. Tire pressure is a common but often forgotten auto maintenance. In the winter months, the pressure in your tires can fluctuate dramatically. You should maintain...

Finally, you took the plunge. After researching, comparing, and test driving multiple options you settled on the perfect new vehicle. The excitement has barely worn off, the interior still smells like plastic, you haven’t even made your first payment... and the car won’t start! How can a new car not start? Don’t panic, some pretty simple repairs can fix a new car that won't start. A dead battery is the most common reason a new vehicle won’t start. Depending on how long your vehicle sat in ...

Have you ever gotten a little too excited using your parking brake? At some point, most of us pull up just a little too hard and get our brake lever jammed.  There are several situations that require a little extra braking power. Knowing when and how to use your brake will help you avoid sticky situations.    When should I use my parking brake?   If you drive a manual transmission you might use your emergency brake every time you park your vehicle. You might even be using it when you are drivin...

Don’t you hate it when you try to find ways to save on gas and the first response you get is “drive less”?  If that was an option, I wouldn’t be looking up solutions. Unfortunately, we all depend on our vehicles and we all have to drive. Which means we all have to buy gas. But how can we do all this and still save money?    You can’t make it far in search results without coming across dozens of tips on how to make your gas go further. In case you’ve missed out, here are some of the best t...

Your vehicle is made of many different parts. In fact, a single vehicle can have 30,000 components or more! With so many parts, it’s hard to keep track of what they all do. In order to maintain your vehicle’s performance, your belts are something you should be familiar with. They might not be good at keeping your pants up but the belts in your car play a big role in your vehicle’s performance. The major belts in your vehicle are the serpentine belt and timing belt. Serpentines are responsibl...

North American roads cover millions of miles of landscape through habitats that vary from desert and grassland to mountain or forest and everything in-between. While we enjoy the freedom of the open road, we are nearly always crossing through the homes of wild creatures which may venture out on the road at the worst time possible.  Follow these tips to avoid a collision with our natural neighbors. 1.  Pay Attention - It may seem like the most basic of instructions, but in our tech-crazy world t...

Few things typify the holidays like hitting the road to share the magic of the season with family and friends. But with the road choked with other drivers, winter weather hazards, and long empty stretches of sleepy asphalt, a holiday road trip can quickly turn ugly. Keep the joy meter pegged by taking a few precautions to prepare for your trip. 1.  Get Your Pre-drive ZZZZZs - Drowsy driving is a largely unheralded hazard, taking a back seat to more socially active no-no's like texting and drink...

Let's talk about automotive performance. This term means a lot of things to a lot of people... from better handling, more speed, more off-road or track capability or even better fuel economy. For the purposes of this list, performance means one thing; getting where you are going sooner. Consider the following top pick performance upgrades if you want to put more power to the ground: Cold-air Intake - Factory air boxes are restrictive and are usually more about packaging under the hood than fe...