In the Hot Seat (Repair and Maintenance of Seat Heaters)
January 15, 2023
It's chilly outside. You flip on that switch that looks like a picture of a seat with little heat waves rising from it. You expect soon you'll feel that warmth but wait! It's not getting warmer. Oh no, what's wrong with my seat heater? There could be lots of reasons it's not working, and it cou... More
Getting from E to F (Fuel Gauge Problems)
January 8, 2023
Who thinks about their fuel gauge? You probably don't until it doesn't work any more. Then you have to guess how much fuel is in your tank, and that's no way to live life on the road. Fuel gauges, like every other part in your vehicle, can fail. And when yours stops working, you will probably... More
To Fix or Not To Fix: That Is the Question.
January 1, 2023
No matter what vehicle you drive, when certain things break, you have to make a decision. Should I get it fixed now, later or never? Air conditioning is one of those things. You can certainly live without air conditioning, but it sure is nice to have on a sweltering day. Let's say your air con... More
Light's Out! Trouble Ahead (Exterior Light Bulb Service)
December 25, 2022
Whether or not your exterior light bulbs are all working probably is not at the top of your list when you think about your vehicle. But those exterior lights are more important than you think, and they're vital to your safety and that of other drivers near you. Headlights are important. Not onl... More
Tiffin Customer Detective Work
December 18, 2022
One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician at Courtesy Auto Repair Plus is diagnosing a problem before it can be fixed.Cars are made up of a bunch of complex systems. There usually could be a number of reasons for any given symptom. So, it's challenging to t... More
I NEED All Wheel Drive (Pros and Cons of AWD)
December 11, 2022
So winter has arrived and you don't feel confident in how your 2-wheel drive vehicle does in the snow and ice. You envy all those people with all-wheel-drive (AWD) and 4-wheel-drive (4WD) cars, trucks and SUVs. You start thinking, "I need one of those. I'll be able to go anywhere without any w... More
I Had No Idea! (Four Things You Didn't Know About Vehicles)
December 4, 2022
Bet you didn't know: Some of the earliest rearview mirrors were marketed as "Cop Spotters" so drivers would know when police were following them. Who wants a ticket, anyway? According to eBay Motors, Elmer Berger first patented a rearview mirror that was mounted on the front fenders, on the spare... More
Courtesy Auto Repair Plus: Why Replace Your Engine Air Filter?
November 27, 2022
Just as our bodies need clean air to function properly, your vehicle engine needs clean air to operate efficiently. Let's go egghead for a minute. For every gallon of gas we burn driving on Tiffin streets, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide comes out the tailpipe. Question: how can a gallon of gas that... More
Breathe Easier (Cabin Air Filter)
November 20, 2022
When you get in your vehicle, how does it smell? If it's not so nice, it may be time to have your cabin air filter changed. It's not the same one that filters out the air used in the engine. The cabin air filter screens out dust and other particulates from the outside air so when it enters the c... More
Giving CV Joints the Boot! (CV Joint and Boot Replacement)
November 13, 2022
Ever wonder how your vehicles transmission is connected to your wheels? After all, when you hit a pothole or some other uneven part of a roads surface, there has to be something that can maintain the connection between the transmission and the wheel yet keep everything moving at the same speed. ... More