What does a flex plate do, and how do you know if yours is faulty? Your vehicle may be telling you things you may not know. Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl has the answers you need.

While some keys or key fobs can only be obtained from dealerships, most cars can be programmed to accept a new key or key fob without expensive dealer intervention. At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, we often provide such services, at a fraction of the cost.

Your brakes have a lot to do with how your car drives. Brakes are a frequently neglected item on a lot of people’s checklist, and many drivers on the road have subpar brakes and don’t even know it. A car that brakes well and brakes correctly are just as important as acceleration, handling, or any other aspect of a vehicle’s drivability. A car with brake issues has the potential to be a far more enjoyable ride when fixed.

At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, transmission maintenance and repair is our specialty. Here’s some information on your transmission pump - what it does, and how to know if yours needs to be replaced.

Your car’s belts and hoses are essential to the cooling, air conditioning, and charging systems, and the engine. Here at Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, our team takes them seriously as we understand that ignoring the routine replacement intervals will result in a costly breakdown that could leave you stranded. There are so many components tied together with your belts & hoses that it isn't just a simple belt or hose requiring repairs when you allow things to progress to the stage where your car or truck has a breakdown due to a faulty belt or hose.

At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, we know how irritating an issue with your car, truck, or SUV can be, even if it doesn’t immediately affect your vehicle’s performance. One such problematic issue, the excessively loud radiator cooling fan, is a common plague many automobile owners will experience.

Your transmission suddenly isn’t shifting right. So what’s wrong with it? Do you need your transmission rebuilt? To find out what’s causing your transmission problem, one of our technicians here at Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust is going to have to perform a series of tests. Basically, these tests are designed to answer the simple question: “Is it inside or outside?” That is, is the problem inside the transmission, or in one of the many control systems that operate the transmission?

Who created the world’s first car is actually a matter of debate; since the invention of the engine, people had been installing them on horse carriages to make them self-propelled. Even when automobiles specifically designed for engines came around, they were hardly recognizable as a car by today’s standards. However, the first patented automobile, a vehicle specifically designed to be propelled by an engine, was built by Karl Benz and completed in 1885.

At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, we know that some of the most elusive issues with any car, truck, or SUV are often caused by the simplest of malfunctions. While you might consider a gas cap fairly innocuous, it can actually malfunction too, prompting a check engine light on your dashboard.

Good gas mileage is something we all want. In fact, many drivers purchase certain cars solely for gas mileage, and almost all of us at least take it into consideration when purchasing a vehicle. While it is true that gas mileage is by and large determined simply by the type of car, there are actually a variety of things you can do to increase the gas mileage of any automobile. The tips Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl want to provide you here are simple and effective steps you can take to increase your gas mileage, often more considerably than you think.

If your car, truck or SUV is experiencing engine issues and you are concerned about having to purchase a new vehicle, our technicians at Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl have an answer that will save you money and help you maintain the value of your vehicle. Today's vehicles cost more than they ever did and you typically have a loan for a much longer time period - yet the warranty it seems stays relatively short!

Here, we believe in treating your vehicle as if it were ours and if your engine is not reliable we can replace it with a JASPER replacement engine with a nationwide parts and labor warranty! It is what we would do with our car, truck or SUV instead of trading it for a higher payment or a vehicle we didn't like as much as what we had!

Automotive windows are one of those things that you take for granted, until something goes wrong. One of the more irritating issues a window can develop, is dislocating from its track while attempting to roll it up or down. Why does this happen, and how do you fix it? At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, we’ve got answers to your questions and solutions to your problems.

We all love the sunshine but getting into that HOT car isn't always so wonderful even when you have a remote start it will take the breath out of you when the temperatures are soaring. Makes you want to pack your lunch instead of meeting friends for lunch! We decided that you should meet friends for lunch! So we got together and found some quick ideas for you. It isn't much but enjoy the sunshine on us here at Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust here in Buhl! Call it our fun day fact!

Your drive belts are simple but integral components to the function of your car, truck, or SUV. At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, belts are one of the first things we assess when looking over a vehicle, as they alone are in charge of operating your AC, water pump, alternator, and power steering.

At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, we know that transmissions are one of the greatest technological marvels of the automotive world. How does a standard shift transmission work? Why should you care? Our expert technicians here at Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl have the answers.

When you get in your car, truck, SUV, or minivan to drive and the A/C does not work what could be wrong? Here at Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust, we have some simple answers to help you understand how your vehicle A/C system works. The first question we are asked is "Why isn't my air conditioner blowing cold air?" Let's talk about what could be happening. 

Your drive belts run everything - your AC, power steering, alternator, and water pump are all dependent on the belts that turn them. At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, our goal is to keep your truck maintained, so you’re never stuck out on the road. Drive belts are a critical part of that goal.

Whether you’ve never had any trouble out of your transmission, or you are all too familiar with transmission issues, you may wonder how often a transmission requires repair. In truth, it really just depends. There are hundreds of different transmissions, some more reliable than others, with different levels of stress demanded of them. Age, mileage, type, and usage are all aspects of the transmission condition.

You know how often to change your engine oil; but what about the gear oil in your standard shift transmission? Here’s a short guide, from Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl.

At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, efficiency is a concept that interests us. While your fuel economy is largely dependent on what kind of car, truck, or SUV you drive, there are a variety of tips and tricks to get the most bang for your buck. We’ve provided a few of our favorites here.