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.  Your brakes have a lot to do with how your car drives. Brakes are a frequently neglected item on a lot of people’s checklists, and many drivers on the road have subpar brakes and don’t even know it. 

We’ve all been here: You start up your vehicle in the morning and begin to back out of the driveway. Before your hand reaches the volume dial on the stereo to crank up your favorite morning radio duo, you hear a noise coming from your car. A vehicle shouldn’t make that noise, yet yours is. And it sounds bad. But is it?

We’ve all been here: You start up your vehicle in the morning and begin to back out of the driveway. Before your hand reaches the volume dial on the stereo to crank up your favorite morning radio duo, you hear a noise coming from your car. A vehicle shouldn’t make that noise, yet yours is. And it sounds bad. But is it?

“Spark plug” is a word you are likely familiar with; it’s one of those car terms that you’ve heard your whole life. You know they’re important, you know sometimes they need to be changed. But how do you know when it’s time to replace them? What do they do, and where do they go wrong? Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl has the answers.

While transmissions are extremely complicated and it takes a professional hand to work on one, taking care of the one you have isn’t difficult. At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, we understand the importance of caring for your transmission properly, so that it stays in good condition for as long as possible.

No matter what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, old or new, it probably has doors. Those doors are heavy, and they see a lot of use. Naturally, from time to time, parts wear out. If your door doesn’t function as well as it should, here’s why, courtesy of Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl.

Keeping the interior of your car, truck, or SUV clean and in good shape is an important part of making your vehicle last. Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl has some tips on keeping your car clean inside, and why keeping it clean matters.

If you’ve ever been in an emergency braking situation, you’re probably all too aware that the brakes are the most important safety system on your vehicle. And like many other systems in a vehicle, the brakes need regular upkeep to continue functioning properly. One way to preserve the integrity of the braking system is through brake bleeding, and while it may not be as well known as certain services like oil changes, it is a key maintenance item for a vehicle.

At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, we know that over the past decade, depending on what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, it may seem like oil changes have gotten more expensive, and there are more options from synthetic to standard 10w/30 oil.  What kind is best for your vehicle and is the higher price worth the cost? 

You’ve known someone at some point that has a seemingly impossible amount of keys, keychains, and other accessories hanging from their key ring. You might even be guilty of that yourself. At [BUSINESS_ NAME] in Buhl, ID, we’ve seen our fair share of these loaded down car keys, and also the damage it can cause. Here’s what you need to know.

At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, we’ve witnessed our fair share of burnt out and broken clutches. While clutch failure is an inevitability, there are a variety of ways to make sure yours lasts as long as possible.

At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, we know that the first and most important step toward keeping your car, truck, or SUV reliably on the road, is knowing how to properly care for it. Here are a few tips on how to keep your vehicle in shape.

Judging by the number of near-rear-endings we witness on our morning commutes, the typical attitude toward brake maintenance appears to be, “Brakes: Don’t let them stop you!” This puzzles us because monitoring your braking system’s health is one of the most straightforward aspects of car ownership. You do have to know what to look for, though, or rather, what to listen and feel for. So let us, uh, break it down for you. Here are the top three signs that your brakes need fixing.

A good technician will give your car a quick inspection whenever you have maintenance performed. Fluid levels, tire condition, dashboard lights, and a variety of other items typically are briefly explored whenever you bring your vehicle in for maintenance. At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, we're good at noticing things that need repair, but the fact of the matter is that only you know your car. You know when your car feels off when its been serviced last (or that it hasn't been serviced at all,) and have at least some vague idea of what’s going on with your vehicle day to day. Here are some questions you can ask us next time you come by the shop;

Fluid levels, tire condition, dashboard lights, and a variety of other items typically are briefly explored whenever you bring your vehicle in for maintenance here at Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, where we are good at noticing things that need repair, but the fact of the matter is that only you know your car. You know when your car feels off when it's been serviced last (or that it hasn't been serviced at all,) and have at least some vague idea of what’s going on with your vehicle day to day. Here are some questions you can ask us next time you come by the shop;

Travelling can be difficult, and traveling can be fun. The difference usually comes down to how much preparation you do in advance, and how many unplanned obstacles you meet along the way. A great way to avoid setbacks, mishaps, and stressful situations is to make sure your car, truck, or SUV is ready to hit the road. Here are some important points to check before travelling, from Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID.

Manual transmissions require far less maintenance than automatics. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t need a fluid check from time to time. Here’s what you should know about checking and adding fluid to your manual transmission, from Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID.

At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, we’re all for additions that make your trucks last longer and work better. Here’s some info on the benefits of undercoating, and why you might want to consider it for your truck.

At some point or another, it’ll happen to you. You leave your headlights on, your battery finally fails, or for some other reason, you don’t have enough juice to start your car. Don’t call a tow truck just yet, though...Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl has the info you need to properly jump-start your car.

If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle, you know that your precision engineered equipment demands precision tuning. At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, we specialize in high-end imports and performance vehicles and keep them up to par.