Automotive Industry News & Information - Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust

Whether you drive a Porsche, Audi, BMW, Subaru, Land Rover, or other performance and luxury vehicles, your ball joints are an essential part of your car or SUVs performance and safety. From us at Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust, here’s what to watch out for, to make sure your ball joints are in shape and ready to go.

Leaky transmissions can be a pain, not only do they make a mess on the underside of your car, and in your driveway, but the transmission fluid is expensive and inconvenient to deal with. At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID we want to provide you with some information on where transmission leaks start and how to end them so that maybe we can eliminate any future leaks.

Your drivetrain is where most of the process of moving your vehicle occurs. The drivetrain includes all the parts powered by the engine to turn the wheels, including the transmission, axles, or driveshafts that combine efforts to propel your car forward (or backward, when you’re in reverse.) At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, our drivetrain specialists are well equipped to keep your car, truck, or SUV reliably on the road and running smoothly along.

What condition are your tires in? At Cowden's Automotive & Exhaust in Buhl, ID, we want to make sure you can tell if your tires are in good condition or ready to be replaced. A simple visual inspection is all you need - it’s easy if you know what to look for. Our technicians have been trained to identify trouble before it hurts your vehicle, but they can also help you understand how to keep your eyes open for serious issues.

Exhaust systems are one of the most neglected aspects of most vehicles. Exhaust pipes, catalytic converters, and mufflers are exposed to heat, emissions, and road damage. While your exhaust system is fairly simple and straightforward, these conditions mean it is inherently prone to rust and damage. As a result, this system is often one of the first systems you will have trouble with on your car.

Sluggish. Squealing. Unreliable. Vibrating. If any of these descriptors fit your vehicle’s recent behavior, it just might be trying to tell you something – like it’s time for a tune-up.

Today’s vehicles differ significantly from their decades-old brethren that required a tune-up every 10,000 or 20,000 miles. With newer vehicles, it’s increasingly common for manufacturer-recommended service intervals to stretch to 100,000 miles before certain maintenance items, such as replacing the spark plugs, should be completed.

mechanic working on the suspension of a vehicle on a lift

The steering and suspension systems are key safety-related systems that largely determine your car’s ride and handling. Have these systems checked regularly, at least once a year, and usually with a wheel alignment.

Obviously, the dirtier your fuel system is, the bigger the improvement you will see in performance and fuel economy after a fuel system cleaning. But it is important not to wait until your system is running poorly. If you do, by the time you get a cleaning, you’ve wasted hundreds of dollars in gas or even possibly damaged your fuel injectors and catalytic converter.