If you feel more vibrations from the road and your steering has become less sure, your car may have misaligned wheels. Misalignment damages the tires and worsens your handling. You can prevent it with routine wheel alignment services at your Ford dealership. How Often to Schedule Alignments It's generally recommended to book an alignment check each time you have your tires rotated, which should be twice a year for most drivers. The three angles of your wheels (camber, caster, and toe) will first be measured precisely. A full realignment is only necessary if the wheels are found to be crooked. How Alignments Are Carried Out Firstly, your car's suspension will be examined, as suspension components hold the wheels in place. Any worn-out parts will be replaced. Then, a device is clamped onto the wheel to measure alignment. This machine is connected to a computer, which shows the measurements for each wheel angle with precision. The technician can use these readouts to make careful adjustments to each wheel until all four are perfectly parallel as the manufacturer intended. The steering system may also be checked and centered. Once this process is completed, you're likely to notice an improvement in the smoothness and accuracy of your handling. more How to Identify Misaligned Wheels Misalignment leads to all kinds of problems. Along with heightened vibrations and road noise, you'll also feel less confident in your steering as the crooked wheels put pressure on the steering column. Your steering wheel may become looser with more free play and might even become pushed off-center. Your car could start to pull to the side when you're on a straight road. The tires will also suffer. As misaligned tires are pressed awkwardly against the tarmac, they'll wear down unevenly, which you'll notice if you check them regularly. Misaligned tires might also start to squeal noisily when you corner. Check Your Alignment Today at Your Ford Dealership How long has it been since your last alignment? If the answer is more than six months, or you've noticed the above symptoms, schedule an alignment with our experienced Ford technicians. We can set your wheels and tires straight again in no time. Visit Chestatee Ford in Dahlonega, GA, for prompt, professional tire and wheel services. Whether you're in need of a vehicle, routine maintenance, or emergency repairs, you're in the right place.
Is it time for new headlights? Here's how to tell if you need to head over to the Ford dealer to brighten up your drive. You Think You Need Glasses If you are starting to think that maybe you need glasses, or maybe you're not cut out for driving at night, this could actually be because your headlights are starting to grow dim. It's not something that's immediately obvious. Instead, you usually just start feeling that you're having to squint a lot at night. Before you worry that the problem is you, have your headlights checked out at the dealership to make sure they're shining the way they should and providing you with enough light to drive. You Notice Flickering Sometimes, a light doesn't actually burn out, but it does start flickering. This usually means you have a loose connection in there somewhere, and it is liable to flicker out completely at the worst possible moment. Come see us, and we'll take care of this to make sure you can rely on your headlights whenever you need them. more One Light Is Out It's frustrating when one light goes out, and it's very tempting to just ignore it until the second light goes out. For one thing, this is illegal. Not only do you not have enough light to see if you've only got one headlight, but one burnt out bulb makes you confusing to oncoming drivers. They are likely to think you're a motorcycle, and that means they're going to misjudge your width and where you are on the road. More than that, however, once one light goes out, it becomes very likely that the second will go out. That's because bulbs are installed in pairs. Just bring it by and we'll quickly give you a new set. Things Are Looking Hazy If you take a look at your lights during the day and notice that they look hazy and yellowed, the problem could be the lights to themselves or it could just be your headlight covers. When you drop it by, we can see if the covers can be cleaned. If that's possible, that might be all that needs to happen. If the covers have gotten too damaged by exposure to the elements, we can replace them or replace the bulbs as necessary. Schedule service with us at Chestatee Ford in Dahlonega, GA today for headlight service.
A Ford engine contains many different fluids, each of which has a specific role in your engine performance. Worn or damaged components can lead to leaks, and fluid loss will cause additional engine damage, depending on the affected system. If you have a car engine leaking, we can fix it at your Ford dealership. These are some of the types of leaks we can repair. Coolant Leaks Coolant is the liquid in the cooling system, and it can absorb heat. Liquid coolant is pumped through the cooling system at high speed, and it absorbs the heat radiating from hot engine components. The heat is transported to the radiator by the coolant, and it enters the radiator tubes, where the heat is removed by airflow over the tubes. Coolant is available in bright colors like pink, green, yellow, and blue. If your Ford is leaking liquid in any of these colors, your engine is in danger of overheating. A lack of coolant means heat can't be removed from your engine, and the increasing temperature will damage engine seals and gaskets. Once we find and seal the leak, we'll refill the coolant, and your engine temperature will return to normal. more Oil Leaks Oil lubricates all the moving parts in your engine as it circulates. Many of these parts depend on friction to work effectively, and the oil allows them to move smoothly rather than grinding against each other. The continuous flow of oil helps to cool the hot engine components, and additives in the oil help to prevent engine rust and break down engine deposits. Oil is usually amber, although it darkens over time as it absorbs dirt in your engine. If oil is leaking, you'll usually spot a puddle of amber, cream, or even black liquid on the ground underneath the engine. A lack of oil means engine components will grind against each other and suffer damage. Your engine temperature will also increase. We'll trace the source of the leak and seal it, then we'll refill your oil. Transmission Leaks The transmission is filled with fluid, and this fluid provides the hydraulic power that allows your gears to shift effortlessly. The fluid also coats transmission components to reduce friction damage, and it cools the components as it passes over them. Transmission fluid is bright or dark red and has a slightly sweet smell. If you have a transmission leak, gear shifting will become rougher and louder, the transmission will start to overheat, and transmission components can seize up. The most common leak spot for transmission fluid is the transmission pan gasket. We'll replace the gasket and also check for any other leaks, then we'll replace the transmission fluid. Leaking fluid can cause serious engine damage if it's not stopped quickly. Call our service department today at Chestatee Ford of Dahlonega, GA.
