Should MIDDLEBURY drivers use nitrogen in their tires? Air’s air, right? Well it turns out there is a difference. At the heart of the matter is maintaining proper tire inflation. When your family car tires are properly inflated, they last longer, handle better and more safely and they save money at MIDDLEBURY gas pumps.

The problem is that tires filled with air can lose a pound and a half of air pressure every month. This just happens as the oxygen in the tire seeps out as you drive around MIDDLEBURY. So if you don’t check your pressure for a month or two you can be significantly low – low enough to affect handling, shorten tire life and waste money at the fuel pump. Tires filled with nitrogen will take about six months to lose as much pressure as regular air does in a month. So it’s more forgiving of those MIDDLEBURY drivers who don’t check their pressure every week.

Also, oxygen at higher temperatures – like those inside your tire when you’ve been driving for a while – oxidizes the inside of your tire. Getting the oxygen out of your tire means that it’ll last longer.

So who’s using nitrogen? Let’s start with NASCAR and Indy. These racers like nitrogen’s ability to maintain consistent tire pressure and reduce tire temperatures under very demanding conditions. The U.S. government requires all commercial aircraft to have nitrogen in their tires. NASA and the U.S. Military use nitrogen. The mining industry has been filling those ginormous tires with nitrogen for years. IN Semi-trucks and trailers are starting to use nitrogen extensively. These guys chart everything they do and they invest in the benefits of nitrogen.

The good news is that nitrogen fill doesn’t cost very much or take long at Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY. It doesn’t affect your tire warranty. If you decide that nitrogen is right for your family car tires, remember that it’s still important to check your tire pressure regularly. You might have a leak that needs to be fixed. And you can always top your tire off with regular air if you need to.

If you have questions about nitrogen, battery service or trip inspection, give Troyer’s Garage Inc. Schrock a call at Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY. We’ve been providing professional automotive services in MIDDLEBURY for 11 years.

Troyer’s Garage Inc.
574.825.5944
801 South Main
MIDDLEBURY, IN 46540

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

A lot of Shipshewana drivers get custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes, once they’re mounted, they just didn’t fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don’t want that.

Consulting a tire professional at Troyer’s Garage Inc. can ensure you get the right fit. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs in Shipshewana and what you want in your new wheels.

At Troyer’s Garage Inc., we advise Shipshewana tire buyers that not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub.

If you don’t want to make any modifications to your family car, you need to focus on the wheels that fit. With trucks, some Shipshewana people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most Shipshewana people don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s, like the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The family car’s computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong speed. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your family car’s engine control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. For information on reprogramming the engine computer, call us at 574.825.5944.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in Shipshewana. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your Troyer’s Garage Inc. tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs.

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Air quality affects us wherever we are in MIDDLEBURY. Many decades ago, MIDDLEBURY residents began to become aware of how air pollution negatively affects health. But what about the air inside your vehicle?

Cabin air filters are now coming on most new family cars since the 2000 model year. These filters clean the air in the passenger compartment. They can filter particles down to three microns, so that’s good enough to clean out dust, pollen and most pollutants. If you suffer from allergies in MIDDLEBURY, this is very good news.

You can look in your family car owner’s manual to see if you have a cabin air filter. If you do, there’ll be a recommendation for replacing it when it gets dirty. If you live where there’s a lot of dust, pollen or pollution, you may need to change it more often. You can also ask your knowledgeable service advisor at Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY.

How hard it is to change a cabin air filter depends on your vehicle. Some are quite accessible; others take some doing to get to them. They’re usually in the family car engine compartment or under the dashboard.

Because cabin air filters are so new on the scene, some MIDDLEBURY motorists haven’t heard of them – even people who have cabin air filters. Troyer’s Garage Inc. service advisors report customers complaining of an unpleasant odor in their vehicle and it turned out to be a dirty cabin air filter.

An important note for MIDDLEBURY hybrid owners: there is a special air filter that cleans the air that cools the hybrid battery pack. This filter should be inspected every time the cabin air filter is inspected and replaced if it is dirty so that the battery pack doesn’t overheat.

Give us a call

Troyer’s Garage Inc.
574.825.5944
801 South Main
MIDDLEBURY, IN 46540

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Most MIDDLEBURY area car owners don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. Maintaining your family car air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well.

Along with the refrigerant, a special oil circulates in the system. The oil lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and we all know that air conditioning repairs can be costly in Bristol.

Air conditioning service at Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it’s inspected for cracks or wear.

The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation by your Troyer’s Garage Inc. service advisor. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the family car system is retested. Your Troyer’s Garage Inc. technician will also perform a temperature drop test.

If needed, the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the air conditioner is working, and you’re on your way.

How often this should be done at Troyer’s Garage Inc. varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your family car owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your knowledgeable Troyer’s Garage Inc. service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

Give us a call

Troyer’s Garage Inc.
801 South Main
MIDDLEBURY, IN 46540

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some MIDDLEBURY drivers and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us in IN.

First, if your family car check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. Get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at MIDDLEBURY highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn’t go off, schedule an appointment with your MIDDLEBURY service advisor to get it checked out.

Some more information from Troyer’s Garage Inc. on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative. Most of your family car engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive in MIDDLEBURY.

In order to make these adjustments, the family car computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range the computer runs some tests and may turn on the Check Engine Light.

The family car computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it’ll then turn off the Check Engine Light.

If the problem can’t be resolved then the light will remain on and you should get your family car looked at at Troyer’s Garage Inc.. Your knowledgeable service technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give your Troyer’s Garage Inc. technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

At Troyer’s Garage Inc., we also offer battery service and trip inspection.

Give us a call

Troyer’s Garage Inc.
574.825.5944
801 South Main
MIDDLEBURY, IN 46540

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

In addition to just wearing out, Troyer’s Garage Inc. customers need to know that suspension components can be damaged in an accident or by a hard impact – like a pothole, hitting a curb or a rock in the road.

Because the life span of shocks can vary so widely, your family car manufacturer and Troyer’s Garage Inc. recommend periodic inspections. During an inspection, your Shipshewana service technician will check for worn, broken or missing parts.

Signs that shocks or struts are wearing out: The tires may have a cupped wear pattern. This is from the shocks bouncing unevenly as you drive around Shipshewana. You may notice a floaty or drifting sensation when cornering. If the front of your family car dives excessively when stopping, or rocks back and forth after you stopped, your shocks may be worn out. And if they are leaking fluid, it’s definitely time to replace them.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, come into Troyer’s Garage Inc. for a suspension inspection. Same if you’ve been in an accident that involved one of your wheels. Worn or broken shocks can cause premature wear or failure on other family car suspension parts such as ball joints and other steering components as well. If your suspension actually fails, it could lead to a serious accident, so let us take care of your suspension components at Troyer’s Garage Inc..

When you replace your shocks, it’s usually a good idea to replace all four at the same time. That’ll give you more even handling. Talk with your service advisor at Troyer’s Garage Inc. because you don’t want a big difference between the performance of your shocks from wheel to wheel, and replacing all may be the safest bet.

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Let’s focus on stopping in wet MIDDLEBURY conditions. In order for a tire to have good contact with the road, it has to move the water out of the way. If it can’t move the water, the tire will actually ride on top of a thin film of water.

That’s called hydroplaning. At Troyer’s Garage Inc. we want our customers to know that if it’s really bad, you can actually spin out of control. At best, you won’t stop as fast.

So how does a tire move water? It has channels for water to flow through. Look at a tire and you’ll see channels: channels that run around the tire and channels that flow across the tire. They’re designed to direct water away from the tire so it can contact the road better.

And the deeper the channel, the more water it can move. A brand new tire has very deep channels and can easily move a lot of water. As the tire wears down, the channels become shallower and can move less water. When it wears down enough, it can seriously affect your ability to stop on wet MIDDLEBURY roads.

So that’s why it’s so important for MIDDLEBURY drivers to replace the tires on their family cars when they get worn. Consumer Reports and other advocate groups call for a standard of 3/32 of an inch and they have the studies to prove it.

By comparison, you’ve probably seen the wear indicator that’s molded into tires. When tires are worn 3/32 of an inch, the tread wear bar is visible. So the recommended standard has twice the tread depth as a completely worn out tire.

And that little bit of additional tread makes a big difference. Stopping distances are cut dramatically on wet roads. A safe stop from IN freeway speeds with 4/32 of an inch of tread would result in a crash with worn out tires.

There’s an easy way to tell when a tire’s worn to 4/32 of an inch. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn’t cover George Washington’s hairline, it’s time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.

You’ve probably heard of this technique using a penny and Abe Lincoln’s head. That measure gives you 2/32 of an inch – half the suggested amount.

Of course, tires are a big ticket item for MIDDLEBURY car owners. Most of us want to get as many miles out of them as we can. But there’s a real safety trade-off. It’s your choice.

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Now when you hear “severe service”, you may think it doesn’t apply to you because you don’t feel your driving conditions are severe or extreme – it’s just normal everyday driving around Bristol. At Troyer’s Garage Inc., we discuss the conditions that manufacturers classify as severe so that you can make the judgment on your own driving.

• Most trips are less than four miles
• Most trips are less than ten miles and outside temperatures are below freezing in Bristol
• You drive in very hot IN weather
• Driving at low speed most of the time (under 55 mph)
• Stop and go driving
• Operating your vehicle in dusty, polluted or muddy conditions
• You tow a trailer, regularly carry heavy loads or carry a car-top carrier on your family car

Most Bristol drivers operate under severe driving conditions at least some of the time. How do you know which schedule to follow for your family car?

Carefully think about your driving conditions and decide if you should do your preventive maintenance closer to the severe service recommendation or the regular recommendation. Of course, your Troyer’s Garage Inc. advisor can help you with your decision.

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

The crankcase is the bottom area of the engine that holds the oil. When the family car engine’s running, fuel is burned to generate power. Most of the exhaust from combustion goes out through the exhaust system. But some exhaust blows by the pistons and goes into the lower engine, or crankcase.

These hot gases are about seventy percent unburned fuel. This can dilute and contaminate the oil, leading to damaging engine oil sludge. It can also cause engine corrosion in your family car. At high speeds, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak.

Goshen car owners need to know that over time, the vented gases will gum up the PCV valve and it won’t work well. That can lead to all of the problems I’ve already described, oil leaks, excessive oil consumption and wasted gas.

Fortunately, it’s very easy to test the PCV valve and quick and inexpensive to replace it at Troyer’s Garage Inc.. Even so, it’s often overlooked because many Goshen drivers don’t know about it.

Check your family car owner’s manual or ask your Troyer’s Garage Inc. advisor. If this is the first time you’ve heard of a PCV valve, you might be in line for a PCV valve replacement.

Please ask us about your PCV valve. For the price of a couple of burger combo meals, you can avoid some very expensive deep engine repairs.

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

First, the serpentine belt drives your air conditioning system. Next, the belt powers the alternator.

The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering and power brakes. In some family cars, power steering may have an electric drive and power brakes can be vacuum driven.

And, on many vehicles, the serpentine belt powers the water pump (on some cars, the water pump is powered by the timing belt).

Your Troyer’s Garage Inc. service technician can perform a visual inspection of the belt to see if it has any cracks that signal the belt could fail soon and will measure the amount of belt material to make sure there is enough.

MIDDLEBURY drivers should be aware that there’s a special, spring loaded pulley attached to the engine called the tensioner pulley and sometimes an extra pulley call the idler pulley. Their job is to make sure there’s a constant tension on the serpentine belt so that it doesn’t slip. The spring can become worn and no longer provide the necessary pressure to keep the belt tight. That’s why it’s often recommended that the tensioner, and the idler pulley if so equipped, be replaced at the same time as the serpentine belt.

All in all, the serpentine belt’s an important part for the function of your family car. And it’s not that expensive to replace at Troyer’s Garage Inc. – so it’s good to do so before it fails.

At Troyer’s Garage Inc. in MIDDLEBURY IN (46540) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 574.825.5944. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.