Automotive Industry News & Information - Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair

It is inevitable that the sun will rise and set each day - so too is the inevitability of clutch wear if you drive a vehicle with a manual transmission. Unlike the sun, however, you have a lot of control over how fast that wear occurs. Here’s some information on riding the clutch, and why you should stop doing it!

What is “riding the clutch”? - Let’s start by defining exactly what we’re talking about here. “Riding the clutch” is one of many phrases in automotive slang, which circumnavigates the explanation of something sort of complicated. Any time your clutch pedal hangs out in the purgatory between fully depressed and fully released, except for the purposes of shifting or acceleration, you’re riding the clutch. Avoid using the clutch pedal to manage speed as much as possible. If you’re sitting at a stoplight or a stop sign, you might catch yourself letting the clutch out halfway to keep the car at a standstill instead of using the brake, or taking advantage of the clutch to drive slowly.

If your transmission isn’t shifting correctly, you’ll want to be careful about how you choose to proceed. The best thing to do is turn the vehicle off and have a professional take a look at it, but if that isn’t an option, there are some steps you can take to ensure nothing gets damaged. At Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL we can take a look at your issues and also give you some tips on what to do when that option isn't available yet.

Auxiliary transmission coolers are one of many ways the aftermarket can improve the quality and durability of your vehicle. From Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL, here’s some information concerning auxiliary coolers, why you might need one, and what it can do for you.

These days, many four-wheel-drive systems are electronically controlled - a button is pushed to engage four-wheel-drive, which activates a solenoid in the transfer case, shifting it into gear. What happens when yours stops working? Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL has the answers.

Transmission with cut out to see the inside

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 from Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL we want you to be an informed driver so here’s some information about where transmission leaks start, and how to end them.

There have been a lot of technological advancements, and breakthroughs in efficiency to make modern cars, trucks, and SUVs so much more fuel-efficient than their counterparts. While engine design certainly plays a huge role, automatic transmissions have come a long way as well, contributing greatly to the gas mileage of your vehicle. From Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL, here are some ways transmissions have changed to meet the demands of fuel efficiency.

Transmissions are complex pieces of equipment. Systems and components rely heavily on one another, and everything needs to be in working order for proper function. When one thing fails, there’s a snowball effect, and malfunctions and damages begin to occur. What can you do to make sure you keep it working? At Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL, we want to help when you need it, but we also want to teach you how to maintain your vehicle on your own. Good maintenance is the single largest contributing factor to how long your transmission will last and how well it will continue to work. Here are a few key points on maintenance from the Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair technicians.

Once you have an idea of how the major components of your transmission operate, it’s time to bring them all together. In its most complex terms, a truck’s automatic transmission takes a lot to understand. However, at Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL, we like to keep things simple when we can. We want you to understand exactly what's going on with your car, truck, or SUV. Here’s a rundown of how everything works together.