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

a car with lines and details over it like a computer screen

Your Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, is essentially your car’s fingerprint. In its entirety, it is specific only to your car. Each car has its own unique VIN number and can be decoded to provide manufacturing and identification information on any vehicle on the road. Date of manufacture, manufacturer, vehicle type, where it was made, and options such as engine and transmission type, whether a car is a two or four-door, and a multitude of other specifications can be gleaned from a VIN number. Essentially, a VIN number will tell you exactly what a car is and where it came from, without even having to see the car.

Injectors are a primary component on any diesel engine, old or new. Whether you drive a Chevrolet, Ford, or Dodge pickup, clean and fully operational injectors are an absolutely essential aspect of maintaining an efficient and powerful engine. At Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL, we offer a variety of injector solutions, from cleaning them, to diagnosing problematic injectors, to replacing them.

Losing a belt on the road can turn a small problem into a big one instantly. At Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, we know efficient and cost-effective operation begins with preventative maintenance.

The interior of your car can be difficult to maintain; between you, your kids, and anyone else who gets a ride from you, wear and tear on the interior of your vehicle is constant. Drinks get spilled, burn holes appear, rips and tears happen. Unlike the rest of your car, the interior isn’t made of metal, so it requires special treatment to keep it in good condition.

At Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL, we understand that there are endless ways a transmission can sound, behave, and feel, depending on what type of car it’s in, what type of transmission it is, and the state of the vehicle’s repair. Sometimes, when people buy a different car, they notice it doesn’t act the same as their last car, which leads them to believe there is a problem.

It is often the last thing you check and statistically, most people ignore their tires, yet tires are undoubtedly a critical safety component on a vehicle. Here at Melvin's Auto & Truck Repair in St Augustine, FL, we know where the rubber meets the road affects traction, handling, steering, stability, and braking. Because of this, sudden tire failure can have serious consequences, especially if it occurs when operating at high speeds. We thought it important to share the real facts about tires for our area drivers.

Tire rotations are a part of vehicle maintenance. The purpose of rotating your tires is to make them last as long as possible, prevent your suspension from wearing out prematurely, and keep the drivability of your car in the best possible condition. So when should you get a tire rotation?

Do you need new brake pads? Most of the time, if you think you do, the answer is yes. While a lot of auto parts stores sell brake pads with lifetime warranties, don’t be misled...brake pads will still wear down.