Automotive Industry News & Information - Harold's Used Auto Parts, Inc.

Here at Harold's Used Auto Parts Inc in Philadelphia we often do diagnostics and sometimes the problem is obvious after hooking the car up to the computer and reading the codes. However, sometimes it isn't obvious during a test drive or after hooking it up to all those computer programs! You know there is a problem and a Check Engine Light is on with the fleet customer telling you the car has been having issues starting and the light has been going off and on depending on several factors. No pattern, no simple answer but the problem becomes obvious when you start following the "threads of the issue" thanks to all that ASE Technician training.

There is a reason we check your brake fluid when you come in for a service check. Maintenance pays big dividends and we want to avoid high repair costs for our Philadelphia drivers. Did you know that brake service isn't just all about the brake pads, drums & rotors? That we have found low brake fluid to be the cause of a large percentage of brake issues here at Harold's Used Auto Parts Inc? Seriously, brake fluid is an important part of your braking system and with your service intervals being less frequent on the newer vehicles 5,000-10,000 more miles this has become an issue! Why?...

Transmission Cut to show you the inside of it

Nothing works if your transmission doesn't work! Simply put you are going nowhere without it and it is the one thing that both car and truck drivers alike never think twice about until it really acts up or they have no power or simply don't move forward. Most of us have a newer car or truck with an automatic transmission in it vs. a standard transmission so do not notice that it is slipping gears until the problem is really serious so the question is how do you get the most out of your transmission? The obvious answer is to take care of your transmission with scheduled service per your owner's manual recommendation but we have put together a simple checklist for our Philadelphia drivers to help them become "transmission aware" as it were.

When your light comes on, it is ALWAYS important to look at the issue to see if it is a problem. Especially if it is a light we all understand. Tire pressure is one we all can relate to and an easy one to look at. However, most drivers just assume the air is low in them and ignore it which is not a good idea especially when you are driving a 4x4 diesel truck off-roading and could have picked up anything and/or everything like this truck tire did.

He looked, and immediately headed over to see our technicians here at Harold's Used Auto Parts Inc.

If you own a Ford vehicle you may be affected by this recall. According to CBS News, Ford recently announced a recall that affects over 1.3 million vehicles that are primarily located in North America. The recall was issued mainly due to problems with rear suspension and transmission control software.

Exhaust issues are extremely common, no matter what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive. At Harold's Used Auto Parts Inc in Philadelphia, PA, we can get your exhaust back in shape in no time.

Exhaust issues tend to be neglected, and we get that; there are just other parts of your vehicle that you'd rather focus on. Besides a clogged catalytic converter, there isn’t much risk of damage from a bad exhaust system - it negatively affects your gas mileage, and the sound is annoying, but other than that, it’s an issue many people learn to live with.

We see this with our fleet customers, our regular Philadelphia car pool drivers and our diesel truck drivers so it isn't just one type of driver that ends up with a nightmare on their hands costing thousands of dollars to repair, asking about the costs of a JASPER replacement engine! The fact is your driving habits and maintenance habits can easily avoid this issue! 6 EASY STEPS - Service, Tires, Don't Ignore Service Engine Lights, Keep it Clean & Stop Driving Crazy!

Simple service visits can discover all kinds of things you would think are obvious but we simply get in and drive! If the lights come on and the car starts....No Problem. Then we see things like this here at Harold's Used Auto Parts Inc in Philadelphia and we have to ask...When did you hit something and WHAT was it. The typical answer is WHAT??? They've already forgotten the incident an don't realize that a bent rim could case all kinds of problems. Then we ask...Does it pull a little when you are driving?