Vehicle Maintenance

Your brake master cylinder is an integral part of your brake system. When one fails, some odd symptoms may arise, and it may be difficult to diagnose. Here’s some information to help you decide if yours has gone bad. At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, AL we want you to know what to look out for so that you can be safely on the road.

Flat tires are a huge inconvenience. The only thing worse than having a flat on your way home from work is having to wait on a tow truck to come to get you. Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, AL wants to give you some tips on how to change your own tire so that you can keep money in your pocket and get your car back on the road.

When you get in your car, truck, SUV, or minivan to drive and the A/C does not work what could be wrong? Here at Brown Tire & Automotive, we have some simple answers to help you understand how your vehicle A/C system works. The first question we are asked is "Why isn't my air conditioner blowing cold air?" Let's talk about what could be happening. 

While some keys or key fobs can only be obtained from dealerships, most cars can be programmed to accept a new key or key fob without expensive dealer intervention. At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, we often provide such services, at a fraction of the cost.

At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, AL, it’s important to us that your car, truck, or SUV is ready for any condition. Coolant flushes are an important part of getting your vehicle ready for winter - here’s why.

Your brakes have a lot to do with how your car drives. Brakes are a frequently neglected item on a lot of people’s checklist, and many drivers on the road have subpar brakes and don’t even know it. A car that brakes well and brakes correctly are just as important as acceleration, handling, or any other aspect of a vehicle’s drivability. A car with brake issues has the potential to be a far more enjoyable ride when fixed.

There are many parts and systems outside of the car’s transmission that is equally as important as the parts and systems inside the transmission. Without them, the transmission won’t do much. There’s no way to transfer power from the engine to the shafts, disengage it to shift the gears, or power the differential without them. Just in case you need us, at Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, AL, we can help keep your transmission in top shape, but here’s what you need to know.

What condition are your tires in? At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, AL, we want to make sure you can tell. A simple visual inspection is all you need - it’s easy if you know what to look for.

Are you driving around with a loud scraping sound coming from beneath your vehicle? Chances are, a piece of your splash shielding has come loose under your car. At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, we can have that annoying sound taken care of in no time.

Your drive belts are simple but integral components to the function of your car, truck, or SUV. At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, belts are one of the first things we assess when looking over a vehicle, as they alone are in charge of operating your AC, water pump, alternator, and power steering.

Manual transmissions are generally more reliable than automatic transmissions. They don’t have as many parts, aren’t as complex, and can take a lot more abuse. However, if an issue is allowed to persist, more and more damage to surrounding components on your manual transmission will occur. Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, AL can help you take care of your car as soon as you notice a problem.

At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, we know that transmissions are one of the greatest technological marvels of the automotive world. How does a standard shift transmission work? Why should you care? Our expert technicians here at Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery have the answers.

The interval for the tire rotation could depend on a recommendation from either the tire manufacturer or the vehicle maker. The interval is typically around 5,000 miles but could range from 3,000 to 8,000 miles. So why do tires need to be rotated and how do you know when the right time is for your vehicle?

When driving around town, your vehicle's engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons of air for every tank of gas. All that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually, the filter gets completely full, and because the filter can only hold so much, dirt starts getting through. At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, we want to help you get the best air quality in your vehicle, but first, we want to explain the process of where this dirty air is going. 

Good tire maintenance is important. At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, we know how to make tires last, and why it’s important to service them regularly. An easy and effective aspect of tire maintenance is correct air pressure; here’s what you need to know.

“Tire rotation” is a term you hear frequently in the realm of vehicle maintenance, but what does it actually mean? How often should you have it done? Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery has the answers you’re looking for.

Foggy headlights are a problem that has arisen in the past couple of decades, as we have moved away from glass sealed beam bulbs and into an era of plastic lenses with bulbs inside. While modern headlights are superior to the sealed beam headlights of years ago, they do tend to fog up after years of use. It’s a good trade for far better illumination and easier replacement, but an issue nonetheless. Hours and hours of heat, sunlight, and age eventually cause them to cloud up, which can reduce visibility at night in addition to worsening the appearance of your car, truck, or SUV. From Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, AL, here are some tips on taking care of your foggy or cloudy headlight issue.

Tires are often neglected, but easy to maintain. As long as they work, most people don’t really think about them. However, if you take care to properly maintain your vehicle and your tires, they will last much, much longer. At Brown Tire & Automotive in Montgomery, we see all too often the results of poor tire maintenance, and the result is expensive new tires. Here’s what you can do to make sure you don’t become part of that statistic.

Everyone knows to get routine tire care every so often. Tire rotations, alignments, and even replacements are necessary to ensure your tires stay in competent condition and don’t pose any harm when you’re driving. At Brown Tire & Automotive, it’s important to us that your tires perform well and are safe to be on the road. Routine maintenance is sometimes not enough to get the most out of your tires. Here are just a few tips and steps to extending the lifespan of your tires, so they can continue to take you wherever you need for as long as you need.

If you want to avoid nasty and unexpected surprise maintenance costs, sticking to a regimented schedule of preventative maintenance is something you are going to want to get used to. The reason being is simple – frequent maintenance will keep your vehicle in good health, ensuring you get the most out of all those expensive-to-replace parts. While it might sound counterintuitive, the best way to reduce maintenance costs is to stick to a prescribed maintenance schedule.