It’s always a strange feeling to open up the garage door, look at your car, and wonder: hey, wait – is it leaning to the side? Has the tire always looked like that? Or worse, you wake up in the morning to find that one of your tires is completely flat even though it looked normal the night before. Tire air leaks can be notoriously hard to find, especially when they’re small, but they can cause big problems if left unrepaired. Here’s how to find an air leak in a tire.

How to Find an Air Leak in a Tire

Before you grab your flashlight and search for the air leak in your tire, you’ll need to grab some materials. Some of these are optional, but they can help you find tricky air leaks faster.

You will need:

• Soap
• Water
• Spray bottle or sponge and bucket
• Optional: Marker or chalk
• Optional: Tools to remove the wheel from your car (eg. Jack stand and tire iron)
• Optional: Flashlight
• Time and patience

1. Inflate your tire. It’s easier to find your air leak, especially if your tire is very deflated.
2. Fully inspect your tire. If you can, take the tire off your vehicle so that you can see the interior of the tire. Look at it under good light, and enlist a friend or family member to double-check you. Two sets of eyes is better than one! Some leaks, like gashes, big holes, or a nail in the tire are obvious. Other problems aren’t as obvious, such as hairline cracks or issues with the wheel or valve stem.
3. Mix a solution of water and dish detergent and pour the mixture onto your tire. You can do this step with either a sponge and bucket or by using a spray bottle to spritz the tire. When you see bubbles continue to form, that’s where your leak is located. Dry and mark the area with chalk or a marker and check the entire tire, since there could be more than one leak.

Depending on the size of the leak, you can temporarily plug the hole with a tire plug or a home tire repair kit. For larger leaks, you may want to take the vehicle to a tire service center and get an interior patch to prolong the life of the tire. You may want to consider replacing the tire if the tire is old or in bad condition.

And that’s it. Finding a tire air leak takes some time and patience, but most of the time, you’ll be able to pinpoint the source of the problem.

Sometimes, though, despite your best efforts, it may not be apparent why the tire is losing air. In these cases, the problem could be the valve stem or the wheel itself. In these cases, getting your tire looked at by a professional is the only way to stop an air leak.

Why You Should Get an Air Leak Fixed

It’s important to fix an air leak promptly after noticing that your tire is losing air. Why? A small air leak is easy enough to fill up every couple of weeks at the gas station, right?

In addition to the costs of refilling your tire, here are our top reasons for why you should get an air leak fixed:

1. The air leak won’t fix itself and will only get worse.
2. The uneven wear and tear on your tires will put your vehicle out of alignment faster.
3. You will have to replace your other tires more frequently due to the uneven tread wear on your other tires.
4. In a worst-case scenario, the low psi in your tire can cause heat to build up in the tire as you drive. This can lead to tire failure or blowout while you’re on the road.

Getting your air leak fixed is important to avoid the potential damage to your car, an accident caused by a blowout, or injury to yourself or to other people.

Fast and Convenient Wheel Realignment at T3 Atlanta

Although T3 Atlanta doesn’t do tire service, we can realign wheels caused by a leaking tire, making sure your ride is as smooth and comfortable as possible. We’re your go-to Nissan, Lexus, Infiniti, and Toyota experts with convenient metro Atlanta service in Smyrna and Decatur. Give us a call to make an appointment today!

If there’s anything we can always rely on, it’s that when something is clean, it is bound to perform better. I mean, we take a bath every day not only because of societal reasons but also as a psychological trigger for our body saying “Hey! We’re going to have a great day ahead!”

It’s the same thing with the parts in your car. When the parts are clean they can perform to their very best. Your engine needs cleaning every now and then, so does your car cooling system. But if there’s one part of your car that definitely needs cleaning but is disregarded most of the time, that’s your gas tank.

Why Clean Your Gas Tank?

It’s easy to doubt a mechanic or seasoned car owner when they say cleaning your gas tank is necessary. It’s almost never discussed when we talk about our cars. However, the gas tanks of our cars can end up being the dirtiest part of your car.

Think about it. Over the years, rust (for older vehicles) and grime accumulate on your fuel tank and they actually have no way out. While there are fuel filters to ensure the grime foreign particles don’t enter the engine body, it sure does not feel good to know your fuel tank has all those particles in it.

Note that not all cars need to have their gas tanks cleaned. Most experts recommend doing the cleaning for older cars (especially ones with metal tanks) as they are more likely to accumulate rust and sediments.

When Should You Clean Your Gas Tank

There’s no set rule in cleaning a car’s gas tank. If you just bought an old car or if you are doing a restoration job then it should be on the “before I go on the road” checklist.

If you already own an older car, you can have the gas tank cleaned when you do some “under the body” maintenance work like replacing the car’s fuel pump.

How To Clean Your Gas Tank

In theory, cleaning your gas tank is as easy are removing the tank, cleaning it, and placing it back. However, doing it right requires you do create a checklist so you don’t forget anything. Here’s a quick rundown of what needs to be done to properly clean your gas tank.

1. Safety First

Just like in any undertaking, make sure you ensure your safety first. Clean up and organize the immediate surroundings. Make sure the working area is well-ventilated as there might be fumes coming from the tank. Wear a mask and protect your eyes. It will also be better if you have a fire extinguisher ready.

2. Empty the tank

Before cleaning the tank make sure it’s empty. You can empty the tank by either letting the car run until it hits empty, siphoning the fuel, or by using a drain cock if it has any. Emptying the tank is not only a safety precaution but it also makes the work much easier.

3. Take down the tank

After ensuring the tank is as empty as possible, remove it. Depending on the car, there might be different ways to do it. However, one thing to remember is to make sure all valves and cap in their position. This will be so that mounting back the tank will be easier. After taking down the tank, make sure to make a quick ocular check of the tank. Look for rust or sediments and check if you see any holes. You should patch the holes after the cleaning.

4. Wash the tank

The first thing you need to do is to de-grease the tank. You can do this using any type of degreaser you can find in your favorite auto shop. If you don’t have any degreaser you can just use a mixture of warm water and detergent. Make sure you go through every centimeter of the tank by swirling it in. Leave the mixture in the tank for at least 24 hours. If the tank still smells like gasoline after, repeat the process.

5. Replace the fuel filter

Don’t forget to replace the fuel filter every time you clean your gas tank. This seems automatic but a lot of people forget this step.

6. Put Everything Back Together

When everything is clean and replaced, mount the tank back. Make sure it is in the right position and fits securely in place. Remember that a tiny gas leak can turn into a big problem.

If you are in need of help in getting your gas tank cleaned, don’t hesitate to give T3 Atlanta a call. We specialize in Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, and Nissan cars. Bring your beloved car to T3 Atlanta for maintenance checks and that occasional gas tank cleaning as needed.

We’ve been there at least once in our lives. It happens even to the most careful folks we know. No matter how much we try to avoid it, it still victimizes even the best of us. Wondering what I am talking about? I’m talking about what to do when you lock your keys in your car.

Unfortunate as it is, we shouldn’t just lay down and fall victim to this phenomena. That’s why we are here to help you out. Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do when you’ve locked your keys in your car.

What To Do When You Lock Your Keys in Your Car

1. Don’t Panic

This is the first and most important thing to do here. Don’t panic and just relax. The world is not going to end anytime soon and you’re just locked out of your car. Panicking puts you in a state where you can’t think straight and you end up missing important stuff or information necessary for the next few steps. Call a friend or family member and inform them of your situation. Make sure you tell them where you are so they know.

2. Check the surroundings

As soon as you have settled down, look around and check the vicinity. Where are you? If you are located in a fairly populated area like a mall parking lot or somewhere similar then you are a bit safer. Check for security personnel around and inform them of your concern. They may or may not be able to help you out but at least they know you’re not a bad guy. If you find yourself in a sketchy part of town, call 911 to ask for police assistance. Note that the priority will always be your own safety – your car will always come second.

Note that at this point you have the option to leave the car where it is right now (especially if it is in a safe location. You can always come back to have it opened with a spare key you have at home or with the help of a professional.

3. Call a roadside assistance service

If you really need to have your car opened right away, call AAA or any roadside assistance service. You may need to wait for half an hour or so for them to arrive and service costs range from $25 to $50 to have your car unlocked but at least you have nothing else to worry about. All you have to do is wait.

4. Avoid doing DIY things you see online

You may be tempted to do any DIY stuff to unlock your car that you see on Youtube or Facebook, but please avoid doing so as much as possible. Unless you are an expert, this might end up damaging your car. You might also get mistaken for a carjacker which is not really that rare.

5. Break the window

If it’s an emergency (for example, if a kid or pet is locked inside), don’t hesitate to break the windows of your car. If you can’t do it yourself, ask help from other people in the area to help you out. Make sure you break the window farthest away from the child/pet to reduce any possible injuries.

How To Prevent Yourself From Being Locked Out of Your Car

Now that the ordeal is done, how do you prevent yourself from being locked out of your car? The best solution is to always prepare a set of spare keys. You can either leave the keys at home, in your wallet/bag, or in a secret compartment on your car. A lot of products are out there nowadays that lets you “hide” a spare set of keys. Just make sure you keep it in a pretty hidden spot so your car won’t get stolen.

Let’s settle this debate once and for all. Are new cars safer than old cars? Now, hear me out. On the top of my head, newer is always better. However, there are a lot of people claim that older cars are safer for the following reasons:

1. Older cars were bigger
2. Older cars were fully made out of metal.
3. Older cars were made of stronger metal.

Let’s discuss each one.

Are New Cars Safer than Old Cars?

1. Older Cars Were Bigger

There’s some truth to this claim. Older cars were indeed bigger. This was mostly because during the early ’80s and 90’s, the world didn’t have any problems with over congestion of cities. Plus, bigger cars were created for a specific demographic. Nowadays, a good number of cars (of the same name) are smaller in size and even newer cars come in half the size of their predecessors.

But is bigger always better? Not usually the case. A bigger car means a bigger target. Also, being bigger means you take up a lot of room on the road. It’s easy to hit a pole or another car because you didn’t “expect” you’d hit them. The car’s size has absolutely nothing to do with its safety. Size only affects how many you can get in the car and how big of a space you take on the road.

Older Cars Were Fully Made Out of Metal

True, a lot of older cars have a lower metal to plastic ratio. A lot of older car owners think the rising use of plastic (and “softer” metals) in their cars mean they are not as safe as their full metal cars. If anything, older cars were much heavier.

Basically, what you have is a metal cage. Also, worth noting is that our understanding of metals back then is not as good as what we know now. We have a better understanding of how metals act under pressure, how they bend, why they bend, and how to make them better. With this understanding, engineers have found ways to reduce the amount of metal needed to make a car (to make them lighter, faster, and easier to control) while still ensuring the passengers are safe.

Older Cars Were Made of Stronger Metal

Not true. While older cars were made of thicker metals, this does not mean they were stronger. Please understand that a time difference of 20 years can mean a lot of advancements in metallurgy. Metals used in cars in the 1990s was great back in the 1990s, but it’s nothing to what we have now.

While the majority of the cars we have now have a thinner metal housing, we have a much better understanding of metallurgy, allowing us to come up with better alloys. Better alloys mean better strength and durability.

Why Are Newer Cars Safer, Then?

So, are new cars safer than old cars?

Yes! Newer cars are a lot safer than older cars because we already learned a lot about metals, cars, and what happens in accidents. Engineers and car manufacturers have studied various accidents and mishaps to come up with a solution to what puts a person in danger during a collision. By tweaking and upgrading the design over the years, car manufacturers have created cars that put the passengers at their safest during an accident.

Not to mention the myriad of safety standards we have developed over the years. Newer cars have airbags, roll bars, and better metal cages. All these developments were created to ensure the safety of all passengers. There are countless stories you can read on the Internet about people saved by an airbag or the car’s traction control. You are less likely to die or suffer a debilitating injury with a modern car than with an older car. That’s a fact.

Old Or New, Get Your Car Checked at T3 Atlanta

Whether your car is old or new, it’s always important to have your car checked to ensure all safety features are in tip-top shape. The helpful mechanics at T3 Atlanta can help you by doing a systematic maintenance check of all the safety features in your car to ensure they perform when you need them. Whether you need routine maintenance, a regular checkup, or in-depth work on your vehicle, T3 Atlanta can help. Give us a call today!

What should you do when your car overheats? There are five simple steps to do when you see the temperature gauge rising:

1. Don’t panic.
2. Turn off the AC
3. Turn on the heater on full blast.
4. Find a safe space to stop.
5. Check the issue.

Following these steps can definitely turn a supposed nightmare into a “Whew!” Now, let’s talk about each step in detail.

What Should You Do When Your Car Overheats?

1. Don’t panic

Once you see the temperature gauge rising, don’t panic. One thing to note is that the car won’t explode. Panicking might cause you to make erratic decisions and this can be quite problematic, especially when you are on a highway. Just relax and monitor the rise. Is it rising to fast? Is the rise slow but steady? After you have composed yourself, follow the steps below.

Note: The following tips assume that your car is overheating while on a long drive. Some of the tips mentioned below might not be applicable on certain situations such as an overheating car within the city.

2. Turn the AC off

While your passengers might not agree with you in this, especially under the summer heat, the first thing you should do is to turn the AC off. The AC puts an incredible strain on your engine and can often expedite the whole overheating process. So roll down the windows and enjoy the fresh air.

3. Turn the heater on full blast

After you turn the AC off, you should see the temperature gauge either going down or at least the rise is slowed down. To further help your engine out, turn on the heater on full blast.

Don’t worry, if you have the windows down you probably won’t even feel the hot air. Turning on the blower takes any hot air from under the hood helping it cool down the engine faster.

4. Find a safe place to stop

While steps 2 and 3 are not solutions, this can help you run a few more miles to get to a safe place to stop. A car that is overheating has some issues and you need to address them. The car engine needs at least 30 minutes to cool down. So if you find a nice place where you can sit down and eat then just chill and wait for your car to cool down.

5. Check the issue

The first thing you need to check as soon as the car has cooled down is the radiator. Open the cap and see if there is enough coolant in there. If you think the radiator is empty you should go and top it off. Now, not everyone has the proactiveness needed to consider carrying a gallon of coolant in the car so adding water is a good alternative. Try to turn the ignition key and turn on the AC, all the fans should be running. If you spot one fan that’s not running that could be the problem.

While the car is still running, turn the AC off if both fans power down. In cases wherein the fans are the problem, it is best to call an expert to check it out for you. However, if your destination is only a few kilometers away, you can probably make a run for it as long as the AC is off and the heater is on.

Why Does A Car Overheat?

Inside the hood of your car is the engine. Now this engine is one mechanical marvel that allows the car to do what it does. However, it’s basically metal moving against metal. This causes friction and where there’s friction there’s also heat. This heat can rise up pretty fast. There are a lot of ways to prevent your engine from heating up if you see your car overheating then 9 times out of 10 it’s because there is something wrong with your engine cooling system.

The engine cooling system consists of the radiator, fans, a pump, a tank, and a series of hoses that ensures the coolant is circulated in and around the car engine. The coolant helps carry heat away from the engine and takes it to the radiator where the heat dissipates. When your car overheats, it’s most likely caused by a problem in the cooling system. You may not have enough coolant (because of negligence or a leak), your radiator is clogged, or your fan is not working.

What Should You Do When Your Car Overheats? Visit T3 Atlanta!

If you have overheating issues with your Nissan, Lexus, Infiniti, or Toyota, then bring your car to T3 Atlanta. With years of experience in the job, we can quickly identify the problem and provide you with the best solution. Call us today so you can ensure your next drive is headache free.