Baltimore Auto Repair

Can change be shocking to your radio? Yes! We had a 2011 Subaru Forester with a complaint that the radio did not work. First thing to check was the fuse that controls the power to the radio which was blown. We installed a new fuse and everything came back to life. But why did the fuse blow in the first place? After a short test drive the radio was not functioning again. The technician confirmed the fuse was blown again and the circuit remained a dead short. When looking over the wiring diagram we could separate the circuit in two halves. When we did this the radio side of the circuit still had the short. Tracing the wiring back to the radio we found no obvious wiring exposed. We removed the radio and the problem disappeared. Shaking the radio revealed the problem. The children had been inserting coins and a paper clip into the CD drive causing a short across the circuit board in the bottom of the radio. Once the coins & paper clip were removed everything is working properly. G ... read more

"What is that shaking when I am braking?" This vibration from your brakes can be very slight at high braking or just about take the steering wheel out of your hands when coming to a stop. All newer vehicles have front disc brakes and more manufacturers are switching to rear disc brakes instead of drum brakes. If you have ever had a bicycle with the hand brakes, there is a caliper that squeezes the pads on each side of the rim to stop. The disc brakes on your car are similar but the brake pads are squeezed against a metal disc (called a brake rotor) by a hydraulic caliper to stop. What causes that shaking while braking is uneven thickness of the rotor. Sometimes rotors can be resurfaced to make them straight and even. Many newer vehicles are using thinner and lighter rotors, with a different construction. Resurfacing rotors in this case can make them thinner then allowed by the manufacturer and require replacement. Sometimes rotors get thin from normal braking o ... read more

Why does your alignment cost more than the tire store? We receive many calls inquiring about the price of an alignment and how long does it take. When we answer what our price is and the length of time it takes to perform a proper alignment is we often hear "Well I can get that alignment for $49.95". If you can remember what the old saying is, “You get what you pay for!” Proper alignment is very important to the handling of the vehicle, making sure your tires wear to their rated design and for your best fuel mileage. Generally it takes 1-1 1/2  hours to perform an alignment correctly. The manufacturer gives us specifications that sometimes have a wide parameter. The best alignment is usually in the middle of the parameter of preferred settings. Experience has shown us that sometimes the manufacturers specifications are not the best for the vehicle. If you take your vehicle to have an alignment for the cheap price you are not going to get the be ... read more

"Why do I smell gasoline when I am near my car?"  Have you ever had a strong whiff of gas and wondered if it's your car or somebody else's in the parking lot? You drive home and you may or may not get the odor of gas. The next morning you leave for work and there it is again. Now you are wondering what to do now. Check around your vehicle to see if there is a noticeable leak under the car. If not and the odor is strong enough towing it to the shop is recommended. Gasoline odors can be caused by a leak somewhere in the fuel evaporative emissions systems. Some possibilities include a rusted fuel line, fuel seeping by connections in the fuel system or an emissions system hose that has split open. Remember that gasoline fumes can be dangerous and a health hazard. Gasoline fumes can catch fire if exposed to a spark or flame. Whatever the cause give Framerite Auto Repair a call to fix the problem. Remember the fire risk is h ... read more