5 Signs Your Honda's Air Conditioning Needs Maintenance

Tires that are slightly misaligned can hinder your steering and handling, putting you at risk on the road. While it's normal for tires to gradually become misaligned over time, it's also easy for a skillful mechanic to set them straight. If you notice the following signs of crooked tires, visit your local Honda dealership for tire alignment. Your Wheels Are Visibly Misaligned Hondas are elegant vehicles with impeccably aligned frames, contours, and wheels. So if your tires get twisted slightly out of position on any of the three angles (camber, caster, and toe), you're likely to notice when you look carefully at your car from the front. more Your Car Refuses To Drive Straight When misaligned, the tire and entire wheel have been pushed out of proper position by worn suspension parts or continual knocks against curbs and potholes. As this misalignment worsens, you might find your car trying to veer to one side. Your Steering Wheel Feels Looser You're also likely to sense a change in how firm your steering wheel feels. It might become slightly looser, requiring more turning each time you corner. This puts your vehicle handling under threat. Your Steering Wheel Is Crooked Occasionally, misalignment will twist the steering system so that the steering wheel moves off-center, out of proper positioning. This means you'll have to apply pressure to the wheel merely to drive straight, a clearly unsustainable predicament. Your Gas Mileage Has Worsened When misaligned wheels start pressing against the road at strange and mismatched angles, your ride will become less smooth. Rolling friction and resistance will rise, slowing you down, forcing the engine to work harder, and lowering fuel efficiency. Your Tires Are Wearing Unevenly Misaligned tires are no longer gripping the road exactly as designed. The awkward angles force certain parts of the treads to undergo more friction and strain. As a result, your tires will become uneven in wear patterns. How Tires Are Corrected at Your Honda Dealership It's advisable to have the alignment of your tires measured twice a year. Whenever our technicians find a misaligned wheel, they can use specialist machinery to promptly return it to perfectly parallel once again. Never put off important maintenance such as realigning your tires. Visit Columbia Honda in Columbia, MO, today. Our courteous, experienced technicians can quickly set your tires straight and carry out any other essential vehicle services.

Regular fluid checks are vital when maintaining your Honda, ensuring its optimal performance, reliability, and longevity. A car fluid check helps prevent issues that could lead to costly repairs and safety hazards. To keep your vehicle running efficiently, it's crucial to perform regular Honda fluid checks. Engine Oil: A Key Honda Fluid Check Engine oil is essential for lubricating the moving parts within your Honda's engine, reducing friction, and preventing overheating. Your engine could suffer severe damage due to excessive heat and friction without adequate oil. Honda typically advises checking your engine oil level every time you refuel. If your refueling habits are such that you don't travel far between gas station visits, you can moderate this advice accordingly. Most other authorities on the subject (e.g., Castrol, Gulf, Mobil) recommend always checking your oil level before a long trip, and at intervals ranging from weekly to every few weeks (monthly is a common recommendation). Always use the correct grade of oil specified in your owner's manual. more Transmission Fluid: A Critical Part of Your Car Fluid Check Transmission fluid lubricates the gears and ensures seamless gear shifts. It also helps to cool the transmission system. Many recent Hondas use continuously variable transmission (CVT) fluid or automatic transmission fluid (ATF). It's wise to check transmission fluid during regular fluid checks to prevent issues like overheating, leaking, rough or noisy shifting, slipping gears, difficulty shifting gears, and poor fuel economy. With the sealed transmissions typically found in modern models, Honda recommends having a dealer check the transmission fluid level and replace the fluid if necessary. Brake Fluid: Ensuring Safe Stops for Your Honda Brake fluid is crucial for the functionality of your Honda's braking system, transmitting force from the brake pedal to the brake pads for optimal stopping power. Fluid checks should always include brake fluid, as low or contaminated brake fluid can compromise braking performance and, in severe cases, lead to brake failure. In Honda vehicles with a manual transmission, the brake fluid reserve tank also serves as the clutch fluid reservoir, eliminating the need to check the clutch fluid level provided the level is maintained. Contact Columbia Honda in Columbia, MO for all Honda fluid level checks and corrections.

Honda hybrid vehicles are renowned for their innovation and reliability, but they still need regular servicing. How does hybrid car maintenance differ from that of a regular car? A hybrid car service covers hybrid-specific parts, naturally, but a hybrid car also tends to reduce traditional repair costs. Engine-Related Maintenance A Honda hybrid needs many of the same maintenance checks and tasks that are carried out on a regular car. It still has an internal combustion engine (ICE), so a Honda technician does familiar work like air filter changes, oil changes, spark plug replacement, and coolant checks. Because a hybrid car switches to electric operation at low speeds, it extends the engine's lifespan. more Continuously Variable Transmissions The continuously variable transmission (CVT or e-CVT) typically installed in Honda hybrids experiences less mechanical stress than a regular gearbox. However, it still requires periodic fluid changes to maintain optimal performance. Regenerative Braking System A hybrid car's regenerative braking system lightens the workload of brake components like pads and rotors as well as recharging the battery. Despite this, these vital brake parts still need monitoring for wear. Battery Maintenance Honda uses many OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to supply car parts, but hybrid powertrains are manufactured by Honda. Battery health is one powertrain element a technician assesses, testing the battery's charge capacity, temperature, and performance. Battery coolant is also checked. Other powertrain tasks include motor and generator checks, inspection of electrical connections, software updates, and error-code diagnostics. Older Honda hybrids used Honda's single-motor IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) technology, which required tests similar to those mentioned above. Achieving optimum battery temperature was one aim. Modern two-motor Honda hybrid powertrains enhance reliability and reduce maintenance in various ways, not least through their advanced thermal management systems and use of lithium-ion batteries (versus old NiMH batteries). Honda Eco Assist System Introduced in 2009, the Eco Assist system in Honda hybrids maximizes fuel efficiency by providing real-time feedback on driving habits. It features an ECON button that adjusts the vehicle's performance for fuel economy. Following the system's guidance helps maintain efficiency and reduce wear on hybrid components. Honda Hybrid Car Service Using OEM Parts When Honda hybrid repairs are needed, using OEM parts ensures reliability and performance while greatly reducing the risk of further issues. Your local Honda dealership only ever uses original parts to maintain your vehicle. Contact Columbia Honda in Columbia, MO to schedule a service for your hybrid vehicle.