How Your Check Engine Light Works
July 30, 2023
Have you ever had an experience like this in Sparta, Illinois? You drive through the one of those automatic car washes. When you get to the end, where the dryer is blowing, your Check Engine light starts flashing!You fear the worst, but within a block or two, the light stops flashing, but stays o... More
Charlie's Fast Lube Sparta Helps You Decipher the Menu Board: Part 2
July 23, 2023
Illinois service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Sparta drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.Charlie's Fast Lube Sparta fuel system cleaning: Over ti... More
A Hot Mess (AC System-Compresser)
July 16, 2023
Air conditioning used to be a real luxury in a vehicle, but now it's standard in most. Your vehicle's air conditioning system is built to last a pretty long time, but like anything mechanical, sometimes it fails. It helps to know a little about how the A/C works. There's a compressor that press... More
Automotive Tips from Charlie's Fast Lube Sparta: Knowing When Your Timing Belt Should Be Replaced
July 9, 2023
The timing belt in your engine controls the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves. Sparta drivers need to replace it on a schedule to avoid failure.Timing belts are very difficult to get to, requiring quite a bit of labor to access. Timing belt replacement is one of the more expens... More
Sparta Car Owners Ask: Why Do I Need to Change My Serpentine Belt?
July 2, 2023
Any Sparta driver who understands preventive maintenance knows that if it ain't broke, don't fix it is bad auto advice. Replacing a part before it breaks is much less costly for Sparta residents than repairing the engine damage that comes after a part breaks or fails. A good example of this is th... More
Automotive Tips from Charlie's Fast Lube Sparta: When to Replace Your Wiper Blades
June 25, 2023
There are several important factors that go into how often Sparta drivers should replace their wiper blades. Of course, the more you use your wipers, the faster the blades will wear out especially if you use them on an icy windshield. Whether its a lot of bugs and road grime from Illinois freewa... More
How Do You Save Gas in Sparta, Illinois?
June 18, 2023
No one in Sparta, Illinois, likes to spend a chunk of change at the gas pump. Rising Illinois fuel prices, however, have spurred Sparta drivers to focus on how to improve their fuel economy. North Americans literally drive billions of miles/kilometers less each month during times of high fuel pri... More
Not So Cool (Air Conditioning Systems)
June 11, 2023
There's nothing quite like getting in your vehicle on a hot day, switching on the air conditioning and having warm air blow out of the vents. You may have had no problem for months and then, one day, you are driving around in a sauna. You're hot stuff, but not in a good way! So what goes wrong w... More
The Economy of Maintenance for Sparta Drivers
June 4, 2023
Do I keep my old vehicle or buy a new one? It's a question most Sparta drivers ask themselves at some time or another.Generally, what it comes down to is the choice between a car payment and the possibility of repair bills. Most of the time, we want to choose the car payment because we don't like... More
Introduction to Diesels for Sparta, Illinois
May 28, 2023
Something you're going to be hearing a lot about around Sparta, Illinois, is diesel engines. We're not talking about semi-trucks and buses; we're talking about diesel engine cars, pick-ups and SUVs.Most people in Illinois are surprised to learn that around half the cars on the road in Europe have... More