1212 Golf Road

Waukegan, Illinois

(847) 623-9609

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Driveability


 

A variety of performance problems that cannot be readily diagnosed or easily fixed are what we call "driveability problems."  Computer-controlled systems make vehicles run much more efficiently, but can also make troubleshooting more difficulty when there's a problem.  That "Check Engine" light on the dash can mean a whole lot of different things!

 

Just as people do, cars likewise suffer if their diet is unbalanced.  Too much air, too much fuel, or a spark that is not hot enough or delivered at the wrong time will result in poor performance.  Hard starting, lack of acceleration, stalling, surging, hesitating, and poor gas mileage are all symptoms that may be related to an unbalanced diet.

 

Preventive maintenance is linked to a proper diet for your car by a knowledgeable professional who can make required adjustments to maintain the correct proportions of your car's diet so it runs smoothly and economically.

 

In the past, engine efficiency was restored by a tune-up. The concept of a "tune-up" has changed greatly in the last few years. The modern tune-up is a maintenance procedure which involves changing spark plugs, inspecting ignition components, and changing fuel & air filters.  However, a tune-up should not be expected to restore performance any more than an oil change would.  Restoring performance and smoothness now requires troubleshooting the affected system instead of replacing suspected parts.  It is important to communicate the symptoms you are experiencing when your car is not running the way it should because the information we are given is where it starts.

Cars have an average of 12,000 parts, 1,500 of which move, including at least one on-board computer and dozens of emission control components, most of which can create symptoms similar to those produced by many other systems.  It is easy to change a part or make a simple adjustment to restore vehicle driveability.  The hard part is finding out which part requires adjustment or replacement.

 

This is why today's cars require not only sophisticated diagnostic equipment to repair, but access to critical technical information is vital. Isolating and curing a driveability problem involves many procedures.  Some procedures consist of finding out what is wrong, while other procedures correct what is wrong. Well-trained, problem-solving technicians are the real key.

All our technicians have ASE certification, among other credentials, but it is their many years of hand-on experience that have earned Strang Automotive its reputation for being the shop that fixes it when no one else can.