Ask Sterling Tire & Auto: What Happens When a Serpentine Belt Breaks?
November 14, 2017
The serpentine belt is aptly named since it snakes around under your hood. It may lack its namesake's fangs, but it sure packs a wallop when it breaks.The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine systems. It runs the alternator, which charges the battery; the water pump (on some vehicles), which co... More
Combustion Choreography: Timing Belt Replacement at Sterling Tire & Auto in Sterling Heights
July 16, 2017
Have you ever seen a ballet performance? Have you wondered how all of those dancers manage to travel all over the stage jumping and twirling and never crash into each other? That's the job of a choreographer.Our auto engines are also highly choreographed. Pistons travel up and down inside cylinde... More
Timing Belt Service to Save Big Bucks in Sterling Heights
April 9, 2017
Your engine is like a finely choreographed dance. All the parts have to work together. If the timing is off at the ballet, dancers crash into each other and fall down. It the timing is off in your engine, it may not run at all. One of the most intricate dances in your engine has to do with the c... More
Automotive Tips from Sterling Tire & Auto: Timing Belt Overview
October 9, 2016
In your engine, valves over each combustion chamber open to allow fresh air in, close during the combustion event, and then other valves open to let out the exhaust. All of this happens over and over thousands of times a minute when you are driving around Sterling Heights. The timing belts import... More
Smooth Shifting in Sterling Heights, Michigan: Transmission Service
August 28, 2016
So you have some exciting plans for the weekend. You're going to take some of your friends out on the boat for some water skiing. Of course, you've gotten the boat all ready. And you haven't forgotten about your tow vehicle. You've gassed it up and even vacuumed it out. However, there is somethi... More
Sterling Heights Car Owners Ask: Why Do I Need to Change My Serpentine Belt?
May 16, 2016
Any Sterling Heights 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 Sterling Heights residents than repairing the engine damage that comes after a part breaks or fails. A good e... More
The Sterling Tire & Auto Guide to Caring for Your Transmission
February 21, 2016
Most vehicles have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of Sterling Heights drivers only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in Sterling Heights. You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down ... More