Northern Colorado European car specialists.

With ASE certified Technicians, you can be sure your vehicle is in good hands.

Services

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

All of our newer vehicles have complex electrical systems and wiring harnesses that are completely foreign to most people, and some mechanics as well. Electrical problems can be a complete nightmare to diagnose and repair.

Manufacturers are adding more and more creature comforts and systems to our automobiles. Most cars have multiple onboard computers that control everything from your power windows to your headlights. Keeping your electrical system in proper working order is an important annual service.

The main causes of electrical problems are dirty connections, corrosion and rust. For any of you that lived in a state that uses salt on the roads, you know what I'm talking about when I say rust and corrosion. Luckily here in Colorado there isn't much rust and corrosion, making your electrical systems much safer from these electrical killers.

One thing you should do every year during your vehicle's scheduled maintenance, is have the battery terminals cleaned or replaced, depending on their condition. Bad battery connections can cause hundreds of problems and strange conditions to occur in your car's computer systems. Just like anything electrical, these computers need a good clean electrical connection to work properly.

Another common electrical problem with cars and light trucks is bad ground wires for the battery, starting system, charging system, lights, etc. Many times we see in older cars, that ground straps and wires get dirty and loose contact with the body of the vehicle. These problems, after being tracked down and diagnosed, are usually easy to repair with a new connector and a little sand paper. But, it can take time to find these problems once the happen. It's a good idea to have your main ground cables from your battery to the body, and the engine to the chassis cleaned when you're having your battery terminals serviced. This will help prevent electrical problems down the road.

Another common condition with vehicles that have a few miles on them is lighting problems. The most common cause of brake lights, turn signals, marker lamps, and tail lights not working properly is installing the wrong bulbs. Most of these type of light bulbs come in different watt and voltage ratings. Make sure you replace your bulbs with the correct bulb part number specified in your owners manual and on the bulb itself. Installing the incorrect bulbs can lead to such problems as turn signal blinking fast, slow or not at all. Brake lights not working on one side of the car, or dim. Fuses can blow if the bulbs are wrong for the vehicle too. This can create a very time consuming and costly diagnosis if a technician has to track down this condition. Also, when replacing bulbs, use a good dielectric grease on the contacts to keep them from corroding, help repel moisture, and help create a good electrical connection. Set up an appointment for a battery service and we'll check you lights and replace any burned out light bulbs free.