Automotive News & Information - CME Smog & Auto Repair

Car enthusiasts would argue that "those were the days". Everything you drove was built like a tank and had the chrome on it so you enjoyed washing it but NO power steering. For most of us, it is hard to remember life without power steering – cranking those great big steering wheels? It was a pretty good workout. Now power steering is standard. The heart of any power steering system is its pump. The pump pressurizes the power steering fluid that provides assistance for steering. Most pumps are driven by a belt that is run by the engine – a few are electrically powered. A high-pressure hose passes fluid from the pump to the steering gear. A low-pressure hose returns the fluid back to the pump. Here at CME Smog & Auto Repair in Vacaville, CA we know that you depend on that power steering and check your fluid & hoses religiously!

Have you always wondered what a spark plug does? Our team here at CME Smog & Auto Repair is here to help you out. It's simple in theory but does quite a lot of work for such a small piece of equipment. Your spark plug forces electricity to arc across a gap like a bolt of lightning at high voltage and fits into your engine's cylinder head, where it “sparks” to ignite the fuel and creates combustion within your engine. Without it, you wouldn't be able to drive your car or truck.

technician with a wrench working on the engine

Eventually, the time comes to replace your car, truck, or SUV. Often, you’ll decide to go used to save some money. This can either be a great financial decision, but it takes a little more groundwork to make sure you’re getting a good deal and a reliable vehicle. From researching, to test driving, to inspecting a used vehicle, CME Smog & Auto Repair in Vacaville, CA has a few tips to help you get there.

Manual Shift Transmission Sports Car Image

Manual transmissions aren’t necessarily simple, but they’re much easier to understand in concept than their automatic counterparts. You’re probably aware there are gears in manual transmissions - but there’s a little more to it than that. Here are some of the major components you’ll find in a manual transmission.

Shafts - There are three main shafts inside a manual transmission. There’s an input shaft where engine power is transferred via the clutch, and that drives the layshaft, also known as the countershaft. The countershaft has different sized gears to achieve various gear ratios. Corresponding gears on the countershaft connect to the output shaft. The output shaft is connected to the driveshaft, which powers the differential.

For obvious reasons, air brakes are an essential part of your rig. They also add a level of complication to the braking system that a conventional vehicle doesn’t have. At CME Smog & Auto Repair in Vacaville, our mechanics have the knowledge, equipment, and ability necessary to keep your air brakes in top shape.

Once you know what's in your transmission, and what’s connected to it, it’s much easier to understand how it works. Let's take a look at how it all comes together. At CME Smog & Auto Repair in Vacaville, CA, we want to make sure you know how your car works so you can keep it in great condition.

It’s important to keep you Duramax, Cummins, or Power stroke diesel in shape and running strong. Let the technicians at CME Smog & Auto Repair in Vacaville, CA keep your Chevy, Ford, or Ram pickup in great shape and ready for anything.

Are you considering upgrading to a better transmission on your classic? CME Smog & Auto Repair in Vacaville, CA can help. If you drive something old, there’s a good chance it has fewer gears than you’d like. With all the 6 and 8 speed transmissions on the road today, it’s hard to imagine that just a few decades ago we were getting by with just 2 or 3 gears. These days, there are some simple swap options - here are some things for you to consider.