The best way to keep your car out of the repair facility with major repair problems is to follow a basic vehicle care maintenance schedule. It is recommended that you make general visual inspections and stay on top of vehicle maintenance items. The skilled automotive technicians at Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview, FL can assist with basic vehicle maintenance and more complex repairs. Feel free to give us a call or come by at your convenience if you have any questions.

Air filters are an important part of vehicle maintenance. What many people don’t realize is you actually have two filters; one for your engine and a cabin filter to filter the air coming into your car. Both of them function the same way but have entirely different purposes. They are often neglected, particularly the cabin filter, and yours may need to be changed right now. This guide, provided by Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview, highlights the importance of filters, symptoms of an overused one, and how to maintain them.

Did you know that airbags weren't mandatory safety equipment in passenger vehicles until 1997? Now, you'll find them in well over 100 million cars and trucks on the road. Since their invention, airbags, along with the seat belt, have played a major role in reducing the number of injuries and deaths in traffic collisions.

Your car’s fuel system works with the rest of the engine control system to deliver the best performance with the lowest emissions. Check your car’s fuel system regularly or immediately if you smell gas or suspect a problem.

What does it do? - The fuel system transfers fuel from the fuel tank and passes it through a fuel filter for straining before it arrives at the injectors. A pressure regulator controls fuel pressure to ensure good engine performance under a variety of speed and load conditions. Fuel injectors, when activated, spray a metered amount of fuel into the engine. Some vehicles use a return line system to return unused fuel back to the tank.

Are you having trouble rolling one or more of your windows down? Worse yet, are you having trouble rolling them up? Either way, at Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview, we have the answers you’re looking for.

Without a working battery, your car will not be able to start. If you perform proper maintenance, however, an average car battery can start your car reliably for roughly four years. Your vehicle's radio and headlights, plus a slew of other important functions, are powered by an electrical current generated by your vehicle’s engine but a vital part of generating electricity is having a place to store it while it’s not being used, which is where a car battery comes into play. The battery holds electrical energy while a car is off in order to help the engine turn over and create a spark to start internal combustion.  What you don't want is to have a bad battery!!

Your vehicle's belts and hoses are essential to the cooling, air conditioning and charging systems, and the engine. Don’t take these routine replacement intervals for granted because they can break down and leave you stranded.

What is the purpose and importance of your belts and hoses? The timing belt keeps the crankshaft and camshaft mechanically synchronized to maintain engine timing. Whether serpentine, V-belt, or fan belt (the belts on the outside of the engine), they all transmit power from the front of the engine to accessories that need to be driven, such as the air conditioning, the charging system, and fans. Radiator and heater hoses carry coolant to and from the engine, radiator, and heater core.

Like anything else on your vehicle, keeping various systems clean and in good shape is essential to long life and reliability. Your fuel system is especially important - parts are expensive, problems can be difficult to diagnose, and it doesn’t take much contamination to cause a huge issue. It’s much easier to keep your fuel system clean than it is to clean a dirty or problematic system. Performing regular fuel treatment can prove very beneficial to the life of your vehicle.

In the old days, when your headlight burned out you just replaced the entire thing with a new glass bulb. Modern headlights are plastic assemblies, with a bulb inserted through the back. What this means, is that the plastic lens that light shines through never gets replaced, and eventually will begin to oxidize and deteriorate due to time, weather, and heat from your bulb. Today you will learn when it’s time to fix or replace your headlight assemblies, what options you have in doing so, and what the benefits are.

There is a reason we check your brake fluid when you come in for a service check.  Maintenance pays big dividends and we want to avoid high repair costs for our Belleview drivers.  Did you know that brake service isn't just all about the brake pads, drums & rotors?  That we have found low brake fluid to be the cause of a large percentage of brake issues here at Martel Automotive Service Inc?  Seriously, brake fluid is an important part of your braking system and with your service intervals being less frequent on the newer vehicles 5,000-10,000 more miles this has become an issue!  Why?...

Brakes are one of the most important components of your vehicle. You need the confidence of knowing that when you press your foot to the brake, your vehicle is going to stop. That's why it's important to keep these tips in mind to help keep your brakes functioning properly. Schedule an appointment with us at Martel Automotive Service Inc for a brake service checkup today!

At Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview, our expert mechanics are here to work for you. On large commercial trucks, there’s one component that works harder than almost all the rest; your brakes. Our technicians have the knowledge and ability necessary to have your truck stopping like the day it rolled off the lot, no matter what the problem is.

At Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview, were huge fans of seatbelts. They dramatically reduce the chances of being injured in an automobile accident, and in many cases, they are the difference between a fatal crash and walking away unharmed. But how long has the seat belt been around? When did wearing it become law?

Your bumper covers are always in danger. Between other drivers, obstacles in the road, flash floods, or any other hazard you may encounter, at some point it’s likely your bumper covers will accrue some damage. At Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview, FL, we can fix that.

Checking the fluid level on your transmission is fairly easy, but a bit more complicated than checking your oil. Firstly, this only applies to automatic transmissions, and secondly, some modern vehicles don’t have dipsticks or dipstick tubes to check and add transmission fluid. With that in mind, here are some tips from Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview, FL in regard to checking your transmission fluid.

This is a clutch gone completely wrong and something you want to be sure doesn't happen with your vehicle! So how do you ensure you are not having an issue with your clutch when most drivers simply get in and drive? What do you look for? That is a question many of our customers ask us here at Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview and one this driver did not.

Your vehicle's belts and hoses are essential to the cooling, air conditioning and charging systems, and the engine. Don’t take these routine replacement intervals for granted because they can break down and leave you stranded.

What is the purpose and importance of your belts and hoses? The timing belt keeps the crankshaft and camshaft mechanically synchronized to maintain engine timing. Whether serpentine, V-belt, or fan belt (the belts on the outside of the engine), they all transmit power from the front of the engine to accessories that need to be driven, such as the air conditioning, the charging system, and fans. Radiator and heater hoses carry coolant to and from the engine, radiator, and heater core.

Coolant leaks can be a pain - they’re elusive and have a lot of damage potential. Fortunately, at Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview, FL, our technicians know exactly how to diagnose and repair a coolant leak, no matter where it is. Knowing more about where these coolant leaks appear and why they're a problem will help you to recognize a problem and get it repaired before it does further damage.

It doesn't matter if you are driving a car or truck, jeep or SUV, a diesel 4x4 or a classic when those dash warning lights go off the first thing you do is think "how bad is it?" and "how much will it cost me?" followed quickly by "when was my last service visit?"!!  Driving your vehicle longer safely is all about getting it serviced based on what your vehicle manual recommends and these warning lights are alerting you to a situation that requires your attention. 

While not all warning lights are a sign that disaster is imminent, no warning indicator light should ever be ignored!

Your brake master cylinder is an integral part of your brake system. When one fails, some odd symptoms may arise, and it may be difficult to diagnose. Here’s some information to help you decide if yours has gone bad. At Martel Automotive Service Inc in Belleview, FL we want you to know what to look out for so that you can be safely on the road.