Automotive Industry News & Information - Nick's Automotive

battery diagnostics being ran on a car battery by a mechanic

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. 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. 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.

At some point, while waiting for your tank to fill up, you’ve probably wondered what the difference is between the choices of gasoline at the pump. Typically, you see three buttons, with a number between 85 and 98, in ascending order and ascending prices. These numbers are octane ratings, which you probably know; but what is an octane rating, really?

At Nick's Automotive in Reno, NV, we enjoy providing you with useful knowledge that pertains to the ownership and maintenance of your car, truck, or SUV. You may have noticed more and more electric cars hitting our roadways over the past few years. With that in mind, here’s a brief, but interesting look at the history of electric cars.

With the seasonal impacts and weather changes, a lot of wear can go into your wiper blades. Are your blades leaving behind streaks? Scraping noises when they rub against the windshield? Or the most obvious sign, is the blade fraying and cracking? It’s time to ask yourself; do I need new wiper blades? Nick's Automotive in Reno, NV is here to help.

Is your check engine light on? Whether you can tell a difference in the way your car, truck, or SUV is running, your car is trying to tell you something. At Nick's Automotive in Reno, NV, we can help.

Your vehicle's engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot of clean air. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons of air for every tank of gas. All that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually, the filter gets completely full, and because the filter can only hold so much, dirt starts getting through. At Nick's Automotive in Reno, we ensure you get the best air quality in your vehicle and explain the process of where this dirty air is going to our area drivers.

mechanic working under the hood of a car

Transmissions are complicated and intricate pieces of equipment. Many general mechanic shops won’t touch a transmission, if it’s anything more than simply installing a new one. Transmissions are one aspect of a vehicle that even experienced mechanics often don’t dare delve into, and is easily the most mysterious and misunderstood system in the automotive world. You need a shop that you can trust to perform the best work on whatever your transmission may be in need of.

Your drivetrain is where most of the process of moving your vehicle occurs. The drivetrain includes all the parts powered by the engine to turn the wheels, including the transmission, axles, or driveshafts that combine efforts to propel your car forward (or backward, when you’re in reverse.) At Nick's Automotive in Reno, NV, our drivetrain specialists are well equipped to keep your car, truck, or SUV reliably on the road and running smoothly along.