Automotive Industry News & Information - Birch's Automotive & Muffler

Transmission Cut to show you the inside of it

Nothing works if your transmission doesn't work! Simply put you are going nowhere without it and it is the one thing that both car and truck drivers alike never think twice about until it really acts up or they have no power or simply don't move forward. Most of us have a newer car or truck with an automatic transmission in it vs. a standard transmission so do not notice that it is slipping gears until the problem is really serious so the question is how do you get the most out of your transmission? The obvious answer is to take care of your transmission with scheduled service per your owner's manual recommendation but we have put together a simple checklist for our Arlington drivers to help them become "transmission aware" as it were.

Our fleet truck customers do not need to spend valuable time in the shop with transmission issues due that could have been avoided by servicing their fleet vehicles based on their owner's manual recommendations! Especially if it is simply changing a clogged filter, changing fluids or clutch issues! Our transmission technicians here at Birch's Automotive & Muffler in Arlington believe that service = saving high repair bills! Therefore, we believe in a proactive approach!

Sometimes it is EASY to see if your car or truck needs to come into our shop for professional repairs!
1. You see steam rising from the engine!
2. The Check Engine Light is on!
3. The engine starts, but there is an odor that is not right.
4. You hear grinding or thumping noises.

jumper cables being held by person in front of car

If you drive a luxury or performance vehicle, you’re an owner of a reliable machine. Still, occasionally problems do arise. On vehicles like these, with so many electronics, a dead battery is a common issue. At Birch's Automotive & Muffler we want to keep our customers informed, here’s how to jump-start your vehicle safely.

At Birch's Automotive & Muffler in Arlington, TN, it’s important to us that you see the value in the work we do. Over the course of the past decade, depending on what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, it may seem like oil changes have gotten more expensive, and there’s a lot of differentiation in pricing at different locations. What’s going on?

Failed engine mounts are an irritating issue to live with causing your car or truck to vibrate and you don't know why. At Birch's Automotive & Muffler in Arlington, TN, we can help, no matter what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive and it is an easy issue to detect on a test drive.

There are a few indicators your engine mounts need to be replaced. For one, you can do a visual inspection, if they’re accessible enough - if they looked cracked, smashed, or dry-rotted, it’s probably time for new ones. If the engine visibly shakes while it’s running, engine mounts are also likely the culprit. However, if you are like most drivers you simply get in and drive on down the road until something is different or a light comes on! Then you call our shop for help!

Just because manual transmissions aren’t as common these days as they used to be, there are still many out there, and at Birch's Automotive & Muffler in Arlington, TN, our certified technicians know how to keep them running at their best.

When you are having trouble with your car or truck starting and you open the hood up to take a peek to see this....you'll see what an overly corroded battery looks like. This happens naturally over time on vehicle battery terminals. If you are like 99% of normal Arlington drivers, you don't check your oil or your battery so you don't keep an eye on the amount of corrosion that's building up on your car or truck battery. Here at Birch's Automotive & Muffler, we do and there are solvents that we can use here in the shop during a battery maintenance service that will help slow the corrosion process but nothing that can prevent it 100%. Way before it gets to this point, we will be suggesting you consider replacing the battery.