Middleton Auto Repair

A lot of people in Wisconsin have older vehicles. They're good commuters, grocery-getters or toy-haulers. They enjoy that fact that they're paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their vehicles for 200,000 miles/320,000 kilometers or more – as long as it's economical to do so. There are plenty of people in Middleton whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles (240,000 or 320,000 kilometers). We can learn from what they're doing to keep our own cars on the road. A common denominator is that they never skip an oil change. That may sound a bit unsophisticated, but it's really not. First off, oil is the life blood of your engine and it needs to be clean to properly lubricate. Skipping oil changes leads to clogged oil filters and sludge that can damage your engine. Enough said. There's another reason the scheduled oil change is so important. It's simpl ... read more

Aeschbach Automotive Tech Question: I'm David in Middleton, Wisconsin. For the last year and a half I've had some battery problems. I had trouble starting my car so I bought a new battery at a parts store in Middleton. At first everything was fine, then about six months later I had problems starting my car again, so I got a new battery. Again, everything was fine for another five or six months then I had trouble starting my car again. I went to get another battery and the parts guy said why do you need another battery, weren't you in a few months ago? So he tested my battery and it was OK. Apparently I've been replacing good batteries. What's wrong with my vehicle? Aeschbach Automotive Answer: Look, we can't fault David for not knowing what's wrong with his vehicle – he just didn't have enough information. And frankly, n ... read more

Question: What are the signs that I need a brake job? Aeschbach Automotive Answer:Signs of brake problems often fall into one of two categories for Middleton vehicles: making noise or a pulsation in the brake pedal. Let's start with the noise. Most brake pads have an audible brake wear indicator. This is a small piece of metal that rubs on your brake rotor when the brake pads are worn to the point they should be replaced. The noise is a chirp or soft squeal. This noise gives Middleton drivers enough warning to get their brakes serviced while there is still enough brake pad left to enable you to stop safely. Middleton drivers who ignore the chirp find that the sound changes to a grinding noise. That is more serious. It means that the friction material on your brake pad is worn away and metal parts of the brake are grinding against the rotor when y ... read more

In Middleton, we know we need to take care of our cars, but it just seems really hard to remember to do it! Between dropping the kids off at school, cleaning the spilt cereal up from your car, taking the dog to the vet, remembering that dentist appointment that starts at the same time as your weekly meeting, and then dropping your phone in a puddle- all shoved into a Monday morning before 11 who can remember!? We generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance- dentist, chiropractor, hair cuts-- but just may have not applied it to our vehicles.  Our vehicles are the form of transportation  alot of us end up treating to last. So people in Wisconsin really are maintenance minded. They just have to learn to apply that mindset to their vehicles. I mean, if you never brush your teeth or go to the dentist, you'll become painfully aware of your neglect when you get a big cavity. Once the damage is done, we learn our lesson and sta ... read more

Alignments in Madison, WI It's no surprise that your vehicle will drive better if all the wheels are pointed in the same direction. That's called wheel alignment. If your wheels are out of alignment you may notice that your vehicle pulls to one side or the other. Something that Middleton drivers won't notice right away, but will if they keep driving when they're out of alignment, is that their tires are wearing unevenly and fairly quickly. That's because when the vehicle is pulling to one side, you have to steer it back straight. The outside of the tire just wears out fast because you're constantly turning, which can be very exhausting on a long road trip in Wisconsin – fighting to keep the vehicle going straight down the road. Some of the things that commonly throw a wheel out of alignment are slamming into a pothole, smiacking a cu ... read more

  Tips for Winter Car Care and Maintenance Winter in Madison, Wisconsin is the number one time we need to make sure our vehicle is in working order. It is the season that most cars get damaged. During winter, there are many things that could go wrong starting with getting into an accident because of not being able to see out properly or being stranded by a dead battery of your car. For most of us, we would not want to face the winter without winter gear like gloves, coat, and other cold weather gear. The same goes for your car, it deserves the highest level of protection during the Madison winter! Why your car needs a winter car care During winter months, your car paint, tire, windows, and other elements are at the mercy of harsh elements such as sleet, snow, salt, rain, wind, gravel and many other elements.  The best time to prepare, inspect and get ready for the winter is before the snow hits. Don’t fret if you haven’t though ... read more

What Should I Know How To Do On My Vehicle? I started out feeling I knew a good amount about my car, you know the important stuff in the car like Sirius Radio, DVD Player and Seat Warmer…Atleast that is what I thought was the most important information to know, until I broke down. I was the first car in the turning lane towards the grocery store, the light turns green and I went to accelerate and turn, my car wouldn’t go. I did what I knew and I turned off the radio. Great now what, with my mind racing what was I suppose to do next? It was 10 a.m. in the middle of January, in Wisconsin and I had a crying 6 month old in the backseat, I was blanking on what I needed to do. I pushed my hazards light and tried to signal people around me. In that moment I was reaching for my phone to call a tow truck trying to keep tears out of my eyes, a man walking to his car from the grocery store ran over and said “Let’s move it!” I jumped out, thankful for this man to see ... read more

You're driving along the Beltline, singing to the radio, and longing for being on the beach. Out of the blue there it is … the orange shine of the check engine light (CEL). What do you do now? Do you drive straight home? Pull off? Go Into A Frenzy?! Just please, don't disregard it! The best thing to help keep away from an huge repair is to have it analyzed and repaired immediately. Not at all like your Maintenance light, which is set to go off at particular mileage intervals, the check engine light will go off when the vehicles PC distinguishes an issue. While there are literally dozens of reasons your check engine light might be set off, however there's normally no compelling reason to freeze. There are a couple of things to remember when your check engine light goes on. No one likes to see their car's “Check Engine” light come on. The light could mean a costly problem, like a bad catalytic converter, or it could be something minor, like a lo ... read more