Why Maintaining Your Windshield Wipers and Washers Matters (Windshield Wiper and Washer Inspection)
Posted January 25, 2026 12:00 PMWhat do mud, bird droppings and frost all have in common? When they’re covering your windshield, they can temporarily obscure your view of the road, leaving you driving blind. And when you can’t see the road clearly ahead of you, it can be really scary.
That’s one of the reasons it’s important to maintain your windshield cleaning system, which includes your wipers, blades and washers. They’re three vital components that work together to ensure you’re clearly seeing what’s going on with the road and drivers around you.
Your wipers are doing the physical work on the surface of your windshield’s glass. The rubber or silicone is what touches the surface of the glass, and after time and exposure to the elements, wiper blades can get brittle, lose their flexibility, rip and tear to the point where they simply can’t clear the glass.
What holds the wiper blades close to the glass is important, too. Conventional blades use a metal frame which holds flexible rubber inserts. Just the inserts can be changed which keeps replacement costs down.
Another type that’s gaining more popularity is called a beam blade. It doesn’t have a frame but instead has a stiff beam and blade combination. Beam blades can conform more snugly to the curved glass used in many recent vehicle designs. Plus they have a sweeping shape which harnesses the pressure of the air that passes over them to apply more pressure during wiping, especially effective at highway speeds. High-tech rubber wiper blades, what …?! Seriously, they are pretty cool.
If you crossed the conventional frame blade with a beam blade, you’d have the hybrid wiper. It’s constructed like a traditional wiper with a plastic frame that takes advantage of the aerodynamic shape of a beam blade.
Equally important to your windshield is the washer system since wiper blades simply don’t work on dry glass. The washers use a pump to shoot fluid on your glass to remove debris, dust and other contaminants.
All these systems need to always be at the ready since we never know what elements we’ll encounter on the road. Regular inspections and maintenance of your wipers and washers can ensure you’ll be able to see far down the road ahead of you for clearer vision and safer traveling.
All Things Automotive & Diesel Service
1997 Walton Ave #C
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
208-523-3903
Go with the Flow (MAF Sensor Replacement)
Posted January 18, 2026 12:00 PMIf your vehicle has an internal combustion engine, it depends on two things to make propulsion power for you to be able to motor on down the road: fuel and air. The engine mixes the two in just the right proportion so that they can be ignited, creating a series of tiny explosions that are coordinated in such a way that your vehicle moves steadily ahead.
One of the key parts to making sure that mixture of air and fuel is correct is a little tube that measures the amount of air that’s coming into the engine. It’s called a Mass Air Flow sensor, or MAF sensor. There are two wires in this tube, one of which is heated up with electricity and the other isn’t. When the air flows over the heated wire, it cools. When the temperature of the two sensing wires is different, the MAF sensor either increases or decreases the current to the heated wire to try to make it the same as the other wire. That’s sent to a small computer that tells the engine to change the amount of air going into the engine.
Some signs of an MAF sensor problem? Your vehicle doesn’t have as much power as it used to, or your fuel economy might drop. Your vehicle may not start, and the Check Engine light may come on.
If you spot these signs, it’s important to bring your vehicle in so we can check things out. At the same time a technician looks at the MAF sensor, they’ll also check the connector that runs to the engine’s computer and replace it if necessary. They’ll also inspect other parts of the system, such as hoses, for problems.
By the way, one way to minimized MAF sensor problems is make sure your vehicle’s engine air filter is regularly changed. That can help you be sure that the air that gets to your vehicle’s engine is clean.
All Things Automotive & Diesel Service
1997 Walton Ave #C
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
208-523-3903
Gearing Up (Differential Fluid Service)
Posted January 11, 2026 12:00 PMYou may have never thought about it, but when you turn a corner, the wheels on one side of your vehicle turn at a different speed than the other side. What is this magic? The answer is something called the differential.
A differential is a gear box placed between the drive wheels and needs lubrication to work. Over time, that fluid can become contaminated, reducing its effectiveness. You likely won’t be able to detect any signs that it’s happening, though it may get a little noisier over time.
If you continue to drive with contaminated and degraded differential fluid, the gears may wear prematurely. That can also contribute to excess wear on the drive-wheel tires.
Two-wheel drive vehicles have one differential while all-wheel and 4-wheel drive vehicles will have two or three. Your vehicle’s manufacturer has guidelines on how often you should have the differential fluid changed, and we recommend you follow those.
Changing the differential fluid is different depending on what model and year of vehicle you own. Some have a drain plug so the fluid can be removed and replaced. In others, a cover and gasket on the differential will have to be removed and replaced.
Because differentials have constantly moving parts, they generate heat. That’s why some have a vent to help dissipate the heat caused by friction, and sometimes that vent will need replacing.
When you bring your vehicle in for differential fluid replacement, our technician will also inspect the differential for other issues and test drive it to make sure it’s operating the way it should.
All Things Automotive & Diesel Service
1997 Walton Ave #C
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
208-523-3903
A Most Important Part (Serpentine Belt Replacement)
Posted January 4, 2026 12:00 PMYour vehicle’s engine is an engineering work of wonder with many complex parts working in harmony to get you down the road. One of those simple but important components is called a serpentine belt. It is driven by a pulley on the engine and transfers that power to many of your engine’s most important components. The serpentine belt may drive the alternator, water pump, power steering pump and air conditioning compressor.
When it’s working like it should, you won’t even notice the serpentine belt. But when it starts to fail, you may hear a squealing noise coming from under the hood as the belt starts slipping. Heat and time take their toll on the serpentine belt, causing it to crack or even to start shredding. When this happens, it may not drive your alternator correctly, and your battery light may come on. If the water pump isn’t turning, your engine may overheat, causing the heat gauge to show hotter than usual.
When the serpentine belt isn’t doing its job, it’s important to get it serviced very soon. Letting it go too long can result in many more expensive repairs to multiple parts on your vehicle, especially if the belt breaks.
Regular vehicle maintenance is important, and an inspection of your serpentine belt should be one of those things you should have one of our technicians do periodically. While the belts can last for years, it’s important to detect any beginning of wear earlier rather than later. In addition to the condition of the belt, the technician can also check to make sure pulleys are aligned properly and that the belt is routed correctly.
Your vehicle’s serpentine belt is one of those components that you won’t even notice when it’s doing its job, and maintaining it will help you avoid surprises at the worst possible time.
All Things Automotive & Diesel Service
1997 Walton Ave #C
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
208-523-3903
