Your car’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. This is where your car battery comes into play. The battery of your vehicle holds electrical energy while the 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 allow our team here at R.C. Bratcher, Inc to perform proper maintenance, an average car battery can start your car reliably for roughly four years.

Once you know what's in your transmission, and what’s connected to it, it’s much easier to understand how it works. Let's take a look at how it all comes together. At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we want to make sure you know how your car works so you can keep it in great condition.

A quality product is only as good as the quality of the installation. You’re dropping some serious money on an engine replacement, on a car that’s worth even more. R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY is here to make sure you get the quality install you need.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we pride ourselves on specialty knowledge and ability. Once you’ve settled on a transmission to invest in, it’s important not to cut corners on the homestretch. We’ve got you covered here and you can expect top quality repairs for your top quality product.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we know how annoying little quirks and issues can be. A common problem vehicles experience is a cooling fan that doesn’t kick on and off when it’s supposed to. While a fan that won’t kick off is far less troubling than a fan that won’t turn on, it’s still a problem that needs to be fixed for a variety of reasons. Here’s why, and what you should do.

Road trips are a lot of fun, and often unpredictable. For all the miles you will be driving we always recommend preparing for any situation. With this checklist from R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, you’ll be prepared for whatever comes your way.

If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle, you know that your precision engineered equipment demands precision tuning. At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we specialize in high-end imports and performance vehicles and keeping them up to par.

Automatic transmissions aren’t easily understood outside of specialists like those at R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY. While it would be impossible to teach you enough to make you a transmission expert in a series of articles, what we can do is give you the fundamental knowledge you need to have a good idea of what your transmission is doing, and how it works.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, cars are our passion, so naturally, we like to keep up with new technology on the market. At the moment, surprisingly the current trend is moving towards a goal you may not expect; self-driving vehicles. You’ve probably heard about self-driving cars a little bit here and there on the news, but it likely still seems somewhere in the realm of science fiction to you. However, the reality is that self-driving cars are on the way and maybe here sooner than you think. Already, almost all major automobile manufacturers are dumping billions of dollars into research and development for self-driving cars, and even companies like Uber are jumping on board. 

Judging by the number of near-rear-endings we witness on our morning commutes, the typical attitude toward brake maintenance appears to be, “Brakes: Don’t let them stop you!” This puzzles us because monitoring your braking system’s health is one of the most straightforward aspects of car ownership. You do have to know what to look for, though, or rather, what to listen and feel for. So let us, uh, break it down for you. Here are the top three signs that your brakes need fixing.

You’ve likely encountered someone talking about their car or truck transmission "slipping”. What does that mean, why does it do it, and where do you go from here? At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, our trained staff has the answers to get you safely back on the road. Transmission slippage is certainly one of the most dreaded issues you face as the owner of a car or truck’s and there are some indicators that let you know that something is wrong.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, we’re not only here to fix your car when something goes wrong...we’re here to help you understand your car, truck, or SUV a little better, too. Here are some tips concerning your thermostat - how it works, what to watch out for, and what to do about it when one fails.

Have you always wondered what a spark plug does? Our team here at R.C. Bratcher, Inc is here to help you out. It's simple in theory but does quite a lot of work for such a small piece of equipment. Your spark plug forces electricity to arc across a gap like a bolt of lightning at high voltage and fits into your engine's cylinder head, where it “sparks” to ignite the fuel and creates combustion within your engine. Without it, you wouldn't be able to drive your car or truck. 

Many cars, particularly models produced between the 1970s and the 1990s, utilize cable clutch designs instead of hydraulics to operate the clutch. Here’s a brief explanation of clutch cable systems, from R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, routine maintenance and repair isn’t the only thing we do. For custom parts installation, you can also count on us. Common modification enthusiasts do is swapping to a short-throw shifter; but what actually is a short-throw shifter, and what does it do?

If you own or maintain a fleet or commercial truck, you are likely already familiar with the term ASE certified technician. But what does ASE mean, and why is it important? R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY has the answer.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, we know that few problems are simultaneously as simple and confusing as a bad ground connection on your car, truck, or SUV. Here’s a look at some symptoms of a bad ground, and what you can do to correct it.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we believe it’s important for you to know how different systems in your car, truck, or SUV operate. Whether you want to know what to watch out for, or you’re just curious about how things work, we’re here to supply the answers.

Unless you use your vehicle to tow every day for work, odds are you haven’t paid much attention to your truck, SUV, or crossover’s towing capacity. Maybe you’re looking to buy a boat for some summer fun or just need to rent a trailer to get your belongings from one dwelling to the next. Whatever the reason for pulling something behind your vehicle, it’s important to get a firm grasp on what exactly your towing capacity means. Understanding how each of the components in your vehicle contributes to your overall tow rating can keep you from putting undue stress on your rig and keep you and your family safe.

Automatic transmissions aren’t well understood outside of specialists like our technicians here at R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY. While it would be impossible to teach you enough to make you a transmission expert in a quick article, what we can do is give you the fundamental knowledge you need to have a good idea of what your transmission is doing and how it works. Being able to understand how your transmission works will help you identify any problems that may arise to prevent further wear and tear on your vehicle.