Once your transmission has been replaced and you’re shifting smoothly once more, you’ll probably want to keep it running smoothly. Here are some tips from R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY to help keep you reliably on the road.

If your car has climate control, then it also has a cabin filter. Cabin filters are simply air filters for the interior of your car, truck, or SUV. All air entering circulation through the climate control system first passes through this filter, to prevent your AC or heat systems from accumulating debris or blowing them out of your vents. The result is cleaner, quieter, and longer-lasting climate control systems, which keep the inside of your car as comfortable as possible. 

If you drive a car, truck, or SUV that runs on gasoline, there's a good chance you’ve run it low on fuel a few times (or more than a few times,) and maybe even run out of gas completely a time or two. At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we like to provide information applicable to you. Running a vehicle low on fuel is something we’re all guilty of, and most of us don’t think twice about it. But, can it be bad for your car?

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.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we know the key to making your vehicle last; good maintenance. An overwhelming percentage of the problems we see, especially the really catastrophic ones, are a result of poor maintenance. While properly maintaining a vehicle can seem like a bit of a hassle, it is absolutely worth the payoff. Good maintenance is the only difference between a car that lasts 80,000 miles and a car that lasts 400,000 miles. Preventative maintenance and repair when a problem occurs are your two concerns, and both will keep your car on the road far longer if observed properly.

Here are 10 steps to keep your car up and running from our team here at R.C. Bratcher, Inc! Whether you choose to do the maintenance yourself or take your car to see our professional service technicians, the non-profit Car Care Council recommends 10 basic maintenance procedures to keep your vehicle running its best. 

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.

In the realm of performance engines, valve adjustments are an essential part of keeping your car running its best. When you add customization to the mix, valve timing becomes even more critical, and it’s important the technician adjusting them really knows their stuff. At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we’ve got you covered.

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.