Let's Talk Cars!

When it comes to performance vehicles, every detail matters—from horsepower to handling, and especially the rubber that meets the road. Today at Northwood Garage & Tire Barn, we had the pleasure of outfitting a 2020 Mustang GT with a fresh set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires—an upgrade that transforms this muscle car into a precision machine.

When I was a much younger tech, I never imagined the day when everyday vehicles would rely on a transmission concept borrowed from snowmobiles and scooters. This design is called a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), and it’s now found in many of today’s cars. But there is a “BIG BUT” CVTs are like someone who swears they’re ‘low maintenance’—yet somehow stir up drama every week. One minute they’re purring like a kitten, the next they’re whining like a toddler in a t...

Great job to all the hardworking students—and shoutout to the town PD for rolling through with some sparkle!

Here’s my advice.  Before you purchase a used vehicle, from a dealer or private sale, have a prepurchase inspection performed by a trusted automotive repair facility.  Generally, there are two types of inspections offered.  The first level is pretty much a state safety inspection.  You’ll know if your vehicle is safe to drive.  The second level of inspection dives deeper into vehicle safety, fluids, a/c, transmission, the many computer systems, along with projections of service needs ...

The direct TPMS sensor is an amazing little computer that has evolved over the years.  It has decision-making functions, along with sensors measuring tire PSI “too Low or too High”, tire temperature, acceleration, low frequency receiver for diagnosis, mode change & programming, a radio transmitter to share wirelessly all this information and more with your vehicle’s TPMS computer.  Seems like a lot for a warning light, doesn’t it?

Do I need snow tires or all-season tires? This is a question we often hear from our customers.  To help answer that question we need to have a better understanding of your winter driving needs. Whether you need snow tires or all-season tires depends on several factors:

Last winter I noticed my heater wasn’t providing good heat.   I had the thermostat changed and I had the cooling system flushed, which didn’t seem to make much difference.  The garage told me the heater core could be restricted and will likely need to be replaced. They said they could try back flushing the heater core but wouldn’t guarantee that it would fix the problem.  When I got the estimate, it was a bit shocking.

Is your car's undercarriage exposed to the harsh elements of New Hampshire winters? Rust, corrosion, and salt damage can significantly reduce your vehicle's lifespan and resale value. That's where NHOU undercoating comes in....

One of the tires on my trailer lost all of its tread, it was like someone peeled it off with a big knife; you could even see the steel belts.   The trailer is not even 5 years old and the tread on all the other tires are like new.  When I went to buy a replacement, they told me I should replace all the tires due to their age.   I checked the date code on the tires, and they were just 6 years old and hardly used.  I was told this is a common problem with trailer tires.

The A/C on my 2017 Honda CRV stops working for no reason.   When I first turn it on the A/C blows really cold, but after a while the air turns warm like I turned it off, and I can’t get any cold air no matter what I have the settings on.   The shop checked my A/C charge and said everything seems to be working fine.  But the next day the A/C started blowing warm air again on my drive home from work.  What could be going on?  Do I have a bad compressor, sensor or something?...