Plenty of people wonder about airbag maintenance, or maybe even worry about it. After all, you regularly service other parts of your car, so why not the airbags? They are one of the most critical safety items, so having them not work properly in a crash could have serious consequences. At the same time, airbags haven’t been around as long as seat belts, so knowledge about maintaining them isn’t as widespread.
How Airbags Work
To understand why airbag maintenance is necessary, you need to have at least a basic understanding of how they work.
Your car has sensors embedded in different areas, like the bumpers, which are connected to the airbag inflator with wiring. When enough force is exerted against those sensors, a signal tells the inflator to do its job. In most setups, potassium nitrate mixes with sodium azide, which makes nitrogen gas. That sudden creation of nitrogen gas fills the airbag.
Airbags are made of a thin nylon fabric. It’s folded up compactly, with a cover designed to tear when the bag inflates. This is why airbags pop out so quickly.
Do Airbags Need to Be Replaced?
The answer to this question is that it depends. Some owner’s manuals suggest that they do after a certain period of time. Others don’t say, and still others mention getting the airbags inspected. Read the manual that came with your car to see what the manufacturer recommends. Just remember that when manuals for older cars were written, airbags were pretty new and manufacturers themselves weren’t too sure about how they would age.
Some airbags will last as long as the car they are in. Airbag maintenance is sufficient for some, while others may need to be replaced entirely. If your car is over ten years old, it might be a good idea to have the airbags checked out. The worst way to find out is for a crash to inform you of how everything works. Airbags are something you don’t really want to take a chance on because they may save your life.
If you are concerned, it’s best to err on the side of caution and get an inspection. Have a professional inspect your airbags and give you a recommendation about what to do. The worst thing you can do is wait and see.
Airbag Maintenance and Replacement
Most vehicles have a diagnostic system for the airbags. If you see an SRS light come on, that means the airbag system is experiencing trouble and airbag maintenance may be required. You should have it inspected professionally right away, because the consequences of not following through could be severe.
Always use a reputable shop to have airbags serviced, especially if you need replacement bags. Some unscrupulous businesses have used knock-off airbags that have come into the country illegally. Even though they look legit, these airbags can be downright deadly, so any cost savings comes at a steep price.
Repacking airbags is also dangerous and not legitimate. No good shop will engage in this practice, because the potential for getting the setup wrong is too high. If you get a vehicle with funny bulges in the airbag areas, that’s usually a sign of a repacked airbag.
Costs of Replacement Airbags
How much replacement airbags cost really depends on the make, model and year of your vehicle. They can be quite expensive, but that’s not necessarily the case.
Even if an airbag costs a considerable amount, it’s a good idea to stick with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) bags, instead of aftermarket options. Buying OEM parts may drive the price up, but at the same time you will not need to worry about the quality. Since a quality airbag could literally mean the difference between a minor injury or loss of life, it’s better to invest in your safety.
T3 Atlanta
If you’re in need of a quality shop that has extensive experience with inspecting, maintaining and even replacing airbags, give T3 Atlanta a try. We only use reputable practices and parts, ensuring your airbag system works just as it was designed, so you can rest easy knowing if you ever need the airbags to work, they’ll do their job properly.
You may know the Toyota Prius, which is the car that started the hybrid vehicles revolution, but you probably don’t have a clue about the 
One of the changes being made to the 
The hot air you feel blowing through the air vents originates in something called the heater core. It’s basically like a small radiator embedded under the dash. Hot coolant is transported from the engine to the heater core, where a fan helps extract some of the heat, blowing it into the cabin. This is why people say if your engine is overheating, you should roll down the windows and turn the heater all the way to full blast.
Your car’s heater system also affects the defroster. Vents aimed at the windshield (and on some models the back window) blow hot air directly onto the glass. Their purpose is to remove any fog, snow, or ice buildup. Without the defroster, you might have a hard time seeing, especially at night.
You might be considering a plug-in heater for your car instead of repairing problems with the built-in heater. One factor to consider is that plug-in heater can put an extra drain on your car’s battery during the time of the year when cold weather puts a strain on them. You’ll also need to find a spot to place the plug-in heater, which can be tricky depending on the car’s interior layout.
First off, you should know the transmission connects to the engine through the torque converter. It transfers the energy generated to the engine through the transmission’s gears. That energy is then sent to either two or all four wheels, which makes the vehicle move forward. The torque converter takes the place of a clutch, and it works using hydraulic pressure.
Automatic transmissions often run into problems with gear changes, which can actually make transmission repair for qualified shops a little easier to manage. One of the most common is when it makes a clunking, whining or humming sound at different times. This can be caused by a variety of transmission issues which a technician can then diagnose and repair.
Believe it or not, another common problem with transmissions is when the check engine light comes on. The light on your dash might look like an engine or it could simply say “check engine.” Despite the name, this light doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with the car’s engine. There are sensors in critical parts of your car which can measure early on if there’s a problem.
The big question you always need to be asking is how to tell if you have an oil leak or not. In all honesty, some cars (especially older ones) might burn some oil. Because of that fact, you can’t just judge based on the oil level. But you should be checking the oil at least once a month, if not sooner. On vehicles with a lot of miles, checking the oil every time you fill up the fuel tank is ideal.
Sometimes, you may think your car is leaking oil but the problem is actually caused by oil filters that aren’t screwed on all the way. If you change your own oil, always apply some oil to the seal on the filter around the opening, and tighten it as much as possible by hand. If the filter is the source of a leak, you’ll see it’s soaked with oil just by climbing under the car. This is an easy fix.
Once you’ve pinpointed the source of an engine oil leak, you can take steps to replace the faulty part that’s the source. Exactly how you go about this really depends on the component, your mechanical skills/experience and what vehicle you drive.
Check out the MyCarFax app. It can help you track the maintenance needs of up to five vehicles at a time, which is great for households with multiple drivers. Adding a vehicle can be done by entering the VIN or license plate number. If you prefer an easier method, you can also scan the bar code next to the VIN. This app tracks not only upcoming maintenance items needed such as tire rotations and oil changes, but also open recalls.
Also available for Android and Apple users is AutoCare. Although it’s not free, the app can help you manage multiple vehicles with customizable service reminders, making it a useful auto maintenance app. The ability to customize alerts is actually a truly great feature, because say if you use synthetic oil and can stretch out oil changes further, the app will accommodate that instead of bugging you to change the oil too early.
Not only can you track vehicle maintenance records and needs with RepairPal, you can also be better prepared to fix your car. Everyone knows that accidents and unexpected thing happen in life, but this app helps you take it in stride with a one-touch option for roadside assistance. You can also use it to locate a quality local mechanic, plus it provides fair pricing for different jobs so you don’t end up paying too much.
the movement or kinetic energy and converting it into heat. That energy is stored inside the shocks’ hydraulic fluid, before escaping into the surrounding air.
Also, know that you can’t just replace your shocks after a set number of miles. How quickly they wear depends on how you drive your car, what the roads are like where you live, etc.
Connected to the gear reduction is a linkage, which is what actually moves the wipers back and forth across the windshield. A short cam is the piece that’s attached to the motor’s output shaft. As it spins while the motor runs, a long rod attached to the other end of the cam shifts back and forth. Attached to the other end of the long rod is a short rod, which is what turns the wiper blade on one side of the car (usually the driver’s side). Another long rod connects to the other wiper.
Basically, they’re made of rubber, with metal strips that help them maintain a constant shape. This is so the thin rubber edge that sits against the windshield swipes off water evenly. As the rubber ages, it starts to chip and crack, causing the wipers to leave streaks. Sometimes this streaking is caused by dirt buildup on the wipers, which is why it’s a good idea to clean them when washing your car. 
too technical, there are several gears fixed on two shafts. As the car is shifted into different gears by the driver or a computer, the gears from one shaft engage with the ones on the other. 
causes. Low fluid or the wrong type can cause some bumping sounds. If the transmission is particularly noisy, it could be from serious mechanical damage, such as worn bearings or gears. If the problem includes grinding or shaking, that can be from a worn clutch, maladjustments or other worn components. 
