Mercedes-Benz of Santa Fe Blog

In simple terms, an alternator powers the electric components in your vehicle and charges the battery. It's actually a generator. Knowing how it works will help you identify potential problems if it starts to fail.

As the engine runs, it spins wheels which, in turn, crank a wheel in the alternator. That's what generates electricity. If the alternator starts having problems, you may see an alert on your dashboard. It may stay on or it could go on or off depending on how much electricity the vehicle is using.

If the vehicle dies, you may wonder if it…

Here at Mercedes-Benz of Santa Fe, we get how much of a chore it might seem to clean your car's engine. However, this seemingly daunting task can be made easy with a few simple steps. While we won't cover every necessary step, we feel that it's necessary for any responsible vehicle owner to at least know a little bit about how to care for their car.

One big tip for cleaning an engine is to do it under opportune circumstances. A warm day with little to no humidity will help ensure your engine parts will dry off…

Cabin and engine air filters serve similar purposes in different parts of a vehicle. Cabin air filters remove airborne materials from the climate control system and purify the air that circulates inside the vehicle’s passenger cabin. Your owner’s manual should provide you with details on replacing the cabin filter in your car, truck or van.

Maintaining engine air filters is a little more complicated. Engine air filters are located under the hood where they remove dirt and other contaminants that could damage critical moving parts inside the motor. 

When it comes to routine auto care, we tend to focus on the engine. While important, there's more to the car than the engines. All parts play a vital role in performance, which is why drivers shouldn't overlook anything. Car owners definitely shouldn't take their eyes and ears off a vehicle's braking system.

Brakes suffer from wear and tear due to constant use. In "stop and go traffic," the brakes experience a lot of use, which could wear them down quicker. Besides the part parts, be mindful of brake lines. They can rust or suffer other…

Your car battery can often give you signs that there is something wrong before it dies. If you notice lights that dim when your car is running or if it seems to take longer to start your car, then you might want to consider testing your battery or taking it to Mercedes-Benz of Santa Fe to have someone test it with electrical equipment.

Check the terminals on your battery to see if they are rusted or corroded. If there is a poor connection between the terminals and the cables, then it could result in battery issues that appear as though…

If your car engine is overheating, you need to take immediate action to identify and resolve the issue. There are some more commonplace causes for engine overheating. In addition, there are steps you should take to lessen the odds of overheating in the future.

The most frequent cause of engine overheating is an issue with coolant. Your engine may lack an appropriate amount of coolant or have a coolant solution that isn't properly proportioned between the coolant product itself and water. Other causes of engine overheating 

If you have a car or truck that won't start in Santa Fe, you could be dealing with a dead battery. Though the battery will likely need to be replaced, you may be able to get it operating again by doing a jump start.

Jump starting can be dangerous if not done right, so it's important to understand how the process works. First, you need to get the working vehicle positioned properly so that you can reach jumper cables between batteries. Make sure the working vehicle is shut off and connect the positive cables to the working battery…

Also known as hydraulic fluid, brake fluid plays a vital role in the proper function of your vehicle. This fluid enables the movement of various components of the braking system so that vehicle stops when the brake pedal is pressed.

This non-compressible substance is either glycol-based or silicone-based and is available in varying grades. In general, glycol-based fluids are used with vehicles equipped with anti-lock brake systems (ABS) while silicone-based fluids are recommended for use in vehicles without this technology. 

There are little tasks you can do for your car each time you wash it that will help you to save money and might even spare you from becoming stranded on the side of the road. Maintaining your tires by checking the tire pressure and adding air should they need it takes just a few minutes and can make a big difference.

If your tires don't have enough air, they'll wear out and weaken more along the edges, which can make them susceptible to a blowout. Using a tire gauge to identify your pressure level will also help…

Get your car ready for the busy school season ahead and keep it as reliable as possible by completing a few simple maintenance tasks. Check your tire pressure and tread depth. As your only contact with the pavement, tires are vital to your car's performance and are one of the most common sources of breakdown. Your owner's manual will let you know the ideal range of tire pressure. You may want to get your car ready for winter by changing your summer set for a winter set at this time.