Chickasaw Auto Repair

Let's talk shocks and struts. Shock absorbers and struts wear out pretty slowly for most vehicles. They're easy to take for granted, but your shocks and struts do a very important job so you need to pay attention to them. They keep your tires on the road; and your tires are what connect your vehicle to the road and allow you to safely handle your car through turns, over bumps and even stop in time.  When your shocks and struts are worn, your tires bounce excessively over bumps. Your vehicle will wallow through corners, your front-end will dive when you stop and your rear-end will squat when you accelerate. All this hurts your ability to control your vehicle. And your ride just isn't as comfortable.  Worn shocks or struts cause excessive tire wear, causing you to have to replace your tires sooner than they should. Worn shocks and struts also stress other suspension and steering parts, causing them to wear prematurely. Struts are actually a major structural compo ... read more

Hello everyone! My name is Joe and I get the honor of taking Ted’s place this month in writing the manager’s minute. I am Ted’s brother and have been working with the family business for 10 years now. I reside in Chickasaw with my wife, Megan, and our two sons, Ryan and Tate. Every year in May, my family and I look forward to attending the Hopefest. The Hopefest is a fundraising event held each year for the Cancer Association of Mercer County, and all funds raised during the event are used to help any resident of Mercer County who has been diagnosed with cancer. I have been a part of this association for quite some time as both a Board Member and past President ever since my mother-in-law passed from cancer in 2016. The event will be held on May 12th at the St. Henry Football Stadium and my family and I would love to see you there! Along with that we would like to wish all the mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day and hope everyone is enjoying the spring weathe ... read more

You have probably noticed a bunch of warning lights on your dash when you start your engine. They flash on to test the circuits and then go off if everything is okay. One of the warning lights looks like a car battery. Its job is to tell you if your battery is charging correctly or not.  You know that your battery stores electricity -- enough to start your engine and get you moving. But that is about it. You can only get a few miles on battery power alone. You need an alternator to generate enough electricity to run your engine and power your electrical accessories like the stereo, power seats, heater fan, on-board computers, and so on. On top of that, the alternator needs to recharge your battery. So, when your alternator isn't working properly, there is not enough electricity for all those things. When your alternator fails, you aren't going very far.  So why would your alternator not work? Usually they've simply worn out. Alternators are driven by your serpen ... read more

Welcome to March! I would like to start by wishing my lovely wife a very Happy Anniversary on March 5th. Where has the time gone?! Feels like it was yesterday when we said our I DO'S!! Hopefully, the winter cold and snow have not been too hard on you and your family. I know my family is doing well, my parents hid most of the winter in Florida enjoying the sun with their friends. Bowling season is over for both of my boys, it was a fun season to watch both of them enjoy playing the sport they love.  At the end of January, we had our company Christmas party where we enjoyed ourselves at Top Golf. It was great spending time away from the shop with our great team.  This month I am looking forward to celebrating St. Patrick's Day in St. Henry on the 19th. The festivities following the parade are a great way to catch up with everyone I haven't seen in a while.  Camping season is also right around the corner! I am getting very excited and can't wait to spen ... read more

We have all been there. You park somewhere only to return and find one of your tires is flat; you've picked up a nail on the road. You're hoping you can just have it patched and be on your way. That beats the cost of replacing the tire, but will that patch hold up for the long haul? The key is where the tire has been punctured and how big the hole is. First, tires can be punctured by more than just nails. Sometimes you can put a hole in a tire when you hit a curb, pothole, or road debris.  Holes larger than 1/4 of an inch or 6mm, cannot be safely repaired. The next factor is where the puncture is. If it's in the tread blocks, that's good. But if the hole is on the sidewall or shoulder of the tire, then it is time to replace the tire. Here's why. Sidewalls flex on a tire when you drive. The strain from that flexing eventually can cause a repair to loosen up. A weak spot in the sidewall will be more prone to a blowout. The same goes for the tire shoulder ... read more

We have made it to the heart of winter, ready or not! I hope you had a great Christmas and New Years. Mine was spent with friends and family. My wife and I were given an awesome opportunity to attend the Ohio State Football game with my brother and his wife in Atlanta on New Years Eve. I am just amazed that while in the big city of Atlanta we ran into some friends and neighbors. Once again I love living in our community. I would like to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day and have a safe and happy winter. Sincerely, Ted Heitbrink

When we drive it is important for us to be able to see well. That means keeping the glass in our vehicles as crystal clear as we can. If you have ever driven your car directly into bright sunlight, you know that dirty, scratched or fogged windows can render you almost completely blind. Not a good thing when you're moving down the road. It is important to be able to see your mirrors and other vehicles around you, so a little clarity can go a long way. Let's take a look at how you can maximize your visibility: Clean windows with the right cleaner. Don't use cleaners that have ammonia or alcohol in them. Ammonia can cause the surfaces of your vehicle's interior to dry out and can damage some window tints. Special automotive glass cleaners are available, and your service advisor can make recommendations. Don't use abrasives on your windows. Some kitchen sponges have a pad on one side meant to clean pots and pans. Don't use those! That abrasive can scratch glass ... read more

Ever wonder where they came up with the term "dashboard" for that part of your vehicle that sits behind the steering wheel? That name began back before cars were even invented. People used to travel by horse and buggy, and streets were not as well built as they are today. On a muddy road (which was sometimes just a couple of ruts alongside a field), it wasn't unusual for those inside the buggy to have mud and stones "dashed" (knocked, thrown, or hurled) in their direction.  So those who built carriages began installing a board to protect them. That became known as the dashboard. The word carriage got shortened to car, and the dashboard is sometimes shortened to dash. Today, the dashboard sits behind and below the windshield that houses various controls and instruments. In addition tot the speedometer, tachometer, and gas gauge, there are warning lights you need to pay attention to on your dashboard and instrument panel. (You may have gauges for some of t ... read more

Batteries are a huge part of modern life. Just think about how many battery chargers you have. Of course, our purpose here is to talk about your car battery. When people come into the shop and end up needing a new battery, they are not that happy about having to spend the money. But the fact is that 70 percent of batteries don't make it for 4 years. There are some things that you can do to extend the life of your battery. First, keep it clean. If you see it getting dirty or greasy, let us know and we can clean it off. A dirty battery runs hotter, and shortens its life. If your battery terminals are corroded, let us take a look at that too. We can clean them, and if the corrosion has gotten into the battery cables, we can replace them.  Also, running your battery way down is bad for it. Things like running the headlights or watching a DVD player with the care turned off can deeply deplete your battery. The typical battery can only take about 10 of those deep cycle depletions ... read more

Happy New Year from all of us at Chickasaw Garage!  I would like to say one more time THANK YOU so much for such an amazing year last year, and thank you for the continued support in 2023! I have been very busy following my sons around at their bowling matches. At the end of November my wife and I took a little trip and truly did have a great time getting away. We were amazed to fine we were only 7 hours away, we met people from 15 minutes away from our home. We had a conversation like we had known eachother for years. Every time this happens it just reminds me of how lucky we are to live in this area of small town USA. Sincerely,  Ted Heitbrink