Your pickup truck is heavy and hard working, whether it’s a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge. If you add towing to the mix, it’s even heavier and has to work harder. Your brakes are one of the most wear and tear prone systems on your diesel pickup, but at By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, we can help you keep yours in good shape.

At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, we know that in order to keep your car in good shape, it helps to know how it works. Here’s a quick rundown of a system that’s very important, but you take for granted until there’s a problem; your brakes.  While there is a multitude of configurations and levels of complexity in automotive brake systems, they all essentially work the same way. Disregarding anti-lock brake systems and the like, this is how braking works in its simplest form.

There may come a day when you go to shift your vehicle out of “Park”, and the shifter refuses to move. Perhaps you are already experiencing this issue intermittently, or currently have a vehicle stuck in park. While this is a serious inconvenience, it doesn’t necessarily indicate a serious problem; let By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM put your mind at ease.

If you drive a Dodge, Chevy, or Ford diesel pickup, you know the amount of hard work your truck puts in. You may also be aware that diesels run a little dirtier than your average gas burner. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, our goal is to keep your Duramax, Cummins, or Powerstroke truck on the road for many miles to come. A huge part of that is keeping your oil maintained.

Your brake master cylinder is an integral part of your brake system. When one fails, some odd symptoms may arise, and it may be difficult to diagnose. Here’s some information to help you decide if yours has gone bad. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM we want you to know what to look out for so that you can be safely on the road.

Every car, truck, van, and SUV on the road today has headlights. However, you've probably noticed an increase in different types of headlights in more recent years - gone are the days where every vehicle on the road had the same bulb. Here is some information on headlights, from By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM.

Tires are what keeps your vehicle rolling, literally. Many people have found that shopping for tires is overwhelming because there are just so many choices. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair, we want to break it down for you so that it's easier to understand. There are four main categories of tires, and the right ones for you will depend on the kind of driving you do. Let's talk more about that! 

At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, we know how irritating an issue with your car, truck, or SUV can be, even if it doesn’t immediately affect your vehicle’s performance. One such problematic issue, the excessively loud radiator cooling fan, is a common plague many automobile owners will experience.

Your drive belts are simple but integral components to the function of your car, truck, or SUV. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, belts are one of the first things we assess when looking over a vehicle, as they alone are in charge of operating your AC, water pump, alternator, and power steering.

Your drive belts run everything - your AC, power steering, alternator, and water pump are all dependent on the belts that turn them. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, our goal is to keep your truck maintained, so you’re never stuck out on the road. Drive belts are a critical part of that goal.

The turbocharger on your diesel is a precision-engineered component that requires proper maintenance to ensure it meets your needs and performs every time you get behind the wheel - no matter what the task is.  Here at By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, our team is the perfect choice to ensure that the turbocharger on your diesel is always working at optimum capacity with no problems as our diesel technicians are simply the best plus when you are running tens or even hundreds of thousands of RPMs, keeping everything in good shape is absolutely necessary. Fortunately, we have exactly what you need!

Ride quality is an essential part of your driving experience. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, we strive to keep your car, truck, or SUV as smooth and comfortable to drive as the day it came off the lot. Your shock absorbers play a huge role in ride quality; here’s what you should know.

We know you’re busy. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, we also know that while there are certain issues with your car, truck, or SUV you can ignore for a while, some of them shouldn’t wait. While serious issues are often obvious, sometimes they aren’t - ball joints are one such case.

Good steering is an underrated, and often neglected aspect of driving. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, we believe in making sure you have the best vehicle possible, whether you’re driving across town or traveling long distance.

While keeping your car, truck, or SUV looking nice is important, there are other reasons to keep the exterior of your vehicle in good shape. From By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, here are some tips for keeping your car looking good, and how that keeps it reliably on the road.

It is often the last thing you check and statistically, most people ignore their tires, yet tires are undoubtedly a critical safety component on a vehicle. Here at By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, we know where the rubber meets the road affects traction, handling, steering, stability, and braking. Because of this, sudden tire failure can have serious consequences, especially if it occurs when operating at high speeds. We thought it important to share the real facts about tires for our area drivers.

Everyone from mechanics, to your uncle that works on cars, has at some point given you advice concerning engine oil. The fact of the matter is that while we are familiar with words like “synthetic” and “oil weight,” many people don’t know exactly what the terminology means, or why common knowledge about oil exists in the form that it does. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, we keep things clear and simple. The more you know about your vehicle, the better equipped you are to keep it maintained, and we know a thing or two about vehicles. We have compiled a short list of common myths for you, most of which you’ve heard, but maybe never second guessed.

Do you need new brake pads? Most of the time, if you think you do, the answer is yes. While a lot of auto parts stores sell brake pads with lifetime warranties, don’t be misled...brake pads will still wear down.

At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM, we see our fair share of warning lights and dashboard notifications. If your ABS light is illuminated, here’s what you need to know.  First, it should be noted that the ABS light is supposed to illuminate for a few seconds after you turn the key, as part of a system test. If the light stays illuminated or comes on again randomly, there’s an issue somewhere that must be addressed.

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 By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, you’ll be prepared for whatever comes your way.