Automotive Tips from Charlie's Fast Lube Sparta: Knowing When Your Timing Belt Should Be Replaced

July 9, 2023

The timing belt in your engine controls the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves. Sparta drivers need to replace it on a schedule to avoid failure.Timing belts are very difficult to get to, requiring quite a bit of labor to access. Timing belt replacement is one of the more expens... More

Timing Belt Service to Save Big Bucks in Sparta

April 17, 2022

Your engine is like a finely choreographed dance. All the parts have to work together. If the timing is off at the ballet, dancers crash into each other and fall down. It the timing is off in your engine, it may not run at all. One of the most intricate dances in your engine has to do with the c... More

Automotive Tips from Charlie's Fast Lube Sparta: A Broken or Damaged Timing Belt

March 22, 2020

The timing belt rotates the cam shafts which open and close the valves that allow air, fuel, and exhaust to flow through the engine as it powers your car when you drive around Sparta.An old timing belt can lose a tooth in the belt allowing it to slip. The engine could stop or misfire. Timing belt... More

The Charlie's Fast Lube Sparta Guide to Caring for Your Transmission

November 3, 2019

Most vehicles have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of Sparta drivers only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in Sparta. You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down shift for hills, stu... More

Combustion Choreography: Timing Belt Replacement at Charlie's Fast Lube Sparta in Sparta

July 28, 2019

Have you ever seen a ballet performance? Have you wondered how all of those dancers manage to travel all over the stage jumping and twirling and never crash into each other? That's the job of a choreographer.Our auto engines are also highly choreographed. Pistons travel up and down inside cylinde... More

Transmission Care in Sparta, Illinois

February 24, 2019

Do you have any plans around Sparta, Illinois, for the weekend? Maybe you and some friends are taking the boat up to the lake. Maybe you'll be having a lot of fun water skiing and doing a little fishing.You got the boat all ready. It's all gassed up. You packed lots of snacks and the cooler's st... More

It Pays to Take Care of Your Transmission at Charlie's Fast Lube Sparta

August 5, 2018

If you've been paying attention, you've noticed that vehicle engines are getting more and more powerful in Sparta. At the same time, they are getting better and better fuel economy. I've gotta tell 'ya, most of that's because of technological advances in transmissions. To get a better understand... More