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Maintenance is the key to a long and healthy life for your vehicle. Regular servicing enables our technicians to identify and replace worn parts before they fail and cause additional issues. As your CDJR dealer, we want to give you some examples of the types of CDJR maintenance we provide. more Examples of CDJR Maintenance Available at Your CDJR Dealer Alternator Replacement The alternator produces electricity to power all your vehicle's systems and devices. It's powered by the crankshaft's movement and spins at high speed to produce magnetic energy. This magnetic energy is then converted to AC and DC before it's transferred to the systems that require it. On average, your alternator will work effectively for at least eight years. As the alternator approaches the end of its useful life, it gradually slows down. This slowdown is inevitable due to worn components, but it reduces the amount of electricity the alternator can supply. You'll notice this impact as the battery light will illuminate, and you'll experience issues like dim headlights, battery recharging issues, and random electrical glitches. Once we install a new alternator, these issues will disappear. Tire Checks It's sometimes easy to forget, but your tires absorb a lot of punishment when you drive. Friction against the surface due to driving and braking slowly causes the tread to wear down. The tread is vital for safe driving as it enables the tires to gain traction on the surface. Lower tread makes handling and cornering more difficult and increases your stopping distance. Tires are also affected by climatic conditions, and UV rays from the sun slowly cause the rubber to become less elastic. As the rubber loses elasticity, it starts to crack and the cracks will widen and deepen due to heat and friction. Our technicians will examine your tires for signs of damage, and we'll also check their balance and pressure. When the time comes to replace your tires, we can install new ones for you within minutes. Battery Testing A battery test helps to gauge the potential remaining life of your battery. Like all other batteries, your car battery slowly loses storage capacity, and this makes recharging longer and slower. In addition, the battery can be affected by issues in the electrical system, like worn wiring or corrosion. A weakening battery will make starting the engine slow, and you'll hear the engine laboring to turn over. We connect your battery to our computerized battery tester, which subjects the battery to a range of tests designed to identify its strengths and weaknesses. If your battery passes the test, all is well. If it fails, we can install a new battery for you while you wait. Book your next service today. Contact us at Bergstrom CDJR of Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI.

A car can have all the advanced safety technology in the world but still be unsafe if the brakes aren't working properly. This is because the brakes are the first line of defense between you and any potential obstacle that you could crash into. It's a good idea to learn what happens when you need a brake repair so you can head straight to the CDJR dealer when the signs below show up. more 1. Noisy Brakes Noisy brakes are a tell-tale sign that there's something wrong with your braking system. Typically, the problem lies with your brake pads. As the pads wear down, the brakes become less effective and will begin to make noise. At first, you'll hear a high-pitched scraping noise like you've scraped a sharp knife against a sheet of metal. Over time, if the brake pads are replaced, the sound transforms into a grinding sound that's much more sinister and indicates more damage. 2. Indicator Light Your vehicle may have an indicator light that lets you know when your brake pads need to be replaced, and this could switch on before you start hearing the high-pitched noise or grinding sound described above. Your car may have a separate brake light that comes on when you need maintenance that isn't directly related to your brake pads, too. If any brake-related light appears on your dash, whether it's the parking brake indicator, brake pad indicator, or brake fluid level indicator, you need to come straight to the dealer so we can take a look and find out what's going on. 3. Brake Pedal Movement When your foot is on the brake pedal, you should only feel it move up and down as your foot moves. It shouldn't vibrate, pulse, or wobble outside of emergency situations. It might pulse or vibrate during emergency stops when you have ABS brakes, but that's normal. If the brake pedal wobbles, pulses, or vibrates during normal braking, then that's not normal, and you need to get the brakes checked out. You may have unevenly worn down rotors or another, more serious problem. 4. Brake Pedal Sponginess When you step on your brake pedal, it should never feel like you're stepping onto something squishy, like a sponge. You should always feel resistance. If your brake pedal feel spongy to step on, then there's definitely a problem with the brakes, and it needs to be addressed quickly. Spongy brakes can be a sign of lots of different brake issues, from moisture in the braking system to an issue with the master cylinder. Come get your brakes fixed at Bergstrom Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI today. If any of the other parts of your car need some attention, then we'll be sure to take a look at those, too.

The transmission is a complex system, and its purpose is to transfer energy produced by the engine to the wheels to enable them to move. Transmission components will wear out due to age and can also become damaged. As your CDJR dealer, we want you to know a few signs it's time to visit us for a transmission service. more Strange Noises A healthy transmission works silently and efficiently as it shifts gears. If you hear strange noises like buzzing or humming when the gears change, this is a sign that something is wrong with the transmission. These noises are almost undetectable initially, but they will grow louder as time passes. Depending on the particular problem, the sounds can morph into a high-pitched whining noise. The most common reason for noisy transmission is a lack of transmission fluid. This fluid is essential for the transmission as it provides the hydraulic power that shifts the gears and lubricates transmission components to protect them against friction damage. Our technicians will need to examine your transmission to identify the source of these sounds, then we'll repair the problem. Transmission Leak As we saw above, transmission fluid plays a vital role in the smooth operation of the transmission. It also helps to reduce the temperature inside the transmission as it has a cooling effect on components as it passes over them. Transmission fluid isn't consumed as it works, so the only way a transmission can lose fluid is via a leak. Fortunately, a leak is easy to spot. Transmission fluid is bright or dark red and has a slightly sweet smell. Any transmission leak is serious, as a low fluid level can cause major damage. Without the protection the fluid provides, components will grind against each other. The heat inside the transmission will rise, and it can start to overheat. Our technicians will find and seal the leak and then we'll replace the lost fluid. Gear Slipping The transmission computer shifts gears automatically to ensure your vehicle moves at your desired speed. Once a gear has shifted, the transmission remains in that gear until you or the transmission computer intervenes to change gears. Gear slipping is a potentially dangerous situation where the gear violently shifts without warning. The unexpected gear change is very noticeable, as the sounds of grinding metal usually accompany it as the transmission is forced into its previous gear setting. A mechanical fault, low transmission fluid, or an error with the transmission computer could cause this problem. We'll investigate and repair your transmission. Most transmission problems are quick and inexpensive to repair if detected when they start. Contact our service department today at Bergstrom CDJR or Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI.

If one of your engine's ignition coils malfunctions, you'll experience the following issues with your car. It's never wise to drive far with a faltering coil, as the resulting misfiring can soon lead to more serious faults. Have a trusted technician at your local CDJR dealership inspect and replace your bad coils without delay. more Your Engine Starts Misfiring Each coil takes electricity from the battery and magnifies it significantly, delivering enough voltage to the spark plugs to ignite the fuel and power the engine's combustion process. If one of your engine's coils fails, the corresponding spark plug will misfire, causing your car to cough and sputter, especially when you slow down at traffic lights. You Lose Engine Power With one or more spark plugs misfiring due to coil failure, your engine's overall power will diminish. You'll find it harder to accelerate in key moments, such as when coming out of a corner, overtaking, or crossing an intersection. You're Stopping More for Gas A faulty coil will cause your engine to burn fuel less efficiently. This means your gas mileage will plummet, and you'll find yourself stopping at the gas station more frequently. Your Car Starts Backfiring When bad coils cause misfiring, an excess of unburned fuel often builds up inside the combustion chambers. This excess fuel can start to leak back toward the exhaust system, igniting as it escapes the cylinder. When this happens, you may hear loud backfiring. You See Smoke in the Exhaust Fuel isn't supposed to leak into a car's exhaust system; it can cause damage as it does, particularly if it reaches the catalytic converter. If a malfunctioning coil results in such a problem in your car, you may see smoke issuing from the tailpipe behind you. Your Car Struggles To Start When you start your car in the morning, the spark plugs need a reliable surge of electricity to get the engine turning over. If any of your coils fail to deliver this voltage, your engine might struggle to start. Your CDJR Dealer Can Diagnose the Underlying Cause of Your Faulty Coil Bad coils can result from a variety of factors, including moisture seeping in from a valve cover leak, an incorrect gap with the spark plug, excessive strain from an unbalanced fuel-air ratio, excessive vibrations, or carbon deposits. An experienced technician at your local dealership can inspect your car's coils, repair or replace them as required, and also diagnose and repair the underlying problem. Visit Bergstrom Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI to have your malfunctioning coils repaired or replaced. We've been faithfully serving the local community's drivers with high-quality vehicles, deals, financing options, and customer care since 1982.

A dead battery is, unfortunately, fairly common and most drivers will experience it at least once. As your CDJR dealer, we want to give you a heads-up on some signs that you need to visit us for a new car battery before the old one fails. more Old Battery This is probably the most common reason for battery failure. The average lifespan of a battery is three to five years. The reason for its relatively short life is the chemicals inside the battery that enable it to store and supply electricity slowly break down as they work. The breakdown of the chemicals reduces the battery's storage capacity and makes it more difficult to store an electrical charge. When your battery is three years old, we advise a battery test. We'll hook your battery up to our computerized battery tester. This machine will probe the battery's strengths and weaknesses and report on the battery's potential remaining life. If your battery is healthy, it's advisable to retest it annually. If the battery is weak, we can install a new one in minutes. Extreme Weather Extreme heat or cold affects your battery's health. While we don't have a problem with extreme heat in Wisconsin, our cold winters can weaken a battery. As we all know, a car takes longer to start in the winter. This is because the lower temperature lowers a battery's electrical output. At 32 F, for example, a battery loses 20% of its power. Extended cold weather, particularly for an older battery, can be a death knell. The electrolyte solution in the battery can freeze and expand. This expansion can cause the battery casing to bulge or distort. While the electrolyte will thaw when the temperature rises again, it's been damaged and your battery could fail. We can't repair this type of damage, but we can fit a new battery for you. Check Battery Light The check battery light will illuminate in response to any issue affecting the electrical system. A worn battery can trigger this light if its voltage output drops below a certain level. A healthy battery should supply approximately 12.4 volts. If the voltage drops to 12 volts or less, sensors attached to the battery will notify your car's computer and the warning light will light up. This light can also be triggered if the battery connectors are loose or the alternator is weak and isn't sufficiently recharging your battery. Our technicians will test your battery and check the electrical system for any potential issues. If the battery is healthy, it can be recharged while we repair the cause of the problem. Don't get stuck on the roadside with a dead battery. Contact us today at Bergstrom CDJR of Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI.