Thom's Four Wheel Drive

Most vehicles have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of CHICAGO drivers only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in CHICAGO. You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down shift for hills, stuff like that. Think of your legs as the engine – there's an ideal speed you can pedal and you change gears to leverage the work you're doing.Lower gears for power on hills or for starting out. Higher gears for more speed. That's what the automatic transmission does – it automatically starts in lower gears and shifts up to higher gears to go faster on Illinois roads. And it automatically shifts back down to climb CHICAGO hills, pass or start up again.Vehicle automatic transmissions have certainly gotten more sophisticated in recent years. They have more speeds than before: the base is four speeds, five is very common. At Thom's Four Whee ... read more

Modern CHICAGO vehicles have several computers on board that control all kinds of things like engine functions, transmission shifts, traction control, anti-lock brakes, stability control, emissions – and on some vehicles, even steering, braking and the throttle.Think about that for a minute – things that used to be controlled by simple mechanical connections now have electronic controls that rely on computers, software and sensors. It's no wonder that when something goes wrong with their vehicle it can be pretty complicated for CHICAGO drivers to track down the source of the problem.To help your service advisor at Thom's Four Wheel Drive figure out what's wrong, your vehicle is equipped with on-board diagnostics. The Check Engine light comes on to tell you there's a problem and the engine management computer stores a trouble code. Your friendly and knowledgeable Thom's Fou ... read more

Everyone in CHICAGO, Illinois eventually replaces their tires, whether it's because they're worn out or they're just looking for something different. There are so many great tire choices in CHICAGO, it can be difficult to sort them out. Let's group the broad spectrum into several categories that will help in the selection process.One category is often referred to as "summer tires". Summer tires are designed to be driven on the road when temperatures are generally above 45 degrees F (7 degrees C). Their tread design is optimized for traction on dry roads around Illinois and they're also able to effectively displace water on rainy roads.So if you live where its summer all year round, these tires will work well for you. If you like maximum performance in warm weather, but still live where it gets cold and snowy, you'll want to change your summer tires for winter tires as the weather starts to change.There's a range of tires within the winter tire category. If you live where there's a lot ... read more

When your vehicle has a problem or just needs some routine service, you might get a little nervous. Your vehicle's so important to your life in CHICAGO, you need to get back on the road as soon as possible – with the problem fixed right the first time.If you've ever checked into some of the technician training Thom's Four Wheel Drive professionals receive, you may be surprised at how much specialized knowledge and skill goes into diagnosing and repairing a modern car. For example: Today there are four cylinder engines that generate more power than the 1980s-era V-8's. I mean a new V-6 Toyota Camry could beat Sonny Crocket's Ferrari in a race to 60 mph/100 kph. Our engines are more and more powerful and at the same time their fuel economy keeps inching up – even with steep CHICAGO gas prices. They are also amazingly reliable: Kudos to the automotive engineers. But the advances come at the price of simplicity. The modern v ... read more

Having trouble with your fuel system? Bring your vehicle into Thom's Four Wheel Drive for a check up.In today's Thom's Four Wheel Drive auto post,we're talking about fuel system cleaning. The first thing to know is how important it is to have a clean fuel system. CHICAGO residents need fuel to go, and the cleaner the fuel system, the more efficiently the fuel will burn. That means more power and better mileage .A clean fuel system saves money for CHICAGO drivers at Illinois gas stations. We guess you could say it all starts and ends at the pump. One of the most important things CHICAGO residents can do to keep their vehicle fuel system clean is to buy good quality gas. Major brands have detergents that keep gum and varnish from rapidly building up in the fuel system.So buying cheaper gas in Illinois can actually be more expensive for CHICAGO drivers in the long run. Now, most cars on Illinois roads are more than five or six years old. That means they've had time f ... read more