Unless you use your vehicle to tow every day for work, odds are you haven’t paid much attention to your truck, SUV, or crossover’s towing capacity. Maybe you’re looking to buy a boat for some summer fun or just need to rent a trailer to get your belongings from one dwelling to the next. Whatever the reason for pulling something behind your vehicle, it’s important to get a firm grasp on what exactly your towing capacity means. Understanding how each of the components in your vehicle contributes to your overall tow rating can keep you from putting undue stress on your rig and keep you and your family safe.

Automatic transmissions aren’t well understood outside of specialists like our technicians here at Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN. While it would be impossible to teach you enough to make you a transmission expert in a quick article, what we can do is give you the fundamental knowledge you need to have a good idea of what your transmission is doing and how it works. Being able to understand how your transmission works will help you identify any problems that may arise to prevent further wear and tear on your vehicle. 

We’ve all been there: You start your car in the morning and begin to back out of the driveway. You hear an unusual noise coming from your car, and it sounds bad. How do you know if it's something you should bring in to us here at Owen Automotive to get looked at? 

Every year, more and more trucks come equipped with turbochargers. What was once a novelty or a performance option has become increasingly common as stock equipment. What are they for, and how do they work? Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN is here to help.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a transmission is working the way it should or not. Is it supposed to make that noise? Is that problem a symptom of the transmission or something else? Fortunately, Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN has the answers.

At Owen Automotive in Oakland, we change many tires that should’ve been replaced long ago. Your tires can go for miles and miles, but there always comes a time to replace them. So how can you tell when the right time is?

It’s likely you’ve been exposed to conflicting opinions about having your transmission fluid replaced. You may have heard that cars over a certain mileage should not have the transmission fluid flushed and replaced, because it could damage the transmission, or you may have had someone tell you the first thing you should do at any sign of trouble is have your transmission flushed. At Owen Automotive in Oakland, our expert mechanics have the answers you’re looking for.

Vehicle belts aren’t that different than the belts that hold up your trousers. They need to fit properly and stay in place, and if they break, sag, or wear out, you’ll probably wish you were wearing a different belt that day. The same goes for the belts in your car. Your engine compartment is a punishing environment, and while all auto belts are made of materials designed to be both flexible and tough, even the toughest materials will eventually wear out due to the extreme temperatures under the hood.

Tire rotations are a part of vehicle maintenance. The purpose of rotating your tires is to make them last as long as possible, prevent your suspension from wearing out prematurely, and keep the drivability of your car in the best possible condition. So when should you get a tire rotation?

Modern vehicles are becoming increasingly complex, and as a result, computer diagnostic systems are becoming a necessity rather than a convenience. At Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN, our state of the art technology and trained technicians are ready to diagnose any transmission issue you may be experiencing with your car, truck, or SUV.

At Owen Automotive in Oakland, the history of cars is a huge topic of interest to us. Here’s an interesting piece of automotive trivia, from us to you.

If you drive a lightweight car, truck, or SUV, the torque converter you have installed is probably just fine. For those of you with more heavy-duty applications, like high horsepower setups or towing rigs, the stock converter may not be enough. At Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN, we can help with that.

Antifreeze is a fluid that’s just as important as oil to the engine in your car, truck, or SUV. You probably already know it’s essential to keeping your engine cool - but it’s important for more than one reason, and does require maintenance besides keeping it full. From Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN, here’s what you need to know about antifreeze.

At Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN, we’ve got every answer to your transmission questions and needs, and answers to a lot of things that fall outside of that realm as well. Today, we’re talking about the ABS light - an issue that plagues many modern drivers at some point or another.

If you drive a Jaguar, BMW, Land Rover, Porsche, Subaru, or other luxury or performance vehicle, the last thing you want to do is start your engine to be met with the sound of a screeching drive belt. Fortunately, we at Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN have you covered.

When something goes wrong with your vehicle, it can be tempting to take the cheapest route. With eBay, Amazon, and the countless other sources for car and truck parts on the market today, many people decide to go that route to save some money. Here we choose only quality automotive parts for our Oakland, TN driver at Owen Automotive because we want to ensure their parts match our commitment to providing them high quality repairs.

Alignment is the position of your wheels in relation to your vehicle and how they interact with the road. When your vehicle is properly aligned, your wheels will point in the same direction as the vehicle. To maintain proper control of your car, you must keep your wheels in proper alignment. Otherwise, steering will become difficult, your tires will wear unevenly and your fuel economy will decrease. 

Whether you drive a Porsche, Audi, BMW, Subaru, Land Rover or another performance and luxury vehicle, your ball joints are an essential part of your car or SUV’s performance and safety. At Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN, we want to give you some tips on what to watch out for to make sure your ball joints are in shape and ready to go.

When a vehicle has trouble starting, many people initially blame the starter. What is the starter, and how do you know if yours has called it quits? At Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN, we want to keep you informed and telling you what to look for will prevent further damage when issues arise. The starter is essentially just an electric motor; a gear at the end of that electric motor engages the flywheel, which turns the engine over, allowing it to start. How do you know if yours is failing?

Your tires are obviously important. However, it’s often underappreciated how much of a difference they make in the ride quality of your car, truck, or SUV, and what they can tell you about the condition of your vehicle. At Owen Automotive in Oakland, TN, we like to keep you well informed on what your vehicle is telling you, and how to keep it in good shape. Your tires have a lot to do with that.