Have you always wondered what a spark plug does? Our team here at R.C. Bratcher, Inc is here to help you out. It's simple in theory but does quite a lot of work for such a small piece of equipment. Your spark plug forces electricity to arc across a gap like a bolt of lightning at high voltage and fits into your engine's cylinder head, where it “sparks” to ignite the fuel and creates combustion within your engine. Without it, you wouldn't be able to drive your car or truck. 

It’s a busy morning, you’ve finally gotten everyone where they need to be and you’re just pulling into the parking lot at work when your dash light starts glaring at you. Your check engine light shines bright, but you have no idea why. Whether you can tell a difference in the way your car, truck, or SUV is running, your car is trying to tell you something. At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we can help!

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we recommend always making it a priority to change your oil on time. Here’s a look into why it’s so important, and what happens if you don’t keep up with oil changes.

Sludge - If oil stays in an engine too long, sludge begins to build up anywhere oil can go. The oil absorbs tiny debris and contaminants, kind of like a liquid sponge - once it’s at capacity, that oil begins to stick, clog, and build up throughout the engine. Small veins that carry oil to components like actuators, turbos, and bearings will become blocked, starving critical components of oil and causing component or engine failure.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, our goal is to keep your car, truck, or SUV shifting and riding as smoothly as it did the day it rolled off the lot. A big part of that is the mounting hardware that keeps the moving parts in your drivetrain running smooth.

Do you hear a funny clicking sound when you turn the wheels of your vehicle? It could be your car or truck's CV or Drive Axle, and it may be in need of repair. Safety is the number one priority for our customers here at R.C. Bratcher, Inc, and it is our goal to keep your vehicle running smoothly. Driving around with a damaged CV Joint or Drive Axle problem can be extremely dangerous. The axle is a structural component that bears the weight of the vehicle, any cargo, and the acceleration forces between you and the ground. It is so important to have your vehicle inspected regularly by a trained automotive repair professional here at R.C. Bratcher, Inc to ensure its safety.

Sometimes your car, truck, or SUV stops performing quite like it used to. At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, we can fix that. A simple but common issue on vehicles equipped with a manual transmission is shifter bushing issues. Your shifter has a bushing on the end of it, where it connects to the actual transmission. Its purpose is to provide tight, smooth shifting. 

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, routine maintenance and repair isn’t the only thing we do. For custom parts installation, you can also count on us. Common modification enthusiasts do is swapping to a short-throw shifter; but what actually is a short-throw shifter, and what does it do?

You’ve probably heard the term “transmission flush” before at some point in your automotive experience. But what exactly does it mean to have your transmission flushed, and why does it matter? R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY has the answers.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, we know buying a used car, truck, or SUV can be a gamble. While there are no guarantees, there are key points of inspection that tell us a lot about the condition of a vehicle and how it has been maintained. There are some important points of the inspection we verify when checking out a used vehicle.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, we know that few problems are simultaneously as simple and confusing as a bad ground connection on your car, truck, or SUV. Here’s a look at some symptoms of a bad ground, and what you can do to correct it.

All the lights on your vehicle have an important job to do. Brake lights, tail lights, blinkers, reverse lights, and headlights are a crucial part of driving. Lights make you visible, make things visible to you, and allow you to communicate with other drivers. All of a vehicle’s lights make driving easier and safer, and all of them are important...not to mention legally required.

In the market for a new car, truck, or SUV? Used cars aren’t always what they seem; here’s some advice from R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro to make sure you get the used car of your dreams.

Chances are you don’t pay much attention to your vehicle’s battery until it dies, when you get to perform the dreary dual task of waiting for a jump while simultaneously calling for an appointment to get a new battery fitted. Of course, that’s if you’re sure it’s the battery that’s dead in the first place. The only way to be certain is to take it in to be tested. However, it generally helps to know the health of your vehicle battery prior to finding yourself stranded.

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, we know that maintenance and repair can go a long way toward keeping your trucks on the road. We also know that sometimes, things have to be replaced altogether. The rear end, or differential, isn’t a component that needs to be replaced often; but when it does, a new one will make your truck feel like new.

Routine maintenance keeps your fleet trucks safe on the road and protects you against unplanned trips to your local automotive shop! One thing a lot of people forget about is to have their coolant flushed. R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY will help you make sure your fleet vehicle is properly flushed every time!

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, the history of cars is a huge topic of interest to us. Here’s an interesting piece of automotive trivia, from us to you.

Transmissions are complex, and over time they will wear out and eventually break. Knowing what to look for will play a key role in preventing your transmission from failing prematurely. At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY we want to give you some insight on how your transmission works and how it can fail.

When your car, truck, or SUV is burning oil, it can be frustrating and costly. There are numerous reasons an engine will burn oil - these range from an altogether worn out engine to a simple part replacement. At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY we want to keep you informed, here's what you need to know about why your engine might be burning oil.

Manual transmissions are durable, reliable pieces of equipment. Still, sometimes problems arise. R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro has the answer to a question that plagues many manual transmissions; why does my transmission pop out of gear?

Cars, trucks, and SUVs use and create multiple liquid substances. Here’s what you need to know about the puddle of liquid under your vehicle, from R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY. There are a few different substances that can pool under an automobile, and some are more serious than others. Knowing what to look for and what to do could save you from hassle with your vehicle in the long run.