Automotive Industry News & Information - R.C. Bratcher, Inc

At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY we care about the safety of our community and the children in it. As the spooky season is quickly approaching, we want to remind drivers of some tips that will help you navigate safely through the sea of trick-or-treaters this Halloween.

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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.

Prevention is better than cure. You've probably heard that said plenty of times. The phrase is most often used to talk about health and medicine, but it is just as valid to apply it to vehicles. It's great if your problem can be sorted without much trouble, but even better not to have a problem in the first place. This is especially true when it comes to your vehicle's transmission, as this can be one of the more specialized parts to repair. Not all transmission problems require an extensive overhaul, but they will all cause at least some trouble and inconvenience. Avoiding transmission problems is clearly preferable to even the problems that are quickest and cheapest repair. This is why it is important to ensure you take good care of your transmission. This will help prevent problems and keep it working smoothly. Ideally, it will mean that it doesn't develop any faults at all. Even if it does eventually go wrong, however, it is entirely possible that good care will mean the fault is less serious and easier to repair than it would have been otherwise. Here's some insight on how to prevent problems from our team here at R.C. Bratcher, Inc.

Your transmission suddenly isn’t shifting right. So what’s wrong with it? Do you need your transmission rebuilt? To find out what’s causing your transmission problem, one of our technicians here at R.C. Bratcher, Inc is going to have to perform a series of tests. Basically, these tests are designed to answer the simple question: “Is it inside or outside?” That is, is the problem inside the transmission, or in one of the many control systems that operate the transmission?

It is inevitable that the sun will rise and set each day - so too is the inevitability of clutch wear if you drive a vehicle with a manual transmission. Unlike the sun, however, you have a lot of control over how fast that wear occurs. Here’s some information on riding the clutch, and why you should stop doing it!

What is “riding the clutch”? - Let’s start by defining exactly what we’re talking about here. “Riding the clutch” is one of many phrases in automotive slang, which circumnavigates the explanation of something sort of complicated. Any time your clutch pedal hangs out in the purgatory between fully depressed and fully released, except for the purposes of shifting or acceleration, you’re riding the clutch. Avoid using the clutch pedal to manage speed as much as possible. If you’re sitting at a stoplight or a stop sign, you might catch yourself letting the clutch out halfway to keep the car at a standstill instead of using the brake, or taking advantage of the clutch to drive slowly.

If your transmission isn’t shifting correctly, you’ll want to be careful about how you choose to proceed. The best thing to do is turn the vehicle off and have a professional take a look at it, but if that isn’t an option, there are some steps you can take to ensure nothing gets damaged. At R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY we can take a look at your issues and also give you some tips on what to do when that option isn't available yet.

Auxiliary transmission coolers are one of many ways the aftermarket can improve the quality and durability of your vehicle. From R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY, here’s some information concerning auxiliary coolers, why you might need one, and what it can do for you.

These days, many four-wheel-drive systems are electronically controlled - a button is pushed to engage four-wheel-drive, which activates a solenoid in the transfer case, shifting it into gear. What happens when yours stops working? R.C. Bratcher, Inc in Owensboro, KY has the answers.