Speak Up: Talking with Your Charlie's Fast Lube Anna Service Advisor
April 28, 2024
About 80% of the vehicles on Anna roads today are behind on their preventive maintenance schedules. That translates to about 160 million vehicles in the United States that aren't performing as well as they could be - thousands right here in Illinois. Some of the maintenance issues are minor. Othe... More
Have a Ball! Know your Ball Joints (Ball Joints)
April 21, 2024
We all have joints in our own skeletal system, but did you know your vehicle has some joints of its own? One of the most important is called a ball joint. One of the interesting things is that it's somewhat similar to the ball and socket joints we have in our hips and shoulders. A ball joint all... More
Fuel System Cleaning at Charlie's Fast Lube Anna
April 14, 2024
Is your vehicle sometimes hard to start early in the morning? When you turn the key, does it hesitate or stutter? If so, the problem could be the result of a dirty fuel system. Your vehicle's fuel system starts with the air filter and ends in the top of your engine. Over time, different parts of ... More
Charlie's Fast Lube Anna On Your Serpentine Belt
April 7, 2024
Today we're going to be talking about serpentine belts for our Anna, Illinois, customers. Let's start by talking about the accessories that are driven by the serpentine belt. First is the alternator. That's the device that makes electricity to power the vehicle and recharge the battery. Then th... More
Let?s Shift Gears (Transmission Fluid Replacement)
March 31, 2024
If you have a vehicle with an automatic transmission, you probably never think about gear shifting. When motor vehicles were invented, all of them had to be shifted manually. But that wonderful self-shifting transmission, referred to these days as simply an automatic, changed everything. Automa... More
The Charlie's Fast Lube Anna Guide to Servicing Your Differential
March 24, 2024
Differential? What's that? And what's it for? I've been told by my service advisor that I need to get it serviced, but is that on the level?Do these questions sound familiar? They're not uncommon for Anna drivers. A lot of us in Anna don't know what a differential is or what it's for. Every vehi... More
Why Alignment Matters (Vehicle Alignment Maintenance)
March 17, 2024
It's one of those things that can happen on a multi-day road adventure or a quick trip to the grocery store. You hit a pothole, go too fast over a speed bump, nail a curb. When it happens, you think, "I wonder if that was hard enough to do any damage?" But things seem ok and you continue on yo... More
A Turn for the Worse (Using Turn Signals)
March 10, 2024
Distracted driving is bad, you know that. Daydreaming, talking on the cell phone, putting your makeup on in the rear view mirror. All bad. But there's something else that causes more than twice as many accidents, according to a recent study. And that's people who don't use their turn signals.... More
QUIET TIME (Listening for Vehicle Problems)
March 3, 2024
Everybody's got friends like this. You know, the kind who, the minute they get in their vehicle and turn the key, the sound system is deafening. They just love to hear that music, sports, news anything but the sound of the vehicle itself. And maybe you're that person, too. Here's something to ... More
The Daily Grind (Grinding Noise)
February 25, 2024
If your vehicle makes a grinding sound when you turn the steering wheel, it's speaking to you. No, really, it is. So listen to what it's saying and you could avoid a much more costly repair down the road. A grinding sound coming from the front of your vehicle when you are turning can offer some... More