Exhaust systems are one of the most neglected aspects of most vehicles. Exhaust pipes, catalytic converters, and mufflers are exposed to heat, emissions, and road damage. While your exhaust system is fairly simple and straightforward, these conditions mean it is inherently prone to rust and damage. As a result, this system is often one of the first systems you will have trouble within your car.

We know you’re busy. At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO, we also know that while there are certain issues with your car, truck, or SUV you can ignore for a while, some of them shouldn’t wait. While serious issues are often obvious, sometimes they aren’t - ball joints are one such case.

Does your steering wheel feel like it’s fighting you when trying to drive in a straight line? Does your truck turn too aggressively when you try to go one direction, and poorly when you try to go another? There are a few possibilities as to what it means if your truck resists going in a straight line. Rhodes Engines in St Charles has the answers for you.

Once your transmission has been replaced and you’re shifting smoothly once more, you’ll probably want to keep it running smoothly. Here are some tips from Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO to help keep you reliably on the road.

Trucks aren’t like cars...your average personal vehicle usually holds about 5 quarts of oil, and you are supposed to change it every 3-5k miles. However, the same logic doesn’t apply to large trucks. At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO, we know how important proper oil changes and diagnostics are to keep your truck on the road, for hundreds of thousands of miles. Here’s what you need to know:

Trucks aren’t like cars...your average personal vehicle usually holds about 5 quarts of oil, and you are supposed to change it every 3-5k miles. However, the same logic doesn’t apply to large trucks. At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO, we know how important proper oil changes and diagnostics are to keep your truck on the road, for hundreds of thousands of miles. Here’s what you need to know:

Sometimes it is EASY to see if your car or truck needs to come into our shop for professional repairs! 
1.  You see steam rising from the engine!
2.  The Check Engine Light is on!
3.  The engine starts, but there is an odor that is not right.
4.  You hear grinding or thumping noises.

Nothing works if your transmission doesn't work!  Simply put you are going nowhere without it and it is the one thing that both car and truck drivers alike never think twice about until it really acts up or they have no power or simply don't move forward.  Most of us have a newer car or truck with an automatic transmission in it vs. a standard transmission so do not notice that it is slipping gears until the problem is really serious so the question is how do you get the most out of your transmission?  The obvious answer is to take care of your transmission with scheduled service per your owner's manual recommendation but we have put together a simple checklist for our St Charles drivers to help them become "transmission aware" as it were.

At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, we know how much efficiency matters. When it comes to your truck, it’s equally important. Obviously, a huge chunk of your operating cost is fuel consumption, which is largely dependent on the truck's design. Fortunately, there are ways to greatly increase the efficiency of your truck, regardless of shape or size.

At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO, we see our fair share of warning lights and dashboard notifications. If your ABS light is illuminated, here’s what you need to know.

Once you know what's in your transmission, and what’s connected to it, it’s much easier to understand how it works. Let's take a look at how it all comes together. At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO, we want to make sure you know how your car works so you can keep it in great condition.

At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO, we pride ourselves on specialty knowledge and ability. Once you’ve settled on a transmission to invest in, it’s important not to cut corners on the homestretch. We’ve got you covered here and you can expect top quality repairs for your top quality product.

Road trips are a lot of fun, and often unpredictable. For all the miles you will be driving we always recommend preparing for any situation. With this checklist from Rhodes Engines in St Charles, you’ll be prepared for whatever comes your way.

At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, we understand how important safety is in the world of truck driving. The stakes are higher in a big truck; potential for damage is obviously far greater, to you, your cargo, and other people on the road. Here are some easy tips that go a long way.

Have you ever noticed your dashboard ABS icon lit up? If you have it means there is an issue that needs to be diagnosed, ABS issues don’t need to be ignored long. The anti-lock braking system, or ABS, is an important feature on every modern car, truck, or SUV. It has been legally mandated since 2013 in the US but was standard on almost every vehicle even prior to that. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your ABS system doesn’t fail, from Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO.

Automatic transmissions aren’t easily understood outside of specialists like those at Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO. While it would be impossible to teach you enough to make you a transmission expert in a series of articles, 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.

At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, we’re not only here to fix your truck when something goes wrong...we’re here to help you understand your truck a little better, too. Here are some tips concerning your thermostat - how it works, what to watch out for, and what to do about it when one fails.

Transmission slippage can be caused by a variety of factors that are sometimes difficult to pin down. From Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO, here’s a rundown of the more common issues that may cause a transmission to slip. Our highly trained technicians are ready to get you going with a top transmission.

You’ve likely encountered someone talking about their car or truck transmission "slipping”. What does that mean, why does it do it, and where do you go from here? At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, MO, our trained staff has the answers to get you safely back on the road. Transmission slippage is certainly one of the most dreaded issues you face as the owner of a car or truck’s and there are some indicators that let you know that something is wrong.

At Rhodes Engines in St Charles, we know an important part of your ability to care for your transmission lies in your knowledge about how it works. Here is some information on the tow button, if your car, truck, or SUV is equipped with one.