Have you always wondered what a spark plug does?  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. 

The spark plug must have an insulated passageway for this high voltage to travel down to the electrode, where it can jump the gap and, from there, be conducted into the engine block and grounded. The plug also has to withstand the extreme heat and pressure inside the cylinder, and must be designed so that deposits from fuel additives do not build up on the plug.  Spark plugs use a ceramic insert to isolate the high voltage at the electrode, ensuring that the spark happens at the tip of the electrode and not anywhere else on the plug; this insert does double-duty by helping to burn off deposits. Ceramic is a fairly poor heat conductor, so the material gets quite hot during operation. This heat helps to burn off deposits from the electrode.

HISTORY TRIVIA:  171 years ago this month, the first known spark plug was invented by Edmond Berger, historians say. Unfortunately, Berger failed to patent his spark plug invention, so documented history points to Sir Oliver Lodge of England, whose sons parlayed the “Lodge Igniter” into a profitable company founded in 1903.

What a beauty. This JASPER Remanufactured Ford 302 engine is very cool, it includes custom paint, intake and valve covers. Plus a 3 Year | 100,000 Mile Nationwide Parts & Labor Warranty. Stop by and talk to us here at Gateway Auto Clinic in Kettering about your vehicle restoration project or any car or truck engine that you are having issues with.  If we can't fix it then a JASPER remanufactured engine may be a great fit for you. BUILT IN THE USA - Celebrating 75 Years in 2017!

Yes, this is an easy diagnosis once you SEE it.  However, most drivers don't look at the tire tread so lifting the hood and checking out the belts and hoses let alone thinking about a water pump simply isn't going to happen.  That's why our Kettering drivers depend on Gateway Auto Clinic to keep their maintenance up to date and ensure this never happens. 

So how do you know if you have a bad water pump?  What are the signs?  A major red light may start flashing in your driveway when you see a pool of liquid under your car when you are not running the A/C.  If it looks like coolant on the pavement there is a problem.  If you are driving down the road and your temperature gauge is is going up instead of remaining stead, there is a problem because your water pump will keep the temperature at a fairly stable range.  If your dash light comes on it's another indicator that there is an issue.  If you experience any of these issues, schedule an appointment or give us a call here at Gateway Auto Clinic promptly to avoid major repairs and a water pump that looks like this!

It's the National Day to Be Happy!!!! Kicking off the Month of Happiness Happens! We didn't know here at Gateway Auto Clinic in Kettering but were all for it when we discovered there is "actually" an official group, the Secret Society of Happy People that organized in 1999 and created the Admit You're Happy Day.  It's a genius idea and a holiday with the premise that happiness is unlimited and contagious so sharing your happiness can bring joy to other people's lives. 

The process and idea was so contagious that the Society expanded and the celebration of happiness the next year and the entire month of August is Happiness Happens Month! 

***Plus in 2012, the United Nations declared March 20th as the International Day of Happiness so this whole idea of Happiness is really a fantastic idea and we wanted to share it with our Kettering drivers!!!