Freeman Motor Company Official Blog
Archive for the ‘Freeman Motor Service & Autospa’ Category
“The Truth About Cars” Lotus Evora 400 Review
Wednesday, June 13th, 2018
Click below to see what people think of the new Lotus Evora 400! These beautiful vehicles are now available at Freeman Motor Company in Portland Oregon!
700 Miles and Running: To Track Night and Back With the Lotus Evora 400
Where to get auto detailing in Portland OR
Friday, March 2nd, 2018
If you are looking to give your car something special, then you need to consider auto detailing. We can tell you where to go to get auto detailing in Portland, OR, and we can also explain what auto detailing is, how it works, and what other services you can get for your car in the area. (more…)
Imported Car Service Near Portland, OR
Thursday, February 1st, 2018
When your luxury import needs a little work done, don’t bring it to any old repair shop, bring it to our service center here at the Freeman Motor Company where our highly-trained and knowledgeable technicians will get you back on the road in no time at all.
Engine’s Air Filter keeps your Car Breathing
Wednesday, January 24th, 2018
Changing your engine’s air filter is one of the least expensive ways to keep your vehicle running reliably and smoothly. Our team at Freeman Motor Service will advise you to keep your car in good health.
Timing is EVERYTHING
Wednesday, July 6th, 2016
A timing belt, or chain, keeps the engine internals moving in harmony with each other. Think of the engine like a clock; regardless of how fast the engine is spinning the timing belt/chain keeps the engines assembly from rotating too fast or too slow in relation to itself. The timing belt/chain is very important to the engine as it keeps it from destroying itself.
A timing belt, is made of kevlar, and rubber with high tensile fibers. Newer, or more expensive timing belts are made from HSN (Highly Saturated Nitrile).
Timing belts are usually quieter, however, they are more susceptible to contamination from oil or water leaks and require regular service intervals. Timing chains are metal and don’t have service intervals, but they are vulnerable to stretching.
Timing belts are meant to be serviced. Changing a timing belt out is easier than a timing chain because timing chains are not designed to be serviced. The downside to a timing chain is the expense given it does fail. The upside is that failure with a timing chain is not very often.
The symptoms your vehicle might have if a timing belt or timing chain needs servicing include: check engine light (for timing problems) or misfires that are not electrically caused. The rhythm and harmony of your engine depends so heavily on the proper timing.It is NEVER recommended to put off the aforementioned symptoms as you risk the chance of sever damage to your vehicle’s engine.
We recommend you have your timing belt changed at the factory intervals, and have your vehicles check engine lights checked at reputable service center.
Author: Colby Gregg – Freeman Master Technician
Check out this helpful video:
Manual VS Auto
Monday, June 20th, 2016
Perhaps, with traffic seemingly always getting worse people just don’t want to deal with that pesky third pedal. After all, it’s pretty easy to get into a car and shift into drive. But is it as fun ?
Vehicle engineers are designing automatic transmissions so good that its hard to fault anyone for not buying a manual anymore. Take BMW’s M5, for instance, it has a twin clutch transmission that is capable of handling more than 500hp but will allow the car to doddle around town. Having that much power on a manual would require stiff clutch springs and this in turn would create a very stiff or heavy clutch feel. Not everyone wants that in a luxury car.
Better still when you go to use all that power the transmission changes to an aggressive set up at the push of a button. Millisecond up-shifts, rev matching down-shifts, and when your done, hit the button and its back to normal.
Options you wouldn’t have with a manual, it’s hard to argue in favor of the latter. Lightening fast shifts, it will never have a woefully embarrassing mis-shift, and if you feel the need to shift manually, you have the shift paddles located behind the steering wheel.
On paper, the new automatics are the way to go, or are they? Sure you’ll never mis-shift, but at the same time you’ll never get it right either, because technically you didn’t do anything, the car did. That rewarding feeling of not popping the clutch on a hill and pulling away seamlessly. For me, as good as the new automatics are, they take away the mistakes, and thus the reward for getting everything right. For me the 2-3 upshift is an incredibly rewarding shift when driving a vehicle, and consequently going back the other way is just as fun.
Rev matching on down shifts getting that perfect heel/toe motion as you prepare for the next corner. I love all the foot work that goes into shifting and driving a manual transmission. It makes the driving experience so much more cohesive, driver and machine as one. Not that you can’t get that feeling driving an auto but I can’t help but feel I’m missing out on something.
Don’t get me wrong, automatic transmissions are great, long drives and heavy traffic why bother with a manual? Furthermore the unfortunate reality is that scenario is likely what your car will see the most of. Still though, I hold on to my manual, inching along in traffic waiting for the weekend country drive that makes it all worth it.
Luckily, I am not the only one who feels this way. BMW will be offering the new M5 in a manual transmission albeit only available in the American market place but hey, its a start.
Author: Colby Gregg
