Travelling can be difficult, and traveling can be fun. The difference usually comes down to how much preparation you do in advance, and how many unplanned obstacles you meet along the way. A great way to avoid setbacks, mishaps, and stressful situations is to make sure your car, truck, or SUV is ready to hit the road. Here are some important points to check before travelling, from Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, FL.

Gauges are your first, and often only, line of defense in catching a major problem before it’s too late. At Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, we know that sometimes a faulty gauge is overlooked when the truck is still running fine and there’s a busy day ahead. However, gauges are extremely important, and are typically easy to repair.

Have you always wondered what a spark plug does? Our team here at Nott's Automotive is here to help you out. 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. 

It’s a busy morning, you’ve finally gotten everyone where they need to be and you’re just pulling into the parking lot at work when your dash light starts glaring at you. Your check engine light shines bright, but you have no idea why. Whether you can tell a difference in the way your car, truck, or SUV is running, your car is trying to tell you something. At Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, FL, we can help!

At Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, FL, we recommend always making it a priority to change your oil on time. Here’s a look into why it’s so important, and what happens if you don’t keep up with oil changes.

Sludge - If oil stays in an engine too long, sludge begins to build up anywhere oil can go. The oil absorbs tiny debris and contaminants, kind of like a liquid sponge - once it’s at capacity, that oil begins to stick, clog, and build up throughout the engine. Small veins that carry oil to components like actuators, turbos, and bearings will become blocked, starving critical components of oil and causing component or engine failure.

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 Nott's Automotive, 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 Nott's Automotive to ensure its safety.

Sometimes your car, truck, or SUV stops performing quite like it used to. At Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, we can fix that. A simple but common issue on vehicles equipped with a manual transmission is shifter bushing issues. Your shifter has a bushing on the end of it, where it connects to the actual transmission. Its purpose is to provide tight, smooth shifting. 

At Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, routine maintenance and repair isn’t the only thing we do. For custom parts installation, you can also count on us. Common modification enthusiasts do is swapping to a short-throw shifter; but what actually is a short-throw shifter, and what does it do?

At Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, FL, we know buying a used car, truck, or SUV can be a gamble. While there are no guarantees, there are key points of inspection that tell us a lot about the condition of a vehicle and how it has been maintained. There are some important points of the inspection we verify when checking out a used vehicle.

All the lights on your vehicle have an important job to do. Brake lights, tail lights, blinkers, reverse lights, and headlights are a crucial part of driving. Lights make you visible, make things visible to you, and allow you to communicate with other drivers. All of a vehicle’s lights make driving easier and safer, and all of them are important...not to mention legally required.

In the market for a new car, truck, or SUV? Used cars aren’t always what they seem; here’s some advice from Nott's Automotive in Sarasota to make sure you get the used car of your dreams.

Chances are you don’t pay much attention to your vehicle’s battery until it dies, when you get to perform the dreary dual task of waiting for a jump while simultaneously calling for an appointment to get a new battery fitted. Of course, that’s if you’re sure it’s the battery that’s dead in the first place. The only way to be certain is to take it in to be tested. However, it generally helps to know the health of your vehicle battery prior to finding yourself stranded.

Routine maintenance keeps your fleet trucks safe on the road and protects you against unplanned trips to your local automotive shop! One thing a lot of people forget about is to have their coolant flushed. Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, FL will help you make sure your fleet vehicle is properly flushed every time!

At Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, the history of cars is a huge topic of interest to us. Here’s an interesting piece of automotive trivia, from us to you.

Transmissions are complex, and over time they will wear out and eventually break. Knowing what to look for will play a key role in preventing your transmission from failing prematurely. At Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, FL we want to give you some insight on how your transmission works and how it can fail.

Manual transmissions are durable, reliable pieces of equipment. Still, sometimes problems arise. Nott's Automotive in Sarasota has the answer to a question that plagues many manual transmissions; why does my transmission pop out of gear?

Cars, trucks, and SUVs use and create multiple liquid substances. Here’s what you need to know about the puddle of liquid under your vehicle, from Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, FL. There are a few different substances that can pool under an automobile, and some are more serious than others. Knowing what to look for and what to do could save you from hassle with your vehicle in the long run. 

At Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, we know how annoying a dead battery can be. Here’s some information on the subject, that will hopefully help you understand your battery issues a little better.  If your battery dies after your car, truck, or SUV sits for a few hours, the battery itself isn’t necessarily the problem. While having the battery tested is a good place to start, many people mistakenly make a bad battery diagnosis, when actually something in the electrical system is to blame.

Routine services are routine for a good reason. Schedule them with us here so we can be sure that your vehicle stays in the best shape. Here’s a look into what happens when routine services aren’t performed, from Nott's Automotive in Sarasota, FL.

Ah, windshield wipers. Like so many indispensable things in life, we tend not to appreciate them until they’re gone. But what if all drivers had a basic understanding of the wonderful world of wipers, enabling them to identify problems early and choose replacements wisely? We like that idea. Accordingly, we’ve put together a crash course that should bring your knowledge up to speed. Your automotive windows to the world require dependable wipers, so let’s learn more about these unsung heroes.