Taking Care Of Your Vehicle: Brakes

While we primarily focus on auto glass replacement, we often get questions involving other parts of a vehicle and about basic car maintenance. So, here are some tips about taking care of the brakes on your vehicles.

Tips to keep your car from breaking down because of brake issues.

Your vehicle’s brakes are an essential component of your safety while driving. Any issues with your brakes should be taken seriously. Brake issues can put you and your passengers at risk as well as everyone on the road with you. Here are some tips for keeping your brakes in good condition

Practice Safe Driving Tactics

We all want to get where we are going as quickly as possible, but unnecessary wear-and-tear can severely shorten the lifespan of your brake pads. Practice safe driving tactics, like keeping several car lengths of open space between you and the next vehicle while driving. While this can be difficult, and annoying in Atlanta traffic, it gives you the ability to coast and gentle brake instead of the harsh stop-and-g0 tactic that most every driver uses.

Listen & Pay Attention

If you start hearing odd noises when braking or feel any shaking when braking, then it’s time to get your vehicle checked by a qualified mechanic. Brake pads will often make a squealing noise when it’s time to change them out. This is intentionally done to alert drivers to issues. Ignoring signs of issues can lead to expensive damage to other parts of the wheels.

Get An Annual Inspection

Your vehicle needs periodic inspections to identify any issues and prevent them from turning into major, costly repairs. Find a mechanic that you can trust to do an inspection. If they find any issues, it’s okay to get second opinions and shop around.

Finding A Local Brake Repair Shop

Unfortunately, there is a stigma in the auto repair industry of dishonest mechanics tricking drivers into spending excessive amounts of money on unnecessary repairs. Before working with an auto mechanic, do your research. Google them and look at their reviews; specifically, look at what the reviews are saying and how recently they were given.

For instance, we searched for brake shops in Atlanta, GA and found Northlake Automotive located in Tucker, GA. They have a 5.0-star rating with 31 reviews. The general consensus is that they are honest and treat customers like family. Reviewing their website reveals that they have ASE-Certified Technicians with 50 combined years of experience and a variety of automotive repair services.

Get all of your vehicle repairs done in the same place! Our on-site auto glass replacement services can be done wherever you need them to be done in Atlanta and the surrounding area.

Taking Care Of Your Vehicle: Tires

While we primarily focus on auto glass replacement, we often get questions involving other parts of a vehicle and about basic car maintenance. So, here are some tips about taking care of the tires on your vehicles.

Tips For Taking Care Of Your Vehicle

Tires are an important part of every vehicle. If you’ve ever had a flat tire, you know just how annoying it is to have something go wrong with them. Here are some basic tips for taking care of your tires.

Inspect Your Tires Regularly

As with any part of your vehicle, you need to periodically check your vehicle for any issues or needed tune-ups.

Check your tire’s air pressure. This can be tricky if you have a difficult time getting a good reading on the tire gauge. Take a couple of readings per wheel to ensure that you are getting an accurate measurement. You can visually tell if your tires may need more air by standing back about 10 feet from your vehicle and comparing the shape of the tires. Perfectly round isn’t good, but neither is flat. Often, you can compare the tires to see if something is wrong. And the outside temperature can affect the appearance of your tires. Either way, check your tire pressure every month or so.

You should also check your tire tread. A simple way to check is to take a penny and place it into the trends with Lincoln’s head into the tire. If his head is completely covered, you should be good. If not, you should take your vehicle to a tire shop to have it checked out.

Get Regular Inspections

Why are we supposed to go to the doctor every year for a checkup? So the doctor can identify any issues before they become a major issue. Same reason for getting regular vehicle inspections. You want to catch any issues before they become $$$$ fixes.

For your tires, you should take them to an auto shop to have them checked and rotated. Rotating is important because it ensures that your tires are not disproportionately wearing down. Every so often, you should also have your alignment checked and corrected, particularly if you’ve been driving around road construction or areas with uneven or bumpy terrain.

Respect Your Tires

If you mistreat your tires, they will wear down faster. Take good care of them, checking them regularly and getting checkups. You should also avoid traveling at excessively high speeds; high speeds can wear down the tread faster. And, if you think there might be an issue, use your spare tire and get the tires looked at quickly. Speaking of spare tires, don’t neglect it when doing your inspections. You don’t want to be on the side of the road with a flat tire and a flat spare tire.

Finding a local tire shop.

Finding a local tire shop is as simple as Googling it. Check a business’s reviews, available services, and location. Reviews are a quick way to tell if you should do business with a tire shop and what to be aware of.

For example, when we searched for a tire shop in Lawrenceville, GA, we found Global Tires Plus.

Global Tires Plus has a 4.8 star rating on Google with 163 reviews. They are getting consistent reviews and are responding to reviews, so we know that they are actively in business. From the reviews, we can tell that they have great customer service, good prices, and offer a variety of services. A quick glance at their website shows us that they were voted “Best of Gwinnett 2017” and that they have two locations.

So, if you’re looking for auto repair services, do some research and find a local shop to fit your needs.

Do you live, work, or play near Lawrenceville, GA? If your windshield or auto glass gets cracked or chipped, we can bring our expert glass services to your location and get you back on the road quickly.

Fall Weather Driving in North Georgia


On September 23, there was much rejoicing as the Fall season officially started. A favorite season for many people, Fall means Halloween is just around the corner and Thanksgiving isn’t too far off. Beautiful scenery, particularly in North Georgia, and cooling temperatures means camping and vacationing in the North Georgia Mountains.

Fall also means school is in session; hurricane season is in full force. The days are getting shorter resulting in driving in the dark more often.

Here are a few of the dangers of fall that you need to watch out for:

broken windshield on a small carFalling Limbs

Weather changes like more rain and the natural processes of nature often result in a greater likelihood for falling limbs. Falling tree limbs isn’t an issue IF those trees aren’t overhanging your driveway. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a lot of broken back glass (back windows) and broken windshields because of falling tree limbs.

You can prevent the likelihood of damage by surveying the trees surrounding your driveway for dead limbs; if you need help, consult an arborist. We recommend surveying your trees every 2 years at lest.

Dangerous Driving Conditions

Driving in the dark adds extra danger to your Atlanta area commute. Driving in the rain is even worse. The increase in dangerous conditions means a greater likelihood for car accidents.

Remember to be careful when driving in adverse conditions. The speed limit is the safe speed to drive when everything is perfect; when it’s dark, raining, and/or foggy, reduce your speed.

Deer aren’t dear to your car.

As winter comes, deer are going to be seen more often, usually around dusk when driving conditions start to deteriorate. When you’re driving through forested areas, slow down and watch the road. The last thing you want to happen is a deer dart in front of you, causing a crash. Deer accidents can break windshields and cause greater damage depending on your reaction.

Slow Down & Be Safe

Our job is to replace or repair broken glass in your car; but we’d rather not have to do it. Drive carefully and be alert. And if you need us, we’re only a call away. We’ll make it easy on you by coming out to your location to replace or repair your auto glass.

Dangerous Road Conditions Increase Risk of Accidents

Before you head out this morning, check the road conditions and weather forecast. You never know when it could save your life.

We all know that speed limits are posted for a reason – to give guidance to us about what the safest speed is for us to travel on that road. The speed limits take into account the road conditions (ie. the state of the pavement and how curvy the road is), the type of traffic seen on the road (ie. highway versus high pedestrian area), and various other factors. However, there are two things you need to really know about speed limits.

The speed limit assumes that the weather conditions are good (not raining or snowing, etc) and that it is fully lit outside. This is something everyone learned in the basic Drivers Safety courses. If the weather conditions are poor or if lighting is poor, it is your responsibility to adjust your speed accordingly. What happens when you don’t?

On September 29th, 2014, a 18 year old boy was killed when the car he was riding in crashed. Two other passengers were taken to local hospitals for treatment and the driver was arrested. The reason for the crash? The Georgia State Patrol officials say that the driver was going too fast for conditions, lost control of his vehicle, and the vehicle crashed [source].

So, before you head out on the road, whether it’s before work in the morning or after dinner with friends, check the weather and be mindful of the road conditions and speed limits. There are worse things than getting a ticket.

When Are Teen Drivers Most At Risk?

Teen drivers are more accident prone than other age demographics. They are at the most risk for accidents April through July with prom, graduation and summer celebrations. While the most obvious reason is their lack of driving experience, underage drinking is a major player.

AAA did a survey of young drivers and the results were disturbing…

84 percent of young drivers admitted, they would rather drive drunk, or get in the car with a friend who’s been drinking, rather than call mom or dad. It’s a sobering stat, which has AAA “promising” to step in. [source]

This study is sobering when you think about the numbers. No one wants to bury their child, their friend, their student because of a DUI. Thankfully, organizations like AAA are teaming up with local schools to encourage young drivers to sign the “AAA PROMise.”

I promise not to drink alcohol, or to do drugs.

I promise not to drive intoxicated.

I promise not to let my friends drive intoxicated.

I promise my parents I will get home safely on Prom Night.

What can you do to help? Talk about it. If a teen goes into a situation with a game plan as to how to deal with a scenario – like needing to get home but being intoxicated – they are more likely to have a better outcome.

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