April 3, 2017
Sometimes busy Fort Mill residents dream about going back to the “simpler” days of our grandparents. But if you could travel back in time and take a road trip around SC in a Model T, you might change your mind. The improved designs and quality of today's automobiles have significantly reduced the amount of time Fort Mill residents spend at the side of the road during breakdowns. With proper maintenance, today's vehicles can stay on the road longer than ever before.
Some of those improvements, however, have led to higher repair costs. For example, older cars often broke down from vapor lock. Gas vaporized while traveling from the gas tank to the fuel pump. No gas, no power. The car quits going. The solution was simple — you just sat by the road until the car would start up again. Today's Fort Mill drivers would hardly tolerate that kind of inconvenience, and it's likely that yesterday's Fort Mill drivers didn't care much for it, either. So on today's vehicles, the fuel pump is actually located inside the gas tank. Problem solved. No more vapor lock. The downside is that now it costs a lot more to repair or replace a fuel pump at Fort Mill area auto service centers.
Fort Mill drivers certainly should be grateful for the improvements in auto design that keep us off the side of the road, but it comes at a price. Vehicle care in SC simply costs more than it used to. So if you think about it, Fort Mill drivers can avoid many vehicle repairs by preventive maintenance. If we plan for maintenance, we can avoid a lot of costly repairs.
Just a bit of auto advice from Tuffy Charlotte Metro: If you like new vehicles and can afford them, then buy them. But if you are buying a new vehicle every few years because you're afraid of the higher repair costs for older vehicles, then you ought to take a second look at the numbers. You can save a lot of money on car payments and SC auto insurance with an older vehicle and preventive auto maintenance can help you avoid most car repair bills. And if you budget for preventive maintenance you have done at Tuffy Charlotte Metro, it can become as routine as a car payment — only a whole lot less!
Tuffy Charlotte Metro
9909 Charlotte Highway
Fort Mill, SC 29715
803-802-2466
http://www.tuffyftmill.com

March 22, 2026
You know that sinking feeling when you realize one of your tires has a problem. It may be making an odd noise or behaving oddly when you're driving. You may hit a pothole or curb and one suddenly goes flat. Or you may head back to your vehicle and discover it has one tire deflated without a cl... More

March 15, 2026
When youre driving and you hear a squeal or groan when you turn, it may be a sign your power steering pump is on its last legs. The same is true if you feel your steering is slipping or doesnt respond to your hands like it used to. Precise, responsive steering is, of course, important when it ... More

March 8, 2026
Its just common sense that your vehicle will drive better if all the wheels are lined up with each other and the road the way the engineers intended. When theyre not, that is called being out of alignment. Here are some signs that your alignment has problems. Your steering wheel isnt straight... More