Auto Repair in Murray & Paducah

5 Things to look For If you are like most motorists, timing your car’s regular oil changes can get confusing. Conventional advice may give you one recommendation, while your car’s owner’s manual says something else entirely. How can you know for sure when to bring your car in? Here are five signs that it’s time. 1. You Have an Oil Leak Oil smells inside of your car may mean you have an oil leak. If your tailpipe starts emitting smoke, you have another sign of leakage on your hands. Get your vehicle into the local auto center for immediate inspection. 2. Warning Lights Are Illuminated If your car’s check engine or oil change lights are on, you need professional help with your vehicle. Both signals are a warning that immediate maintenance is needed to keep your car working properly. 3. Your Car’s Oil is Dirty Oil that is dark or dirty when inspected with a dipstick needs to be changed. Check your oil once each month to make sure it is still clean, as b ... read more

When all of your vehicle’s wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Hitting a road hazard or even just the normal bumps and bounces of everyday driving in Murray can cause your vehicle’s wheels to be out of alignment. Driving for an extended time around Murray when your wheels are out of alignment results in uneven tire wear. This is dangerous … and expensive. Worst case scenario, you have a blowout on a crowded Kentucky highway. It can also cause premature wear to your suspension system, which can be really expensive to repair. At the very least, you may have to replace your tires years too early. The ideal alignment for your vehicle was designed by its engineers. Alignment service at Harlan Automotive starts with an inspection of the steering and suspension – to see if anything’s bent or broken. Then your friendly and knowledgeable Harlan Automotive technician will look at tire condition. From there, the vehicle is put on a ... read more

A lot of people in Murray, KY  have older vehicles. They’re good commuters, grocery-getters or toy-haulers. They enjoy the  fact that they’re paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their vehicles for 200,000 miles or more – as long as it’s economical to do so. There are plenty of people in Murray whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles. We can learn from what they’re doing to keep our own cars on the road. There’s another reason why the scheduled oil change is so important. It’s simple –we will be looking at your car. All of your fluid levels will be inspected and topped off so they won’t get so low that damage can be done. If there is a significant fluid loss, let’s use brake fluid as an example, we can look for the cause of the loss and find the problem before it leads to an accident or costly repair. Our service technician will also visually inspect the vehicle for worn belts and hoses, uneven tire wear, leaking shock absorbers and mor ... read more

Mike Harlan didn’t grow up with the dream of owning his own automotive repair shop. In fact, he completed his undergraduate degrees in Biology and Chemistry in 1989 and began the process of applying for Medical School before he realized his love for cars. He didn’t go into this challenging industry because he had no other options.  He chose it because he had a genuine love for the trade. His start in automotive repair begins with his own personal story – as a young man who needed a car and who would go to great lengths to make it work. Mike got his first car, a 1973 Chevrolet Camaro, in 1985. He knew the car well, but it had been a few years since he had seen it. It was his good friend’s car when they were in high school. Mike used to help change the oil and make other minor repairs during high school when his friend needed an extra hand. But the years went by and the two parted ways for college, until his friend called him and asked Mike if he would be int ... read more

Mike Harlan didn’t grow up with the dream of owning his own automotive repair shop. In fact, he completed his undergraduate degrees in Biology and Chemistry in 1989 and began the process of applying for Medical School before he realized his love for cars. He didn’t go into this challenging industry because he had no other options.  He chose it because he had a genuine love for the trade. His start in automotive repair begins with his own personal story – as a young man who needed a car and who would go to great lengths to make it work. Mike got his first car, a 1973 Chevrolet Camaro, in 1985. He knew the car well, but it had been a few years since he had seen it. It was his good friend’s car when they were in high school. Mike used to help change the oil and make other minor repairs during high school when his friend needed an extra hand. But the years went by and the two parted ways for college, until his friend called him and asked Mike if he would be in ... read more