If you drive a car with a manual transmission, you already know you have a clutch. But what exactly is it, and what does it do? At Frank May Garage in Akron, we believe that knowing a little more about your car better prepares you to keep it maintained. Here’s what you should know about your clutch disc.

What does a flex plate do, and how do you know if yours is faulty? Your vehicle may be telling you things you may not know. Frank May Garage in Akron has the answers you need.

At Frank May Garage in Akron, we know that some of the most elusive issues with any car, truck, or SUV are often caused by the simplest of malfunctions. While you might consider a gas cap fairly innocuous, it can actually malfunction too, prompting a check engine light on your dashboard.

At Frank May Garage in Akron, OH, we know that hearing you need a new transmission is a dreaded affair. Here’s some advice from the transmission experts on how to prevent that day from coming.

Ride quality is an essential part of your driving experience. At Frank May Garage in Akron, we strive to keep your car, truck, or SUV as smooth and comfortable to drive as the day it came off the lot. Your shock absorbers play a huge role in ride quality; here’s what you should know.

We know you’re busy. At Frank May Garage in Akron, OH, we also know that while there are certain issues with your car, truck, or SUV you can ignore for a while, some of them shouldn’t wait. While serious issues are often obvious, sometimes they aren’t - ball joints are one such case.

If you drive a standard shift car, truck, or SUV, there’s a good chance reliability was a factor in your decision to get a stick shift. However, from time to time, even a manual transmission needs to be serviced; when it does, Frank May Garage in Akron has you covered.

At Frank May Garage in Akron, OH, we know the key to making your vehicle last; good maintenance. An overwhelming percentage of the problems we see, especially the really catastrophic ones, are a result of poor maintenance. While properly maintaining a vehicle can seem like a bit of a hassle, it is absolutely worth the payoff. Good maintenance is the only difference between a car that lasts 80,000 miles and a car that lasts 400,000 miles. Preventative maintenance and repair when a problem occurs are your two concerns, and both will keep your car on the road far longer if observed properly.

Road trips are a lot of fun, and often unpredictable. For all the miles you will be driving we always recommend preparing for any situation. With this checklist from Frank May Garage in Akron, you’ll be prepared for whatever comes your way.

Have you always wondered what a spark plug does? Our team here at Frank May Garage 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. 

At Frank May Garage in Akron, 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?

It’s likely you’ve been exposed to conflicting opinions about having your transmission fluid replaced. You may have heard that cars over a certain mileage should not have the transmission fluid flushed and replaced, because it could damage the transmission, or you may have had someone tell you the first thing you should do at any sign of trouble is have your transmission flushed. At Frank May Garage in Akron, our expert mechanics have the answers you’re looking for.