Geez, Please Don’t Do This To Your Vehicle

I know I just sent out an email a few weeks ago about cabin filters however a car came in yesterday that made me want to mention this again.

Please don’t let dirt, leaves and debris sit on the edge of the windshield. This will go into your vehicle's ventilation system and can cause serious harm to your vehicle. 

Your cabin air filter is typically behind the glove box in most late model vehicles. (my is behind the glove box) When the cabin air filter is unchanged for long periods of time, the dirt, dust and pollen builds up and is blown into the interior of the car when the heat or A/C is turned on. 

The cabin air filter also helps slow down the amount of road debris, leaves and much more from going further into your ventilation system. A dirty cabin air filter can result in allowing debris into the ventilation system and into the vehicle's evaporator core. This can and often does result in the evaporator core having to be replaced. Replacing an evaporator core is around $2500 to $4000 depending on your vehicle.

Keep in mind that in most cars the cabin filter is located behind the glove box. So if you keep your glove box as messy as mine please remember to unmess it before you come in for service. 

Get Your Car Ready for Summer Vacation

The summer vacation season is in full swing and everybody needs their vehicle serviced and repaired before they go. We tend to be very busy during the summer months so make your appointment 1-2 weeks before you need to head out. Needing brakes, A/C repair or just an oil change give us call 

When you bring your car in we always do an overall safety inspection. During this inspection we will perform the following:

1 - All fluids including engine oil, power steering, brakes, transmission, antifreeze/coolant as well as wiper fluid

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2 - All hoses and belts are checked to make sure they are not cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or showing signs of excessive wear.

3 - Battery checked making sure the connections are clean, tight and corrosion free.

4 - Brake system checked including pads and rotors. We will give you a recommendation of when you will need new brakes.

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5 - Exhaust system checked for leaks, damage or broken supports

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6 - Steering and suspension system checked including struts, ball joints tie rods and other related components. 

7 - Tires checked including tire pressure and tread wear. 

8 - Wipers and exterior lighting checked 

9 - Air and cabin filters inspected

Thanks and have an awesome Summer vacation !

Extending the Life of Your Vehicle

Our Technicians have compiled tips to keeping your car running better and extending the life of your vehicle. Keeping up with your car’s maintenance and getting problems fixed before they become bigger problems are the keys to getting those extra years of life out of your car.

Tips for getting extra years out of your car and saving money in the long run.

1 - Change oil regularly, every 3000 - 5000 miles (longer if using synthetic, 7500)

2 - Check all fluid levels every few months (Transmission, brake, coolant and power steering)

3 - Change air filter (Usually every 6 months, car will get higher gas mileage and run better )

4 - Check tire pressure and wheels (Properly inflated tires give you better gas mileage, uneven wear from being out of balance or alignment causes vibration that can cause stress on the car's suspension).

5 - Fluid flushes (Transmission, brake and power steering flushes. These fluids breakdown contaminated by impurities, dirt, moisture and corrosive properties that cause these systems to have expensive problems.

6 - Schedule a safety inspection twice a year, more often if you do a lot of driving. (We perform a safety inspection with every oil change)

7 - Protect your car's exterior and interior. (Have your car waxed twice a year and keep the dirt and grime from the inside. This will increase your car’s value when it’s time to sell and it just feels better)

8 - Fix the small issues now (Small issues with your car often turn into big issues if they are not repaired in a timely manner, coolant leaks, oil leaks)

9 - Know your car (be sure to glance through your owner's manual to get an idea about your scheduled maintenance, as always we will be glad to help you with your scheduled maintenance)

All of these tips are inexpensive and have a huge effect on how well your vehicle runs. These simple tips will absolutely help lengthen the life of your car.

Cold Weather, Spring Break and Warm Weather Coming

Time has changed and with Springtime arriving it’s time to get some basic maintenance done. With the warmer weather we all become more active so we need to make sure our vehicles are in the best running condition possible. How long has it been since you’ve had a safety inspection ? Did you know that during every oil change we do a safety inspection ? We suggest depending on the amount of miles you drive that you have a safety inspection at least twice a year minimum.

During a safety inspection we will perform a check of the following:

Tires and tire pressure

Battery

Brakes

Hoses

Belts

Air filter

Cabin filter

Wipers

Lights

Fluid levels including engine oil, transmission, brake, power steering, windshield wiper solvent and antifreeze/coolant.

During a safety check we will often catch the small problems before they become big costly issues.

Regular preventive maintenance is probably the single best thing you can do as a car owner to keep your car running safely and save money on repairs in the future.

My Car Made it to 300,000 Miles, Will Yours ?

Nowaday cars are built with better technology, parts and materials so if they are taken care of properly they will go many more miles than cars of the past. The key is “taken care of properly.”

My Scion XB (build by Toyota) just went over the 300,000 mile mark. How could this happen ? Regular preventive maintenance over the years has paid off for me and it can for you to. My cars still runs fantastic.

Here are tips for getting those extra years out of your car and saving money in the long run.

1 - Change oil regularly, every 3000 - 5000 miles (longer if using synthetic, 7500)

2 - Have all fluid levels checked every few months when serviced (Transmission, brake, coolant and power steering)

3 -  Fluid flushes (Transmission, brake and power steering flushes.) These fluids breakdown contaminated by impurities, dirt, moisture and corrosive properties that cause these systems to have expensive problems if not flushed.

4 - Change air filter (Usually every 6 months, your car will run better )

5 - Check tire pressure and wheels (Properly inflated tires give you better gas millage, uneven wear from being out of balance or alignment causes vibration that can cause stress on the car's suspension).

6 -  Schedule twice a year safety inspection, more often if you do a lot of driving. (We perform a safety inspection with every oil change)

7 - Protect your car's exterior and interior. (Have your car waxed twice a year and keep the dirt and grime from the inside. This will increase your car’s value when it’s time to sell and it just feels better)

8 - Fix the small issues now (Small issues with your car often turn into expensive repairs if they are not taken care of in a timely manner. (coolant leaks, oil leaks...)

9 - Know your car (be sure to glance through your owner's manual to get an idea about your scheduled maintenance, as always we will be glad to help you with your scheduled maintenance)

The freedom of not having a car payment is awesome. Yes, my vehicle has repairs from time to time however it is much cheaper than a new car payment for the next 4 - 6 years. It used to be if your car had over 100,000 miles it was time to get a new one. That's just a start on today's vehicles.  We service many cars with 200,000 - 400,000 miles. Regular service and maintenance is the key.

Time to Keep Falling Leaf Debris Off Your Car

Why You Need to Change Your Cabin Air Filter

OK I know the headline sounds a little goofy however this is truly an important subject especially for people who park their cars around trees with falling leaves. When the the leaves, dead bugs and other debris falls it gathers around the bottom of your windshield covering the vents that carry the airflow into your car's cabin air filter. The air then flows into the interior of your car and into the air that you breath.

The leaves, dead bugs and road debris then slowly works through your vehicle's airflow system. Over time the debris will work it’s way to your A/C’s  evaporator core. Eventually as the debris starts building up in your evaporator core the trouble will begin with your A/C system.

You do not want to have to replace your A/C’s evaporator core. That repair is around a $2500 repair and requires the whole dashboard to be removed. Our Technicians make this repair on more than a few vehicles per month.

As part of the regular maintenance of your vehicle you do want to have your cabin air filter checked and changed typically at least twice a year. The cost of a new cabin air filter $45 is so much cheaper that a $2500 A/C evaporator core.

So as silly as it might sound keeping the leaves, dead bugs and debris off your car is an important part of your maintenance that can possibly save you a lot of money. So clean the leaves off your car !

Please see the picture below. This is the cabin air filter taken out of a customer's car yesterday. The complaint was not much air was coming out of the vents.  Yikes !! They were breathing air that came through that mess.