Sacramento Auto Repair

The “Tune-Up” Myth Most of us hardly remember the days of the carburetor, and all the wonderful problems that came with it. When your carbureted vehicle would start running rough, have a hard time starting or have any other drivability symptoms, your local technician would be able to reset ‘the points’ and smooth everything out. Performing that, accompanied with replacement of the spark plugs, ignition wires and a fuel filter would make your vehicle run like new again. Unfortunately, today’s vehicles are all computer controlled, which makes it more difficult to diagnose any drivability issues. In this day and age, a tune-up would really only consist of replacing the spark plugs! Most vehicles today are equipped with ignition coils, fuel injectors and engine sensors (all items that are not replaced with regular maintenance) that controls the combustion process and the combustion timing. Something as simple as an engine misfire could lead to dozens of possi ... read more

Is an Oil Change, just an Oil Change? Many people wonder why the price for oil changes varies so dramatically from shop to shop. You can drive down the street and probably pass by 5 different shops with 5 different prices, ranging from a measly $8 up to $60. There will always be coupons from the big name franchise shops in the Sunday paper, or plastered up on billboards. So what’s the difference between these shops you ask? That’s easy – QUALITY. Quality in the oil, inspection offered, and most of all, the technicians. Most designated “lube only” shops will forego a vehicle inspection, as their main priority is to get you out of there in record time. For us, our main priority is making sure you are on the road with safe, dependable transportation. Every time you bring your vehicle in to our shop, we perform a comprehensive inspection on your vehicle from bumper to bumper. Last year, we purchased state of the art tablets for our A.S.E Certified technicia ... read more

High Mileage without the High Cost It’s truly remarkable how car manufacturers are extending the longevity of today’s vehicles. In the 1950’s and 60’s, if you had 50,000 miles on your vehicle, you’d consider it a junker! Even in 2014, we still have the mentality that once we hit that 100,000 mile marker, we might as well trade it in for a newer model. But I have some good news – their just breaking in at 100,000 miles! It may seem like a scary number, but I’m here to tell you, that most newer vehicles on the road can easily go beyond quarter of a million miles if it’s well taken care of. That’s right! We have quite a few customers that have more than that, and they’re vehicles are running strong! According to the Bureau of Transportation, we are keeping vehicles twice as long. In 1969, the average household would own the same vehicle for 5.1 years. Last year, the average was 9.4 years! We are realizing that paying for our vehicle’s mainten ... read more

Don’t be Held Prisoner by the Dealer Buying a new vehicle can be equal parts exhilarating, and equal parts terrifying. There’s nothing like driving off the lot with a grin from ear to ear in your new wheels. For 36,000 miles, you get to have the peace of mind knowing your vehicle is brand spanking new, and should have no issues. If it does have any issues, you can drive it on into the dealer, and they will repair it under warranty. But what happens after 36,000 miles? Or, whenever your manufacturer warranty is up? Do you need to continue to go to the dealer for repairs? How about maintenance? Do you need to get your maintenance done there for the warranty to be valid? NOPE! Under the Magnuson-Moss Act, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states that it is illegal for the manufacturer, or dealerships, to void the warranty if any repairs or maintenance are done at an independent repair shop. This includes anything performed dur ... read more