8 Warning Signs That Car Repair Is Imminent

Having your car serviced regularly is vital if you want to keep it in safe and working condition. Even with yearly services, things can go wrong. There are a few things that need to be checked sooner rather than later.

Your Car Pulls

If your car pulls to one side or another while driving, this needs to be looked at. If it is pulling without applying the brakes, this is a sign of the wheels being out of alignment. If the car is pulling when you depress the brake pedal, this could be a sign that your brakes need to be adjusted. Get this fixed before major problems arise. Also take a look to кърти, it is interesting.

Backfires

While this was not uncommon in the vehicles of 20 years ago, you should not have to deal with car backfires now. If your car is backfiring you need to have a mechanic check this out. It could be a problem with the fuel mixture. A backfire will sound similar to a gunshot, it is not something you can ignore.

Oil Light Is On

If your oil light comes on, or flickers on and off while driving, you should have the oil checked and changed right away. Driving around like this can cause serious damage to your engine. In the future, check your oil levels regularly to avoid this.

Brakes Feel Spongy or Press All the Way Down

If your brakes take on a spongy feeling, or you have to depress the brake to the floor before you can slow down or stop, it is time to take the car in for brake repair. Spongy brakes may be air in the brake line, which is simple to fix. But pressing it all the way down can be something more serious, and very dangerous.

Knocking Sounds

If you hear knocking sounds in the engine, it is time to pull over and call a mechanic. This can be caused from a number of things, and none of them are good news. The bottom line, it is time to have the car checked out to avoid further damage.

Overheating or No Heat from Heater

Believe it or not, your heater not working could have something to do with the cooling system in the vehicle. If the car is overheating this can create major problems that will be costly to repair if you do not get the car to a shop right away.

Smell Exhaust In the Cars Interior

If you can smell exhaust while you are driving, this could mean a problem with the exhaust pipe or catalytic converter. This is not safe to drive, and you should have the car repaired as soon as possible.

Several Fuses have Blown

While blown fuses would not signal a major problem in most cases, if you are blowing a lot of fuses, or have to replace a fuse several times, it could signal a serious problem with the electrical system. Do not take a chance on this, and have it checked out as soon as you can.

Jeremy Babcock is the owner of Automotive Procare. His shop is a full service auto repair facility in Rochester, MN. Jeremy employs ASE master certified technicians and 100% customer satisfaction is his most important priority.

Car Repair That You Don’t Need

Here's Todays piece of advice.

Warm Regards,
George

Car Repair That You Don’t Need
Posted by admin - December 11th, 2010

It happens all too often. You walk into a car repair shop to have a problem addressed, usually something quite obvious and simple such as a cracked side view mirror or maybe just a regular oil change. Once you go to pick up your vehicle, the mechanic meets you with a grave face. He discovered something that needs “urgent” attention and will also inflate your bill by hundreds of dollars. He pretends to be helping you, because after all, he didn’t need to give your car that extra, free inspection. Unless you know a thing or two about the inner workings of cars, you feel a bit weak and at his mercy.

Stop! Before you’re tempted to relinquish your keys for another few days while your auto gets poked and prodded for no good reason, you need to investigate whether you’re being scammed or whether your mechanic actually did help you dodge a bullet. Some shady mechanics make big business by performing unnecessary repairs or simply by claiming they have completed them when in reality your car just sat on the lot. But you might think how could you possibly find out the truth?

The easiest way to avoid unnecessary scams is by choosing a trustworthy mechanic. This is often the trickiest part. If you have a local shop that you frequent, they may use multiple mechanics throughout the life of your auto. Ask friends and family for recommendations and experiences with local mechanics. Look online for consumer reviews if available. Most importantly, visit and chat with the car repair mechanic for a few minutes before even mentioning your car’s problem. Signs of a professional, honest auto shop include fairly clean and organized premises (a bit of grease is to be expected of course), cars being serviced orderly and efficiently, qualifications and certificates displayed, and easily understandable service contracts.

Another way to avoid unnecessary repairs is to keep tabs on your car yourself. If you perform regular maintenance such as oil changes and engine checks, the less likely it is that you will suddenly have an unexpected repair. Ensuring you bring your car in at the first sign of problems can also help ward off unwanted car repair. If your mechanic does bring up some extra work that needs to be attended to, ask him to show you the problem and walk through it with you. Ask for all prices up front as well as time estimates.

One of the worst scams a car repair shop can pull is charging you far over the estimate or performing another job without first getting the approval from you. This is illegal and unacceptable. All car repair shops should contact you the moment they believe the job will cost more or if they think there is another problem that needs to be addressed. Ask for the price of parts up front as well. There is a good chance you can shop around and find a better deal than what is on offer.

By Alfred Ardis

Q&A: No car can 'run away' with its driver.

Hey Out There,

Another good piece of information...

By PAUL BRAND - Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

QUESTION: I drive a 2009 Toyota and have a fear of a runaway vehicle. The dealer has test-driven the vehicle and told me it's OK. What advice do you have?

ANSWER: Check with the dealer to see if your vehicle has been covered in any recalls or technical service bulletins. More importantly - and this applies to every car owner and motorist - please remember that a motor vehicle cannot "run away" or continue to accelerate unintentionally if you simply shift into neutral or turn off the ignition key. Every driver, regardless of what vehicle they drive, should practice these simple procedures so that their response will be automatic.

Modern motor vehicles will not "over-rev" in neutral with the throttle open. The engine limiter will hold the engine at about 4000 rpm by cycling fuel delivery on and off. So shifting into neutral will disengage the vehicle's drive and acceleration while maintaining the power steering and power brakes.

• http://www.startribune.com

But even turning off the ignition while driving will not disable the steering or brakes. You will lose power assist to these systems, meaning you'll need to apply more physical effort to steer/stop the vehicle, but the steering and brakes will continue to operate and allow you to control the vehicle.

And finally, please remember that you cannot turn the key to the "lock" position unless the transmission shift lever is in park - so you cannot unintentionally lock the steering by turning the ignition off.

Identify and practice these simple procedures to prepare yourself - just in case.

Motorists have right to choose oil change shop

Americans throughout the country rely on oil change facilities for convenient local service. In order for these small businesses to be able to serve their customers, they must have access to the safety alerts and repair information necessary to provide service and safety checks on today's modern vehicles.

We have a growing concern that important repair information from vehicle manufacturers is being denied or not released in a timely manner to our members, including simple filter applications and fluid capacities that are fundamental to basic vehicle maintenance.

I think most motorists would agree that they should not be forced back to the dealer for any service, particularly something as simple as an oil change. Passage of the Right to Repair Act would ensure that all automotive repair facilities, including quick lubes, remain competitive so that car owners can conveniently and affordably have their vehicles serviced at the shop of their choice.

The Right to Repair Act has bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. Please send a letter urging your members of Congress to support the Right to Repair Act by visiting www.righttorepair.org.

Leanne Stump

Executive director

Automotive Oil

Change Association

8 Warning Signs That Car Repair is Imminent

Having your car serviced regularly is vital if you want to keep it in safe and working condition. Even with yearly services, things can go wrong. There are a few things that need to be checked sooner rather than later.

Your Car Pulls

If your car pulls to one side or another while driving, this needs to be looked at. If it is pulling without applying the brakes, this is a sign of the wheels being out of alignment. If the car is pulling when you depress the brake pedal, this could be a sign that your brakes need to be adjusted. Get this fixed before major problems arise. Also take a look to кърти, it is interesting.

Backfires

While this was not uncommon in the vehicles of 20 years ago, you should not have to deal with car backfires now. If your car is backfiring you need to have a mechanic check this out. It could be a problem with the fuel mixture. A backfire will sound similar to a gunshot, it is not something you can ignore.

Oil Light Is On

If your oil light comes on, or flickers on and off while driving, you should have the oil checked and changed right away. Driving around like this can cause serious damage to your engine. In the future, check your oil levels regularly to avoid this.

Brakes Feel Spongy or Press All the Way Down

If your brakes take on a spongy feeling, or you have to depress the brake to the floor before you can slow down or stop, it is time to take the car in for brake repair. Spongy brakes may be air in the brake line, which is simple to fix. But pressing it all the way down can be something more serious, and very dangerous.

Knocking Sounds

If you hear knocking sounds in the engine, it is time to pull over and call a mechanic. This can be caused from a number of things, and none of them are good news. The bottom line, it is time to have the car checked out to avoid further damage.

Overheating or No Heat from Heater

Believe it or not, your heater not working could have something to do with the cooling system in the vehicle. If the car is overheating this can create major problems that will be costly to repair if you do not get the car to a shop right away.

Smell Exhaust In the Cars Interior

If you can smell exhaust while you are driving, this could mean a problem with the exhaust pipe or catalytic converter. This is not safe to drive, and you should have the car repaired as soon as possible.

Several Fuses have Blown

While blown fuses would not signal a major problem in most cases, if you are blowing a lot of fuses, or have to replace a fuse several times, it could signal a serious problem with the electrical system. Do not take a chance on this, and have it checked out as soon as you can.

Jeremy Babcock is the owner of Automotive Procare. His shop is a full service auto repair facility in Rochester, MN. Jeremy employs ASE master certified technicians and 100% customer satisfaction is his most important priority.

Featured Car Repair Salinas Customer Review

Here's a 5 star customer review I found on an old google maps listing.

Honest Service (that walks the walk, and talks the talk) I originally went to this shop for a smog certificate, per the recommendation of the previous owner of the used car I had just bought. When the owner and his sharp employee took the extra time to discover why my car would not pass smog, and this just flawed me, at NO extra charge. They corrected the problem, and the car passed smog. Since then I have brought my car, and my wife's car here for repair.Since my wife is a stickler for going to the car dealer for All repairs, I was very surprised to find out that "All City" had the same, or better prices than the dealer. An HONEST auto repair shop!

I've been to "All City Emissions and Car Repair in Salinas,  and whole heartily agree with the above review.

George

Brake Repair-Common Problems and Solutions

Hi There,

Just came acrross this article on car brakes. It's on a site called CarReapairSalinas.com

The average car owner knows little about brake repair and the interior workings of their braking system. When you start to notice a problem with your brakes, you take the car to the mechanic to have it fixed. While most mechanics are trustworthy and honest, you may wonder if you are paying for unnecessary fixes. Learning a little about common problems and solutions to this crucial part of your car can help you feel confident.

 

If you want to read the rest of the article, click here