by Admin | Mar 26, 2019 | Auto Care Blog
If you have a chipped or cracked windshield you’d probably love to have it fixed, but you think you can’t afford it. Well, here is some great news that’ll make your day.
Change Windshield Glass
You can change the windshield glass for free. And better yet, they will stop by your work, home or wherever you are and doing it there.
Almost all windshield repair companies fix windshields from their van. They’ll make an appointment with you wherever you are. They’ll come to your home, work or even while you’re in your dance class. Pulling out the old glass and putting in new glass is a quick process for these professionals. They can do chip repairs quickly, too.
Your Insurance Deductible
If you’re concerned about having to pay that $250, $500 or $1000 deductible, forget about it. Almost all windshield repair companies waive the deductible for you. They want to make sure you have a good windshield in order to drive safely, so they are willing to work for what the insurance company pays them. So, no deductible payment is required. You pay nothing. Sounds great, right? Well, there is a bit of a catch for some people.
Unfortunately, this deal doesn’t include everyone. Those people who never elected to have comprehensive insurance, don’t have this coverage. Comprehensive is the insurance that you must have if you have a loan on your car. It covers any damage to the body of the vehicle. Most people drop this coverage when the car gets older and the loan is paid off. If you’re not sure if you have comprehensive coverage, give your insurance agent a call to find out.
Who to Call for the Fix
To change the windshield glass or get a repair for free, you can call just about any windshield repair company. Ask them if you need to pay the deductible. Most of the time they will say no. Now go get that windshield repaired right away.
by Admin | Mar 20, 2019 | Auto Care Blog
There is one auto repair shop that has great rates on an oil change in Sunnyvale, CA. That place is A1 Performance Auto Repair. Here is what you need to do to get the very best price at this auto mechanic.
Oil Change in Sunnyvale
To get the best price on an oil change in Sunnyvale, you need to go to A1 Performance Auto Repair. But first, you should check the Deals Page on their website. Quite often there is a deal going on for oil changes. There will be a coupon listed for the traditional oil change and sometimes for synthetic oil change.
The great thing about getting your oil changed at A1 Performance Auto Repair is that they do a thorough check of your car when they do an oil change. They’ll check for unusual wear on belts, hoses, tires, check fluid levels. In all there are 21 different things they check to head off any problems that could cause a break down. A1 wants to make sure you have a safe car to drive.
If problems are found, you’ll be notified of the issue. The mechanic will explain if it is a repair that needs to be made right away or if it is something that can wait a while until you get around to fixing it.
Getting the Oil Change
At A1 Performance Auto Repair all repairs and oil changes are done with scheduled appointments. We find this allows us to better serve our customers and have shorter wait times for oil changes and other maintenance services.
Give us a call to schedule your oil change in our Sunnyvale location by calling (408) 530-0089. If you need a ride back to your office nearby, as about our shuttle service.
by Admin | Mar 13, 2019 | Auto Care Blog
A1 Auto Repair has two locations now! The original is still located in Sunnyvale, CA, and specializes in all makes of cars. Our new San Jose, CA, location specializes in European makes of cars only.
A1 Auto Repair
A1 Auto Repair is what many of our customers call us, but our official name is A1 Performance Auto Repair and our new San Jose location is A1 Performance Auto Repair European Specialists. Both locations are owned by Cliff Do.
We are proud to be certified by:
- ASE Blue Seal of Excellence
- ASE Certified
- Diamond Certified
- State of California Emissions Licensed
Additionally, we were awarded Best of 2015 by Best Businesses Best of Sunnyvale, CA. We are particularly proud to have earned that award for our Sunnyvale location.
Our customers are very loyal to A1 Auto Repair and there is a good reason as to why. The mechanical skill of Cliff and the rest of the team is what it takes to quickly diagnose the problem with a car or truck and fix it right the first time.
We believe, as you do, that we should fix only what is broken and fix it properly the first time you come in with the complaint. We are not in the business to keep you coming back to fix the same thing, changing out parts willy nilly. We do honest work and fix only what needs repair. Being able to diagnose the problem accurately, allows us to do that.
Stop by A1 Auto Repair the next time you need your regular maintenance and get to know us. We know you’ll think of us as your favorite mechanic once you experience are customer service and mechanical ability. We are always there when you need us and we enjoy keeping your car or truck on the road.
by Admin | Mar 5, 2019 | Auto Care Blog
Bad rotors are an expensive problem. Sometimes you can save a little money and machine them and other times not. Here is how to know the difference.
Bad Rotors
When you hear some grinding when you come to a stop or your brake pedal goes so much lower than it used to, you probably need a brake job. Replacing the brake pads is not all that expensive. It is when you have bad rotors that the brake job is several hundred dollars more. This part isn’t cheap and the mechanic always recommends replacing them, why?
Your options are:
- Replace just the brake pads
- Replace the rotors too
- Have the rotors machines
- Sell the car
Why Replace Rotors?
The mechanic will always tell you to replace the rotors, not because he wants you to spend more, although that’s an attractive option for the mechanic. He wants your car to operate in the best possible way when he is done with your car repair.
If you don’t replace the rotors and you chose the option to have them machined, you can save a little cash if they are very lightly grooved. But machining won’t get the deep grooves out of the rotors. This means it’ll make a lot of noise still and it will grind up your brand-new brake pads like a kid with a bag of Halloween candy. Just say no to machining. It really is not the best option in most cases. There was a day when rotors were machined, but those days have long since passed.
For the best price and to ensure your car will have brakes that will last a long time, and have quieter stops, choose to spend a little extra on brake pads to get the ones that are quieter. And choose to replace the rotors.
Replacing Brakes
If you’re concerned about your brake wear, call for an appointment for a brake check at A1 Performance Auto Repair and we’ll take a look at them.
by Admin | Feb 26, 2019 | Auto Care Blog |
There have been some changes to the smog abatement fee rules in California. There are changes to the amount of the fee, which vehicles are exempt from smog certification and which are exempt from having to pay the fee.
Smog Abatement Fee
The smog abatement fee is now $25 for cars that are 7 and 8 years old. If you have a 7-year-old vehicle and you got a smog certificate, then you are exempt from having to pay the smog abatement fee.
Cars that are 8 years old or less, are exempt from having to get a smog certification.
If your car is 6 years old or less, you must pay a $20 annual smog abatement fee. This is the rule that has been in effect in prior years. There is no change to this particular rule.
More Information
For more information on how to figure out which rule effects you. See the DMV Page for Abatement Fee Changes for 2019. This page also covers how this might affect your vehicle registration, title transfer and procedures.
Where to Get Smogged
A1 Performance Auto Repair can test your emissions and issue you the certificate you need, if your car is old enough to require it. Call our office for an appointment to have your smog check done.
You can save $10 on your smog certification test by asking to use our coupon, providing it is still a current special on our Deals Page. Check out our deals page for the smog coupon as well as for other auto maintenance and repair specials.
Auto Repairs and Maintenance
Whenever you need an auto repair, maintenance or smog certificate, give us a call for an appointment. We are a busy shop and as much as we’d like to squeeze you into the schedule, it isn’t always possible. So, give us a call and we will schedule an appointment for you. Smog abatement fee change information is just a courtesy, we have no relationship with the state of California. Always check their website for the most current information.
by Admin | Feb 20, 2019 | Auto Care Blog
We’ve all done it. You pull into the gas station, unscrew the gas cap and place it on top of the car. Then slide your credit card in the machine, put gas in the car, replace the pump’s handle into the slot and then jump in the car and go.
Gas Cap
Your car will run a little weird for the next 400 miles or so, but you figure you’ll take it to the mechanic when its convenient. Eventually, you’ll need fuel again and you see you do not have a gas cap any longer. You drove off without putting it back on at the last fueling. Ugh. Now what?
Gas Cap Heaven
There is a place where all gas caps run free. They all live together in a gas smelling, dirty, oil stained cardboard box – at the gas station. You find most makes of cars represented in the box. Think of that box as a public service gas cap swap.
Go to any gas station and ask for the gas cap box. They’ll hand you a box full of them. Just start twisting them on and off until you find one that fits like your old one did, until you abandoned it, left it crushed in the middle of the parking lot. Or worse yet, you let it slide off the car into oncoming traffic to be pummeled into dust. Pity.
Sure, you could go to the dealer and order a new one or find a replica of your old one on the Internet, but why? You can just go down to the gas station near your house and get one for free. Without the wait.
Hopefully in the future you’ll have a gas cap with a little safety cord on it that connects it to the car. You’ll find that it is a lot harder to loose, unless you drive off with it bouncing around by the cord for days until it breaks free. Those can join the others in the box, too. If you need help finding just the right one, we’ll get you a new one at A1 Performance Auto Repair. Stop by.
