by Admin | Jan 5, 2019 | Auto Care Blog |
Let’s face it, it can cost a lot maintaining a car and getting an oil change in Sunnyvale. A1 Performance Auto Repair knows that and likes to help customers keep those costs down.
Oil Change in Sunnyvale
Getting an oil change in Sunnyvale doesn’t have to cost and arm and a leg. A1 Performance Auto Repair usually has a money saving deal every month to help keep your car maintenance costs down. And these deals aren’t just oil change deals, they are for numerous ordinary services. So, how do you get to find out about these great deals?
Repair and Maintenance Deals
To take advantage of the vehicle repair and maintenance money-saving deals, you have to know about them! The best way to hear about these deals is to subscribe to our newsletter. We let you know in every newsletter which discounts are current.
But don’t worry, we won’t send you emails every day and wear out our welcome. We issue only one email per month. That one email is for our newsletter which is a compilation of recent blog posts, maybe a note from our owner, announcement of who won the latest $50 Amazon Gift Card giveaway and the coupons and savings for the current month.
To sign up for our newsletter all you need to do is fill out that little form to the right of this blog post. You’ll give your name and your email address then push the submit button. You will receive an email that will confirm your subscription, so be sure to look for that right away. It might ask you to reply to confirm.
That’s all you need to do. From then on, you’ll be notified about the savings on an oil change in Sunnyvale for your car or truck when it happens at A1 Performance Auto Repair. We hope to see you soon.
by Admin | Dec 22, 2018 | Auto Care Blog
When selling a car in The Bay Area, you want to get the most you can possibly get for it, of course! Selling your car or truck is a little bit like selling a house, but on the other hand, it is nothing like selling a house. But! Here is what you have to do to get the most cash for it.
Selling a Car for the Most Cash Possible
If you’re a smoker, you have to quit smoking inside the car. And hey, rolling down the windows and tossing the butt is still smoking inside the car. If anyone smoked in there you have to get it detailed and order the upholstery/carpet shampoo package. The smoker car market is miniscule, you need the nonsmokers.
Next, plan to sell it in the spring or summer. This gives you a few months to gussy it up a bit. You want to time this just right. So, do searches on AutoTrader.com for your make, model and year of car and see what the competition is up to. When it is down to a few cars in the spring or summer that are in lesser shape than yours, that is the exact time to list yours.
To get your car fixed up, have it detailed if necessary. But get it hand washed and waxed just before listing it, definitely. Shine sells. Fix every little thing that is wrong with it. All those little bumps, scratches and tears need to become invisible.
If you are going to hit a mileage milestone soon, drive less and sell. A car with 95,000 miles on it sounds a lot more valuable than one with 100,000 miles on it! Sell, sell, sell, and fast.
Good luck with selling your car and purchasing a new one. If you need us for last minute repairs, just give us a call.
by Admin | Dec 15, 2018 | Auto Care Blog
Did that old clunker fail yet another smog inspection? No problem, make a quick grand or more by selling it to the Cash for Clunkers program from the state of California! Oddly enough, they want and need your old jalopy.
Cash for Junk Cars Government Program
The cash for junk cars government program is a division of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The special department is under the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. The specific program’s name that buys your car is CAP Vehicle Retirement.
The point to the state of California buying your car is to get it off the road because it’s lived its life and is now a polluter. How do they know it’s a polluter? It just failed a smog check and it’s going to cost a lot of hard-earned cash to get it to pass. It is best to just put it down, meaning down the throat of a car cruncher. So, how much are they going to give you?
You will receive either $1000 or $1500 depending on your income. If you meet the state’s low income requirements then you will receive $1500. Finally! It literally pays to be poor and all your efforts were not for naught. Being low income is defined by 225% x the Federal poverty guideline. Here is a 2018 chart that gives all the answers.
But! This program is for everyone. If you don’t meet the low income guidelines and you want to sell it to CAP instead of giving it to the junk yard, you will receive $1000.
Of course, there are a bunch of criteria that need to be met. All the different points that you need to meet are spelled out in detail on their CAP Vehicle Retirement brochure page.
You can finally make your family happy by contacting this cash for junk cars government program. End your children’s embarrassment and sell that clunker.
by Admin | Nov 25, 2018 | Auto Care Blog
Some travelers like to just wing it, but others like to plan out every little detail. Road trip planners are for those who like everything on a schedule. Like it was when they were in the Army. Or prison. Anyway, here are a couple road trips planners to try out. They’re free!
Road Trip Planners
The first road trip planner is called Furkot. It helps you stay on schedule by letting you tell it how many miles you want to get in per day. It will let you know which of your preferred type of hotels will be at your stopping point for the day.
You can add stops along the way, review upcoming tourist attractions and drag your route due to last minute changes.
But most of all, it keeps you right on schedule and will warn you that you will fall off schedule. I’m fairly sure that Sheldon Coopers voice won’t be involved, so you’ll have to imagine that part.
Next is Roadtrippers.com. Their trip planner is very easy to use and it has a very cool Airstream icon on the map. It is like Lucy and Desi are out there somewhere roughing it in a KAO. You can click the restaurant icon and it’ll dot the road you are on with numerous eateries. You can also select the type of food you’d like.
When you’re full of food and cool beverages you can select other icons like shopping, points of interest, and sports! And of course, there is a hotel icon. What makes it special is that many of the choices are previewed on the left side of the page with nice big pictures of their establishments.
Roadtrippers has everything the Rand McNally tries to have on a paper map, but it is supersized and goes into depth. It looks like this road trip planner makes the ordinary trip a lot more interesting by letting you know what you’re missing along the way.
by Admin | Nov 22, 2018 | Auto Care Blog
This safety recall involves the 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles. This is a voluntary recall. Please see your dealer if you own one of these cars. They will fix it for you free of charge. The official notice is below:
PLANO, Texas, October 5, 2018 – Toyota is conducting a safety recall involving certain 2010-2014 model year Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Prius v vehicles. Approximately 807,000 vehicles in the United States will be involved in this recall.
The involved vehicles were designed to enter a failsafe driving mode in response to certain hybrid system faults. Toyota has found that in rare situations, the vehicle may not enter a failsafe driving mode as intended. If this occurs, the vehicle could lose power and stall. While power steering and braking would remain operational, a vehicle stall while driving at higher speeds could increase the risk of a crash.
This recall provides a remedy to address a new condition in the vehicles involved in the previous recalls announced in February 2014 and July 2015. The previous recalls did not anticipate this new condition remedied with this recall.
To address this issue, Toyota dealers will update the software for all involved vehicles, at no charge. Toyota will notify the involved customers once the software update is available.
Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is subject to change over time. For the most up-to-date Safety Recall information on Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles, customers should check their vehicle’s status by visiting toyota.com/recall and entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate information. Safety Recall inquiry by individual VIN is also available at the NHTSA site: nhtsa.gov/recalls.
For any additional questions, customer support is also available by calling the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1.800.331.4331 or the Lexus Guest Experience Center at 1.800.255.3987.
by Admin | Nov 14, 2018 | Auto Care Blog
Given that a Prius runs on a battery it is no wonder why car shoppers are concerned and asking, “How long do Prius batteries last?” before they purchase one. But, there is good news if you’re looking to purchase a new Prius.
How Long Do Prius Batteries Last?
You’re smart to ask, “How long do Prius batteries last?” given these types of batteries are very expensive, about the cost of an old used car. The good news is that the Prius battery is guaranteed to last 10 years or 150,000 miles in the state of California. Other states are usually only 8 years or 100,000 miles. The reason they are different is due to the California emissions laws.
If your battery doesn’t last that long then they will replace it for free. You do not have to worry about the dealer pro-rating and deducting the years or miles you’ve had it. They will replace it for free, no matter how long you’ve had the car or how far you’ve driven, if it is still under warranty.
Cost of Prius Battery Replacement
These are expensive batteries to replace at your own cost. They run between $2200 to $2600 depending on the model of your Prius. Labor costs to replace it can run several hundred dollars. If you’re thinking of buying an extra just to have it in case you run out of power, that isn’t advised. It is awkward to install it, requiring a 2nd set of hands and it is easy to damage the battery. It is probably not going to end well, so just let a professional mechanic do the job for you should you have to replace it. If you don’t have to replace it, then don’t.
A Mechanic to Help
A1 Performance Auto Repair is experienced with working on all Toyota models, even the Prius. The next time you need maintenance or if you’re worried about how long your Prius battery power is lasting, stop by and we’ll have a look.
