by A1performance123 | Oct 13, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
Fall car care tips for this autumn include preparing for rain in the Bay Area. Some weather experts are predicting an end to La Nina, which means finally some nice rain will be on the way. With rain, comes certain car concerns.
Fall Car Care Tips
Tires are one of those things you rarely think about until one of them blows out. Without cold weather and a lot of rain to remind you, you might have worn out your tires and don’t yet realize it. When you are going to hit wet roads, you need good tread to keep your wheels on the road and out of the ditch or worse. So, the first task on the fall car care tips list is to have your tires checked.
It isn’t enough to check the tire tread yourself. Your tires could be rotting from the inside and they are all working together plotting a disaster for you. You will need to have them checked by a professional. The less you paid for the tires, the more important this task is.
Windshield wiper blades are another thing everyone loves to put off. They are not that expensive, so they should be replaced every year or two. Make it a point to ask the mechanic at A1 Performance Auto Repair to replace them the next time you are in for an oil change.
Your average driver doesn’t know what it feels like to have worn out brakes. They might make a weird sound, but most often they do not. Around the Bay Area it is easy to wear out your brakes from going down steep hills often. Every year you should have your brakes examined by your mechanic. If you have never had your brakes checked then put it on this year’s fall car care tips to do list.
by A1performance123 | Sep 22, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
The smog abatement fee in California saves you a lot of time, trouble and money. This is the fee that you pay instead of getting your car smogged. But, do you qualify for this program?
Smog Abatement Fee
In most cities in California you are required to provide a smog certificate once every other year to the DMV. However, if your car is 6 years old or less then the state of California assumes that your car is going to pass the smog certification test. For these cars you will pay a smog abatement fee of $20 for each year for the first six years.
The fee that you pay to skip getting that smog certification might or might not save you money, depending on the smog price for your car. If your cost is only $35.00 for your car every other year then you’d save money just getting the smog. However, it is a hassle to have done and most people would rather just pay the yearly fee with their registration. Additionally, if an adjustment should need to be made to your car for some reason, of course that costs an additional charge. With the abatement program, you avoid having to deal with that.
You don’t have to worry about knowing when you will have to start getting those certificates again. Your car’s registration renewal notice will have a notice on it letting you know that you will need to get one that year.
Where Smog Certificates Happen
When your car gets a little older and a little more tired out, the smog abatement fee will no longer be an option for you. You will need to start taking your car in to get a smog certification every other year. If your registration renewal says it is that time, stop by A1 Performance Auto Repair. We often have specials for smog certification to save you a little cash.
by A1performance123 | May 18, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
Car battery care tips for new cars are pretty much common sense. If you’re driving with a new battery then you’ll only have an occasional problem like when you leave an interior light on all night. But if your car is several years old then car battery problems can be frequent and you need to do some maintenance.
Car Battery Care Tips
If you aren’t up to monkeying around with your car, then you can pay the road rescue fee on your insurance. One phone call will have someone come to your rescue right away and usually the cost for this is less than $30 per year. Car battery care tips aren’t for you. That upgrade on your insurance or AAA membership is totally worth it.
When you have a car that is three years old or more and enjoy doing a little tinkering here and there, there are some car battery care tips you should follow. First, keep your battery clean. Knock lose any built up acid on the terminals or cables. If the cables are worn and showing wire then have them replaced right away.
Avoid driving in the desert frequently in the summertime. You will wear your battery out quickly when you need to run the air conditioning full blast as soon as you get into the car. If it is over 100 degrees outside you’ll need the air to run constantly, especially in stop and go traffic. When driving like this is a necessity every day, spend the big bucks for a maintenance-free battery with a 3-year warranty. Keep the receipt in the glovebox with your car’s manual. When the battery wears out sooner than that, return it for a new one.
A1 Performance Auto Repair
Some simple maintenance can give you an extended battery life. But, sometimes living in the desert can create an intolerable situation for your battery. The best car battery care tips in that case is to buy a top of the line battery that has a great warranty from A1 Performance Auto Repair.
by A1performance123 | Mar 16, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
Vehicle service and warranties come with your brand new car, and even many used cars. But when that warranty runs out a company will call you up and tell you that you should purchase a contract to extend your warranty in a service contract. Lots of promises are made about covering repairs, too. So, should you buy it?
Vehicle Service
The Better Business Bureau says you should definitely not buy the vehicle service contract, also known as the extended warranty. They get an amazing number of complaints about these contracts. Consumers file complaints against these companies for misleading advertising, failure to pay for covered repairs, and going out of business and abandoning them.
These contracts for vehicle service can cost thousands of dollars or just hundreds of dollars. They usually have fine print that gives them gaping loopholes that allow them to pay for nothing. They are in the business of making money, and not in business to spend money on your car. And they take that lack of duty to their customer very seriously.
The Better Business Bureau’s Report
Most of the vehicle service extended warranty companies are located in Missouri. The BBB says that the worst offenders (as of 2011) are National Dealers Warranty, doing business as Stop Repair Bills; Service Protection Direct or Protection Direct; and Car Safe or Dealer Preferred Warranties. The Missouri Attorney General has sued them all. For more information on these scam types of companies, see the BBB’s report on this particular industry.
Local Businesses
These extended warranty type of companies should not be confused with your local auto repair shop that offers an oil change contract or other vehicle service agreement. Local businesses have valid plans that are usually a good deal for their customers. It is the types of companies that are mentioned in the BBB’s report that are the rip off.
by A1performance123 | Mar 9, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
The Car Care Center needs to see you in the springtime to do some checks and maintenance on your vehicle. There are other things you need to do, as well.
Car Care Center
Visit your car care center, or auto mechanic, in the spring. Your mechanic will need to check your tire pressure and adjust it. Drastic changes in temperature will change your tire’s air pressure. The season’s change is also the perfect time to change the oil, oil filter and do other miscellaneous maintenance. Spring is a revival time in nature and it can be for your automobile, also! Give it a fresh start with the new season.
Update Policies
One auto related task is usually forgotten until it is too late. That is to check your auto insurance policy. Go through all the fine print and make sure you understand what you are being charged for and what it covers. If you are well on your way to building your fortune, make certain you have enough coverage for liability, medical and property damage. Sure, you aren’t going to plow into someone, but somebody might plow into you without insurance. So, make sure you have the coverage you need and get rid of the coverage you do not need.
Your tires should be checked by a tire seller, also. It is very easy to go well past your tire’s tread expiration in California. Without much rain, you don’t realize the tire tread is worn out until you go into a slide on the wet, slick road in a sudden cloud burst. Have a tire professional determine if your tires are still in good shape or if they need to be changed out.
A1 Performance Auto Repair
A1 Performance Auto Repair is here in Sunnyvale with certified auto mechanics as your car care center. Stop by soon for your spring maintenance and a tire check.
by A1performance123 | Mar 2, 2016 | Auto Care Blog, Auto Mechanic
An oil leak from your car is a real aggravation. Everywhere you park the car, in your driveway, at your friend’s home, on the street in front of your house leaves that telltale sign of the problem, the greasy puddle. It is bad for the environment and making you crazy. So, what needs to be done about it?
Oil Leak
The first thing you need to do is to put a big piece of cardboard on the ground where you park your car. This should catch the drips and stop the problem of the oil puddle on your driveway or on your garage floor. That should help until you have the time to go to the auto mechanic to have the oil leak fixed.
The Cause of the Leak
An oil leak is usually from a worn out engine gasket, old pan seals or degraded valve cover gaskets. Repairing those issues to stop the leak usually isn’t that expensive. It is well worth the money to not have that toxic puddle on your garage floor anymore.
To let the oil leak go for the long term is an expensive proposition. Your car or truck running low on oil all the time or running out of oil can cause a costly problem with your engine. When oil is leaking, you just have to find the time to get it fixed by the auto mechanic. While you can put it off for a few weeks usually, providing you’re checking the oil daily, letting it go for months is not a good idea.
Where to Get Auto Repairs
A1 Performance Auto Repair has experienced, certified auto mechanics that can get your oil leak repaired quickly and properly. Stop by the shop soon so that we can take a look at your car or truck and assess the cause of the problem and get it fixed for you.
