by A1performance123 | Feb 24, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
Today’s Car Care Tips are to help you with keeping your car tidy in the California Drought. It looks like the lack of water is going to stay for a long while yet. You used to wash your car every weekend? Well, not anymore! Infrequent car washing does come with its own special issues. Here are ways to handle those as they come up.
Car Care Tips
Until March 31, 2016, it is illegal to wash your car at home using potable water. So, if you have some sort of recycled water, washing your car is OK. But, it is going to look like you’re using drinking water. So, it is best to take your vehicle to a commercial car wash that uses recirculating water. You’ll avoid getting into trouble and avoid having to prove you’re doing it properly later.
One problem you might run into with the lack of frequent car washing is mineral build up on your windshield. If you run your wipers and squirt windshield fluid, but the streaks are not budging, it is probably mineral build up. When it rains or your car it hit by a sprinkler, the water dries and leaves the mineral residue. Put some white vinegar in a spray bottle. Squirt it all over your window then rinse. It’ll take that right off.
Another car care tip from the “believe it or not” file, is the easy way to remove tar from the car body. If you picked up some tar on your paint from road construction, rub a fabric softener dryer sheet on it. The sheet will instantly melt the tar right off. Wash and rinse off the residue.
Good Car Care
Your mechanic at A1 Performance Auto Repair is always happy to share his knowledge and give you more car care tips when you come in for your auto maintenance. See you soon!
by A1performance123 | Feb 17, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
If you have a red fluid transmission leak, it could be a very minor fix, or it could be a major problem. Here are some things to think about to try to guess which it is. Whatever the reason it is leaking, it needs to be fixed right away. Transmission leaks are very bad for the water supply and will poison wildlife, so they should be fixed as soon as you notice it.
Transmission Leak
When you see that red fluid building up on the driveway then you know it is a transmission leak. This could have come from loose bolts making the transmission pan loose, allowing fluid to drip out. The transmission drain plug might need tightening, because it wasn’t tightened enough when you had the fluid changed recently. These are easy things to fix and your auto mechanic can stop that transmission leak in a jiffy.
A slightly more serious situation is when there is a transmission leak due to a worn out gasket. The gasket itself is only about $20-$30 and is easy to get to, so the repair is fairly inexpensive. Other problems can be rocks have damaged the transmission bell housing or fluid lines, but those leaks are severe and not a slow drip. You’d likely lose all the transmission fluid when it happened.
Get It Fixed Sooner rather Than Later
The transmission fluid that is leaking onto the ground can really upset the environment by poisoning rodents and insects, damaging the wildlife food chain in the surrounding area. It will get into the water supply, also, and the Bay Area has plenty enough water problems already. Stop by A1 Performance Auto Repair as soon as you can to have the repair made to stop the leak. Chances are that it is a quick and inexpensive repair.
by A1performance123 | Feb 10, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
How to change oil from your truck or car is fairly straight forward. Unfortunately, there are some downsides to doing this these days. But, in a nutshell, you unscrew the nut on the oil pan, let it drain out, change the oil filter, put a new filter on, and then screw the nut back on the oil pan. Then you refill the oil. It sounds easy, no? Well, it is, until you find out more.
How to Change Oil
How to change oil for your vehicle is something your dad may have already shown you. Today, there are regulations. No longer do you just take the old oil into the back woods and dump it. In the Bay Area you can also NOT put it in your trash. So, what do you do with it? You need to take it to a motor oil recycling center.
Frequently, when inexperienced mechanics or car owners try to change the oil in their car something goes wrong. The nut could be rusted and then you cause damage to the car in an attempt to get it off. Also, many times the nut gets put on cockeyed, leaving it leaking or worse.
Some people will change the oil, but try to save a little money by not changing the filter. That old filter will make the new oil very dirty, negating any new oil benefit.
Get a Professional Oil Change
How to change oil might be easy, but considering that many things can go wrong and you have to take the old oil to a recycling center, it is better to just let the professionals do it for you. The cost of an oil change is very low these days, because auto shops, like A1 Performance Auto Repair use it as a leader item to get you to come in for the first time. For $20-$40 or so, it isn’t worth the mess and trouble when you do it yourself.
by A1performance123 | Feb 3, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
Tire rotation is important to get the longest life out of your new tires. There are other ways to extend the life of your tires, as well. Your tires, especially if they are high end quality, were expensive. Of course, you want to get as much time out of them as you can.
Tire Rotation
There are two schools of thought on tire rotation. There are those who are in the auto shop getting their tires rotated every 6,000 miles like clockwork. Then there are others who think rotating tires is something they recommend just to get you into the shop to sell you more auto products and services. Well, the latter might be true if there is never anything amiss with your alignment or frame of your car. If there is, it can really chew up your tires before you notice it. Going to the auto mechanic every 6,000 miles to have your tires rotated will even out the wear and catch the alignment problem quickly.
Tire Safe Driving Habits
Californians are not all that used to driving in wet conditions these days, as the drought continues to fry the landscape. If you didn’t grow up in a place with a lot of rain and snow, your wet road driving skills might be rusty. But, everyone needs to keep in mind that the first hour or so of rain is going to be very slippery on the road. Without much rain in the Bay Area, the roads get oil and other chemicals built up on the roads. There isn’t frequent enough rain to keep that cleaned off. So, when it rains, it is more slippery than roads in rainy parts of the country. Drive very carefully leaving extra room between you and the car in front of you. Gently press the brakes to stop slowly. Think of it as walking on a sheet of ice in dress shoes and you’ll prevent yourself from sliding into another car.
by A1performance123 | Jan 20, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
The Tesla Service Center that is closest to Sunnyvale, CA, is located in Fremont, CA, and the next closest is San Rafael, CA. This is an important consideration if you are thinking of purchasing a Tesla. The drive without any traffic is about 1.5 hours to San Rafael, and with traffic it can take about 3 hours.
Tesla Service Center
If you have a Tesla, it needs to be serviced once per year in a Tesla Service Center. Just going to any mechanic will not do. It has to be a Tesla center. You can use a Tesla Ranger. This is a Tesla Mechanic that will come to your office or home to work on your vehicle. Most services can be performed by the Ranger and they’ll do it wherever you are. However, if the maintenance or repair needs a car lift then you will have to get your car to the nearest Tesla Service Center.
The Tesla Consumer Reports Rating
There is a lot of talk these days about Tesla. Many things about the company are just plain revolutionary in the car industry. This tossing of the apple cart is so revolutionary that it is upsetting some states and their vehicle sales laws. But, if you’re shopping for one and you’re ok with having to make the long drive to the Tesla Service Center when you need repair or some maintenance, pay attention to what Consumer Reports found out, according to the Detroit Free Press. The Consumer Reports’ testers loved the Tesla Model S, stating it was the best car they’ve ever driven. However, consumer’s feedback was quite a bit different. Actual Tesla owners said that the car was full of maladies of all sorts. So poorly did it score with the average driver that Consumer Reports can no longer recommend it.
Non Tesla Service
If you’re driving another type of car and don’t need a Tesla Service Center, A1 Performance Auto would love to be your auto mechanic. Stop by this week to get your oil changed and meet the certified mechanics.
by A1performance123 | Jan 6, 2016 | Auto Care Blog
Following a car maintenance checklist is an easy way to keep your car running great. It also helps keep your car from needing unnecessary and costly repairs. You spent a lot of hard earned cash to buy your car, so keep it running great and avoid a breakdown.
Car Maintenance Checklist
Some maintenance items you probably already know, but make it a point to do them regularly. The complete list for your own make and model of car is in your manual. It is important to take the time to read it and create a car maintenance checklist. Keep that checklist in your glovebox and give it a look once per month to make sure you stay on top of things.
Common Maintenance Tasks
- Check fluids monthly: engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant, wiper fluid, etc. Make sure they are clean and full.
- Check tire pressure every month to make sure it is the correct PSI. There is a label in your driver’s doorjamb (or B-Pillar) that gives the correct PSI for your tires.
- Check windshield wipers for lost screws and worn blades. Replace when worn.
- Wash your car as often as possible and wax it once per year. This helps stave off corrosion.
- Take care of repair issues as soon as they reveal themselves. Putting them off can lead to a unnecessary costly repair.
- Take your car to an auto mechanic for bigger maintenance jobs. The mechanic will check for potential upcoming problems that you will not be able to see.
A1 Performance Auto Repair
A1 Performance will help you with your car maintenance checklist and repairs. The mechanics are certified in their efficiency for your make and model of vehicle, foreign and domestic. Stop by this week for your oil change and get to know our knowledgeable staff.
