Seaside Auto Repair

Although electric vehicles may appear to be “service free”, they do indeed still need a little tender loving care. An EV doesn’t require services such as tune-ups, oil changes, cooling system flush, or transmission services. However, an EV is not maintenance-free. As per the manufacturer’s recommendations, there are periodic services and inspections are required. If the recommendations are not followed, it is possible that your warranty may be affected. What are these maintenance items you ask? The most self-evident would be tire rotations and wiper blades. Don’t forget the cabin air filter and inspecting for possible rodent issues. Most sound pretty simple. Yet, it is highly recommended that you have a trained technician perform the service. Doing so will keep your warranty and avoid any possibility of an unknown or unseen exposure to the high voltage wiring. Typical monthly service for an EV would be checking tire pressu ... read more

The average driver believes that shock absorbers are only meant to keep your car from bouncing up and down too much. It used to be that a simple bounce test or drive over a speed bump was a great indicator that it was time to replace the shocks or struts. The facts are shocks and struts do not wear out overnight. Shocks and struts tend to wear gradually over time. Shocks and struts absolutely contribute to your car or truck’s ride, but they do so much more. They help your vehicle stay in control while driving and while stopping. Most people do not realize that uneven tire wear or noisy tires can be symptoms of worn or damaged shocks or struts. Weak shocks or struts can produce a cupped or scalloped tire tread that results in uneven tire wear patches. These patches will cause a roaring or tapping noise while you drive. Another issue that is overlooked due to weak shocks or struts is braking ability. Sounds weird, right? How do my tires affect my braking? They are two separate s ... read more

Let’s be honest – there’s no single car made that doesn’t need to visit a Mechanic during its lifetime. Present-day scenario when visiting your Certified Mechanic can lead to an eye-opening assessment of your car. How is it that they can give you this rundown of costly car services that are required, expanding the expense of your repairs considerably? As a conscientious saver, you might be tempted to go out and purchase the parts recommended to lessen the expected expense of your maintenance bill. Despite the fact that it may save you some out-of-pocket expenses, here are a few reasons we don’t believe this to be beneficial when you visit the repair shop. To start, you lose the guarantee for the parts you purchased. When your mechanic, who is the specialist, sources the parts and installs those parts on your vehicle, they are using parts that they know are acceptable quality for your car. They know that if there is an issue with the part that they have s ... read more

I recently had a fantastic conversation with a woman about services needed for her car. Talking to people and getting to know them is why I love my job. She called me to talk about a concern she and her husband had about their older Toyota. As we talked and she expressed her concern, I had somewhat of an epiphany. That car that sits in your driveway is your Pot O’ Gold. Let me explain. As she described the issue with her car, she stressed to me that it was an “older” car. We discussed what they used this “older” car for and what their plans were for the car. She explained that, even though it was an older car, it was their only form of transportation. She explained how important this older Toyota was to them. Her husband needed to be able to make the 3 hour drive to his doctor appointments and be able to make the 3 hour drive home. I took the time to listen to all her concerns and we talked about solutions for each. During our talk, she discussed the conc ... read more

I am a true believer in preventative maintenance. If you have been reading my articles for some time, I am almost positive that I have covered almost all forms of vehicle maintenance and why it’s so important. You see, I have a love for cars. Most people tend to have a “preferred” car or a type of car that they love. In my house, we have a variety of makes and models ranging in make, model and year. Over the years I have owned or still own Ford, Chevrolet, BMW, Acura, Honda, Mercedes, Jeep, Volkswagen and many more. Both old and new. I can tell you that as long as you take care of your car, it will take care of you. In present day, we are looking into hybrid and electric cars. Although, most would think that these vehicle are maintenance free, there are still many items that need to be maintained with both a hybrid or electric vehicle. Let’s start with the basics. Tires. It is of upmost importance, especially on a vehicle with an oversized battery, to rotate t ... read more