Willow Glen Auto Repair

With Warm weather FINALLY approaching us in Northern CA, ( I know we are big babies) its time to start thinking about Air Conditioning…. A common misunderstanding or mistake for a customer to make is that there is a connection between the air conditioning system and the coolant system. First of all, they are two separate systems. In simplest terms, the coolant system cools your vehicles engine and the air conditioning cools you. With that said – if your auto repair shop is checking your coolant do not assume they are checking your air conditioning or anything related to it. For the most part these systems are separate of each other. The Air Conditioning system uses a refridgerant most often referred to as freon to keep the air conditioning system cold. Most A/C repairs are best left to a repair shop. Recharging the refrigerant, in particular, requires special equipment that most people don’t own. On the other hand, adding coolant, or anti-freeze is simple enough to do on yo ... read more

Fluids are vital to a vehicle’s life. They are exposed to extreme pressures, temperatures, moisture, and contaminants. Most people are aware of the need to change their engine oil since it gets dirty as a byproduct of combustion. Other fluids will also become less effective at lubrication and corrosion protection as they oxidize and become saturated with contaminants. The longer they go the less they are able to lubricate and protect. Accelerated wear of internal components is the result. This would include manual and automatic transmissions, transfer cases, differentials, and power steering systems. Brake fluid by nature absorbs water from the air and as a result will corrode internal brake components like master cylinders and ABS units as well as lowering the boiling point of the fluid. Replacing the fluids on schedule removes the contaminants and refreshes their lubrication and corrosion abilities

Gas prices are going crazy! UP, UP and Up it seems and always before summer time, when we tend to travel more! So what can you do to get better mileage on a tank of gas? Well first of all keeping up with your car’s repair and maintenace. A tune-up, proper tire pressure and a clean air filter all help. But did you know that your driving habits can have as much or more of an affect on how much gas you burn? By changing your behavior behind the wheel, you can do the environment and your pocket-booka few favors. Accelerate more gradually. No more “Pedal to the Metal”! The harder you press the gas pedal the more juice you’re pouring down the hole. Anticipate stops. By keeping an eye ahead of you by half a block or so, you can see a light changing red and take your foot off the gas earlier. This does not mean you need to create a driving hazard but give yourself some time and don’t be in such a hurry. (its good for your heart too!) By coasting i ... read more

I didn’t think so….I mean its a whole lot of money, dough, mula, dinero. Transmission repair shops are making a fortune on the mere fact that people don’t know that they need to change, and replace their ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid). At elevated operating temperatures, ATF oxidizes, turns brown and takes on a smell like burnt toast. As heat destroys the fluid’s lubricating qualities and friction characteristics, varnish begins to form on internal parts (such as the valve body) which interferes with the operation of the transmission. If the temperature gets above 250 degrees F., rubber seals begin to harden, which leads to leaks and pressure losses. At higher temperatures the transmission begins to slip, which only aggravates overheating even more. Eventually the clutches burn out and the transmission calls it quits. The only way to repair the damage now is with an overhaul — a job which can easily run upwards of $2300 on a late model front-wheel drive car or minivan. A cos ... read more

How in the world do you know when you “need” or “have” to replace your tires. If you’re like me, you depend on your auto repair shop or mechanic to tell you “when”. Or if your like me, you don’t want to spend money on something so ugly (yet necessary) as tires! Well, good tires can save you money and your life. Hm mm, well I guess those are my two favorite reasons to do most things. So here’s the scoop….driving on worn-out or low-grade tires is dangerous. It is estimated by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration that more than 400,000 fatalities and 10,000 injuries occur each year due to tire failure. Although your own death would be horrible, the death of another due to your lack of attention is worse. If your tire blows out on the road and you spin out, in say 6 lanes of traffic…..Yikes! The damage to your car and/or others around you could be devastating. (you know those center divides are made of concrete) In addition, tires that have low tread and/o ... read more