Potholes are the Pits

Potholes are serious business and can cause some very expensive repairs! We have all seen them in the road, and we try our best to avoid them but sometimes it's impossible. Potholes cause untimely damage to suspension, steering, tires and rims. Your shocks and struts take the biggest impact because they compress and expand using hydraulic oil to ease the effects of driving on uneven surfaces and make for a smoother ride.

Depending on the depth of a pothole, your shock and strut could actually bottom out. Braking while hitting a pothole can cause even more problems. We suggest braking before a pothole and after if necessary but not during.


Besides the suspension components, other parts such as control arms, ball joints and axle shafts are also prone to pothole damage. Your rims can bend or even crack causing poor tire inflation which can also lead to premature tire replacement.


Potholes are the number one cause for premature tire wear, alignment problems and poor vehicle drivability. Our advice is to avoid potholes whenever it is safe to do so. We want to help prevent this damage to your car, and keep you safe. The following resources came up when we searched for information regarding reporting potholes. Have your brakes and suspension checked to prevent premature replacement.

http://www.citysourced.com/neighborhood/2280/us/california/los-angeles-county
http://seeclickfix.com/granada-hills/report

Dirty Injectors

You know your car probably better than anyone else. So when you feel like something is off you are probably right. Dirty injectors can cause a variety of symptoms with little or no warning. Without the proper care these symptoms can turn into a very expensive repair bill at the wrong shop. Your auto repair shop should always use a diagnostic tree to ensure they are recommending the right service for you. This will save you time and money in the long run. One more reason to choose a professional repair shop.
 
Here are a few symptoms to look for, poor fuel economy, sputtering, slow start, miss fire. Over the counter injection cleaners can cause even more problems. Call your repair shop and always ask for BG. Increase your return on your car by preforming proper maintenance according to your manufacturer's recommendations. Why BG? We recommend BG products because of  their effectiveness, warranty, and the results they deliver. Depending on your current mileage, BG offers a lifetime warranty just for doing what you should be for your car.

The Benefits of Synthetic Oil

There are thousand's of moving parts in your engine, these parts can become worn out without proper preventative maintenance. Synthetic oil flows easier in cold weather, so your engine starts up quick without hesitation.
 
Synthetic oil is highly resistant to viscosity breakdown caused by heat, friction, and/or chemical contaminants. If you are busy and most of us are, synthetic oil changes make your life more convenient because it allows you to go farther on an oil change up to 2,000 or 3,000 miles more! Talk to your service advisor about synthetic oil, this can extend the life of your car and save you valuable time. Make an appointment today to extend the life of your car.

• Synthetic oil provides better lubrication for all of your engine's moving parts
• You can drive more miles between your synthetic oil changes

Preventative Maintenance

Since mechanics are educated in preventative maintenance, you may find yourself paying a larger bill at 30,000 mile intervals. Not to worry, if your service manager is not recommending preventative maintenance (because he wants to save you money today) he's costing you much more money tomorrow.

Preventative maintenance, such as coolant flushes, can extend the life of your vehicle, and reduce your expense of radiator replacement or even an engine overhaul. Yes, it's really that important! A simple service that could cost as little as $60, could save you $1000 or more in major engine repairs.

In the weeks to come we will continue to educate our customers about preventative maintenance, because we want your vehicles to last as long as you want them to last. A vehicle purchase is considered one of the largest purchases you will ever make. Let us help you protect your investment.

A Costly Mistake in Automotive Repair

A costly error that many consumers’ make is signing the service ticket without asking questions. If you are taking your vehicle to a shop you should feel comfortable enough with the shop to ask questions. Regardless, of whether, it’s about price or service.  It’s important to understand the services you are receiving and why your vehicle needs preventative maintenance or repairs.  Understanding the services may increase longevity of the life of your vehicle; because you will be able prevent costly repairs.

As consumers, I am one myself, we feel a little uneasy, when asking too many questions sometimes when we are purchasing a service. Avoiding questions creates an underlying communication issue in the future. Without communication, there is no foundation for long term working relationship.  An automotive shop is not someone you should call on when it’s an emergency, it’s someone you should know you won’t have to call on in an emergency, because they are preventing unexpected emergencies.