When "Shady" is a Good Thing
September 8, 2025
Just like your skin can burn from too much sun, so can the paint on your vehicle. It can turn dull, oxidize and fade the more ultraviolet rays beat down on it. One solution is to park in a shady spot, or you can buy a cover for your vehicle and put it on when you know it's going to be sitting in... More
Gas Smell! (What Causes Gasoline Odors)
August 18, 2025
If you've ever walked into your garage and noticed it smelled like gasoline, pay attention. Gasoline can be dangerous, both from the health problems fumes can cause and the fire danger gasoline presents. There are many things that can cause a vehicle to give off a gasoline odor. One of the easi... More
Chilly Warning (Diagnosing a Noise in Cold Vehicle)
June 23, 2025
When the weather gets colder, sometimes the noises your vehicle makes will change. For example, you may notice a whining sound when you get going in the morning. It may go away when the vehicle warms up, but it's best not to ignore that sound because it could be a warning of worse things to com... More
How Much Does It Cost? (Variations in Vehicle Repair Costs)
June 9, 2025
Ever wonder why it costs so much more to fix a similar problem in two different vehicles? Let's say you now own an SUV and before that, you owned a car. Your SUV's air conditioning system needs a new evaporator, but the cost for the new one is way more than you remember it was for your car. How... More
Move it or Lose It (Dormant Vehicles)
May 4, 2025
When it comes to your vehicle, driving it too much can cause some issues. But what about not driving a vehicle enough? That has consequences as well. Here are a few things that can happen if a vehicle isn't driven enough. When the engine doesn't operate, the oil isn't lubricating. That means so... More
Go With the Flow (MAF Sensor Replacement)
March 30, 2025
A driver brought her vehicle into the shop the other day and told us how she was getting lousy fuel economy and that the engine was running rough. Plus, the Check Engine light was on. Our technician checked the code the engine had generated (why the Check Engine light was on) and found the prob... More
Getting from E to F (Fuel Gauge Problems)
February 23, 2025
Who thinks about their fuel gauge? You probably don't until it doesn't work any more. Then you have to guess how much fuel is in your tank, and that's no way to live life on the road. Fuel gauges, like every other part in your vehicle, can fail. And when yours stops working, you will probably... More
I Had No Idea! (Four Things You Didn't Know About Vehicles)
January 26, 2025
Bet you didn't know: Some of the earliest rearview mirrors were marketed as "Cop Spotters" so drivers would know when police were following them. Who wants a ticket, anyway? According to eBay Motors, Elmer Berger first patented a rearview mirror that was mounted on the front fenders, on the spare... More
Passing the Test (How to Prevent Emissions Test Failure)
January 19, 2025
Vehicle emission testing has become ubiquitous in North America and for a good reason. Clean air quality is important for the environment and all of us. Since vehicle emissions are among the main causes of air pollution, emission testing can alert you to problems in your vehicle than can be fix... More
Objects in the Mirror (Rearview Mirror Safety and Maintenance)
December 29, 2024
You may remember a song that went, "Objects in the rearview mirror may appear closer than they are." While that was a song about life's lessons, there are a few things we should all know about how important rearview mirrors are to safe driving. While new electronic devices are helping drivers be ... More