When It's Time for Change, You've Got To...

You bought the car with “lifetime” brake pads and you’re hearing a grinding noise coming from your wheels. First off, there’s no such thing as “lifetime” pads, but these are very expensive and tend to last longer than most people own the car. The “lifetime” guarantee doesn’t transfer ownership. If you hear this with “lifetime” pads, change them immediately.

But, what if you don’t have that guarantee and you hear the grind? We suggest changing them immediately. That grinding is the sound of the screws in the base of the pad hitting your rotors. You hear that noise and wait too long, a repair job that may have been $200 jumps to $600 or $800. Also, these are the brakes we are talking about. Don’t take these too lightly.

How about the rotors? If you heard the grind, the rotors are in trouble. You may be able to drive another 1,000 miles, but, you are playing with fire.

All cars are different. Rule of thumb for us, your car hits the 30,000 mile-mark, you should get the pads checked. It’s something we can do and will help you make sure you are safe and everyone riding in your car stays safe as well.

It's Routine for You, Why Not Your Car?

How dirty is your car right now? Not the inside, but the exterior. Are you a regular car washer or do you wait until you can barely see out the windows or the door is stuck with grime and slime?

If you are the later, you are actually hurting your car and taking years off of its life. The dirt, oil, debris, and salt used in winter for snow and ice can wreak havoc on your paint job. Keeping your car free of all that junk on a regular basis will keep it from eating away at the body panels. A monthly bath will keep your car’s exterior alive a little longer and save you cash on paint and body work! 

And, don’t forget the worst for your car’s exterior – bird droppings. You shouldn’t let it sit there until it rains. After 24 hours, acid starts to seep from it and damages your paint.  Wash the droppings off immediately.

Routine maintenance for your car and truck doesn’t only involve oil changes, tire rotations and valve replacement. Your car would love a monthly bath!

They Aren’t Just Pretty Lights!

There’s a reason car manufacturers put those pretty pictogram lights on the dashboard. Well, two reasons: one a diagram is easier to read and two, you will notice a bright picture and know something wrong.

The problem is this: who actually reads their Owner’s Manual? A light comes on and it looks like a deformed snake or an upside down beetle with a mustache and you think, “What the heck? My engine’s beetle is sad?” Or, there are so many different symbols, you have no idea what means what and the last car you drove had a symbol for engine that is different than this car…I could go on!

There are a few lights you need to be wary of right away when they light up – Oil Pressure, Check Engine, Brake System, ABS Fault and Air Bag Fault. We suggest contacting us right away when you see these lights turn on. If you don’t know what they are on your car, once you pull over, grab your Owner’s Manual and look.

While you might hit a pothole and the pesky warning light shuts off, it doesn’t mean the problem is fixed. That’s why we are here!