Gardena Auto Repair

California Wildfires Continue, Why is it Important to Change Your Cabin Air Filter   With fires continuing to burn in California it's a good idea to inspect your cabin air filter and have it replaced if needed; smoke and debris caused by forest fires can severely affect your cabin air filter. Changing your filter is simple yet an important service that helps clean the air inside your car.  The purpose of the cabin air filter is to prevent dirt, dust and pollen from entering the vehicle cabin through the air vents. Whether you have the A/C on or the heater, when your vehicle is equipped with a cabin filter, the air from the outside flows through this filter, filtering the air you and your passengers breathe. When the filter becomes dirty, and clogged it reduces the ability to filter the air you breathe. A "plugged up" filter will prevent air flow which will cause the air conditioning to get cold effectively, not an ideal situation especially wh ... read more

California Smog Check How to Prepare Your Vehicle For the Test If you're a registered driver in Los Angeles, the California Emissions Program or SMOG Check is very strict compared to other states, customers often ask us how they can get their car ready to pass the smog inspection. Despite the fact California has some rules that are very questionable regarding this test, we're going to cover a few areas that we think will be the most useful. Testing Procedures: The state of CA there are 2 tests. One is called the BAR 97 which is performed for every vehicle that has a model year before 2000. BAR 97 requires the vehicle to be test on a dynamometer which is when you see the car on the rollers and the drive wheels spinning. They are testing the vehicles emission output at 15 MPH and then again at 25 MPH. In addition to the emissions test, the technicians are looking for anything tampered, broken, aftermarket parts, ignition timing, fuel cap test, fuel tank pressure test, and they will eve ... read more

Last Winter Tip of 2019! Checking Your Tire Pressure Between Vehicle Services As we close out 2019 we thought a reminder of checking your tire pressure would be something you can add to your New Year's resolution list. Winter weather has taken it's full affect and recently wreaking havoc for California drivers headed up North during the Christmas holiday with road closures and issues driving through the snow. One thing we'd recommend for you to do not only before winter road trips but also in between your scheduled vehicle service appointments. Make 2020 the time you get in the habit of checking your tire pressure at recommended intervals in between your already scheduled tire pressure inspections and oil level inspections. Why do I have to check my tire pressure? Today’s modern vehicles are equipped with TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitoring System which alerts the driver that one or more of the tires are low on pressure. While this system is quite beneficial to have ... read more

Uber and Lyft Drivers End of Year Maintenance Tax Credit Reminder For all the ride share drivers out there I’d like to take this time to say 'thank you'. It’s probably a thankless job because people often take it for granted. Getting from point A to B has become convenient especially when driving yourself is a problem. It has been helpful for me on countless occasions. Ride share drivers should be recording their mileages and keeping all their vehicle fuel and maintenance records. We are just a few days away from the end of the year and thought this would be a good time to remind drivers, you can get a tax credit for fuel and maintenance as part of the cost of doing business. This can help you with your taxes and add a little money back into your pocket. Just a simple tip which can save you money. Keeping your vehicle in the best shape possible would be ideal if you are a ride share provider. Routine preventative maintenance can reduce overall vehicle cost throug ... read more

Call me a Boomer, but we're here to give Millennials some Car Care Advice .... There's that older but still popular meme of Homer Simpsons's dad clinching his fists in the air titled "Old Man Yells at Cloud" and of course we have the currently trending social media meme with the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" reality TV star, screaming and pointing at an angry, hissing cat sitting over a table and plate of vegetables. So what does this all mean exactly? Millennials really know their memes and while we try to find a way to avoid being called a Boomer, we really want to talk you about the importance of being a car owner and the responsibilities that come along with it. In a study conducted by Car Rentals an (Expedia company) they interviewed 1,000 Americans regarding car care issues and discovered 46% millennials can't jump start a car, while 67% Americans ages ... read more