Gardena Auto Repair

    If car ownership is new to you whether the car is old or new, every car needs to be cared for.  The good news is that there are some important tasks like checking tire pressure, installing new wipers or cleaning your car that you can do in your own drive way. Just by following your owner's recommended maintenance schedule, you can avoid several vehicle problems.  Preventive car care reduces wear and tear of the engine and other components that help extend the life of your vehicle and help save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Regular maintenance can reduce the chance of breakdown and your car will be in great condition to handle your daily commute and road trips safely. Here are some things all car owners should do on their own:  Use Common sense: Be alert for any leaks, strange noises or smells as well as changes in performance, such as diminished braking, acceleration, or steering abilities. Taking care of these issues when first identified ... read more

Catalytic Converter Theft How to Prevent It Catalytic Converter theft is up on the rise again as you may have seen posts about it on your Nextdoor or Ring app. We have had multiple vehicles brought into our shop where the catalytic converters have been stolen; which costs quite a lot of money to replace. The thieves are getting more brazen in their attempts and even stealing the catalytic converters in broad daylight! They can be stolen in a matter of minutes and cause thousands of dollars of damage.    What is a Catalytic Converter? Catalytic Converter is an exhaust emissions component that converts harmful gases that your engine produces into less harmful gases and is usually located under the vehicle (part of the exhaust system).    Why do they want to steal it? Catalytic Converters are made of precious metals such as platinum, palladium, gold and rhodium, to give you an idea of it's worth - one ounce of pla ... read more

  TIPS TO HELP EXTEND YOUR CAR’S LIFE   The average price to purchase a new car is estimated at $38,000 in the U.S. and with yearly rising prices for ownership that does not even include maintenance, there's a reason most vehicle owners tend to keep the same car for at least 11 years. The modern vehicle is already engineered to last long as long as it is maintained properly.  Components of your vehicle can be serviced to prevent major repairs which is the name of the game. At a minimum, you should follow the factory scheduled maintenance. According to Consumer Reports, the average lifespan of today’s cars is about eight years or 150,000 miles. As a professional in vehicle maintenance, we often wonder why manufacturers make claims that transmission fluid is a lifetime fluid and boast this fact, while the factory warranty ends anywhere from 36k to 60k miles? How can you claim the guarantee at a lifetime and only cover you to 60k miles? We ... read more

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

Can You Trust Your Auto Repair Shop? A common question that seems to come up often in Google search and even comments on social media networks, consumers are talking about whether or not they can trust their auto repair shop. The automotive industry has a bad reputation when it comes to trust, with little to no regulation to govern how businesses are conducted, it is unfortunate that there are still people out there that will take advantage of customers with no shame. The best advice we can give you when choosing a mechanic is to do some thorough research so you have some values and expectations of how you should be treated. There are some really good automotive service and repair businesses and then there are ones that are not so good. There is a wide range and it all depends on what you are looking for. Here are the top qualifications that come to mind: 1.) Reputation is everything when it comes to automotive service and repair. A good reputation is key because our customer&rsquo ... read more