Gardena Auto Repair

Tax day deadline has been extended to May 17th here's a reminder if you own a business, or self employed (rideshare driver, freelance writer, for instance) you might qualify to deduct the cost of car repairs on your federal tax return. Here are some of the car repairs and routine maintenance you can deduct on your federal tax return (according to tax prep company H & R block)  Oil changes Repairs, such as replacing a broken headlight or fixing faulty brakes Tune-ups New tires New air filters New windshield wipers In order to deduct these repairs good record keeping is important - keep track of your mileage (differentiating personal / business) with a mileage tracker (everlance, stride, mileage IQ) ... read more

April is National Car Care Month Get Your Car Ready for Spring and Summer Road Trips As winter comes to a close it's time for you to get your car ready for the upcoming warmer months. April is National Car Care Month and it's the perfect time to give your car some extra attention as you start taking road trips this Spring and Summer! Here are some things you can do to keep your car running at its best: Check the oil, filters and fluids (brake and transmission fluids, antifreeze, and windshield washer solvent) Have your vehicle’s brake system thoroughly examined every year (brake rotors and drums normally get checked at each oil change)  Check Tire Pressure (Check the pressure of all tires, including the spare, at least once a month)  Check hoses and belts (look for any that are cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or show signs of excessive wear)  Make sure your vehicle battery connections are ... read more

Earth Day Car Care Tips: How to Make Your Car More Eco Friendly April 22nd is Earth Day and if you're looking for ways to make an impact on the environment we have a few tips for you that you can practice all year long, by changing a few habits from keeping up with regular car maintenance and better driving habits, you'll be able to shrink your car's carbon footprint for a "greener" ride. Here are some simple steps you can take to make your vehicle more eco friendly. Change your air filters: In order to run at maximum efficiency you need to change your air filter.  A dirty air filter can cause the engine to run bad, stall or misfire, reduce fuel economy and create higher exhaust gas emissions, by changing your filter you can save as much as 10% on your car's gas mileage. Clean out your trunk: Don't overload your vehicle with excess weight, empty your trunk, driving with your tr ... read more

  Going on a road trip this Thanksgiving? Between dropping temperatures and surging Covid-19 numbers the last thing you want to happen is for your car to break down while you're on the road in the middle of a pandemic. With Thanksgiving being one of the most popular times to travel it's a good idea to go through this checklist to help ensure vehicle safety and reliability in order to avoid any unscheduled stops. Doing a holiday pre-trip inspection can reduce the chance of unexpected, costly repairs and help to ensure a stress-free road trip.  Check all fluids (engine oil, power steering and brake and transmission, as well as windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant)  Check hoses and belts (look for any that are cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or show signs of excessive wear)  Check the tires, including tire pressure and tread Make sure all lights are working (interior and exterior) Check wipers. Wiper blades should be replaced every six mo ... read more

Basic Car Air Conditioning Repair Tips   Air Conditioning is something we don’t think about until it’s not working, like on a recent trip I took to Lake Havasu, you can only guess what happened. Of course the A/C stopped working on my truck, it was 113 degrees and I was miserable! It was a lesson learned to have my A/C inspected, especially before taking a long trip in the heat.  Keeping it serviced and maintained is key to never finding yourself sweating and uncomfortable in your car.   The way A/C works is complicated, the system is made of several components that work together to make sure you get cold air. Instead of explaining the whole process we'll break it down so its very easy to understand. Inside your dash is a component called the EVAPORATOR and this unit get cold. You'll also find a motor called the BLOWER MOTOR which blows air through the cold EVAPORATOR and just like that, you now have COLD AIR! What makes the EVAPOR ... read more