Gardena Auto Repair

5 Safe Driving Tips to Follow When Daylight Savings Ends   We're over a month into the fall season which can only mean its near the end of Daylight Savings time. The extra sleep is something we welcome when we turn back our clocks, however the hour difference can have negative effects on your road safety.  When sleeping schedules are interrupted it can have an effect on our body and mind and can make us more susceptible for getting into a car accident. Studies have found that car crashes increased not only at the start of DST but also with the hour time change in the fall.  So as we 'fall back' this Sunday to get ready for the winter here are a few things we recommend you do to keep yourself safe on the road when the time changes:  GET ENOUGH REST -  the change of time can impact the quality of your sleep, you do not want to drive when you are sleepy or drowsy, so stick to your regular sleep schedule so yo ... read more

It can be a bit alarming when all of a sudden you're driving and you see your dashboard flashing with a light you haven't seen before, it can be something as simple as a loose fuel cap or an issue with your brakes. Some of these lights may not require immediate action, but there are some warnings you should never ignore. Keep your eye out for these 5 dashboard lights:  ABS (Anti-lock brake system) : Causes can include low brake fluid, a blown fuse, or abnormal signals from wheel sensors. If you ignore this light there's a chance of skidding if you need to slam on your brakes to avoid hitting something.   OIL LIGHT: An oil warning light should be taken seriously. It indicates that your oil level in the engine is low or that the oil pump is not circulating oil properly. If ignored, the chance of engine damage is likely to occur. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT: This may be the most obvious one here, but this is the light you really can't afford to ignore. A check engine ... 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

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