Pleasanton Auto Repair

In our auto video today we'll be talking with Alan Peterson about myths surrounding automotive maintenance. You can lump these myths into the statement that "modern cars are so reliable, they are virtually maintenance free". Any good myth has some elements of truth. No offense to Pleasanton Bigfoot fans, but this maintenance-free myth has more evidence than most. If we look at some isolated areas of auto maintenance, we could conclude that maintenance isn't so important. But other areas would just as easily lead you to believe that maintenance is more important than ever. Here are some examples for our friends in Pleasanton. -Chalk one up for the myth. On the other side, some vehicles come with sophisticated variable valve timing. A lot of complicated parts up in the valve train that didn't even exist not that many years ago. These parts are very vulnerable to oil sludge. -A point to maintenance. -Myth gets a point. -Point for m ... read more

Today at Precision Auto Repair we want to talk with you about a very important safety issue. This automotive safety warning is coming from a very unusual source: fire fighting experts. You’ve probably heard of E-85 gasoline being offered in the Pleasanton area. Some newer vehicle models are specifically built to run on E-85 – the rest are not. E-85 gasoline has been developed to fight air pollution and reduce oil consumption. E-85 fuel is a mix of 85% ethanol, a grain-base alcohol, and 15% gasoline. So-called Flex-Fuel vehicles are designed to use either normal gasoline or E-85 gas. The result is lower harmful exhaust emissions to our local Pleasanton community. All gas engines can run with up to 10% ethanol and in fact a lot of gasoline sold in the Pleasanton California area does contain some ethanol. The problem comes when well meaning people without Flex Fuel certified vehicles put E-85 into the t ... read more

Our cars have to operate in a wide range of Pleasanton, California temperatures and our engine coolant must be able to perform 'no matter what'. Think for a moment about the environment where the coolant works. Very hot, high pressure, corrosive... And all the while, it has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. These components are made from steel and aluminum, plastics and rubber. The coolant has to be formulated to protect against corrosion for all of these different materials. That’s why different manufacturers recommend different types of anti-freeze for our Pleasanton, California vehicles. There are several different 'families' of anti-freeze available to us here in Pleasanton, California. Your owners’ manual will tell you what kind you should use. Of course, Precision Auto Repair will know what to put in your car. It’s important to stay on top of this because coolant system failure is the most common mechanical proble ... read more

Wheel alignment is often overlooked by busy San Ramon and Dublin car owners until serious tire damage has been done. One wheel can be knocked out of alignment from the rest by hitting a curb or pothole on Pleasanton roads. When a vehicle’s out of alignment, one or more of the wheels does not track true and pulls against the others. The tires will wear out very quickly and will need to be replaced prematurely. It could also lead to Honda, Acura, Toyota or Lexus suspension damage. At Precision Auto Repair, your vehicle is put on an alignment rack where the tires, steering and suspension parts are checked for damage. Then the alignment is charted and checked against the factory settings. Adjustments are made to bring the wheels back into alignment. This gets all four wheels going in precisely the same direction. Signs of alignment problems are: Your car pulls ... read more

Suspension systems will continue to operate effectively for many years and tens of thousands of miles. Eventually Honda, Acura, Toyota or Lexus components do wear out, but how long that takes depends a lot on how you drive in San Ramon . As you can imagine, if most of your driving is on smooth California highways, your shock absorbers will last a lot longer than if you do most of your driving on bumpy roads or hauling heavy loads. In addition to just wearing out, Honda, Acura, Toyota or Lexus suspension components can be damaged in an accident or by a hard impact – like a pothole, hitting a curb or a rock in the road. Because the life span of shocks can vary so widely, your Honda, Acura, Toyota or Lexus manufacturer recommends periodic inspections. During an inspection at Precision Auto Repair, your Friendly and Experienced San Ramon service technician will check for worn, broken or missing parts. Let ... read more