Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

Getting Your Car Serviced in the Real World of Van Nuys

We get a lot of questions about servicing your car at AutoNetTV. One that we get asked the most is: Do you have to take your car to the nearest Van Nuys dealer for service and repair? We’ve all asked ourselves that at one time or another. Of course, any new car dealer in Van Nuys would like to have your service business, but there are a lot of reasons to turn to the automotive aftermarket for routine maintenance services as well as repairs. First, let’s get some terms straight. New car dealers and manufactruers are referred to as Original Equipment – or OE providers. Everybody else is in the automotive Aftermarket. That includes auto parts stores, quick lubes, tire and service, and repair centers. It’s important to know how the automotive industry works. Most car manufactruers don’t actually make their own parts and none of them make all of the p ... read more

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Keeping Your Car Young in Van Nuys

We live in such a disposable society here in Van Nuys. It’s amazing all the stuff we throw away. New stuff comes out so fast, we just toss the old and move on. It seems like when we were kids, our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our stuff. You know, hang up your clothes, polish your shoes, put away your toys. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough – we had to do without. We couldn’t afford new cars very often, so we tried to make them last as long as we could. It’s a good thing that cars are more reliable these days. They just don’t break down as often. And the good news for us penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles with proper care. The engineering’s there and so is the manufacturing quality. The missing ingredient is us making sure we follow the manufactruer’s recommended maintenance schedules. Is it really that bad to get off sched ... read more

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Timing Belt Replacement in Van Nuys

Today we want to talk about timing belts. They’re something that many Van Nuys drivers don’t know much about and yet your vehicle won’t run if it’s broken – and it could cause many thousands of dollars damage if it does break. A broken timing belt is usually a tale of woe. Even though timing belt replacement is scheduled in the owner’s manual, it’s not the kind of thing that most Los Angeles car owners remember because it’s not well understood. Let’s review what a timing belt does. As you know, the engine’s power is generated in the cylinders. A piston rides up and down in the cylinder. During the first down stroke, an intake valve at the top of the cylinder opens and air and fuel is drawn into the cylinder. Then the piston returns to the top, compressing the fuel and air mix. At the top, the spark plug fires, igniting the fuel pushing the piston down in the power strok ... read more

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TPMS: Tire Pressure Monitoring For Your Van Nuys Auto

You may know that all 2008 model year and newer cars, mini-vans and light trucks in Van Nuys come with a tire pressure monitoring system. Many slightly older vehicles around Van Nuys have these systems as well. A tire pressure monitoring system – called TPMS – consists of sensors on each wheel that measure tire pressure. If tire pressure drops 25 percent below the manufactruer’s recommended pressure, the sensor sends a signal to a monitoring unit that causes a warning to light up on the dashboard. When you see the warning light, you know it’s time to put some air in your tires. There are many benefits to driving with properly inflated tires around Van Nuys. First is cost savings. Running at the correct air pressure improves fuel economy. Driving on under-inflated tires is like driving through sand – it drags down your fuel economy. You’ll a ... read more

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What Van Nuys Automotive Service Consumers Should Know

There are some things Los Angeles consumers should know about Van Nuys automotive service and repair. First and foremost, AutoAid & Rescue cares about you and your family’s safety. And we really appreciate your business. AutoAid & Rescue in Van Nuys wants to build a trusting relationship that becomes the foundation for a mutually beneficial experience for years to come. Building on that foundation, there are some things that would help you understand the auto service and repair business better. First, it can be really hard to fix cars. The days of shade tree mechanics are long gone. The majority of automotive systems are computerized. It takes a lot of training and very expensive equipment to diagnose and repair modern vehicles. The technicians that work for AutoAid & Rescue need extensive computer training – not just how to run the diagnostic systems, but also searching for the right part ... read more

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Keeping Your 'Old Faithful' Auto Running

At AutoAid & Rescue we’ve had a lot of people asking how they can make their vehicles last longer. These questions are actually a reflection of a trend that’s been building for several years. The median age of personal vehicles is now over nine years. And 33 percent of all vehicles on the road have over 75,000 miles on them. It looks like it’s going to keep heading in that direction for a while. With high fuel prices a lot of folks are putting off buying a new car. Thanks to AutoNetTV, we can provide you with a video answer to this question. So let’s say you’re one of the average people in the Los Angeles area; you’ve got a nine year old car with 80,000 miles on the odometer. What can you to do make it last another year or two? Let’s start with the premise that there’s no reason that a modern car can’t run for 200,000 miles ... read more

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Recommended Service Intervals

Everyone in Van Nuys knows we're supposed to go to the dentist twice a year. We get our teeth cleaned and have a thorough dental inspection. Once a year, we get x-rays to look for problems that can’t be seen with the naked eye. When the dentist is done, he tells us what he’s found – “Everything’s fine, see you in six months.” Or “You’ve got a small cavity starting, let’s schedule an appointment to take care of it.” By the time you leave, you have a plan for addressing any necessary repairs. This system works so much better than waiting for a painful problem before going into the dentist. Small problems are fixed before they turn into big problems. And you avoid those huge bills. If we buy into this way of handling our dental care, why do we resist so much when facing the same system for our car care? Following the manufactruer’s recommended intervals can be confusing. First there are recommendations for so many things ... read more

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E-85 Fuel Safety Advice From AutoAid & Rescue

Today at AutoAid & Rescue 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 Los Angeles 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 15% ethanol, a grain-base alcohol, and 85% 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 Los Angeles community. All gas engines can run with up to 10% ethanol and in fact a lot of gasoline sold in the Van Nuys CA area does contain some ethanol. The problem comes when well meaning people without Flex Fuel certified vehi ... read more

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To Save Gas Around Van Nuys: Keep Up with Your Scheduled Service

One topic that hits the news in Van Nuys on a regular basis is the price of gas. The answer for some people in Van Nuys is to buy a more fuel efficient vehicle. For the rest of use, we need to improve our fuel economy anyway we can. Following recommended service intervals by coming into AutoAid & Rescue is one of the best ways to keep your car running efficiently. That means better fuel economy. When you give it some thought, it only makes sense. Dirty oil or transmission fluid can’t lubricate or clean. That means more drag which reduces fuel economy. Keeping up with scheduled oil changes and transmission services will save gas. Dirty engine air filters are another efficiency pirate. They rob your engine of enough air to effectively burn the fuel, so you need more gas to get the job done. Replacing a dirty air filte ... read more

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100% customer satisfaction

Thank you very much for helping AutoAid achieve the coveted AAA Approved garage programs' 100% customer satisfaction award for 2009. David & I look forward to continue providing you, your friends and family with excellent customer care service. Happy Holidays and thanks again

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