May 16, 2012

Deep Breathing In Petaluma: Engine Air Filter

Filed under: Engine Air Filter — davesaut779 @ 9:12 pm

Deep Breathing In Petaluma Engine Air Filter

Your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru engine really needs clean air to operate efficiently: it takes about twelve thousand gallons of air to burn a gallon of gas in your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru engine. And clean air is much better than dirty.

When your air filter’s dirty, it simply can’t trap any more dirt, so the dirt just passes through into your air intake system. From there it can get into the Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru engine combustion chamber. And burning dust and pollen in your engine as you drive around Petaluma does you no good.

The verdict: When your engine air filter needs to be replaced; it needs to be replaced. How often depends entirely on how dirty the air is in Petaluma where you drive. A simple visual inspection by a Considerate Dave’s Auto Repair technician will tell you when you need a new engine air filter in your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru.

When you look at the air filter on your furnace in your Petaluma home and see it’s all clogged up with dust and dirt, you don’t hesitate to replace it. But don’t wait until your air filter (furnace or automobile) is totally plugged – by that time you’ve been running inefficiently in Petaluma for a lot of miles.

When your Dave’s Auto Repair service technician brings out your nasty engine air filter, you now know why you should go ahead and change it out.

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Dave’s Auto Repair
707.763.8365
1911 Bodega Avenue
Petaluma, California 94952

At Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma California (94952) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 707.763.8365. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 11, 2012

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Dave’s Auto Repair In Petaluma

Filed under: Air Conditioning — davesaut779 @ 7:25 pm

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Dave's Auto Repair In Petaluma

Most Petaluma area car owners don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. Maintaining your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well.

Along with the refrigerant, a special oil circulates in the system. The oil lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and we all know that air conditioning repairs can be costly in Petaluma.

Air conditioning service at Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it’s inspected for cracks or wear.

The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation by your Dave’s Auto Repair service advisor. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru system is retested. Your Dave’s Auto Repair technician will also perform a temperature drop test.

If needed, the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the air conditioner is working, and you’re on your way.

How often this should be done at Dave’s Auto Repair varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your Considerate Dave’s Auto Repair service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

Give us a call

Dave’s Auto Repair
1911 Bodega Avenue
Petaluma, California 94952

At Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma California (94952) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 707.763.8365. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 3, 2012

Why Is My Check Engine Light On? Dave’s Auto Repair Has Answers

Filed under: Check Engine Light — davesaut779 @ 4:40 pm

Why Is My Check Engine Light On Dave's Auto Repair Has Answers

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some Petaluma drivers and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us in California.

First, if your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. Get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at Petaluma highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn’t go off, schedule an appointment with your Petaluma service advisor to get it checked out.

Some more information from Dave’s Auto Repair on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative. Most of your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive in Petaluma.

In order to make these adjustments, the Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range the computer runs some tests and may turn on the Check Engine Light.

The Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it’ll then turn off the Check Engine Light.

If the problem can’t be resolved then the light will remain on and you should get your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru looked at at Dave’s Auto Repair. Your Considerate service technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give your Dave’s Auto Repair technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

At Dave’s Auto Repair, we also offer Brake Service and Transmission Service, Brake Service & Repair, Tune Up, Check Engine.

Give us a call

Dave’s Auto Repair
707.763.8365
1911 Bodega Avenue
Petaluma, California 94952

At Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma California (94952) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 707.763.8365. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 27, 2012

Cooling System Service At Dave’s Auto Repair

Filed under: Cooling System — davesaut779 @ 5:47 pm

Cooling System Service At Dave's Auto Repair

Your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru cooling system’s job is to keep your engine cool. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it’s cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the cooled mix circulates back through the Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru engine to absorb more heat.

Coolant, or antifreeze, is specially formulated to keep your engine safe in a wide range of environmental and operating temperatures in Petaluma.

Without coolant, the Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru’s metal engine parts would expand so much that the engine would seize up and stop running.  Expensive parts could be broken or warp so badly they would have to be replaced at Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma. It could even be so bad that the whole engine is ruined and has to be replaced.

Also, if it’s freezing outside in Petaluma, the water in your engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the California cold. This is why you check coolant levels frequently and have your cooling system inspected for leaks. Also your manufacturer has a maintenance requirement for draining and replacing your coolant. These recommendations can vary widely, so check your Petaluma owner’s manual or ask your service advisor at Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma.

The reason you need to change the coolant is that it has additives in it to protect the cooling system. As you can imagine, with all the heat, the cooling system’s a pretty harsh environment. The additives keep the fluid from becoming corrosive and damaging the radiator and other Petaluma cooling system components. Over time, the additives are depleted and the coolant just has to be replaced. A simple pH test can measure the coolant’s acidity.

You may have noticed that there are different colors of antifreeze at Dave’s Auto Repair: it is very important that you use the correct type.  The different coolant types are different colors so you don’t mix them up.  Manufacturers use different materials to make the cooling system, and they require different types of antifreeze to protect them.

So check with your Considerate Dave’s Auto Repair service advisor or owner’s manual for the right kind because using the wrong coolant can void the warranty for your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru cooling system.

Ask us about VW, Volvo, BMW Service, Transmission Service, Brake Service & Repair, Tune Up, Check Engine and Smog Testing, Brakes, Car Care, A/C.

Give us a call

Dave’s Auto Repair
707.763.8365
1911 Bodega Avenue
Petaluma, California 94952

At Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma California (94952) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 707.763.8365. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 20, 2012

Viva la Differential At Dave’s Auto Repair

Filed under: Differential Service — davesaut779 @ 4:34 pm

Viva la Differential At Dave's Auto Repair

With front-wheel drive being so common in Petaluma these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Petaluma folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for California people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and Dave’s Auto Repair technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Dave’s Auto Repair service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Petaluma four wheel drive Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subarus need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at Dave’s Auto Repair at different intervals.

Your Petaluma service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Dave’s Auto Repair
707.763.8365
1911 Bodega Avenue
Petaluma, California 94952

At Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma California (94952) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 707.763.8365. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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