Chico Auto Repair

Basic Fluid and Filter Maintenance Starts with Engine Oil Robert: Routine car maintenance would start out with an oil change. So if you came to Doctor of Motors and got an oil change, we’re going to perform a vehicle inspection that goes over all those managements items which are: coolant quality level, transmission fluid quality and level, power steering fluid, are there…is it low, are there any leaks? Your tires, batteries, brakes, and filters. These are the main things that we look at when we’re doing an inspection, especially if you’re driving somewhere or if you need your car everyday as your daily driver, you need it to get to work, but you don’t you want to leave you on the side of the road. Host: Well let’s talk about some of those just quickly. Engine oil, how often should it be changed? Robert: There’s a few different types of cars out there. It’s anywhere fr ... read more

How long do wiper blades generally last? You know, depending on the heat, wiper blades can last quite a long time, upwards of two, maybe even three, four years. Here in Chico though, when the wiper arm or the wiper blade is sitting on the windshield, it literally cooks it during the summertime. So, for optimal performance, I would suggest replacing your wiper blades once every year or every other year, preferably in the early fall. What are signs a timing belt needs replacement? Now, there’s no indication as far as looking at the belt. If you look at an old belt and a new belt, pretty hard to tell the difference. But what happens is the belt will, the teeth will fall off, or you’ll start to get a little rip in the edge of it. So, each manufacturer has a different recommended mileage or date time. It’s usually anywhere from 60,000 or 5 years, or 105,000 and 10 years. Funny story how that came to be ... read more

Required Smog Tests (Also Called Smog Checks) Reduce Air Pollution Dramatically Host: Let’s talk about smog tests. Why are they so important to the consumer? Robert: Well, they may seem like a inconvenience to the consumer, but really, they’re there…smog regulations are there to make sure that less pollutants go into our atmosphere and so us and our future generations are able to breathe clean air. Host: So they’re important to everyone. Robert: They really are. How Often Do You Need a Smog Test? Host: And how often do you need your vehicle, your used vehicle to come in to a…for a smog check? Robert: Well let’s start with brand new. If you buy a brand new vehicle, in California you have six years before your first smog check is due. If you buy a used vehicle, and I mean if you buy a used vehicle that is one year old, it is based on county and city depending on how populated t ... read more

Brake Life Depends on Your Driving Habits Host: Robert, let’s talk about brakes. Clearly these are an important safety feature of the vehicle. How often should you replace your brakes typically? Robert: That’s a hard question because it’s depending on how you drive. So there’s the person who drives in the city, and they’re a stop-and-go driver. They like to step on the gas and get to the next stop light and then slam on the brakes to slow down before they run the light. Host: Which must increase the wear on the brake system. Robert: Yes, it does. Then there’s the little old lady, who, she cruises along, doesn’t drive too fast, she’s very easy on her brakes, her brakes are going to last a very long time. Host: What would be a typical range? Robert: Typical ranges, people are not super hard on their brakes but a little bit easier. We all have things to do and we’re all in a rush and brakes are really one of the last things on our mind, until it’s a problem. So one of the things I always ... read more

Did you know your vehicle has a hidden filter that treats air inside the passenger compartment? Ignoring this inexpensive maintenance item can lead to costly repairs. Robert, what are cabin air filters, what’s their purpose? Robert: Well the cabin air filters, it’s not the filter inside the engine, it’s the filter that’s under your dash, which is specifically for your heater and AC. What happens is, when you have rain or dust and debris, it goes in through your vents, gets blocked in that filter, and your blower motor which is the fan for the air that blows on your face, it has a hard time pushing the air through. So it can burn out that motor, it can burn out the power resistor that helps that motor work. So it’s one of those things where the manufacturer recommends every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, which is roughly every year. Sometimes that can be overkill, but if yo ... read more