Auto Repair in Camarillo

This driver is clearly experiencingaggravating behaviors by other motorists. Now that Labor Day is over, Camarillo’s warm summer days are rapidly ending and school is back in full swing, we find ourselves faced with the inevitable spike in the number of drivers on the road. It’s very likely that with this increase in traffic, you’re bound to experience some of the worst drivers in the world (at least they are in our own minds). These types of drivers can make a simple trip to the market feel the same as having a root canal without anesthetic! We discovered a recent poll that was taken of 1,001 adults to identify the behaviors that are likeliest to elicit road rage. Their poll uncovered the list of 12 things that bother American drivers the most. The 2014 Road ... read more

Properly connected jumper cables Should you find that you've left the lights on overnight or you’ve tried to start your vehicle and it won’t crank, you probably have a dead battery. A simple jump-start may be all that you need to get the vehicle restarted. Here’s a couple quick tips to follow should you find yourself in need of a jump. Do: Do make sure the jumper cables you have are in good condition. Check for frays, tears or anything that looks suspicious. If you’re even slightly concerned, use another set. The Dos and Don’ts of Jumper Cable Use Don’t: Do let the cables dangle from your car. If they are connected, they have a charge. If that charge hits a puddle, you could be ... read more

Should your vehicle's engine run low on engine oil it could cause it to make a loud "ticking or tapping" noise. This noise is caused by an insufficient amount oil being pumped into the top part of the engine. A simple check of the engine oil level will help you determine if the system is low. It's not unusual for the engine to make a tick or tapping noise when first started cold. When the car has set for a while, the oil drains out of the engine and down into the oil pan. Once the engine is started, the oil pump circulates the oil throughout the engine allowing it to build pressure. Until the proper oil pressure is achieve you may hear this slight ticking noise. In colder weather it often takes a bit longer for the oil pressure to build making these noises more common. If the noise remains after the vehicle has come to its normal operating tem ... read more

Most cars and trucks have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of Camarillo car owners only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in Camarillo . You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down shift for hills, stuff like that. Think of your legs as the engine – there’s an ideal speed you can pedal and you change gears to leverage the work you’re doing. Lower gears for power on hills or for starting out. Higher gears for more speed. That’s what the automatic transmission does – it automatically starts in lower gears and shifts up to higher gears to go faster on CA freeways. And automatically shifts back down to climb Camarillo hills, pass or start up again. SUV automatic transmissions have certainly gotten more sophisticated in recent years. They have more speeds than before: the base is four speeds, five ... read more

Camarillo service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Camarillo drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed. Camarillo Car Care Center fuel system cleaning: Over time, the SUV fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way. Camarillo Car Care Center headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It’s usually good to change them every year or so. Camarillo Car Care Center inspections: Camarillo drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they’re going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle’s ready for CA summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used SUV and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or ... read more

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some Camarillo car owners and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us Camarillo car owners. Let’s get the urgency issues out of the way first. If your check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause critical engine damage. Naturally, you need to get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at CA expressway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to your Camarillo service center. 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 friendly Camarillo Car Care Center service advisor to get it checked out. Some more Camarillo information on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative for Camarillo drivers. Most of your en ... read more

Camarillo drivers’ current vehicles have over a century of engineering behind them. They have evolved into complex and powerful machines. Developments in their engines, however, have coincided with advances in many other vehicle components, including the fluids. It’s essential for Camarillo motorists to always use the right type of fluid for their SUV. Your service advisor and your owner’s manual are resources for auto advice on exactly what types of fluid your vehicle needs. Improper fluids can damage your vehicle and void your warranty. Some of the fluids that have changed significantly in recent years are cooling system fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid and motor oil. Each of these comes in many varieties now, and it’s vital to know exactly which one your SUV needs. Cooling systems were once made of iron, steel and rubber. One coolant could be used to protect all of these materials. But n ... read more

A lot of people get custom wheels in Camarillo. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes, once they’re mounted, they just don't fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don’t want that. Consulting your Camarillo Car Care Center tire professional can ensure you get the right fit. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your Camarillo driving needs and what you want in your new wheels. Now, not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub. If you don’t want to make any modifications to your SUV, you would need to focus on the wheels that would fit. With trucks, some Camarillo people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift. Also, most Camarillo driver ... read more

There’s a reason we use the word “diagnose” when we talk about fixing cars in Camarillo. Figuring out what’s wrong with your SUV has a lot of similarities to figuring out what’s wrong with someone who is ill. Vehicles are a mass of complex systems that can produce a variety of symptoms when something goes wrong. As with human diagnoses, a specific symptom may be indicative of a number of problems, and figuring out the specific cause takes training and experience. Sometimes the diagnosis of your SUV’s trouble comes down to a matter of trial-and-error. This can be frustrating for Camarillo auto owners because time and money are on the line. You may feel you should only be paying for repair work. Of course, you only want to pay for the right repair - and a proper diagnosis is part of getting it right. Like at the Camarillo doctor’s office - some of what you pay for is the doctor’s time and effort to figure out what’s wron ... read more