Auto Repair in Camarillo

Did you know that today's cars carry more computer power than the Apollo 121 Lunar Module that landed on the moon in 1969? New cars have as many as 12 networked computers and over five miles (eight kilometers) of wiring. In fact, for the last decade or so, computers have been controlling about 85% of your vehicle's functions. Cars have sensors for manifold air temperature, coolant temperature, manifold air pressure, airflow, throttle position, vehicle speed and oxygen content. All of this electronic wizardry is pretty complicated. So how do you know when there is a problem? It's simple – the Check Engine light comes on. The computer monitors all the sensors and uses that information to decide what to adjust such as the fuel mix, spark timing and idle speed. In addition, the computer monitors its own circuits. When it finds a fault, it turns on the Check Engine light and stores a trouble code in the computer. It can be pretty disturbing when t ... read more

If you own a CA vehicle with a warranty, beware! Many dealers and manufacturers suggest that you need to get your maintenance services at a dealership in order to keep your warranty. That simply isn't true! You can have your vehicle serviced at your trusted, local service center without affecting your warranty. A federal law, called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, prohibits a manufacturer from voiding your warranty just because you got parts or services from a non-dealer. In fact, a manufacturer can't require you to use their brand of oil filters, lubricant, or any other part in order to maintain your warranty protection. This protection is true for aftermarket extended warranties purchased on new or used vehicles. This protection also applies to leased vehicles. There are similar laws in Canada as well. If a manufacturer can prove that the replacement parts or service lead to a vehicle failure, they can void a portion of the warranty. Of c ... read more

The hottest Camarillo news story may be different everyday, but there's one topic that seems to come up over and over again the price of gas in Camarillo. But we've found several basic things that any Camarillo vehicle owner can do to greatly reduce their gas consumption, save money, and help the Thousand Oaks environment. You can really impact your fuel economy by how you drive but first, here's a review of things you can do for your car that 'll save gas no matter how you drive. The first one is keeping your tires properly inflated. That can save two miles per gallon. Driving on low tires is like driving through sand your car just has to work harder. Most Camarillo service centers will fill up your tires for free, so just ask your service advisor. Also, make a habit of checking your tire pressure whenever you get gas in your car. Many Camarillo gas stations have an air hose you can use for free. Another ... read more

You may have found yourself in the following situation: You go to get your oil changed and the service adviser recommends you get a new engine air filter. You say yes, but because you didn't know what an air filter is or what it does, you were too embarrassed to ask. First of all, you did the right thing by getting a new one. And, you should never be too embarrassed to ask for more information. It's your money and you have a right to understand what you're paying for. Let's review what an air filter does. Air is the focus of this discussion. What is the air like outside right now? Can you see the smog? Is it full of pollen? How about dust? Anyone with hay fever can tell you that there's plenty in the air that you can't see. Well, it's the engine air filter's job to clean that air before it goes into your engine, to mix with the fuel and be burned. Without a filter, the inside of your engine would be extremely dirty from all the gunk that was burned in the c ... read more

At AutoNetTV we love doughnuts. So let's pretend you have three doughnuts right in front of your for our discussion of upsizing wheels and tires. Hey, don't eat them now – your going to need them later. Many people want to accessorize their car – you know, make it theirs. One of the easiest ways to get a custom look is to get some new wheels. There are thousands of wheel designs out there to get you the look you want. And for many, that look includes bigger wheels. It used to be that cars came from the factory with 15 or 16 inch wheels. Now 16, 17 and even 18 inchers are standard. And the factories are offering optional wheel packages up to 20 inches or more. So let's talk about what to consider when you want to upsize your wheels. It's not exactly a do it yourself project, so you need to know a thing or two before you get started. The most important term to know is rolling diam ... read more

Is your car sometimes hard to start? When you turn the key, does it hesitate or stutter? If so, the problem could be the result of a dirty fuel system. Your car's fuel system starts with the air filter and ends in the top of your engine. Over time, different parts of the system get dirty, which robs you of performance and hurts your fuel economy. Most of today's cars have fuel injectors, rather than a carburetor. Fuel injection systems have fewer problems and require less adjustment. But they still need to be properly maintained. This is why your owner's manual has a schedule for cleaning your fuel injectors and other parts of your fuel system. Some CA drivers are interested in buying fuel system cleaners that you can pour into your gas tank. You can do that – and there are lots of great products available that can help maintain an already clean fuel system – but these products cannot do a major cleaning. For that, you need to see a Camarillo se ... read more

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars: emission devices and control computers; safety equipment like airbags; and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new car. Because new cars are more expensive, CA drivers are using their old cars longer. The average car is now over nine years old. 68% of vehicles on the road have more than 75,000 miles/120,000 kilometers. As cars age, their performance drops, they have difficulty idling for long periods and are more sensitive to weather extremes. Fortunately today's cars are up to the challenge – but they need a little help to keep on going. Some owner's manuals don't specify service requirements at higher mileage. That doesn't mean it doesn't have to be done. In fact, it's more important than ever to stay on top of routine maintenance for cars with more than 120,000 miles/190,000 kilometers. Just ... read more

What type of technology do you use? Do you prefer an 8-track tape or an iPod? When it comes to winter tires, much of the public's perception dates back to when 8-track was the best way to listen to the Bee Gees. Twenty years ago, winter tires differed from highway tires only in their tread design. We called them snow tires back then and they had big, knobby lugs that were designed to give good traction in deep snow. They had the same rubber compound as regular tires and they weren't very good on ice, packed snow or wet roads. They were not even very good on dry roads. They really helped in deep or loose snow, but they did a poor job the rest of the time. They were loud and rode hard. You couldn't wait to get them off in the spring. Then all-season tires started to come along. All-season tires are really a compromise between summer and winter performance. They have acceptable hot weather ride and tre ... read more

Although we love what we do, the staff at Camarillo Car Care is looking forward to spending time with our family and friends this holiday season. We wanted to let you know our Holiday schedule and what to do in an event you should have automobile trouble while we're closed. Holiday Schedule: Thursday Dec 24, closing early at 12:00pm. Fri Dec 25, Closed. Thursday Dec 31, closing early at 4:00pm. Fri Jan 1, Closed. We will resume our normal operating hours of Mon - Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm starting the week of Jan 4, 2010. Incase of emergency roadside assistance is needed you may call: AAA members call (800) 400-4222 or you may call Camarillo's local towing company of Camarillo Towing at (805) 388-1185 We wish you and yours a wonderful and safe Holiday

Thank you to our 1000's of customers in Camarillo and Ventura County! We have been awarded the Winner of the #1 Auto Repair Shop Award by the Readers of the Ventura County Star again. That makes 12 years that we've been voted your choice for auto repair. We are proud of our years of winning this award. To our staff, this is an endorsement of our efforts each and every day to provide the best possible auto repair service and experiences. When an auto repair company wins this award far more than any other company in Ventura County, it speaks volumes about how our customers feel about that company. How do you know you can trust our shop? We look at it this way. It is easy to tell you we can be trusted, any shop can "say" that. But when 1000's of customers vote us their number one shop and take the time to vote for us each year, we feel that is the most true voice. It's not just the readers of the Ventura County Star Newspaper that be ... read more