Auto Repair in Camarillo

Nowadays, everyone in Camarillo, CA is paying more at the gas pump. For some families in the greater Thousand Oaks area, it adds up to several hundred dollars every month. That's got to come out of the budget somewhere. Throughout North America, people are putting off buying a new car. They plan on keeping their old vehicle for a year or two longer than before. Even now, 2/3 of the personal vehicles on our local Camarillo, CA roads have over 75,000 miles on them. The average age of vehicles is over nine years. And most people in Thousand Oaks can't afford to be stranded or inconvenienced by a break down. So following a regular maintenance schedule, like our personal diet and exercise plans, is actually critical to preserving your investment. Knowing what to do for a higher-mileage vehicle can be challenging because many owners' manuals don't publish service intervals after 60,000 miles. It just means that you need to be better at keeping records and planning ... read more

With front-wheel drive being so common these days in Camarillo, CA, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most folks in Camarillo, CA don't even have to think about it. And rear-wheel drive differentials don't need to be serviced for years, so it's understandable that it's not something on the top of mind for our Camarillo customers. So it's not uncommon for people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service. To better understand what a differential does, think about our local Camarillo 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 ... read more

Local Thousand Oaks roadside emergencies can range from a flat tire downtown to being stranded in a snowy ravine for three days. So you may want to consider a basic emergency kit to keep in the car at all times and a travel kit tailored to a specific trip. Your close-to-home kit for around Camarillo would have some basic items to work on your car: everything you need to change a tire, gloves, a couple quarts of oil, some antifreeze and water. A can of tire inflator is a great temporary fix for minor flats. You'll also want jumper cables or a booster box, flares, a flashlight and some basic hand tools. Now for your comfort and safety: a first aid kit, drinkable water, high calorie food (like energy bars), blankets, toilet paper, cell phone, towel, hat and boots. Keep some change for a pay phone, emergency cash and a credit card. People who live in areas with frequent severe weather or earthquakes may want to carry provisions for longe ... read more

Let me start by saying that your wheel bearings keep the wheels on your vehicle. Did that get your attention? In this article we'll discuss more about wheel bearings and how you can keep them doing their very important job while you drive around Camarillo CA. Wheel bearings are pretty simple parts. They're made of high quality steel and are engineered to last 100,000 miles or more if properly cared for. The bearings do two very important jobs: First they allow the wheel to freely rotate with as little friction as possible. Second, they support the weight of the vehicle. For example, if your car weighs 3,600 pounds, each wheel has to support approximately 900 pounds. That's a lot of heavy lifting over many, many thousands of miles. Even though wheel bearings are relatively simple, they need to be in near perfect condition to do their job. The bearings are packed with heavy grease to lubricate and protect them. A seal keeps the grease in and w ... read more

Having trouble with your fuel system? Bring your SUV into Camarillo Car Care Center for a check up. 2739 Daily Drive Camarillo, CA 93010 805-482-2853 Today we're talking about fuel system cleaning. The first thing to know is how important it is to have a clean fuel system. You need fuel to go, and the cleaner your fuel system, the more efficiently the fuel will burn. That means more power and better fuel economy. A clean fuel system saves money at the pump. We guess you could say, it all starts and ends at the pump. One of the most important things you can do to keep your fuel system clean is to buy good quality gas. Major brands have detergents that keep gum and varnish from rapidly building up in the fuel system. So buying cheaper gas can actually cost you in the long run. Now, most cars on the road are more than five or six years old. That means they've had time for some dirt and ... read more

People in Camarillo have been hearing a lot about higher oil change intervals these days. Maybe you're wondering: What are the key issues? Some new vehicle manufacturers in Camarillo are now recommending much higher oil change intervals than they have in the past. As much as 5,000 to 8,000 miles or more. This practice came under scrutiny when four of the largest new car manufacturers announced that owners like those in Camarillo were experiencing engine damage resulting from these higher oil change intervals. The manufacturers' standard oil drain service for particular vehicles was scheduled at around 7,500 miles. People following these recommendations were experiencing engine damage. It turns out that oil sludge was building up. This caused small oil passages to clog and engine parts to fail. What causes oil sludge? It's a factor of time and mileage. There are hot spots in every engine that cause oil burn off that l ... read more

The Heat is on in Southern California and that means the temperature INSIDE your car and UNDER THE HOOD is going to get HOT! We'll help you keep cool by offering this great Summer Special . Designed to keep not only you and your passengers cool, but your engine too! Don't get caught unexpectedly in the summer heat. Come in or call today to take advantage of this super limited time offer....and STAY COOL! SUMMER SPECIAL $79.99 Oil Change Service Coolant Level Inspection Air Conditioning Service Comprehensive Battery Test Tire Rotation Visual Brake I ... read more

Today at Camarillo Car Care Center 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 Thousand Oaks 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 Thousand Oaks community. All gas engines can run with up to 10% ethanol and in fact a lot of gasoline sold in the Camarillo CA area does contain some ethanol. The problem comes when well meaning people without Flex Fuel certified vehicles put E-85 into the tank ... read more

People in Camarillo CA often ask the question: “Will using premium gas make my car run better?” The answer is simple. But first, let's talk about what exactly premium gasoline is. Different grades of gasoline have different octane ratings. Regular gasoline has the lowest octane rating and premium the highest. Most gas stations around Camarillo CA also carry a mid-grade that falls in between the two. The octane range for the different grades of gas varies by region due to altitude differences. Engines require different octane ratings because of design differences. For example, turbocharged engines usually require premium gas. There's a sticker on your gas tank filler lid that tells you the minimum octane rating your manufacturer recommends. Read your owner's manual carefully to see if it's acceptable to use lower grades. With some cars in Camarillo CA it is; the engine control computer can adapt. You'll lose some ... read more

We've all seen people do crazy things while driving to or from Thousand Oaks. A guy shaving in the rear-view mirror, a woman applying makeup, people talking on their phones, texting or drinking from an enormous coffee mug. All of these are an accident waiting to happen. The truth is everyone in Thousand Oaks CA is distracted when we drive. Traffic, road construction and other things outside the car are beyond our control. But the distractions inside our car are things we can often control. Here's some things that'll give you more control in your car, and help keep your attention on the roads around Thousand Oaks CA. Drivers who are 16 to 20 years old tend to be more distracted by the radio, CD or MP3 player. Drivers who are 20 to 29 are more distracted by passengers in the car, including small children. And those over age 65 tend to be more distracted by objects or events that are outside of the vehicle. Other factors like fati ... read more