Auto Repair in Camarillo

Your engine is like a finely choreographed dance. All the parts have to work together. If the timing is off at the ballet, dancers crash into each other and fall down. It the timing is off in your engine, it may not run at all. One of the most intricate dances in your engine, has to do with the combustion cycle. Your SUV engine has cylinders in which a piston travels up and down. At the top of the cylinders are valves open to bring in the air and fuel. And there are valves that open to let out the exhaust after the fuel has been burned. It's critical that the values be timed to open and close at precisely the right time in the combustion cycle, or the engine will run poorly or not at all. The timing belt is responsible for rotating the shafts that control the valves. It's vital and precision work. Timing belts are made of very tough flexible material. They can last a long time. But they eventually wear ou ... read more

If you've ever been in a car accident around Camarillo CA, even a minor one, you know how upsetting it can be. It's hard to think straight and know what to do. Let's review what you should do in case of an accident in Camarillo, CA: When an accident occurs, you should always stop. Leaving the scene of an accident is considered a crime in CA – even if it's not your fault. And hit-and-run penalties are fairly severe, possibly resulting in steep fines, loss of your driver's license or even jail time in our local Camarillo lockup. Most states, including CA require that you try to help someone who is injured by calling for help or performing first aid if you are able. Warn other Camarillo motorists by putting out flares, using your flashers or lifting your hood. Call 911 as soon as possible. Tell the operator if medical or fire help is needed. Always file a police rep ... read more

If you're a quart low in your SUV, there isn't enough motor oil to lubricate your engine properly. The extra friction causes drag that reduces fuel economy while you're driving around the Thousand Oaks area. The same goes for dirty oil; it doesn't reduce friction properly. The result is you get to watch those numbers at your local Thousand Oaks gas pump rolling higher and higher. The transmission also needs the proper amount of clean fluid to do its work. When it's in need of service, the transmission drags your fuel economy down. So keep it clean and give yourself a fighting chance

This fuel saving tip is so simple, no one from here to Somis will believe it. It has to do with your gas cap. The first thing is to make sure it's screwed on tight. If it's loose, gas vapor will be constantly leaking out; wasted gas. And air will get in and that can cause your oxygen sensor to read incorrectly and the oxygen sensor will tell the engine management computer to adjust the fuel-air mix and, well, you get the picture; you'll be burning more gas around Somis than you need to. This could cause the check engine light to come on as well. A worn gas cap can have the same effect. If you constantly smell gas when you walk by your tank, you might need a new gas cap. So, twist your cap until it clicks three times - that means it's on tight. Have your Somis area service advisor at Camarillo Car Care Center inspect the cap to see if it needs to be rep ... read more

Here's an interesting statistic for our friends in Camarillo CA: Only thirty percent of car batteries make it to forty-eight months. And the life expectancy varies by where you live. It ranges from fifty-one months in extremely cold areas to just thirty months in extremely hot climates. Why is that? It turns out that it's our modern cars with all their electric accessories that are to blame. Things like, GPS, DVDs, and entertainment computers are keeping car batteries from maintaining a full charge. The longer a battery goes with a low charge, the sooner it'll die. So you must recharge your battery. This is the job of the alternator. The problem comes when the car's demand for electricity is high and we are driving in stop and go conditions or short trips around Camarillo or Somis. The alternator just can't keep up. The result is shortened battery life. So what can we do to improve our battery's health? We need to keep the batt ... read more