There are three easy things to do to extend the life of your car by at least 30%. Nothing magical here, folks. You probably already do these things. But I can say one thing...I would guess you don't do them often enough. The Engine Oil and Filter Change. This one is obvious. Do this every 3000 to 5000 miles and your engine will thank you for it. Us…

Lots of cars these days have timing belts that need to be replaced around 90k to 105k miles. This is something that should not be put off. If the timing belt breaks for some reason, it can cause major damage to the engine. If your car has an interference engine, valves will hit the pistons if things get out of whack. The cost to repair something like that co…

That light on your dash...it's been on for a while now, right? It's a little picture of an engine and it glows red or yellow, and it keeps staring you in the face. Yeah, your car seems to run fine, so you just ignore it. You think it's probably nothing, or your friend says "You left your gas cap loose". Well, in reality, that check engine light might be a…

The weather is starting to change. It's that time of year again. And as usual, here in the Tri-Valley, it's gonna be HOT. The hotter it is outside, the harder it is on your car. The cooling system works harder to get rid of all that extra heat, which can cause you lots of trouble if things aren't up to snuff. The radiator hoses need to be in good shape, a…

I am often asked this question. It's a question that has been asked since the beginning of time, almost as much as "What's the meaning of life?" I jest of course. The answer is...It depends. The old standard answer used to be every 3000 miles. Auto manufactures now recommend between 5k or 7k miles. Some go as high as 10k miles. The true answer sho…