Orinda Auto Repair

Just like everything else it seems like auto repair cost is higher than it used to be. Of course today’s vehicles are more complex than they used to be requiring additional training and more sophisticated equipment. It is very frustrating when your vehicle develops a problem that you are not ready for. What is first thing that comes to mind? How much is this auto repair going to cost now? Well that is a good question. Usually the answer can only be found after it is properly checked out. Many motorists are surprised that there is a fee to check out a problem on a vehicle. In some cases it may be obvious what your car needs. What if it isn’t obvious? How does that work? When a vehicle has some kind of problem there are two steps to fixing it. First it must be properly diagnosed to determine the required repair to solve the problem. In most cases there is a component that needs to be replaced. The second step is to make the ... read more

The real question is, who is responsible for the maintenance and repairs to your car, truck or SUV?  It starts with the owner operator but also includes the driver/operator that may not be the owner. The actual auto repair and car maintenance comes down to your car care provider. However it is the responsibility of the owner to keep track of the maintenance required for the vehicle. One you have researched and selected a car care provider you can use that facility consistently for your car care. Sticking with one shop will help eliminate confusion regarding the repair and maintenance history. This is the trusty shop that can help you figure out what maintenance intervals are required and is there to help when you have a problem. The owner/operator is the person that pays attention to the maintenance and auto repair intervals as described in you owner’s manual. When is the oil change due? When are the spark plugs due for replacement? When i ... read more

By keeping your car for 15 years, or 225,000 miles of driving, you could save money, nearly $31,000, according to Consumer Reports magazine. That’s compared to the cost of buying an identical model every five years, which is roughly the rate at which most car owners trade in their vehicles. In its annual national auto survey, the magazine found6,769 readers who had logged more than 200,000 miles on their cars. Their cars included a 1990 Lexus LS400 with 332,000 miles and a 1994 Ford Ranger pick-up that had gone 488,000 miles. Calculating the costs involved in buying a new Honda Civic EX every five years for 15 years – including depreciation, taxes, fees and insurance – the magazine estimated it would cost $20,500 more than it would have cost to maintain one car for the same period. Added to that, the magazine factored in $10,300 in interest that could have been earned ... read more

Many motorists have no intention of replacing their vehicle any time soon.  Replacing your car for a new one is an expense that you may want to put off for a while. Like my dad always said, “if it’s not broke don’t fix it”. Sometimes the situation may arise when the time to make a decision about the car’s destiny will pick you. You can suddenly find yourself at a crossroad when the staggering cost of major car repairs meets the staggering cost of replacing your car. Unfortunately we do not know if the vehicle may need additional repairs in the future or not. Sometimes when it’s broke you really do need to fix it or replace it. Either way there is a decision to be made. A vehicle that needs a major car repair like a transmission or engine will have a low resale or trade in value. Either you dump the car for pennies on the dollar or invest more than the blue book value to make i ... read more

You’ve spent plenty of money on the purchase of your car or truck, now the question arises, “How do I take care of it?” Proper washing is one of the most overlooked and misunderstood areas of auto care, and sadly improper washing damages and dulls your vehicle’s finish over time. If you take a second and look at the cars around you in a parking lot, or even at a car show, in the direct sunlight you will notice many of the cars have a scratched surface. These microscopic scratches seem to radiate outward in a “cob-web” effect from a central light source like the reflection of the sun. Many of the swirl marks are the result of improper washing and drying techniques. They are caused when grit is abraded against the paint’s surface. Much has been written on how to properly maintain a vehicles appearance and while most of the tips in this article certainly aren’t new, perhaps they may help you think about things in a different light. Vehicle enthusiasts range from those who religiou ... read more

We drive our family car or SUV year round without thinking about it much. We use it in the summer and winter like it was nothing. As the seasons change we need to make sure that our vehicles receive the attention they deserve. There are season specific safeguards we must take. Important components like the battery and the wiper/washer system are adversely affected by extreme temperatures. Other components like brakes, tires and struts/shocks should also be checked to insure safe ride control for any time of year. The first thing we need to do is to make sure the vehicle is getting a good inspection at least once a year. If you check the maintenance guidelines in your owner’s manual it will help you understand what is required. Most intervals call for a comprehensive inspection every 15,000 or 30,000 miles. Once a year is a good rule of thumb. I am not talking about a quick oil change with a quick inspection, but a thorough inspection by experienced personnel. This inspection inc ... read more

Sometimes life will come full circle. When Allen Pennebaker started his job at Orinda Motors in 1976 his duties included pumping gas at the Atlantic Richfield station that is now home of Express Oil Change and Tire Center. The Orinda native and Miramonte graduate went on to work his way through the ranks at Orinda Motors and eventually bought the company with his wife Terry in 1977. The local repair facility has gone through many changes before becoming the establishment known as the community leader that it is today. When Allen found out that the vacant Valero gas station was available he immediately became interested. Looking to expand his business ventures Pennebaker pursued the empty station and went on to become the new owner. He chose the Flying A brand because of the quality of gas and value it represents as well as the connection to the nostalgic connection to the original Flying A station that stood very close to Pennebaker’s new business enterprise. He saw as an opportunit ... read more

This expression means that it is better to try to avoid problems in the first place, rather than trying to fix them once they arise. Our goal is to stay out of the repair shop, right? Sometimes the best way to do that is to actually visit the shop, but do it on your terms and your schedule. If you recognize a weak battery during a routine maintenance service you have the ability to replace it at your convenience, not when you are least expecting it like when you are ready to take the kids to school. The bottom line is that it is absolutely necessary to pay attention to your car, weather you are a do-it-yourselfer or use a trustworthy repair facility. As I say repeatedly, paying attention to the needs of your car is the responsibility of the owner/operator. We expect to go to the doctor once a year for a physical, well your car, truck or SUV needs a physical too. As a matter of fact I personally was able to avoid an increase in health insurance costs by having a physical done ... read more

It is very easy to notice that filling your vehicle with gas costs more these days. Every time I turn around I need to put gas in my guzzler. It made me think of ways that I could be saving fuel and getting more miles out of each tank. I could commute with one of my co-workers. I could get dropped off and walk part of the way. The rest of the time I need to get behind the wheel. Coming from my auto service background I have to start with what I know about basic automotive efficiency. I know that the number one cause of poor fuel mileage on a car is low tire pressure. The rolling resistance of a tire is crucial to good gas mileage. I checked the tire pressures on my Ford Explorer and found that they were all low. Wow, imagine that. When I inspected my tires I noticed that my front tires were wearing down unevenly on the outside edge indicating that I had a wheel alignment problem. When the wheel alignment is out of spec the tires are literally pointing in the wrong direction causing ... read more