Orinda Auto Repair

At Orinda Motors, we are proud to use auto parts made by ACDelco. On May 11, ACDelco is celebrating 100 years of being in business.   For those of you unfamiliar with the ACDelco brand, here’s some of their history: If you prefer auto technicians that are honest, use quality parts, locally-owned, and involved with the communities of Orinda, Moraga, and Lafayette, come see us at Orinda Motors. You’ll be glad you did!  :-)  

Some of us love checklists, and some don’t. Same goes with road trips. If you’re lucky enough to be one of those people who loves both checklists AND road trips, this blog article is for YOU! :-)   Admittedly, we got a little help from Bellhop, which offers a bunch of helpful travel info. We recommend the following checklist for road trip essentials: Full tank of gas Bottled water / Drinks Snacks Cooler Gum Paper towels / Tissues GPS / Maps Mobile phone with Bluetooth for hands-free driving iPod / Music player Charger Car battery charger Spare tire Additional electronics First-Aid Kit / Medications Travel documents Driver license Credit cards / Currency Female items Male items Trash container​   Of course, the most essential item is not on the road trip checklist at all. The most essential item is a safe and fully-operational vehicle. If your vehicle requires an oil change ... read more

Spring is here, and you know what that means….  It’s time to wash and detail your car!   Truthfully, springtime is a fine time to clean your vehicle. It’s the perfect time to get rid of that thin coat of yellow pollen, dead bugs on your windshield, and the grime accumulated from your daily commute.   However, did you know that if you Opti-Coat your vehicle, you can wash it less and still protect it better? Here’s a comparison of basic car wash services versus Opti-Coat detailing services so you can compare apples to apples.   Basic car wash found in the East Bay region: A typical basic car wash may include an interior vacuum, soft cloth wash, wheel clean, and dry. Prices range between $5 - $20.   Average time the car stays clean:  1 week   Mini Detail at Orinda Auto Detail: A mini detail includes exterior hand wash, rims cleaned, chamois dry, interior vacuum, cupholders cleaned, tires dressed.   Prices start ... read more

Orinda Auto Detail is currently looking for new hires. If you or someone you know is looking for a hands-on position with a great company, here is our snapshot of a great candidate. You are a detail oriented individual that has at least 1 - 2 years experience with car washing and auto detailing. You love all types of automobiles, and you enjoy making them look clean and beautiful again. You appreciate working for a highly-respected, family-owned, team-operated company that has built a good reputation in the East Bay. You are friendly, reliable, accountable, eager to learn, and work well with others. You'll get bonus points if you have experience with coatings like Opti-Coat Pro and enjoy the idea of making cars look like they just rolled off the showroom floor. If you or someone you know is a match for Orinda Auto Detail, please send a resume to ... read more

Orinda Motors takes pride in restoring classic cars. Heck, that’s putting it lightly. We LOVE classic cars and we are deeply passionate about restoring them. To illustrate what we mean, here are the six reasons we go bananas -- in a good way -- when a client asks us to repair, restore, or maintain their old car.   1.   We appreciate the art form. Classic cars are works of art on wheels. The lines. The curves. The magnificence of the engine. The power. The engineering. The history. Each car was beautifully crafted, albeit on an assembly line, and they have become a major part in the fabric of American culture.   Classic cars are featured in movies, on television, in video games, and in songs. From the time we were babies, we were taught that cars are a piece of art that is both practical and an asset that defines you.   2.  Working on them is like meditation. Imagine going to your favorite place in the whole wide world. Now, imagine sitting i ... read more

  Vehicles produce a large amount of CO2 into the environment. Smog checks are the solution to this environmental problem. When you bring your vehicle in Orinda Motors for a smog check, we are ensuring your vehicle’s emissions are well-within state and federal guidelines.   California basically has a love affair with cars. Out of California’s 34 million residents, 25 million of them own a vehicle. That is one car for every adult over the age of 18. As a result, a ton of emissions are emitted into the environment. These emissions form into smog. Smog, unfortunately, is associated with several health problems and global warming. So, California was faced with a major problem. How do we minimize this smog, without limiting how much an individual can drive, or many cars they can own? The answer was smog checks. A smog check is designed to make sure your vehicle is not emitting excessive emissions into the environment, which ultimately, reduces the overall smog in C ... read more

How much do you know about tires? Do you feel pretty savvy, or do you leave it up to the experts to tell you what kind of tires your vehicle needs? Whatever your perspective on tires, the team at Express Oil Change & Tire Center are very knowledgeable about tires.   For many of our customers, tires are still a mystery. Most of them can recognize tire basics, such as a flat tire, a tire with worn tread, and a wobbly tire, but did you know these eleven things about our Tire Center?   We have a full service tire center located in the same place as our oil change and auto repair facilities.   We have 200 individual tires that will fit most vehicles. Special tires can often be ordered the same day or at least within one or two.   We can fill the tires with nitrogen to help fuel economy and extend the life of the tires.   We work on run flats, do tire repair when possible, and you don’t need an appointment.  However, you can make an appointmen ... read more

  With El Nino coming, it is smart to prepare your vehicles for winter storms and road conditions. Here are some ways you can be proactive and make sure you are not involved in a preventable breakdown.   Know Your Brakes Before an Emergency. If you are driving on snow-covered or wet roads, apply firm and even pressure with the ball of your foot on the brake pedal. This will prevent you from locking the brakes and skidding out of control. Avoid Hydroplaning and Slow Down. When the roads have oil slicks or are pooled with water, your chances of hydroplaning and losing traction with the road increases. To avoid dangerous hydroplaning conditions, reduce your speed and gently tap your brakes when you need to slow down so that your tires stay connected to the road. Have a Tire Kit Handy When Driving in Snow. The Lamorinda area clearly does not have to worry about snow, but if you travel to Lake Tahoe region to go skiing, be sure to have tire chains and the appropriate tools to ... read more

The holidays are coming! Do you need a rental car for yourself, a loved one, or a friend traveling to the East Bay? If a rental car would ease the travel stress of you or your visitors, our rentals start from only $29.99 per day!   We offer a wide variety of rentals in our fleet. From minivans and sedans to convertibles and compact cars, we have the wheels you need, AND we are affordable. Plus, we are conveniently located for anyone in Orinda, El Sobrante, Lafayette, Moraga, Oakland, and Walnut Creek.   In addition to being affordable and convenient, Orinda Auto Rental offers great service, too! If you land at SFO or OAK, you can take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to the Orinda station. If you make an appointment with Orinda Auto Rental, we will be happy to pick you up from the Orinda BART station and bring you to your awaiting auto rental. Open 7 days a week, Orinda Auto Rental offers local pickup and delivery service by request, free of charge.     One thing ... read more

Want to protect that showroom shine on your vehicle? You know, the flawless finish that helped you fall in love with your vehicle. The beautiful paint you instinctively protect by parking far away from other cars, avoiding anything that could scratch the finish. If protecting your paint is a priority, you can make your car sparkle by using professional paint sealant products like Opti-Coat or CQuartz paint coatings.   There are many benefits to using Opti-Coat and CQuartz. Both are great products, and we’ll dive into the advantages of each.   Opti-Coat:   For starters, here is a video featuring Opti-Coat Pro and Opti Guard Protection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aidrex8ApN8   Opti-Coat is the ultimate protection for all automotive surfaces. Opti-Coat is not a wax or nano sealant that will wash away. It permanently bonds with the factory coating, protecting the surface indefinitely and will ... read more