Orinda Auto Repair

Orinda Motors cares about the safety of you and your family, and we want your Halloween celebrations to go off without a hitch. From goblins to princesses, we think there will be a quite a few distractions out there on the road. That’s why we have put together some safety tips for driving on Halloween. We want your Halloween night to be more treat than trick, so we encourage you to take a look at the list of the safety tips we have put together:   Don’t use a cell phone or any other electronic device. In fact, we recommend putting it completely away, so it won’t even have the chance of distracting you. This way, you can focus on what’s in front of you. Who knows you might see a ghost gliding past you across the street? Pay close attention to crosswalks and intersections. Kids tend to dart across the street, eager to get to the next home and fill their bags with even more goodies, so be prepared for those enthusiastic trick-or-treaters. Make sure you ... read more

  Back-to-school season is officially here, which means running around to get school supplies, new clothes, and the list seems to go on and on. Amidst this busy time, it can be easy to forget about your reliable car. The team at Orinda Motors is here to remind you about ten car repairs you should have checked regularly:   Oil: Your car’s oil keeps everything running smoothly, and it doesn’t have the right level of oil, your car simply won’t run right. Tire Pressure: Nowadays, many cars are equipped with a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), which will alert you if something isn’t right with your tire pressure. Since this system monitors our tires, it is important to have it checked out by a professional. Brakes: Please don’t wait until you hear a screeching noise when you step on the brakes. Having your brakes regularly inspected by a professional is necessary for your, your family’s, and your vehicle’s safety. Power Ste ... read more

With winter upon us, you may be wondering which type of tires is right for you. Most likely, you are struggling to decide between all season or winter tires. The team at Orinda Motors is here to help. After reading this, we hope you will be able to decide between all-season and winter tires.   Winter roads are dangerous, to say the least. You can experience black ice and heavy snowfall all in one trip. As you can imagine, ensuring your vehicle is outfitted with the right tire is essential. Winter tires are armored with certain weapons against wintry roads, including:   Flexible tread rubber, which is designed to allow your vehicle to grip the road better. Thicker tread depths, which reduce the buildup of snow in your tires. Biting edges, similar to small slits, which provide traction when driving on the ice. When your car leaves the factory, it is typically outfitted with all season tires. All season tires are both durable and versatile. You can drive in several wea ... read more

Tires are often neglected and overlooked by the people who drive on them every day. A daily visual inspection is ideal to make sure the tires are in good shape. But in today’s busy world, most people don’t pay that close attention to their tires until the following happens:   The car sensors detect that tire pressure is low. The driver “feels” something going on with the tires or how the car is not driving smoothly. The steering wheel pulls to the left or the right. A loud pop or explosion is heard while driving (Not good!). Another driver is desperately trying to get your attention and point out that your tires are dangerously low.   So the question is:  Do your tires pass the safety test?   First, let’s establish what is “safe”. Safety can mean several things, such as:   Safe level of tire tread: You have more that 2/32 of an inch of tread depth remaining. This means your probably don’t need new tires ... read more

Not only is driving a car an honor and a privilege, but knowing how to drive and take care of your vehicle is a survival skill. In a perfect world, we believe that every teenager who wants to get behind the wheel should know the following things about cars and car maintenance by heart before hitting the road.   How to drive a manual transmission. If a teenager or adult is in a situation where the only car available to you has a manual transmission, it could save your life when you know how to drive it. Otherwise, you could be stuck in an unfortunate position to where you could not drive yourself to safety. We recommend learning how to drive a stick shift, and here’s a helpful video that provides instruction:     How to change a tire. If you get a flat tire and you don’t know how to change it, you could be stranded. Changing a tire is easier than many teenagers and adults think. Here is a helpful video that will show you how to change a tire, assuming you ... read more

In 2015, Orinda Motors decided to do something new and special at the Orinda Fourth of July Parade. We sponsored a Grandstand at the end of the parade route, invited our customers to reserve seats in our 80-person Grandstand, and enjoyed a warm holiday together in the shade.   The feedback we received from everyone who joined us was outstanding! Our Grandstand was booked solid, but everyone shared the space with ease. There was a feeling of camaraderie. New friends were made and old friends reunited. We danced. We cheered. We all felt lucky to be in this space, watching the parade go by on this special holiday.   We love our customers and we love giving back to the community. So this year, Orinda Motors decided to do it again! Earlier this month, Orinda Motors sent out an email to all Orinda Motors and Orinda Auto Detail customers, inviting them to reserve Grandstand seats at the Orinda Fourth of July Parade. Within a short week, all 80 seats in our Grandstand were reserv ... read more

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

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

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