Aliso Viejo Auto Repair

Welcome back, spring-- a time for new beginnings and new adventures. Is your car in good enough condition to travel? The roads are clear, the weather is nice, and hopefully, your car is running smoothly.  Here are five reasons why springtime is the perfect time to get maintenance for your vehicle:  Spring is the time for renewal. The winter weather is very hard on a car, especially your starter and alternator. It takes your car’s battery extra effort to get your vehicle going. Now that its spring, and hearts are lighter, you should give your car some renewing energy. Test your battery, starter, and alternator. Get your fluids topped off (such as engine oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, coolant, automatic transmission fluid, etc.). This kind of attention to your car’s needs will help identify any underlying issues.  Roads are clear from the snow and storms. With the worst weather gone after wintertime, you’re fre ... read more

It’s March, which means it’s the first point in the new year that people start planning road trips. With COVID-19 vaccinations underway, we may see heavy road congestions this year during Spring Break. What about your family? Do you have plans for a week-long getaway? If you’re planning on taking a trip this Spring Break, it’s essential to know the five ways to get the family vehicle ready for a Spring Break excursion: Check your brakes. Brakes are number one for a reason. Spring weather can mean slick roads and ice. Check how often your car’s manufacturer says to replace the pads, and if there’s any indication that you need to replace them already (squealing, shaking, or the car pulling left or right), schedule maintenance with your mechanic. Check out the suspension. Your suspension is essential, not just to your family’s comfort, but to stay on the road. Heed the signs of a suspension breakdown. ... read more

Welcome to another February in Aliso Viejo! February is an active month with plenty of activities for everyone. In one week, we'll watch the Super Bowl, and in two weeks, we'll celebrate Valentine's Day on the weekend!   Gift-giving Car owners tend to buy themselves their favorite things, so it might be hard to shop for one. But if you're determined to get your car lover a gift for Valentine's Day, here are some of our favorite gifts for car enthusiasts!    Because their coffee table demands it, give them the book that they will love pouring over many times. Give them Car: The Definitive Visual History of the Automobile.   Because they might someday get stuck somewhere and need to see in the dark, we recommend they ... read more

Welcome to the New Year! If you’re going out to play in the snow up in the mountains, or going skiing in Colorado, you might want to consider a few helpful steps before you head out on your adventures. These are our top 5 ways to prepare your car for winter activities: Give the Tires a lot of love. Get a tire inflator that works from the road and fill your tires to the correct pressure before you start out. Check your tire tread and the rotation of the tires. Consider snow tires or all-weather tires if you’re going deep into snow somewhere. Top up your fluids. This is a really obvious thing, but if you’ve not looked into the maintenance of your car in a few months, do it before you head into snow. Change your oil and antifreeze. Make sure the winter windshield wiper fluid is in your tank, to prevent it freezing. Prepare an emergency kit. You want things to help you get out of snow if you slide into a snow bank, like a small shovel and a piece of old carpet slightly ... read more

Photo by Steve Long of Unsplash With the holidays comes awkward weather outside of our fair city. Aliso Viejo is mild and dry, but if you head out east or north to visit loved ones for the holidays, you may encounter what Canadians categorize as ‘rough sledding’.  One of the biggest causes of roadside accidents isn’t rudeness and taking advantage of others, it’s not having awareness of what you’re doing. It’s very easy to think of your car as an extension of yourself and believe it will shelter you from harm perfectly. But that’s an arrogant way to drive and it can put you, your car, and your passengers in danger. It’s important not to treat a winter drive out of Aliso Viejo’s climate as typical. When you’re planning on taking a trip, no matter how short or how far the distance is, you should always treat the trip as a risk you are taking. Here are some tips we recommend for people hitting the roads for the holidays ... read more