Keep this in mind next time you have your brakes done.

As vehicle owners we understand the importance of brakes. Often an afterthought until you find yourself in situation where you need to stop immediately, a car in front of you brakes unexpectedly, an animal or person steps into the vehicle lane or a myriad of other scenarios. In any scenario, properly functioning brakes can save you from an untimely accident.

When you think of brakes, most vehicle owners think of new brake pads and that’s it. In reality there are other components that are just as important. Proper brake fluid levels and functioning master cylinder allow the fluid to squeeze the brake pads with enough pressure to stop the vehicle. Brake rotors need to be properly surfaced so as the brake pad presses against it, there is even connection between the pad and rotor.

When you have your brakes replaced, it’s important that your mechanic checks your brake rotors and resurfaces them correctly. If not resurfaced correctly, you can find that your pads will wear uneven causing the brake pad life to lessen and jeopardize the safety of your vehicle. If your rotors are uneven, hotspots develop due to the inconsistency of the pad touching the rotor, this also causes braking time to be extended meaning when you apply your brakes at any level of force, it will take longer to stop your vehicle.

Next time you need to replace your brakes, remember to ask your mechanic if the rotors need to be resurfaced. Proper pads, rotors, fluid and master cylinder working together can make the difference in stopping your vehicle when it matters most.

If you have questions about your brakes, contact us.

Has your vehicle’s A/C system stopped cooling properly?

Now that we’re well into summer, most of us are putting our cars’ air conditioning systems to the test.

With increased usage comes the increased chance of a system failure, for one reason or another.

There are a number of things that could go wrong with you’re A/C, but one of the most common is that it needs to be recharged.

Recharging your A/C is a relatively simple process, but should be performed by an automotive technician due to strict guidelines laid out by the Bureau of Automotive Repair (or BAR). The BAR’s guidelines are based on regulatory programs of the EPA and detail how to properly test, evacuate, and charge a vehicle’s A/C system.

The best thing you can do for your safety and for the health of your car is make sure that your technician abides by these guidelines. Don’t be afraid to ask the technician directly about the BAR guidelines—it’s important that they’re followed.

A good way to know if a technician is up to snuff is to find out whether or not they are ASE certified. ASE certification comes from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, which has been improving the quality of vehicle repair for decades. If a technician is ASE certified, you can trust they know what they’re doing and are following all necessary guidelines.

There are a few other things to be aware of when you get your A/C system charged. Is your technician using proper charging equipment or just a gauge and a can? Are they changing the Schrader valves? Are they checking the entire A/C system for leaks or failures? Do they check both the low and high side PSI? Improper PSI on the low or high side will result in inefficient A/C operation—a common mistake among poorly trained techs.

There are many parts that make up a vehicle’s A/C system. If even one part is compromised, it could mean that you’ll end up stuck in traffic in the baking sun. Keep yourself safe and comfortable and go with a vehicle repair technician that knows all of the intricacies of the system. Poway Imports technicians are ASE certified and have been trained to use certified equipment to properly test, evacuate, and charge your A/C system.

When it comes to automotive parts and repairs, there really are deals that are too good to be true. While it’s true that the auto maintenance and repair industry is highly competitive and businesses will do what they can to satisfy their customers, huge discrepancies between prices for the same engine part should be a red flag for everyone. Often, a hugely discounted part isn’t exactly what it seems to be. These parts are usually made out of the country, and are designed to imitate a product that the consumer already trusts. With improvements to manufacturing processes over the years, these fake parts have become more and more prevalent across the U.S.

While fake parts may seem to be saving you money in the short-term, you can rest assured that they will only cost you more than you bargained for in the end. Since these parts aren’t specially designed or manufactured to work with your vehicle, they often don’t hold up as long as higher quality parts do. They’re also not subjected to the rigorous quality control of the real deal, and are therefore more prone to being completely worthless right out of the box. They can end up doing far more harm to your vehicle, as well, causing accelerated damage to other systems in your engine. You’ll end up having to buy the same part again, on top of whatever other damage it has caused your vehicle.

It’s actually very difficult to determine if a part is imitation. If you’re having the part installed by a professional, make sure you ask to see the packaging for the product. These fake parts often have packaging which imitates a trusted, well-established brand (something that’s illegal, in and of itself). The packaging could be so similar that you don’t realize the difference. That’s exactly what they’re counting on. Look closely for telling details, like misspelled words and brand names and colors that don’t seem quite right. Again, one of the most effective ways to determine a product’s legitimacy is to compare its price. If a store is selling a product at a huge discount compared to other local stores, you should be extremely wary and do everything you can to determine whether or not the product is genuine.

We take this issue very seriously and we urge our customers to do the same. This isn’t just about ensuring that you’re getting the product you wanted, it’s about the general trust of consumers in the auto repair industry and, most importantly, your safety. Low quality counterfeit products do not keep people safe, they damage trust between mechanics and their customers, and they’re terrible for the long-term health of vehicles. These products are not good for anyone except the people who make them. Make sure you know exactly what it is that you’re buying or having installed in your vehicle!

When it comes to keeping up with regular car maintenance, there are, realistically, three kinds of people. The first kind doesn’t really keep up with maintenance at all. When things start to go wrong, they’ll spend the money necessary to get their car running again then wait until the next issue. The second kind treats their vehicles very well. They keep up with all the necessary maintenance and will catch problems before they become big problems. The third kind doesn’t have any big investment in the condition of their car because they trade in their vehicles every 3 or 4 years, once they realize it isn’t running as well as it used to.

We cannot stress enough that, while it might seem like you’re saving money by not maintaining your vehicle’s health, you’re really just setting yourself up to spend larger amounts of money in shorter periods of time later on. Vehicles have lots of moving parts. Whether we want to believe it or not, every time we drive our cars we cause just a little more wear and tear on those parts. Eventually, if not addressed early on, one or more of those parts will cease to function properly.

The cost to replace or repair those parts will outweigh the costs of regular maintenance. Guaranteed. Many people don’t seem to realize this. It helps to compare a vehicle’s health to a person’s health. Over the course of a lifetime, a person will spend much, much more money if they neglect health issues to the point of needing major surgeries. It’s much better to just do a regular checkup with your doctor! And, to be honest, repairs are hard work! We would much rather do all of the regular maintenance for a vehicle over its lifetime than have to ever repair its transmission. That way, you don’t have to ever deal with the stress of that kind of situation and everyone is happier. On top of that, regular maintenance ensures that your vehicle will be worth substantially more when it comes time to sell or trade it.

Some of the missed regular maintenance for vehicles comes from general misinformation or lack of knowledge about when maintenance is actually necessary. For example, you should never believe the phrase “lifetime transmission fluid.” What this really means is “the life of the fluid until the transmission goes bad.” Realistically, you should have your transmission fluid serviced once every 15,000 to 20,000 miles for the best transmission lifetime. Up to 30,000 miles isn’t bad, but when manufacturers start talking about 80,000 to 100,000 miles, you know that something isn’t right. Oil changes are another subject for which there seems to be a lot of confusion. Check out our <link to oil change blog> for tips on proper oil change maintenance.

No matter how long you plan to keep your current vehicle, regular maintenance is a must. In the end, you’ll save yourself tons of time, frustration, and money if you keep your vehicle in good condition. Do some research and talk to your mechanic to determine what your vehicle needs serviced and when. Remember, the highest priority is always keeping yourself and your passengers safe.