Category: Car Talk

The Importance of Spark Plugs

The Importance of Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are essential components in internal combustion engines, serving the crucial function of igniting the air-fuel mixture in the engine’s cylinders. Here’s why they are necessary:

  1. Ignition: Spark plugs produce the spark necessary to ignite the air-fuel mixture within the engine cylinder. This ignition starts the combustion process that generates the power needed to propel the vehicle.
  2. Efficient Combustion: Properly functioning spark plugs ensure efficient combustion of the air-fuel mixture. This efficiency translates to better fuel economy, smoother engine operation, and optimal performance.
  3. Engine Performance: Spark plugs play a significant role in maintaining engine performance. Worn or faulty spark plugs can cause misfires, rough idling, reduced power, and poor acceleration.
  4. Emissions Control: Efficient combustion, facilitated by properly functioning spark plugs, helps minimize harmful emissions produced by the engine. This is crucial for compliance with environmental regulations and reducing the vehicle’s carbon footprint.
  5. Engine Longevity: Regular maintenance of spark plugs contributes to the longevity of the engine. By ensuring that the combustion process is smooth and efficient, spark plugs help prevent damage to engine components caused by incomplete combustion or misfires.

In summary, spark plugs are essential for the proper functioning, performance, and longevity of internal combustion engines. Regular inspection and replacement of spark plugs as needed are vital aspects of vehicle maintenance to ensure optimal engine performance and efficiency.

Always check your owner’s manual or ask your favorite auto shop to see when they need to be replaced. Turbo charged engines might need a 30,000-mile change, while some are 60, 90 or even over 100,000 miles. At any rate, don’t forget your spark plugs.

The Cost of Owning a New Vehicle Climbs Significantly!

The Cost Of Owning A New Car

AAA has released new figures that boggle the mind when it comes to owning and operating a new vehicle.  Take a look!

2023: $34,876 average sticker price 2022: $33,301 average sticker price

2023: $1,015 a month own/operate 2022: $894 a month own/operate

2023: $1,253 annual finance charge      2022: 90% lower annual finance charge

It is interesting to note that new vehicles are projected to depreciate $4,538 per year over a 5-year period.  This is an increase of 24% over 2022. 

It is believed that the global supply chain issues and a reduced inventory of new vehicles has contributed to the cost increase.  Manufacturers are also concentrating on producing larger vehicles with many extra features, and all that costs more for the consumer to purchase and to operate.  

We just wanted to share these numbers with you in case you are in the market for a new vehicle.  It is always good to have the latest figures so you can make an informed decision.

While it’s awesome to buy a new vehicle, we suggest evaluating your existing vehicle to see if it might be better to keep it VS buying that new one.  It’s always better to keep your vehicle if you like it, it suits your needs, and the condition and mileage are within reason.  We can help you to decide if it’s cheaper to keeper.

Certified Auto Specialists: the friendlier and more helpful auto shop! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions and we will be glad to help.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

How Often Should You Have Your Car Serviced?

How Often Should You Have Your Car Serviced?

I know in this day and age it is sometimes difficult to remember certain appointments…like going to the dentist or the doctor every six months…or having your vehicle serviced at least twice a year!  You can ignore it until suddenly you aren’t feeling your best, or you experience a toothache, or your car breaks down.  

Here is what your car’s owner manual tells you should happen and how often.  We recommend you visit us every six months to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape!

Your owner’s manual states that every time you stop for fuel you need to:

  • Check engine oil level and add as required
  • Check windshield washer solvent and add if required

Once a month you are supposed to:

  • Check tire pressure and look for unusual wear or damage
  • Inspect battery and clean and tighten terminals as required
  • Check fluid levels of coolant reservoir, power steering, brake master cylinder, and transmission and add as needed
  • Check all lights and all other electrical items for correct operation

At every oil change you are supposed to:

  • Inspect exhaust system
  • Inspect brake hoses
  • Rotate tires at each oil change interval shown on schedule “A” (Highway miles) or every other interval as shown on schedule “B” (Stop and go miles)
  • Check coolant level, hoses, and clamps
  • Examine threaded fasteners for looseness

That is what the kindly, full-service gas station attendant used to do for us.  Now that everything is self serve, we tend to drive up, fill up and drive off. Think about it. Do you check your engine oil level or your washer solvent at each fuel stop?  Every month, do you check your tire pressure, inspect your battery, and check fluid levels, lights and other electrical items?  Many drivers never lift the hood of their car or even looks at their tires, much less check the pressure.  Some, when it is time for an oil change are adamant that we just change their oil as they are in a hurry and everything else seems fine.  

It is true that our cars are increasingly sophisticated pieces of machinery and that our oil is better able to withstand a couple of extra thousand miles between changes but how about all those other services that the gas station attendant used to take care of for us?  Sadly, the answer for the most part is no one!  You should at least have your vehicle serviced twice a year at the minimum. If you don’t, think about what can go wrong between visits without someone lifting the hood and someone checking your tire pressure and fluid levels.  

Remember, we love cars, trucks and SUV’s!  We want them to run at peak efficiency so that they are safe and reliable for you.  Don’t be a stranger.  Stop on by and let us lift the hood for you.

Certified Auto Specialists: the friendlier and more helpful auto shop! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions and we will be glad to help.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

The Problem with Air Fresheners!

The Problem With Air Fresheners

Those little trees that dangle from vehicles’ mirrors may look innocent, but are they?  Here are a few things to consider if you use them.

  1. They can obstruct your view and are actually illegal in many states!
  2. Oil residue from them damages the plastic trim around a car’s air vent.
  3. Chemicals in the fragrances can cause allergies and also trigger asthma, headaches, and even dermatitis. 
  4. They can add potentially hazardous pollutants to a car’s interior due to their volatile organic compounds.

The best way to keep a vehicle’s interior fresh is to clean it.  The “fresh” scent from these dangling air fresheners don’t last long.  If you simply can’t part with these little trees, please read the instructions carefully before use.  They can do harm to your car’s interior when they come in contact with plastic, painted and varnished surfaces and upholstery by melting and then sticking.  

We just felt this was something you “auto-know.”

Certified Auto Specialists: the friendlier and more helpful auto shop! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions, and we will be glad to help, or visit our website at CertifiedAutoCa.com.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

How We Keep Your Car Going Strong in the Summer Heat

By Gene Morrill
Maintenance is easy to schedule. Breakdowns are not.

Home » Car Talk » Page 2

We know we can feel our energy ooze out of us in the summer heat and your car feels it too! Just imagine sitting there day after day on the hot pavement while the relentless summer sun shines down on you. Car’s components such as rubber are very sensitive to heat and tend to become brittle and crack. Here are just a few things we at Certified Automotive Specialists look for when we service your vehicle for summer:

• Batteries take a beating.  Between the car’s vibrations and heat, they usually only last five years.  It is always a good idea to have them tested and our technicians can help determine how much life they have left in them.

• Cooling systems are very susceptible to summer heat.  You will notice more cars sitting on the side of the road with steam pouring out from under the hood during the summer months.  We always check your cooling system thoroughly to make sure the coolant isn’t contaminated.  We also check the rubber components for cracks and frays.  If they are past their prime, we will recommend replacing them so you don’t end up on the side of the road. 

• Tires need the proper inflation to function well. They don’t operate well if they are over-inflated or under-inflated.  They need to be just right!

• Fluids and filters need to be checked and replaced if needed.  They do a lot of work to protect our vehicles.

• Air-conditioning systems are a must and need to be looked at so you and your passengers stay comfortable no matter how high the outside temperatures climb.  We make sure to check the refrigerant and other components.  

We are here to help your car face the challenges that come with hot days. Give us a call. You and your car will be glad you did! 

Certified Auto Specialists: the friendlier and more helpful auto shop! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions, and we will be glad to help, or visit our website at CertifiedAutoCa.com

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

The Sound of Silence

Car Mufflers

The job of a muffler is to keep your vehicle quiet.  There is a lot involved for a piece of equipment that doesn’t look too intricate.  It silences the noise of your car in these ways:

  • Changes the pressure pulses
  • Dampens the pressure pulses
  • Absorbs the pressure pulses


The noise is measured in decibels and the muffler dissipates the level of sound.

There are two types of mufflers; direct-fit or universal.  A direct-fit muffler doesn’t require modifications.  A repair shop just has to line it up and bolt it on.  They are, however, not readily available for all vehicles.

A universal muffler is easy to find and usually requires some modifications.  This is done by lengthening or shortening pipes or even replacing them.  New hangers are a must to keep the new equipment from rattling. Thankfully, these modifications are not difficult or expensive; they just take more time.  If you are replacing a direct-fit muffler with a universal muffler, don’t expect it to muffle the noise as well as the direct-fit.  It will be acceptable, but different.  

It is hard to imagine the noise level if we didn’t have mufflers on our vehicles!  If yours needs replacing, just give us a call.  The sound of silence can be golden.

Certified Auto Specialists: the friendlier and more helpful auto shop! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions and we will be glad to help, or visit our website at CertifiedAutoCa.com.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

Using Your Senses To Detect Car Trouble

We get calls all the time from customers that tell us their car “sounds like” or “smells like” this or that. Often customers feel self-conscious about doing this but it truly is helpful to us. Our vehicles are really good communicators. I know we have dash lights that illuminate to tell us many things but our senses are great at it too.

For example, if you notice a puddle under your car that is dark brown or black and oily looking in appearance, that is most likely engine oil. This tells us you might have a bad seal or a loose oil filter. If you see a red oily spot it is probably a transmission or power steering fluid leak. A clear puddle of fluid is most likely air conditioning condensation and is the only puddle you don’t need to be concerned about.

If you notice a smell of burnt toast it could be an electrical problem. The smell of burning sulfur usually indicates a catalytic converter or emission control system problem. An acrid odor could be burning oil or oil leaking onto a hot engine part. A chemical or resin-like odor might indicate a “dragging brake” or an emergency brake that’s been left on by mistake. A sickly-sweet smell and a fogged inside windshield are strong indicators of a heater core failure.

Hearing the following sounds definitely means your vehicle wants attention! A squealing or scraping sound when you apply the brakes, knocks or pings from the engine when you accelerate or climb a hill, your muffler making a rumbling or hissing sound, the thumping of a tire due to a flaw, the clicking of a worn CV joint when you make a tight turn, an engine that keeps chugging when you’ve turned off the ignition. All these noises indicate trouble!

Certified Auto Specialists: the friendlier and more helpful auto shop! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions, and we will be glad to help, or visit our website at CertifiedAutoCa.com.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

What You Need To Know About ADAS!

ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) is a sensor program available in a lot of new cars. These sensors are there to help you in many ways, such as:

Car Sensors
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Adaptive headlights that steer with the vehicle
  • Automatic emergency braking
  • Automatic headlight high-beam activation and dimming
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Forward collision warning
  • Lane departure warning
  • Lane keeping assist
  • Parking assist/self-parking
  • Rear cross-traffic alert

These sensors sure make life easier and safer…unless they get damaged. Obviously, if you are in a major accident, you might think about the sensors and their need for replacement/recalibration. If you do not think about it, hopefully, your collision repair shop will.

Something you might not be aware of is that if you have a windshield replaced or a slight fender bender, the sensors will fail to be reliable. A suspension repair or a wheel alignment can also upset the finely tuned sensors. Once a driver realizes that something “isn’t quite right” they often never trust ADAS again.

These systems can be fixed, however. It is a time-consuming process to calibrate, which significantly raises the cost of the repair, but it can be accomplished.

We just want you to know what ADAS is, how it works, and what to do if you notice a change. Being aware helps keep you, and those you share the road with, safe! At Certified Automotive Specialists, that is always our goal!

Certified Auto Specialists: the friendlier and more helpful auto shop! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions and we will be glad to help, or visit our website at CertifiedAutoCa.com.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!