Category: Tips

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!

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!