Gene's Car Tips - Page 9 of 47

Monitors And Drive Cycles

Recent repairs to your vehicle’s “Check Engine Light” have included a reset of the On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system. The on-board computer of your vehicle must now perform various self-tests referred to as “monitors” that may take up to a week of driving to complete. (1996 to 2002 cars require more time to complete the checking of monitors by the cars computer system).

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Drive the car normally. All OBD systems self-test the computer while you’re driving and you will never know it. Depending on the age and make of your vehicle it needs to be driven in various situations such as freeway travel, 10-30 minutes of continuous driving, sitting over night and having various levels of gasoline in the tank.

The original concern that caused the check engine light to come on may have suspended or locked out some of the vehicles other self-tests that it needs to perform. Now that all of the tests are enabled and can complete the cycle, there may be a possibility of hidden issues that may cause the check engine light to come back on. Therefore, a code that did not show up previously may now set indicating a new, hidden, intermittent or remaining problem.

At Certified Automotive Specialists we do as much as we can to ensure that your vehicle is repaired properly, is safe and dependable for our customers. There are some instances that require extensive driving in order to complete tests that we cannot perform here in the shop. Therefore, if the check engine light does come on, please call or return to the shop at your convenience to have the system rechecked at no cost. In most instances, we can retrieve the code within a few minutes. Always use your best discretion if the vehicle is not operating properly. Warning: If the “Check Engine Light” is flashing, this requires immediate action.

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!

Signs Your Brakes Need Attention

Noises – A scraping sound means metal is rubbing metal and that tells you that your brake pads are worn out and need to be replaced. A squealing noise doesn’t always indicate a problem depending on the materials used in the pads but shouldn’t be ignored as it could also mean the pads are worn or your system is missing a gasket.

Swerving – If your vehicle swerves to one side when you apply the brakes the front brakes need to be checked to make sure the “power” of the brakes are evenly distributed. This could indicate a leak or a mechanical problem or a miss-match of brake pad brands on either side. It is best to have it checked out if you notice this issue.

Signs you need to have your vehicle towed – Pedal to the floor is a sign that the car has a leak or a bad master cylinder. This is a situation where you need to get your car towed in for repair immediately. Do not drive your vehicle if this occurs. Another issue is when your brakes “lock” as this is caused by a damaged pad.

Keep in mind that your braking system endures a lot! The components are constantly bombarded by water, road grit, heat, and contamination of its fluid. We suggest you have your brake system inspected once a year so it can do what you need it to do…bring you to a stop!

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!

2020 X Monitors and Drive Cycles

Recent repairs to your vehicle’s “Check Engine Light” have included a reset of the On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system. This process has also reset the OBD readiness monitoring system. The readiness monitors now need to re-test the computer system before verifying that all systems are functioning as designed and working properly.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Drive the car normally. All OBD systems self-test the computer while you’re driving and you will never know it. Depending on the manufacturer of the vehicle, there are 5 to 10 readiness monitors that need to be tested.

To allow your vehicle’s readiness monitors to perform their tests and reset the OBD system to a “ready” state, and to determine that all systems are working properly, your vehicle will have to be driven through a drive cycle.

(Who knew my car had to pass a test to work properly?)

Your vehicle’s specific drive cycle can depend on the vehicle make and model. A normal drive cycle is 5 miles of city, stop and go driving, and 5 miles of steady 60 MPH of freeway driving in the same key cycle.

Keep in mind that repairing a check engine light for one system or code may unlock another hidden pending code of another system while the drive cycle tests are being performed.

So, if the Check Engine Light illuminates on the dash again, don’t be alarmed. It means the system failed the test. This may happen because when the original check engine light was on, all OBD monitoring stops. Just stop in and we will re-check the system.

NOTE: A flashing check engine light should be corrected immediately.

Thank you for your trust in us and please ask if you are not clear on the computer readiness monitoring system. We will be glad to help you.

Repairophobia

What is repairophobia, you ask? It is the fear of auto repair. I read this term just the other day and said to myself, “Yes, it is about time it had a name!” What are the reasons consumers have this dreaded condition?

Many consumer news reporters love to feature a certain shop or auto repair chain routinely ripping drivers off. They go undercover and take a well-maintained vehicle into the shop and then share with the public the long list of repair items the shop claims are needed. This hurts all auto repair shops, not just the culprit who apparently can’t earn enough money being honest. The majority of auto repair shops are honest, hard-working individuals. The con artists are few and far between.
Consumers are worried that they won’t have enough money if they take their vehicle in for routine maintenance and the service advisor informs them they need a repair as well. They hadn’t budgeted for more than the routine service. Always ask for a price before you tell any shop to proceed with a repair. If you can’t afford to have it done right then, tell them you will have to come back at another time.
Consumers may be pressed for time and don’t want to be without their vehicle for very long. Even if the shop offer rides to and from home or work, they like the convenience of having their ride ready to go when they are.
Consumers aren’t experts in auto repair! They may be highly intelligent individuals, but this isn’t their area of expertise. Ask the service advisor to explain what is needed in layman terms. If they start spouting off phrases you don’t understand, tell them. It is up to them to make you feel comfortable. If you are at the shop when they are explaining, tell them to show you. If you are on the telephone, get an explanation you feel good about.

Our job is to take the phobia out of auto repair. You can count on us!

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!

Remember When…

A handshake was your word?
You did what you said you would?
Honor meant everything.
You never questioned trust?
We respected our elderly and military?
Ethics had meaning.
Fun for young people was being outside all day and returning when the streetlights came on?

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

Our goal is to provide safe and reliable transportation for our customers, build a bond of trust, convenience, respect, and value.

Certified Automotive Specialists will never break the trust placed in us by our customers. For 42 years, Certified Automotive Specialists has kept its morals and ethics and will always provide value, convenience, as well as a safe and reliable car for you to drive. And yes, we still operate Certified Auto Specialist like the “good ‘ole days!”

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.

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:

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!

Oil Filter Warning

The oil filter is one of the most important parts of the engine, as it filters out any contaminates created by normal wear and the engine’s heat. When your car has the oil changed, most likely the oil filter is also changed – at least I hope so.

Years ago, we all knew that the oil and filter were changed at 3,000 miles; that was just the way it was. Enter the new age of cars, oils, and filters, especially synthetic oils which last much longer, as stated in some of my previous articles. Many oil changes can last 5,000 to 10,000 miles depending on the type of car, type of oil, and how many quarts of oil are in the oil pan.

Back in the day when we recommended the 3,000-mile service, any oil filter would easily protect the engine for that mileage, but not many oil filters would protect your car for more than 5,000 miles. If you are driving longer than 5,000 miles between oil changes and using a low-cost oil change shop, you may be damaging the engine and not even know it.

Why Does It Matter?

Let me explain. Oil filters all look the same on the outside but are very different on the inside. The difference lies in the amount of filtering material used and the type of drain-back valve used inside each filter. Less expensive filters, as you would suspect, have less filtering material and a less reliable drain back valve.

This may seem insignificant, but the results can be catastrophic. When you drive longer than 5,000 miles on one of the low-cost filters, the filter starts to lose the ability to keep the contaminates contained and they slip into the engine bearings, causing premature wear. The eventual outcome is engine failure. It does not pay to have an inexpensive oil change and an inexpensive oil filter put in your newer model car.

Currently, there is not a standard or law that says what part, or quality of part, needs to be put in your car. If you have an engine failure that should be covered by a warranty, and you have been using cheap oil/filter, this is not only scary for you, the consumer, but it could get downright ugly as the manufacturer may deny the claim. Ultimately, you should be aware of what is going on with the car and use a service center you trust.

A cheap oil change may save you money short term, but it won’t save you money in the long run.

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!

Home Town Service You Can Count On!

Unnecessary Service

I hear the phrase “unnecessary service” and wonder what that means. We visit the doctor for physicals, we visit the dentist for cleanings, we have our home air-conditioning unit cleaned and checked, a yearly eye exam and of course, the car needs a checkup too.

All of these professionals recommend some kind of service or checks to keep everything working properly. Most shops recommend services on cars that come in to their bays using the guidelines set out by the manufacturers or from the shops’ experience of early component failures. Sometimes there are a few recommendations and sometimes there are many service recommendations.

What Do We Suggest?

We recommend service to keep your car safe and reliable, just like the dentist tells you about issues developing with your teeth and gums. We know no one likes to spend hard-earned dollars on maintenance services, especially when after these services are performed, the car seems to run as usual with no noticeable differences.

I have found there are basically two types of philosophy on maintenance. The people who believe in maintaining and those who believe it’s better to wait until it breaks, then fix it. There are at least 30,000 parts on the average new car and over 5,000 of them are moveable parts. All moving parts require a clean source of lubricating oils, coolant, or greases along with filters set in place to catch harmful materials. In addition, we have electronic parts that can be affected by poor maintenance habits. The simplest of new cars have more computing power than the Apollo Moon Lander. In fact, you could get to the moon with just 1/10^th of the computing power found in the modern car! Today’s electronics are so sophisticated that cars may run well even when there are serious failures in progress. The systems have enough authority to mask developing problems. By the time you have a detectable malfunction, one that you can feel or sense, you may have damaged expensive parts. The only outward indication the driver may get is a warning light on the dash.

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!