RAULS AUTO

Tire Maintenance In Monrovia

January 26th, 2012 by raulauto

With the recent focus in Monrovia on improving fuel economy, we’ve been told how important it is to maintain our tire pressure.

Everyone in Monrovia knows that tires wear out, but we all want to make them last as long as possible because they’re fairly expensive to replace. In addition to saving gas, properly inflated tires last longer. Under-inflated tires will wear out more quickly.

Some people in Monrovia wonder if there is benefit to adding a few extra pounds of pressure when they fill up their tires. But actually, there isn’t. In fact, there are very good reasons not to over-inflate your tires. For one, the middle of the tread will wear unevenly because the full tread is not contacting the road properly. That also adversely affects your handling.

Come in and see us about tire maintenance for your Azusa, CA vehicle.
Raul’s Auto Repair
767 E Arrow Hwy
Azusa, CA 91702
626-339-7566

Every vehicle in the Monrovia area has a sticker on the driver’s side door jamb that tells you the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure. This recommendation is an integral part of the vehicle’s suspension tuning. A lot of engineering actually goes into the recommended tire pressure, so it’s important to follow it.

What else do we need to know about tire maintenance? Tire rotation and balancing are very important. Let’s start with rotation. Because the front tires handle the brunt of turning forces, the shoulders of the front tires wear more quickly than the rear tires. We rotate the tires so that they all get to do some duty on the front and they’ll all wear evenly over their life.

For most vehicles, front tires are rotated to the rear and vice versa. Others recommend a cross rotational pattern. Some vehicles use an asymmetrical tire so those tires need to stay on either the right or left side – it’ll say which on the tire. Some high performance cars have asymmetrical tires and different sizes on the front and rear. These can’t be rotated at all. Your owner’s manual will have details for your car.

How often should you rotate your tires? Your owner’s manual will have a recommendation. Your service advisor at Raul’s Auto Repair can do a visual inspection to let you know if it looks like it should be done. The interval is typically around 5,000 miles.

You know, some people don’t think new tires need to be balanced. What they aren’t taking into account is the wheel. Between the wheel and the tire – even a new tire – there’s enough variation to require balancing.

When you add the valve stem and tire pressure monitoring sensors required on new cars, balancing is definitely in order. When a tire’s out of balance, it’s actually hopping down the road. You’ll feel the vibration through the steering wheel if a front tire’s out of balance and through your seat if it’s a rear tire.

Proper wheel balance promotes tire life and increases safety. Historically, lead weights have been attached to the wheel to bring it into balance. Lead gives some environmental concern, so steel weights are starting to be substituted.

Also, always use the same size tire on an axle. Different size tires on the front or on the back can lead to some real handling problems. And tire manufacturers recommend that when you get two new tires, they be installed on the rear because that’s where you need the most traction to avoid spinning-out.

Posted in Tires and Wheels | No Comments »

Engine Air Filter From Raul’s Auto Repair

January 19th, 2012 by raulauto

You may have found yourself in the following situation: You go to get your oil changed and the service adviser at Raul’s Auto Repair recommends you get a new engine air filter. You say yes, but because you didn’t know what an air filter is or what it does, but you were too embarrassed to ask.

First of all, you did the right thing by getting a new one. And, you should never be too embarrassed to ask for more information from any of our Raul’s Auto Repair staff. It’s your money and you have a right to understand what you’re paying for.

Let’s review what an air filter does:

Air is the focus of this discussion. What is the air like outside in Azusa right now? Can you see any smog? Is it full of pollen? How about dust? Anyone in CA with hay fever can tell you that there’s plenty in the air that you can’t see. Well, it’s the engine air filter’s job to clean that air before it goes into your engine, to mix with the fuel and be burned. Without an engine air filter, the inside of your engine would be extremely dirty from all the gunk that was burned in the cylinders.

Raul’s Auto Repair
767 E Arrow Hwy
Azusa, CA 91702
626-339-7566

In fact, for every gallon of gas you burn, your engine needs 12,000 gallons of air. That little filter does a very big job. It’s no wonder that the air filter gets dirty and needs to be replaced. Think about a vacuum cleaner. When the bag gets full of dust and dirt, the vacuum doesn’t clean as well. It can’t move enough air to create good suction. A clogged engine air filter is the same way – the engine can’t get enough air to burn the fuel efficiently. That means less power and wasted gas.

That’s why your manufacturer has recommended that you change your filter at regular intervals. Of course the conditions you drive in will affect how quickly the filter gets dirty. If you drive where it’s very dusty or where there’s lots of pollen or pollution, you may need to change the filter sooner. The filter is easy to check visually, so your service technician can quickly make the call. He might recommend immediate replacement, or simply let you know that it is getting close and that you’ll need to replace it soon – like at your next oil change.

Because a severely dirty air filter hurts your fuel economy, many people find that a new air filter pays for itself in gas savings before the next oil change. They also make premium air filters that have been proven to increase your horsepower and torque. If more power is important to you, a high performance air filter is some of the cheapest horsepower you can buy.

The better your car breathes, the better it runs – kind of like people. And don’t worry – if you have a question or don’t understand a recommendation just ask.

Posted in Fuel System | No Comments »

Finding Vehicle Recall Information From Azusa

January 11th, 2012 by raulauto

No matter how well they’re made, cars are bound to have problems with their design or manufacturing. When the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice to Azusa residents and to fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone who owns that type of car in Azusa and elsewhere until the work is done.

If you have questions about vehicle recalls, give us a call:
Raul’s Auto Repair
767 E Arrow Hwy Azusa, CA 91702
626-339-7566

These recalls always affect safety, so you need to take them seriously. It’s really easy to find out if a vehicle is being recalled. For links to government sites, look in the AutoNetTV website.

Other website include: carfax.com; autobytel.com; and dmv.org. All of these sites have free recall searches.

Recalls are pretty serious and don’t happen all that often. But sometimes cars have less serious problems that you still might want to know about. In this case, manufacturers issue what is known as a Technical Service Bulletin – or TSB. These bulletins tell service centers how to repair a problem that occurs frequently or is especially difficult.

The pros receive updated information through subscription plans, which are sometimes available in consumer versions too. You can buy access to these for an annual fee.

Whatever your source, pay attention to vehicle recalls to keep you and your passengers safe.

Posted in Maintenance | No Comments »

On Board Diagnostics For Azusa Motorists

January 4th, 2012 by raulauto

Some Azusa motorists are confused by Raul’s Auto Repair charges for diagnostic services for a vehicle repair. Many services at Raul’s Auto Repair and other Azusa automotive repair shops include diagnostic fees.

When you take your laptop into a West Covina computer repair shop for a problem you’ll likely have to leave a deposit for diagnostics. When we visit our San Dimas doctor for a medical problem, we’re paying him to diagnose our ailment and of course for the tests that go along with it.

So receiving a diagnostic charge at Raul’s Auto Repair for a tricky automotive problem shouldn’t be a surprise. In the West Covina area, automotive diagnostics can cover quite a range. If you hear a noise in your sedan brakes when you slow down in rush-hour traffic on a busy CA expressway, you pull off the next off-ramp and take a quick visual check. That is usually enough to know what needs to be done. If you’re having an intermittent problem with your sedan engine, Raul’s Auto Repair diagnosis may be much more involved.

Much of the West Covina public’s confusion comes when the problem involves the check engine light. The check engine light comes on when the engine management computer has sensed a problem.

There’s a common misconception among San Dimas, Covina, and Monrovia drivers that the trouble code tells the Raul’s Auto Repair technician exactly what’s wrong. Why then is there a diagnostic charge, the scanner just gave the diagnosis?

Reality is more involved than that. The computer monitors many sensors throughout the vehicle. When one of these sensors has a reading that’s out of parameters, the computer will record a trouble code and turn on the check engine light.

The sedan computer’s trouble code just tells the Raul’s Auto Repair technician what engine parameter is out of range – not what’s causing it. The technician needs to determine the underlying problem that’s causing the symptom.

There are many problems that could cause a troublesome sensor reading for Raul’s Auto Repair Azusa customers. The Raul’s Auto Repair technician makes a list of the most likely causes and begins tracking down the source of the problem.

West Covina service centers subscribe to databases that document possible causes for a given trouble code. They outline procedures for confirming a diagnosis and provide the documented fix. These databases are specific to each vehicle and engine combination.

Some diagnoses are quick and easy. Others are more involved and difficult. Of course Raul’s Auto Repair wants to figure out what’s wrong with your sedan and get you back on the road as quickly as possible.

Posted in Service Standards | No Comments »

Azusa Customer Detective Work

December 30th, 2011 by raulauto

One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician at Raul’s Auto Repair in Azusa CA is diagnosing a problem before it can be fixed.

Cars are made up of a bunch of complex systems. There usually could be a number of reasons for any given symptom. So it’s challenging to track down the actual cause of the problem. And it can be frustrating for the vehicle owner because it can take time and money to get to the bottom of a problem. If it’s not something obvious, it’s easy for the customer to focus on the fixing and not the diagnosing.

Let us introduce you to something we’ll call Customer Detective Work – that is helping your Azusa CA technician find clues to what’s wrong.

We start with the detective basics: What, Where and When. Play along with me. You come in to Raul’s Auto Repair and your car is making a funny sound.

Q: Where’s the sound?

A: Around the right front wheel.

Q: What kind of sound?

A: Kind of a clunk, clunk sound.

Q: When do you hear the sound?

A: When I turn and accelerate.

Q: Right and left? Forwards and back?…

Do you see where we’re going? You’re gathering additional information to help your Azusa CA technician know where to start. Based on your car and the tech’s experience, he’ll know where to look and can start with the obvious suspects.

You can see how that would be more helpful than dropping the car off with a note that says “making a funny noise”.

When you think you need to bring a vehicle in, make some notes about the problem. Rather than just saying “it’s leaking”, tell the tech the color of the fluid, and approximately where under the car you see the puddle.

Things like ‘the car is stalling or sputtering’ are often very hard to diagnose because they’re intermittent. They may not happen every time you drive and usually aren’t happening when you actually bring the car in. So, it is a big help for you to describe what’s happening in as much detail as possible.

Your Azusa CA technician at Raul’s Auto Repair will need to be able to duplicate the problem if possible so he needs to know details, like ‘it stalls after it’s been driven for about 20 minutes and I go over 50 miles an hour’.

If the tech can experience the problem personally, he’s better able to make a diagnosis and repair. And, then test to see if the repair solved the problem.

Posted in Service Standards | No Comments »

Fall and Spring Checkup In Azusa

December 21st, 2011 by raulauto

When I was a kid in Azusa, my dad always made sure he took the cars in for Spring and Fall checkups. I was telling a friend that it’s about time to get into Raul’s Auto Repair for my checkup and he said that he read on the internet that modern cars don’t need seasonal service.

My friend is (technically) right about some things, but from a practical standpoint, a seasonal check up still makes sense.

Back when my dad was teaching me about how to take care of the family sedan, most cars used a different weight of oil in the winter and in the summer. But most of today’s modern engines run the same oil year round. High-tech engines and high-tech motor oils are better able to handle the seasonal changes.

Your owner’s manual or Azusa service advisor at Raul’s Auto Repair can tell you the right oil to use.

Of course, you’re concerned about the coolant or antifreeze. You don’t want to overheat in the CA summer or freeze up in the winter. Your engine cooling system protects against both of these things. And modern coolant, or as it’s sometimes called; ‘antifreeze’, is up to doing both very well. It’s designed to last for more miles than most people drive in a year or two.

So how does a Spring and Fall check-up fit in? Let’s start with Spring. Summer is coming. That means heat, more miles driven and road trips. It just makes sense to check your fluid levels and do a visual inspection to see that everything is up to snuff.

You may not be scheduled to drain and replace the coolant for some time, but you need to make sure you have enough coolant, and that you don’t have any leaks or hoses that are about to fail.

That’s pretty practical; a check-up to see if there are any problems or emerging conditions that could later become a problem, like a cracked belt.

And the same principle applies for getting ready for winter. Cold weather means lots of failed batteries. It takes more power to crank up a cold engine, and cold also decreases the available cranking power the battery has available.

So a battery test in the Fall could tell you if you’ve got a battery that is running on its last legs. And of course, if you live where winter temperatures get below 45 degrees or you have ice and snow, you’ll want to consider changing to winter tires.

So Spring and Fall auto checkups at Raul’s Auto Repair are practical reminders to get ready for the demands of the hot and cold seasons to come.

And odds are that you have one or more routine services that are due anyway. Like a transmission service, brake or power steering fluid, differential service – stuff like that. Are your wiper blades still good? Are your headlamps starting to dim?

So Spring and Fall: change your clocks, replace the batteries in your smoke detectors – and get a check-up for your cars.

See, dad was right again.

Come and see us at Raul’s Auto Repair for your Spring and Fall automotive checkup.
Raul’s Auto Repair
767 E Arrow Hwy
Azusa, CA 91702
626-339-7566

Posted in Maintenance | No Comments »

Keeping Your Azusa Air Fresh When Driving With A Clean Cabin Air Filter

December 16th, 2011 by raulauto

What is a cabin air filter? Is it:

A. A filter for your Azusa house?
B. A fresh, piney scent?
C. A filter for the passenger compartment of your car?

Clever you, it’s C.

A cabin air filter cleans the outside air before it comes into the passenger compartment. It filters out common Azusa air particles like dust, pollen, spores, bacteria, pollutants, exhaust gas, odors and even sparrows.

These high tech filters can block particles larger than 3 microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns.

Not all vehicles in Azusa have cabin air filters. They are fairly new on the scene. About forty percent of new vehicles sold in Azusa come with cabin air filters, but the number is growing every year.

Cabin air filters can make for a very nice driving environment. Your car can be a haven during our Azusa allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. However, the filter eventually gets clogged. When this happens, your heating and air conditioning flow can become restricted. The filter can even get kind of smelly.

Check your owner’s manual for recommended replacement intervals. Often, the owner’s manual forgets about the cabin air filter, so ask your service technician at Raul’s Auto Repair for a recommendation. It’s usually every year or 12,000 miles / 19,000 kilometers. Change it sooner if you drive in dusty conditions around the West Covina area, or if you start to notice an odor from your ventilation system.

So keep your cabin air filter clean. It may not help with your brother-in-law in the backseat, but it will make your driving experience around Azusa more enjoyable.

Come by Raul’s Auto Repair and we’ll take a look at your cabin air filter for you.

Posted in Cabin Air Filter | No Comments »

Keep Your Cool In West Covina: Air Conditioning Service

December 8th, 2011 by raulauto

Most West Covina drivers wait for their air conditioning to fail before they service it at Raul’s Auto Repair. That’s because many Azusa and Covina motorists don’t really understand that automotive air conditioners need periodic service. Let me share some of the reasons why they fail.

First, like every machine, the sedan air conditioner parts need lubrication. The lubricant is actually mixed in with the refrigerant (that’s the stuff that makes the air cool). So sometimes, even though the air conditioner is still making cool air, the oil that lubricates the parts has just been used up: and unlubricated parts can fail in all CA cars.

Now here’s a tip for West Covina drivers: You should run your air conditioner every so often during CA winters. This circulates the lubricant to help keep the seals from drying out.

The air conditioner actually removes some of the moisture in the air. So if you have trouble with fogging on your windshield during CA winters or during a rain storm, running the A/C on the defrost setting should help. Now on some West Covina cars you can’t run the A/C at the same time as the defroster. Don’t ask me why, but I suspect lawyers were involved.

Also, air and water can get into the A/C system. That can reduce the efficiency of the system and also lead to corrosion that causes damage. West Covina drivers should periodically purge the system and replace the refrigerant to clear out the air and water.

Azusa drivers should be aware of early warning signs of trouble: One might be that the air’s not as cold as it used to be. You may hear an unusual noise when the A/C cycles on. Those are signs to get your vehicle into Raul’s Auto Repair in Azusa before the damage gets worse.

So following the recommended service intervals in your sedan owner’s manual can help prevent mechanical failure of your air conditioning system. You’re A/C system contains some expensive components like the compressor, condenser, dryer, etc. Anything San Dimas and Covina car owners can do to lengthen the life of their A/C is well worth it.

Posted in Air Conditioning | No Comments »

Transmission Service

December 2nd, 2011 by raulauto

Let’s talk about transmission service. It can be easy to forget about getting your transmission serviced because it doesn’t need it very often. It’s easy to remember to change the engine oil – you know, every 3,000 miles or 5,000 kilometers. But proper transmission servicing keeps your car running smoothly and helps you avoid costly repairs down the road.

The transmission undergoes a lot of stress. The grit you see in used transmission fluid is actually bits of metal that wear off the gears in the transmission. In addition to that, the transmission operates at very high temperatures. Usually it’s 100 to 150 degrees higher than engine temperatures. Those high temperatures eventually cause the transmission fluid to start to break down and loose efficiency.

As the fluid gets older, it gets gritty and doesn’t lubricate and cool the transmission as well – leading to even more wear. The fluid can actually get sludgy and plug up the maze of fluid passages inside the transmission. At best, your transmission won’t operate smoothly. At worse, it could lead to costly damage.

When your transmission is running properly, it transfers more power from your engine to the drive wheels, and improves fuel economy. That’s why manufacturers recommend changing your transmission fluid at regular intervals. Your owner’s manual has a schedule for transmission service and, of course, your service center can tell you what the manufacturer recommends.

Hot and dusty conditions; towing, hauling, stop and go conditions and jack rabbit starts all increase the load on the transmission and its internal temperature. That means you need to change the fluid more often. A good rule of thumb is every 35,000 miles, 55,000 kilometers or two years. If your manufacturer suggests more frequent intervals or if you’re driving under severe service conditions, you will need to change it more often.

Most service centers have the ability to perform a transmission service while you wait and the cost is quite reasonable. It’s downright cheap when you think about how much a major transmission repair can cost! Your service technician will know the right type of transmission fluid to use. If it’s getting to be time to have your transmission serviced, do your car a favor and have it done. If not this time, then on your next service stop.

Posted in Transmission | No Comments »

Smooth Shifting in Azusa CA: Transmission Service

November 22nd, 2011 by raulauto

So you have some exciting plans for the CA weekend. You’re going to take some of your Azusa, CA friends out on the boat for some water skiing. Of course, you’ve gotten the boat all ready. And you haven’t forgotten about your tow vehicle. You’ve gassed it up and even vacuumed it out. But you want to make sure that your sedan maintenance is up to date.

Think about it – heavy traffic on the way out of Azusa. There’s hilly terrain as you get to the lake. Some dirt roads – and its going to be pretty hot in Azusa this weekend. And all the time you’ll be towing around several thousand extra pounds. That all adds up a lot of severe strain on your engine, brakes and transmission.

Let’s just consider the transmission. It’s going to be working overtime, spending more time in lower gears. The internal transmission temperature is going to be much higher than normal. What’s a fun little blast to the local CA lake for you is really severe duty for your transmission.

It’s important to have enough transmission fluid. If it runs low, the transmission will run hotter and won’t have the protection it needs to cope with the added stress of towing. Transmission fluid breaks down and gets dirty over time. Whether you have an automatic or manual transmission, you need to have it serviced at Raul’s Auto Repair on schedule to make sure it runs efficiently.

An automatic transmission contains a maze of passages through which the fluid has to pass to keep it shifting smoothly. If you neglect transmission service, the passages can get clogged up and you start to have problems.

Neglect your transmission for too long, and it can fail. You really don’t want to pay for a major transmission repair.

This reminds us of how much of our driving around Azusa, CA is under severe conditions. Towing or hauling a big load is obvious, but there are lots of other things that constitute severe driving conditions. Things like short trips, driving in very hot or very cold weather. Dusty roads and city driving around Azusa, CA add to the strain. Basically, any driving that’s not at highway speeds or under ideal conditions.

While you have your vehicle in, ask for a trip inspection. Your Azusa, CA service technician at Raul’s Auto Repair will check your belts and hoses and let you know if your brakes are in good shape.

Now, don’t forget the sunscreen.