Huntington Beach Auto Repair

As long as I’ve been around vehicle repair it always strikes me as curious to see how things come in waves. A particular brand vehicle might have electrical problems for a year. Another will have brake related problems. Maybe we get a bunch of window repairs on all cars… This year we’ve seen six cases of motor or engine noise. Not unusual in an auto repair shop, but the nature of the engine noise I’m referring to is a clacking or knocking. It’s sometimes slight, sometimes more pronounced, and most of the people bringing this to us are new customers. More interesting is the actual source of the engine noise. Every case of that mysterious noise that we have seen is from a LACK OF MOTOR OIL in the engine! Holy smokes! Check Your Oil We all get busy, but I implore everyone to please check their own oil, or have someone else do so, at appropriate ... read more

We see things like this on a regular basis. Larry's 2004 Mini Air Conditioning was not working. The dealer said it needed a compressor replacement at a cost of over $1500! We fixed his Porsche earlier last year so he gave us a look at the Mini. We found the AC compressor clutch coil not working. From the BMW dealership the cost of the new compressor alone was over $800! Because of our long experience in auto air conditioning, we knew what we could do. While replacing the compressor coil only we found the main shaft seal leaking and replaced that also. Now the air conditioning FREEZES the passengers at much lower cost than previously quoted and saved the customer over $800! We like working on air conditioning! Here is another kind of Air the Cooper is capable of

One of our favorite places to go for parts and shop talk is gone! VW Specialties on Gothard. Ron was a long time friend, fellow mechanic and parts wizard who could find VW and Audi parts that seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth. We hope well for Ron and hope to see him in the future. It is our hope that those who have called Ron their mechanic will consider HB Auto & AC their next reliable VW and Audi repair facility in Huntington Beach. We'll be your best VW Service next to Ron we know and we'll do our homework to find those illusive parts! Memories I've never really thought about the memories I've had concerning auto repair because I grew up where you either fixed it or walked. Along the way a person can become an expert welder, fabricator, artists, painter, hydrolic specialists, tuner, racer, electrician, these darned things got a lot of things going on! They transcends the definition of “cars” or &ldq ... read more

After being the best Radiator and Air Conditioning Auto Repair Shop in north Orange county in business 30 years as Bolsa Radiator, and repairing other shops mistakes, we have evolved the past 8 years into what many of our customers have told us is the only people they will ever take their car to. We thank them with all our hearts and return their trust and faith in us by working hard at being the #1 Auto Repair Shop in Huntington Beach. The testimonials on LocalYahoo.com and other search sites tells us we are on the right track. We will always strive to have the latest technology and service information at our disposal for our customers as we have in the past. All our staff are committed to being the #1 Auto Repair Shop in Huntington Beach!

Maybe it's just me but it seems Huntington Beach has something against Auto and Truck brakes. We just got through with a boomer year for brake repair. I'm sure we haven't got the biggest hills, especially since they flattened out “Edwards Hill”, it just seems the locals are going through brakes at a record pace. Many of the later model vehicles will not need brake work till after 100,000 miles. However we will still get these same vehicles in at 30,000 miles that need some repair or replacement. Even though it may be “old school” I still recommend to pump the brakes slightly as you stop. Seems to give a little more life to them. Check out the earlier blog for the 5 costly misconceptions of brake repair

Before any battery is replaced it is thoroughly checked. We like Interstate Batteries. They have proven themselves in racing and commercial applications. Their warranties are good throughout the United States and our personal experience has been very good. It is our practice to check every battery when we change your oil as part of our multi check oil change or our Mechanics Courtesy Check. Battery service prevents towing and non starting situations. We also sell DELCO Batteries when requested by our customers. Also a quality product

Water Pumps, Thermostats, Radiators, Hoses, Fan Clutches, Belts. After 20 years as a radiator shop in Huntington Beach, Westminster and the Fountsin Valley area, and working on radiators as big as Volkswagon Bugs (they have radiators now), we have more experience in radiator and cooling system repair than 99% of the auto shops in Huntington Beach. A failure can be as small as a loose hose clamp, as big as a cracked head or block. Either one can bring the car to a stop. Preventative maintenance is your best bet and a little vigilances by looking at your temperature gauge on a regular basis. Remember, besides tires and gas, the single biggest reason for on road failure is the cooling system

We always use the best. These small but critical parts of a vehicle do so much but get little respect. Most car manufactures have a recommended replacement schedule that can be subjective. Surprisingly some have NONE! It is best to adhere to a schedule unless there is a good reason not to. If a progressive corrosion has set in the hoses then best to replace sooner than scheduled. The CAUSE of the corrosion should also be addressed at that time to prevent further premature age and break down. The belts may also fail prematurely if the vehicle sits for extended periods of time in an extreme atmosphere such as a high heat as in the desert, or near salt air such as here in Huntington Beach or surrounding areas. In fairness to todays vehicles, many belts and hoses go over 100,000 miles. However it may have been in a short period of time so AGE is not so much a factor. Because we've seen more than most, it has been our policy to consider age or use to determine replacement or preventativ ... read more

Now on this I may have limited information. I will tell you everything I know about this relative to auto application and personal knowledge. For those who are easily intimidated by the unknown and if you don't know what nitrogen gass is or does, fear not. You are breathing it as you read. It is approximately 79% of the air you breath. It is colorless, odorless, inert. It's inertness is it's value when it is used in the support shocks that hold up your rear hatchback door or engine hood. No oxygen means no oxidation to rust inside of these support shocks or large variance of pressure in the usual temperatures we live in. So it works well as a low weight spring. It also is installed in tires of airliners, military vehicles, UPS trucks, and probably in NASCAR and drag racers. We sell nitrogen as a tire enhancement and it works to a certain point. No rust at the rims, stays in the tire longer because of the molecules are larger, doesn't vary as much in pressure or temperature. It can ... read more

Many Import and some Domestic vehicles have a Timing Belt. If the belt fails in any way and the motor is an “interference” type, there can be serious valve and piston damage. The manufactures recommend 60,000 to 90,000 mile intervals to replace timing belt. Best to pay attention to recommended replacement schedule and keep you motor working past 200,000 miles