Huntington Beach Auto Repair

There are 5 costly misconceptions about having an auto brake job done: #1. All brakes are created equal, so the only thing that matters is the price. #2. If I'm quoted a higher price it just means that they make more profit. #3. A lifetime warranty is better than a parts and labor guarantee. #4. My next door neighbor's kid can do my brakes the same as your technicians can. #5. If I'm hearing a squeaking sound, it means I need all new brakes. --Quick Answers-- #1 There's metallic, semi metallic, organic, and ceramic. All have thier advantages. We'll match you up to the optimum product. #2 In most cases a higher price means that the shop is using better parts. This is not always the case and it's important to match function and demand. #3 Never true. A shop offering a lifetime warranty comes with all types of gray areas. They'll install cheap semi metallic pads. It's never for the customer's best interest. The pads will wear out fast ca ... read more

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 as USE. Because we've seen more than most, it has been our policy to consider age or use to determine replacement ... read more

As long as I've been around mechanical repair it always strikes me as curious to see how things come in waves. A particular brand vehicle will 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 6 cases of motor or engine noises. Not unusual but the nature of the noise I'm referring to is a clacking or knocking, sometimes slight, sometimes more pronounced. Usually from a new customer. The noise that we have been getting is from a lack of MOTOR OIL in the engine! Wholly smokes! We all get busy but I implore everyone to please check their own oil or have someone else do so at appropriate intervals. Serious damage can happen if an engine runs low on oil. A newer vehicle is less likely to go low on oil because of the newness of the gaskets, seals and rings. As a vehicle ages the gaskets and seals wear and fail. The rings may wear and allow oil to burn like John Candy's old Mercury in "Un ... read more