COVINA AUTO REPAIR

One of many unexpected nuisances while driving your vehicle is the accompanying dashboard warning lights. They are sensors activated when there is an issue with a component of your vehicle. The lights might range from a simple malfunction to a serious malfunction. In order to save yourself from an expensive repair bill and to be safer on the road, never ignore the lights, have them checked out by a professional. Here are some of the dashboard lights that you might have come across or could come across, depending on the year and make of vehicle the following lights might be different in design. Brake system/ Brake fluid warning light: Please do not take this “lightly”, when the brake light flashes have your vehicle checked by a professional, since the last thing you want is faulty brakes while driving. The light could also mean low brake fluid, a worn or leaking master cylinder, faulty brake booster or worn out brake pads. Power ste ... read more

During the month of August, which has been nominated for the Brake Safety Awareness month, we should all halt and get our brakes checked, if we haven’t done so till now. A vehicle braking system relies on a combination of hydraulic fluid and mechanical parts that work together to stop forward or backward motion. Brakes are found on all four wheels of today’s cars and trucks. Every time the brakes are applied the system is put under a great deal of pressure. Riding the brakes (keeping the foot lightly on the brake pedal at all times while driving) wears down the brake pads and damages the rotors. Riding the brakes also causes damage to the vehicle’s transmission. Frequent, sudden panic stops not only result in excessive wear on the pads and possible warping of the rotors, but can also result in glazed brake pads which have no ability to “grab” the rotors. Listed below are few signs that your brakes need servicing: Warning light: The brake ... read more

Car Battery: At one point in our life, we have all heard the following: owning and driving a vehicle involves two main concerns, cost of maintenance and cost on repairs. Aware of the aforementioned “secret”, why do we still avoid facing the reality, cars are bound to malfunction, to break down, to get exhausted and to wear out. Whether it’s the engine, transmission, brakes, water pump or as simple as the battery, they all typically fail based on the mileage, time and the way we drive and handle our car. Today the limelight shines on the BATTERY. The battery is considered the sole source of electrical power for the car. If the battery is not charged sufficiently, the vehicle will not start, hence you will not be able to use any of the electrical components such as the lights and the radio. The average life span of a battery is four years. However, various factors contribute on ... read more

Shocks and struts: putting an end to all the confusion once and for all. The smooth feel of the vehicle is due in large part to two integral components: shock absorbers and struts. However, while both shocks and struts are integral to the safety and comfort of the vehicle, they are in fact two distinct parts What are shocks?As far as shocks, also referred to as the shock absorbers, are a key component of the suspension system. They control the impact and rebound movement of your vehicle’s springs and suspension, they ensure that the vehicle’s tires remain in contact with the road surface at all times .ultimately, they absorb energy. Without shocks, the wheels on the car or truck will actually bounce off of the road surface, and vibrate erratically down rough roads. The key components of the shock absorber are a piston, a coil, and hydra ... read more

  Wheel Alignment   What is Wheel Alignment? It is a maintenance necessary to be performed at regular intervals: once every 20k to 30k miles in order to keep your vehicle running safely and reliably. By aligning your vehicle’s wheels, you are adjusting the main angle of your tires to ensure the car is tracking straight. Proper wheel alignment makes the vehicle steer easily and allows tires to wear evenly. How can I tell that I need wheel alignment? Common to all cars, the vehicle’s steering and suspension get damaged overtime due to some road abuse, such as going over pot holes, hitting the curb or driving over speed bumps. The latter will cause the tires to get nudged out of alignment, which will affect the drivability of the vehicle. If your steering wheel is off center but your car is driving straight or alternatively, if the steering wheel is centered but the car isn’t driving straight then you need to get your wheel ... read more