Hi this is Duke and today I have a special guest, my Weimaraner friend, Prince and he is here with me today barkin 'about how to keep your car young.  So as we say, let's get barkin'!

As South Bay consumers, we live in a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away.

New stuff comes out so fast in CA, and much of it is fairly cheap, so we just toss the old and move on. It seems like when we were kids our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our stuff - especially parents who grew up in the Depression. You know, hang up your clothes, polish your shoes, put away your toys. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough; we had to do without. 

We couldn't afford new cars very often, so we tried to make them last as long as we could. It's a good thing that cars are more reliable these days. They just don't break down as often. And the good news for us South Bay penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care. The engineering's there and so is the manufacturing quality. The missing ingredient is us making sure we follow the vehicle manufacturer's maintenance schedules.

Is it really that bad for Los Altos motorists to get off schedule? Well, it all adds up. Every time you go a little longer than the recommended interval  between oil changes, you've created an opportunity for  sludge to form and clog passages. Then some parts don't get oiled and they start to wear out faster. 

Skip a cooling system service, and the corrosion inhibitors become depleted; the radiator starts being damaged, one step closer to a failure. The same thing is true for transmission service, power brakes, fuel system cleaning – really everything on your schedule.

It's also even more important for older vehicles in the Los Altos, Cupertino, and Sunnyvale area. Those engines and other systems have had more time to get dirty, so they're working harder anyway. But it's never too late for South Bay drivers to get back on track with maintenance and to hold off further damage.

It's just another example of our parents knowing what's best. (Surprising how often that happens.) And it really does start with the oil change, just like Dad said. When you get a full service oil change they top off all your fluids and check for other items that are on your maintenance schedule. That's like your safety net; go in for oil changes on time, and let the pros at Allied Auto Works in Los Altos help you keep track of the rest.

Of course, it is inevitable for vehicles that some things are going to wear out along the way, like alternators, water pumps and such; they don't last forever. But that stuff is cheaper than a new car payment. And taking care of problems early means they have less time to cause other problems. It's like having high cholesterol; you don't want to wait for a heart attack before you address it.

Well Prince talking about all this maintenance and staying young, I think I need to schedule my yearly vet appointment.  It was great having you here today and Cayenne and I look forward to another visit as I sure our clients do to. 

Well everyone, have a wonderful weekend

Duke and Prince  

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com

Cayenne here and we all like to stay healthy and look good, well you car likes the same thing.  So since I am better looking than Duke, I thought I would bark about how you can keep your car feeling and looking young.....so let's get barkin!

As  consumers, be it in Los Altos, San Jose, Cupertino or Sunnyvale, we live in a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away.

New stuff comes out so fast in CA, and much of it is fairly cheap, so we just toss the old and move on. It seems like when we were kids our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our stuff - especially parents who grew up in the Depression. You know, hang up your clothes, polish your shoes, put away your toys. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough; we had to do without. 

We couldn't afford new cars very often, so we tried to make them last as long as we could. It's a good thing that cars are more reliable these days. They just don't break down as often. And the good news for us Los Altos penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care. The engineering's there and so is the manufacturing quality. The missing ingredient is us making sure we follow the vehicle manufacturer's maintenance schedules.

Is it really that bad for South Bay motorists to get off schedule? Well, it all adds up. Every time you go a little longer than the recommended interval  between oil changes, you've created an opportunity for  sludge to form and clog passages. Then some parts don't get oiled and they start to wear out faster. 

Skip a cooling system service, and the corrosion inhibitors become depleted; the radiator starts being damaged, one step closer to a failure. The same thing is true for transmission service, power brakes, fuel system cleaning – really everything on your schedule.

It's also even more important for older vehicles in the South Bay area. Those engines and other systems have had more time to get dirty, so they're working harder anyway. But it's never too late for Los Altos drivers to get back on track with maintenance and to hold off further damage.

It's just another example of our parents knowing what's best. (Surprising how often that happens.) And it really does start with the oil change, just like Dad said. When you get a full service oil change they top off all your fluids and check for other items that are on your maintenance schedule. That's like your safety net; go in for oil changes on time, and let the pros at Allied Auto Works in Los Altos help you keep track of the rest.

Of course, it is inevitable for vehicles that some things are going to wear out along the way, like alternators, water pumps and such; they don't last forever. But that stuff is cheaper than a new car payment. And taking care of problems early means they have less time to cause other problems. It's like having high cholesterol; you don't want to wait for a heart attack before you address it.

      Well I am ready for a long run, how about you after hearing about how our cars need TLC to keep young.  Well til next week and the sun is shining, this is Cayenne!

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com

Hello it is your automotive hound dog, Cayenne and today it is about mind over matter.........and that matter is MAINTENANCE!!!  So as my friend Duke and I always say, let's get barkin' on this very important automotive issue.

Ask any Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Cupertino or Mountain View man or woman if they've taken their vehicle in for preventive maintenance lately, and the answer may well be “no.” Surveys indicate that over 80% of vehicles on the road today are in need of some kind of repair or maintenance. Now, ask that same person why he hasn't taken his car in for care. The answer will probably be that he forgot or that he just didn't think about it. Most South Bay residents seem to have a hard time remembering about scheduled maintenance for their vehicles.

Funny, because most of us in Los Altos have no trouble remembering to wash our clothes, mow our lawns or brush our teeth. It isn't that we can't remember to take our vehicles for service; it's a matter of making it a priority.

When it comes to our vehicles, Los Altos, Cupertino  and Sunnyvale drivers like myself, need to be a little more maintenance-minded. The fact is, we can choose to do it, or we might find ourselves being compelled to do it.

For example, when we consistently forget to brush our teeth, a major consequence usually follows. The pain of that experience usually compels us to be more mindful of our teeth and take better care of them.

The same goes for our vehicles. If we ignore them long enough, a painful experience is sure to follow—painful for our pocketbooks, that is. People in Los Altos who have gone through that experience are usually more conscientious about proper car care.

So, if you're not a fan of the school of hard knocks, at least when it comes to vehicle maintenance, remind yourself to look after your car. Pay attention to the little oil change tag on your windshield. When it's time take your car in, do it. But don't just change the oil. Get a full-service oil change at Allied Auto Works. Your technician will then check all of your fluids. Our Service Managers can advise you if any of them need to be changed or if any of them are low.

Low fluid levels can indicate leaks or a worn hose or seal, so they can check those for you as well. Other signs of wear are also immediately evident when you get a full-service oil change, such as a cracked serpentine belt or corroded battery cable. Your Allied Auto Works technician will also check the vehicle manufacturer's service recommendations for your vehicle and advise you of any other routine service that is coming due.

It's like a one-stop shop for auto advice that will keep you on top of your vehicle's maintenance.

If there is more to be done than the budget allows, you can get a picture of what needs to be done.  Then, create a plan with your Allied Auto Works service advisor and budget for it during the coming months. It's a whole lot less painful than unexpected car repairs.

Vehicles are more reliable than they ever have been. They can take a lot of abuse and neglect. But they're also expensive and complicated machines. South Bay drivers can't expect them to run forever without proper fluids and filters. Preventive maintenance at Allied Auto Works in Los Altos will improve the reliability and life expectancy of your vehicle, as well as ensuring your safety on the road in CA.

Well I hope that took a load off your mind on how easy it is to take care of your vehicle the proper way........Maintenance is the key!!!

Cayenne 

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com

Cayenne here and Happy New Year to all!  I am going to start my New Year teaching you all about how to budget for maintenance on your car.  So with no further adieu......let's get barkin'!

Sometimes busy Los Altos, Cupertino and Sunnyvale residents dream about going back to the “simpler” days of our grandparents. But if you could travel back in time and take a road trip around CA in a Model T, you might change your mind. The improved designs and quality of today's automobiles have significantly reduced the amount of time Los Altos residents spend at the side of the road during breakdowns. With proper maintenance, today's vehicles can stay on the road longer than ever before.

Some of those improvements, however, have led to higher repair costs. For example, older cars often broke down from vapor lock. Gas vaporized while traveling from the gas tank to the fuel pump. No gas, no power. The car quits going. The solution was simple — you just sat by the road until the car would start up again. Today's South Bay drivers would hardly tolerate that kind of inconvenience; and it's likely that yesterday's South Bay drivers didn't care much for it, either. So on today's vehicles, the fuel pump is actually located inside the gas tank. Problem solved. No more vapor lock. The downside is that now it costs a lot more to repair or replace a fuel pump at South Bay area auto service centers (Los Altos, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Mt. View).

Los Altos drivers should certainly should be grateful for the improvements in auto design that keep us off the side of the road, but it comes at a price. Car care in CA is simply more  than it used to be. So if you think about it, Silicon Valley drivers can avoid many vehicle repairs by preventive maintenance. If we plan for maintenance, we can avoid a lot of costly repairs.

Just a bit of auto advice from Cayenne &  Allied Auto Works: If you like new cars and can afford them, then buy them. But if you are buying a new car every few years because you're afraid of the higher repair costs for older vehicles, then you ought to take a second look at the numbers. You can save a lot of money on car payments and CA auto insurance with an older vehicle, and preventive auto maintenance can help you avoid most car repair bills. And if you budget for preventive maintenance you have done at Allied Auto Works, it can become as routine as a car payment — only a whole lot less!

Wow this sounds like a no brainer from me, Cayenne and think about all those dog bones you could buy on the money you save..............hmmmmmm,  Til next week with DUKE

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com

Can you see me, if not, it may be time to replace your wiper blades!  Cayenne here and today we will bark about your wiper blades and if you can see clearly.  Let's get barkin'

About 90% of our driving decisions in the South Bay area are based solely on what we see. So having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely important.

Most Santa Clara County drivers have experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm, or when our vehicle windshield is just dirty. In fact, it's estimated that 46,000,000 drivers across the nation are driving with wipers that can't adequately clear their windshield in a storm.

It seems like our wiper blades are always at their worst when we need them the most. If that sounds like you, you've got plenty of company in the San Jose area. 78% of only change their wiper blades after the blades function so poorly that they become a safety hazard.

San Jose, Cupertino, Los Altos and Mt. View drivers need to change their thinking. Instead of blades being something to replace when they fail, we need to consider wiper blades as vehicle safety component. Then we'll stay ahead of the storm.

Vehicle owners really ought to replace wiper blades twice a year; in the spring and the fall. If you live in the colder parts of CA, you may even want to get special winter blades in the fall.

Winter blades are made to resist freezing.  Speaking of winter and freezing South Bay conditions, if your vehicle has been sitting for a long time and the windshield becomes frozen, don't use your wipers to clear off snow and ice. That can shred your blades and may even damage the wiper motor.

Your wiper blades live outside in the freezing cold and blistering sun. Over time, they become hard and brittle, and then tear. They also lose their flexibility and just don't clear the vehicle windshield effectively. Worn wiper blades aren't just a safety hazard for Los Altos drivers; they can also scratch their windshield. That may require replacing the entire vehicle windshield – that's the consequence for neglecting such a small part.

Allied Auto Works recommends  drivers replace worn blades right away. We can provide you with a quality replacement blade.  At Allied Auto Works, they cost about the same as they would at the store – but installation is included.

Of course you also need washer fluid to help your blades do their work.  Even though Allied Auto Works will top off the washer fluid with a full service oil change, it is a good idea to have some extra fluid at home. Bring it with you if you're heading out on a road trip.

Always use windshield washer fluid. Plain water, even that fancy French bottled water, just doesn't cut it.  It can freeze in the fluid reservoir or on the windshield itself, making things worse. Besides, water won't clean your windows as well.

So follow these tips to keep your windshield clear and your eye on the road.

Find us at:

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com

Now you can see things clearly,

Cayenne  

Cayenne here and today it's all about the bottom line when spending money or your car.  Buying a new car in Los Altos is always a big financial decision. The allure of that new car smell is powerful, to be sure. But what if your current car is still in good shape? How do you decide? Well's let's get barkin!

People in Los Altos who've been used to driving a new car every three to five years may be having second thoughts in this economy. For many, the question is, how does the certainty of a new car payment stack up against uncertain repairs for a car that may be out of warranty?

For purposes of our discussion, let's assume you live right here in Los Altos and have a five year old vehicle. It's now paid off. If you keep it, you fear that there'll be some repairs over the next five years, but you really don't know what to expect. For help we turned to maintenance and repair information for cars and trucks. With this data, they project likely service and repair costs for a particular make and model. They're able to use manufacturer's maintenance schedules and repair histories for the projections.

Of course, these projections can't predict what will happen to your vehicle in Los Altos, but they do give you information to use in your decision.

Let's look at the numbers for a five year old Toyota Camry V-6. In this example, the combined maintenance and repairs for the five year period is $5,748. This works out to an average of $96 a month. The year-by-year averages range from a low of $49 a month to $124 a month.

So compare $96 a month with a new car payment. And it's actually better news than that; you would still have maintenance expenses with a new car, so the repair element could be less than half that figure.

Here are numbers for some other five year old vehicles from around Los Altos:

• Ford Escape - $116 a month
• Chevy Silverado - $131 a month
• Jeep Grand Cherokee - $138 a month
• Hyundai Accent - $85 a month.

Now, if your vehicle is older than five years, have a chat with your Los Altos service advisor at Allied Auto Works. We see hundreds of vehicles through our bays every month and we know your car. See if there's any particular problem in common with your vehicle that you might see over the next couple of years.

And of course, the best way to keep future repair costs down is to take care of all your scheduled maintenance. This is especially important in older vehicles that have had time to accumulate some deposits.

There are special motor oil formulations that help clean older engines and protect and recondition their seals and gaskets.

Well I hope this eliminates some of the unknowns in the decision to keep or trade.

Give us a call if you have any questions and tell them Cayenne sent you! 

Cayenne

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com

It's Duke and do you believe that today's sophisticated and modern vehicles are maintenance free?  Well today we will bark about this and find out the truth......let's get barkin'!

In our auto video today we'll be talking with Alan Peterson about myths surrounding automotive maintenance. You can lump these myths into the statement that "modern cars are so reliable, they are virtually maintenance free".

Any good myth has some elements of truth. No offense to Los Altos Bigfoot fans, but this maintenance-free myth has more evidence than most. If we look at some isolated areas of auto maintenance, we could conclude that maintenance isn't so important. But other areas would just as easily lead you to believe that maintenance is more important than ever.

Here are some examples for our friends in Los Altos.

• Some cars in Los Altos no longer require chassis lubrication. They're made with self-lubricating materials and have sealed joints. There's literally no way to grease those joints.

-Chalk one up for the myth.

On the other side, some vehicles come with sophisticated variable valve timing. A lot of complicated parts up in the valve train that didn't even exist not that many years ago. These parts are very vulnerable to oil sludge.

• So, skipping an oil change here and there could lead to very expensive damage.

-A point to maintenance.

• Electronic ignition has eliminated replacing points.

-Myth gets a point.

• Fuel injectors on direct injection engines are very expensive to replace so one must be sure to get a fuel system cleaning on schedule.

-Point for maintenance.

I think you get the picture. As automotive technology advances, it eliminates or reduces some maintenance requirements. And maintenance becomes more critical for some items. Most others remain very similar to what they've always been.

So the maintenance mindset is still important for car owners in Los Altos if we want our vehicles to last a long time. The checklist may change over time, but there'll always be a check list.

Your friendly and professional service advisors, Matt & Travis at Allied Auto Works can answer any questions you have about your vehicles maintenance schedule.

Til next week, this is your friendly Automotive Dog Blogger, Duke!   

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com

Can you see me, it is Cayenne and today we are barking about Headlamps! 

If you've ever been driving around Los Altos and had a headlamp go out, you've probably just wanted to replace the bad bulb. If your car uses halogen headlamps, they dim over time. So if you just put in one, they won't have the same brightness which can be distracting and will affect your field of vision.

To have your headlights inspected, visit us at Allied Auto Works. We're at 2073 Grant Road in Los Altos, CA 94024. Or give us a call at 650.968.7227.

Experts at Allied Auto Works recommend replacing your halogen headlamps every year. It's easy to remember if you do it when daylight savings time changes in the fall. That way you'll have bright headlamps for those long CA winter nights.

There are other types of headlamps in addition to halogen. There are the old standard bulbs that have been around for decades. These are OK, but you can usually upgrade to halogen. They cost a little more but you can't believe the difference. If you do a lot of night driving you might want to use a premium halogen bulb that filters out the yellow hues and gives a very white light that's a lot like daylight.

You may have noticed those bluish headlights on luxury cars. They are high intensity discharge or, HID lamps. They really light up the road. You can upgrade to HID on some vehicles. These cost quite a bit, but they'll last for the life of your car. If you want your friends to think you have HIDs, you can get halogens with a bluish tint - no one needs to know.

Seriously, though, night driving is all about reaction time – time to stop – time to get out of the way. You can't react to what you can't see. You need headlamps that'll give you a good view down the road and good peripheral vision as well. And your headlights need to be aimed correctly so you can see, and also to keep your lights from shining off into on-coming traffic.

You may have seen older vehicles with headlights that are awfully dim and maybe even yellow. That's because the plastic headlight lenses have gotten cloudy and yellowed with age. They can be replaced, but many Los Altos service centers offer a service to restore the lens that's a lot cheaper.

You can't drive if you can't see. AAA reports that nine out of ten vehicles have dirty or yellowed headlamps. So run the window squeegee over your headlights when you gas up to clear the dirt and bugs. Get your lenses restored if they need it and don't forget to replace your standard or halogen bulbs every fall.

Hope this makes everything crystal clear! 

Cayenne     

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com

What a beautiful summer day here in Los Altos, hi it's Duke again and today we are going to bark about what our technicians go through for education and training.

When your car breaks down in the Los Altos, CA area, or just needs some routine service, it can make you a little nervous. Because your car's so important to your life, you need to be back on the road as soon as possible. And with the problem fixed right the first time.

We've been checking into some of the training our Los Altos, CA technicians receive, and we're very impressed. It's amazing how much knowledge and skill goes into diagnosing and repairing a modern car. So it's not like when your uncle worked on his hot rod over the weekend.

Today there are four cylinder engines around Los Altos that make more power than the V-8's in luxury cars did 20 years ago. A new V-6 Toyota Camry could beat Sonny Crocket's Ferrari in a race to 60 mph.

Our engines are more and more powerful. And they're so reliable. This is all due to engineering. But the benefits come to Los Altos drivers at the price of simplicity. Modern cars are so much more complex from a mechanical standpoint that it makes your head spin.

Then there's the electronics. Some cars on CA roads have several networked computers controlling most of the engine functions and many other vehicle functions as well. Los Altos drivers take all of this sophistication for granted – but somebody has to fix it when it breaks.

It's a real challenge for the pros at Allied Auto Works and other Los Altos auto service centers to keep up. It requires a high level of commitment on the part of the auto technician and the service center as well. In addition to the training, there's the financial commitment to purchase the diagnostic and repair tools as well.

So where do Los Altos technicians go for training? There are many sources. It's usually a combination of formal classroom training, training provided in the service center by auto parts and equipment manufacturers, on-line courses and home study courses. There are many independent certifications available all the way up to Master Technician.

Service centers in Los Altos, CA have a lot of other resources available as well. No one can know everything, so service centers like Allied Auto Works subscribe to data services, technical libraries and even on-line communities that can help them with they run into a difficult problem.

It's like those medical diagnosis shows on TV. Here are the symptoms – what's the diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis is every bit as much an art as a science. Los Altos drivers want everything to be simple, straight forward and cheap – and sometimes it just isn't.

So, be more relaxed next time you take your vehicle in. You can trust the professionals at Allied Auto Works. You're in good hands. The more you know, the more comfortable you can be with your automotive service decisions at Allied Auto Works and tell them.............Duke sent ya!

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com

Duke here and sometimes we think we can take care and fix our own cars like our Dads when were kids but in todays advanced technology on cars and special diagnostic equipment needed it is virtually impossible.   Technicians need to take ongoing education to keep on the ever changing technology put in our vehicles so let's bark about Technician Training today.

Los Altos consumers are demanding. We want a safe, reliable vehicle that handles well and is comfortable to ride in. Oh, and we want good fuel economy, too. We also want car repairs that are cheap, fast and easy. Unfortunately, one usually comes at the cost of the other.

Today's vehicles have made significant improvements in reliability and performance over the last few decades. They also deliver more power to Los Altos drivers more efficiently than ever before. For example, some of today's 4 cylinder engines are equal to yesterday's V-8's. Our vehicles also offer an amazing range of features that make them more comfortable and convenient than ever before.

But all of that improvement has come at a price for Los Altos vehicle owners. Our vehicles are more complicated and difficult to repair than ever before. They have numerous mechanical and electrical systems. Fuel systems are so complex they have to be run by a computer. Our vehicles are covered with sensors and high-tech electronic equipment. Our dashboards rival the control panel of the first manned space flight.

With all that complicated equipment, it's no wonder we call mechanics service technicians these days. You can't learn to repair cars in the backyard with your dad anymore. Today's Allied Auto Works technicians have to go to school. School may come in the form of classroom instruction, on-line courses or both. Technicians are also trained on-site at the Los Altos service centers where they work (including Allied Auto Works) to keep them abreast of constant improvements in vehicle engineering, diagnostic equipment and repair techniques.

Today's technicians need to be certified to work on our vehicles. They can earn a variety of certifications in CA, but the highest of these is Master Technician. It's like a graduate degree in auto repair.

Vehicle repair at Allied Auto Works in Los Altos requires more than just training and certification, though. It also takes information and creative thought. Los Altos area auto service centers subscribe to data services, technical libraries and on-line repair communities in order to get the information they need to work on various makes and models of vehicles, to get recommended maintenance schedules, to learn about non-standard features, and even to locate hard-to-find parts in an unusual engine. They also use this information to help diagnose rare or difficult vehicle problems. Many auto repair problems also require a bit of creative thinking for the team at Allied Auto Works to solve. Los Altos service technicians at Allied Auto Works act much like doctors in these situations. They're given a set of symptoms, and they have to come up with a diagnosis and treatment that will fix the problem. This process becomes as much of an art as it is a science.

A proper diagnosis, even by a highly qualified technician, can take time. And a technician's time is going to cost us. It's just the price of progress.

Of course, the best car care for Los Altos vehicle owners is planned preventive auto maintenance. This is also the least way to keep your vehicle in good repair. Regular inspections and replacement of worn parts will prevent most repairs from ever being needed in the first place.

And with the amazing complexity of today's automobiles, isn't it good to know there's someone out there with the knowledge, training and skill to give us good auto advice? Whether we need preventive maintenance or repairs, the team of automotive professionals at Allied Auto Works can help us keep our vehicles on the road. We just can't do it on our own anymore. 

Duke

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com