Los Altos Auto Repair

Brrrr, it's cold this morning in California. The seasons are definitely changing. Duke here and when I am in the car for a ride, I sometimes look in the rearview mirror and notice objects appear to be close. You may remember a song that went, "Objects in the rearview mirror may appear closer than they are." While that was a song about life's lessons, there are a few things we should all know about how important rearview mirrors are to safe driving.  So let's open our eyes and start barkin'!

While new electronic devices are helping drivers be aware of surrounding traffic in high-tech ways, the good old rearview mirror is still a dependable way of letting you know what's around you.  There are usually 3 on each vehicle, 1 attached to the windshield inside and 2 attached outside on each of the front doors.

It's important that they be adjusted properly before you start driving (not while you're driving). Experts say the windshield rearview mirror should cover the area behind the vehicle while the outside mirrors should not simply duplicate that view but extend it to the sides, where blind spots normally are.

Your rearview mirrors must be able to hold the positions they're adjusted in; it there's play in them or they move around, you'll never be sure they're pointed in the direction that will let you see where traffic is.  The one on the windshield must be firmly attached.  If it won't stay where you want it, head to your service facility, where they can tighten it or replace any parts necessary to let the mirror maintain its aim. A technician can reattach it with the proper adhesives or fasteners if it has fallen off the windshield completely.  There may be electronics that need to be properly connected as well.

The outside mirrors cover your blind spots and they must be able to hold their adjustments, too.  Many adjust electronically; switches and motors can fail, electrical connections can detach or become corroded and the reflective glass can crack, discolor or develop a hazy fog.  A technician can diagnose and repair those problems and recommend any replacement parts you might need.  Mirrors that are adjusted manually should also be restored to proper working order for you to maintain this essential rear visibility.

Drivers don't think about their rearview mirrors all that much.  On reflection, don't they deserve respect and care for the important job they do?

"Life is a mirror: if you frown at it, it frowns back; if you smile, it returns the greeting"

Duke

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
6509687227
http://alliedautoworks.com

Good Day, everyone. Cayenne here.  Do you know what TPS stands for? No, it's not Tender Porterhouse Steak, even though that sounds good to me. It means Throttle Position Sensor. Yes, I know it's not as tasty-sounding, but it's very important to your vehicle.  So let's get barkin' about TPS.

You know you have an accelerator pedal; step on it, and your vehicle is supposed to go.  But did you know there is a part in your vehicle that tracks where the throttle is? It's called the Throttle Position Sensor, or TPS.

The TPS is a sensor that helps your vehicle determine the right mix of air and fuel reaching your engine.  It does that by keeping track of the throttle and sending that information to your vehicle's computer.  Other factors play a role in how well your engine is performing, including air temperature, how fast the engine is turning over, and airflow. 

When the TPS isn't working right, you may find your vehicle won't accelerate or doesn't have the power you're expecting when you press on the accelerator.  In some cases, it may accelerate on its own.  Sometimes, your vehicle won't go over a certain speed.  Your Check Engine light may go on.

Any of these symptoms should be checked out soon. If your TPS stops working right, your vehicle may not be safe to drive. Fortunately, most vehicles have a "limp home" mode that allows you to get off a busy road and to a safe spot. 

Your service advisor can tell you which TPS is the correct replacement for your vehicle. Your shop may have to re-program the new TPS so it works correctly with your vehicle's software.

It's a fact of life these days that computers control many of a vehicle's functions. The sensors that feed information to those computers help make your vehicle work how it was engineered to and keep you motoring safely and efficiently down the road.

I leave you with an inspirational quote for the week,

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." ~ Walt Disney

Cayenne

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
6509687227
http://alliedautoworks.com

Cayenne here today. Everyone loves things that sparkle. Our vehicles send out their own spark through the ignition coil.  But how do you know it might be time to replace the ignition coil?  Well today we will ignite you some sparkling information on the subject.

Ever wonder how your vehicle’s engine can take the 12 volts from its battery and ramp that up to as high as the tens of thousands of volts it takes to fire its spark plugs? The secret is something called an ignition coil. Most newer vehicles have an ignition coil at each cylinder, but older ones have one that serves all the spark plugs. 

There are telltale signs that you have an ignition coil problem. As you might expect, one symptom is that it’s hard to start your engine or that it won’t start at all. If your engine is misfiring or not running smoothly, or you see the Check Engine light come on, those could all point to an ignition coil failure.

Several things can contribute to ignition coil trouble in addition to normal wear and tear. Moisture and dirt may have gotten inside the coil, and the heat and vibration of your engine over time can cause it to go bad. Bad spark plugs or plug wires can also be a cause.  

While ignition coils can last 100,000 miles/160,000 km, depending on how you drive and in what conditions, if you start noticing some of the signs and symptoms just described, it’s a good idea to schedule a visit to see us so a technician can diagnose what’s wrong. Driving too long with an engine misfiring can damage your catalytic converter, which can be expensive to replace.

A technician will thoroughly check your ignition system and determine where the failure is. If only one coil is bad, it may be the only thing that needs replacing. If your vehicle has a distributor, it may also need replacing. Properly working ignition coils will help your vehicle operate at its best and help prevent future engine damage.

Leave a little SPARKLE wherever you go,

Cayenne

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
6509687227
http://alliedautoworks.com

Hello South Bay residents!  What a beautiful day here in California.  Take a nice car ride with the windows down and the wind in my face.  But wait, you may be driving along and find that suddenly your radio stops working.  There are no numbers on the display.  Then, when you get home, you notice the garage door opener doesn't do a thing when you press the button. Hmm, this was working just fine this morning.  Are the two problems somehow related?  Let's start barkin' and find out!

No, your vehicle doesn't need an exorcism. This has all the signs of an electrical issue, and when you experience symptoms like those, you've probably blown a fuse.  Most vehicles have fuses, just like most houses have circuit breakers (some houses still have fuses). They cut the power when it reaches a pre-determined threshold that could cause major damage if it was allowed to continue.  You might say fuses take one for the team.

Most modern automotive fuses are plastic with a thin strip of metal in them designed to melt when a calibrated amount of power passes through.  The philosophy is it's better for an inexpensive fuse to be destroyed than your sound system or your engine's main computer.

It can be tricky to figure out what fuse has blown and why.  Modern vehicles have many computerized electronic components; they can easily be damaged if too much electricity gets to the wrong spot.  At Allied Auto Works in Los Altos, we have technicians trained to trace which fuse has blown and why.

While sometimes a simple fuse replacement will fix the problem, other times, some other electrical components may have failed, causing the circuit to overload. Our technicians have special equipment to track down where the power problems are, get to the root of the problem, and fix it at the source.

Keep in mind that fuses are there to protect your vehicle. When they shut down your radio, garage door opener, vanity mirror, or anything else, just be thankful they're doing their job. They may have saved you from a much more expensive repair. They've sent an important signal to you about your electrical system. That's why it's good to keep up with "current" affairs.

I leave you with this thought today,

“The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” - Albert Einstein

Duke

Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
6509687227
http://alliedautoworks.com

Duke here. Who thinks about their fuel gauge? You probably don't… until it doesn't work anymore. Then you have to guess how much fuel is in your tank, and that's no way to live life on the road. Imagine how upset the hounds will be if they don't get their car ride. So today, we will be barkin' about fuel gauge problems and what to do. Let's get barkin'!

Fuel gauges, like every other part in your vehicle, can fail.  When yours stops working, you will probably want to head over to your service facility soon because no one relishes running out of fuel.

The fuel gauge system is much more than just the gauge on your instrument panel. Most systems have a float inside the fuel tank that goes up and down depending on the fuel level. It's called the fuel-sending unit, and it sends an electrical signal to the gauge (on the dash), telling it to display how much fuel is left in the tank. 

So, what could go wrong? Well, a few things. For one thing, corrosion from bad fuel can cause it to stick, and it won't move up and down anymore. So you could fill up your tank, and the gauge would still read Empty. If a sending unit needs to be replaced, the parts can be costly. The good news is that fuel-sending units rarely fail, and most drivers will never have one go bad.

Other things that can go wrong? An electrical problem could cause a fuse to blow and you won't get a reading at all.  A technician can figure out where that electrical problem is and how to repair it.  Finally, it's possible for the gauge itself (on the instrument panel) to fail.

One thing to keep in mind is if your fuel gauge isn't working, you might be tempted to carry around an extra container of fuel.  That's ok if it's outside the cabin, such as in the bed of a pickup.  But if you carry it inside the cabin or trunk, fuel fumes can be very dangerous for your health, even fatal.

A working fuel gauge gives you peace of mind… so you'll never have that "empty" feeling.

I leave you with this thought,

"Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window!" ~Steve Bluestone

DUKE

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

Hey it's your crazy hound dog, Cayenne.  Today, we are going nuts......lug nuts, that is.  We will bark about lug nut replacement, so let's get nutty and roll into it.

Here's a part of your vehicle you probably don't think about much: lug nuts.  They're what fasten your wheels onto your axles.  Pretty important, right? In order to take the wheels off your vehicle to service the brakes, rotate the tires, etc., the lug nuts have to be in good shape so a wrench will grip them tightly. 

Because lug nuts are on your wheels, they are exposed to all the elements of the road (salt, water, grime) and really take a beating. Unfortunately, some manufacturers have made them out of two different metals.  Underneath is the working part of the lug nut, made of steel.  On top is the decorative (the "good looking") part, made out of chrome, stainless steel or aluminum.  After a while, the steel part begins to corrode and expands.  That changes the shape of the outer cap, sometimes rounding off the hexagonal edges and making it hard (if not impossible) to either loosen or tighten the lug nuts since the wrench won't fit anymore. 

The reason that's so important is those lug nuts must be functional, especially if you find you have a flat tire somewhere on the road.  If the wheel can't come off to be swapped with a spare, it leaves few options, one of which is your vehicle may have to be towed.  All that for corroded lug nuts!

When you take your vehicle in for service, the technician who works on it keeps an eye on many things, especially if he or she is removing wheels.  It's not unusual for your service advisor to recommend you replace several lug nuts at once since some corrode at a different rate than others. Your repair facility is trying to help you avoid driving a vehicle that has wheels that can't easily be taken off when they need to be.

The good news is that there are one-piece lug nuts that don't have the problem the two-piece lug nuts have, so replacing them could prevent that from happening again soon. And that's not "nuts" at all.

I leave you with a nut joke,

What do you call a pair of nuts on the wall? Walnuts!

Cayenne

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

Hey Cayenne here, and are you sometimes "clueless" when it comes to your auto service visit?  When you head to the doctor or vet, you probably have it in your mind what you're going to say about why you don't feel good or why your favorite canine is feeling well.  That way, your doctor or vet can use that information to diagnose your problem. You might want to think of that same approach when you take your vehicle in for a repair. 

Experts say what will help the service advisor most is for you to bring in some well-organized descriptions about your vehicle's issues.  You might even want to write them down so you don't forget.  Is there an unusual smell?  What does it smell like?  Does the problem happen first thing after starting out? If there's an odd sound you hear, is it dependent on speed?  Does it change when you turn a corner?  

Keep your expectations realistic.  Some conditions may take a long time to diagnose and repair.  If you go thinking you'll be in and out in no time, you might be disappointed when you're told there are other customers ahead of you and you may have to come back tomorrow.  If you can make alternate plans to have someone pick you up and take you back when the vehicle is finished, that way, you won't feel like you've wasted your time. 

Most importantly, be available for any communication from the service advisor.  If they have your cell phone and they have a question or need approval for a repair, the sooner they reach you, the sooner things can move forward. 

The service facility wants your experience with them to be good, just as you do.  With a little help from you, they'll get your vehicle back on the road and you'll have a smile on your face.

I leave you with a joke about being clueless.

My wife didn't speak to me for 3 days last week and I haven't got a clue what I did to cause it.

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

Hey Duke here, and you know I love the grinding sound when I enjoy one of the Wagu Rib Eye steak bones I get once in a while, what a beautiful sound and tastes good too.  But what if your vehicle makes a grinding sound when you turn the steering wheel, it's speaking to you and that is not a good sound.   So listen to what it's saying and you could avoid a much more costly repair down the road.  So let's grind our way into this important noisy subject and get barkin'!

Think of it.  Hydraulic power steering has many components that need to work in tandem.  The power steering fluid may be too old and contaminated.  Or its level may be low. That may be caused by a leak somewhere in the system. A technician can check things over to find out exactly what's happening.

Other causes of grinding while turning can be problems with the suspension in the front.  You may have a failing CV (constant velocity) joint.  It could be your brakes are partially engaging while you are turning.  That metal-on-metal sound is never a sign that things are working just the way they're supposed to.

To a technician looking to pinpoint the problem with your vehicle, it's not a daily grind at all.  Experience and training will help her or him zero in on what's causing the noise and get you back on the road. Maybe you can enjoy your sound system more after that distracting background noise has disappeared!

My noise quote of the week,

"The loudiest noise in the world is silence"  ~ Thelonious Monk

Duke

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

Cayenne here and you probably never thought about it, but your vehicle is like a rolling weather station.  It can check the outside temperature, let you know when the roads are slippery and help you deal with rain. And how it does all those things is pretty cool.  So today, we will bark about your vehicle sensors and how they adjust to those weather road conditions.......let's get barkin'

First, just like any weather station, a vehicle has sensors that measure the driving and weather conditions you find yourself in.  Some of those sensors can control computerized systems in your vehicle to react to the weather.  It depends on whether you have a 2-wheel, 4-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle and how those sensors will respond.

Let's start with temperature.  Most vehicles now have a thermometer that measures the temperature outside.  It's usually in the front, and likely will tell you on the instrument panel what the outside temperature measures.  But a temperature sensor will also tell your vehicle's computers to turn on or off certain systems like the heating or air conditioning.  If your ambient temperature sensor isn't working right, some symptoms are a malfunctioning automatic A/C or a temperature display that is way different than the app on your phone says it should be.

Your vehicle will also have sensors that measure your speed at each wheel.  They work with an onboard computer to measure slippage in any of the wheels so traction control and antilock brakes work correctly in case of slick roads.

Your vehicle can measure something called longitudinal and latitudinal acceleration, and it uses a yaw sensor to do it.  That helps it determine if you might be in an oversteering or understeering situation.  It's important because it works with your vehicle's brakes to apply stopping power to keep you in control.

A steering wheel sensor tells the vehicle's computers what the driver is doing with the wheel.  It also can work with those wheel sensors to measure how slippery the roads are, whether it be due to a wet (rain) or granular (gravel or sand) surface.  By sending different torque or braking to each wheel, it helps the driver maintain control.

More and more vehicles now have a rain sensor that can turn on the wipers automatically when they measure precipitation on the windshield.

So, you're driving your own weather station and making sure all this data is coming in properly depends on how each component is working.  Regular service and maintenance on these systems are important to ensure they can do their job. Your rolling weather station can't predict the weather, but it can sure help you deal with it, so help it do its job right.

Here is my quote for the week in regards to the weather.

Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while. ~Frank M. Hubbard

Cayenne

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

Hey, it's the Duke and I just got back from nice run, breathing in the fresh, clean air.  But have you ever gotten in your vehicle and said what is that awful smell?  Don't blame it on the dog.  It is probably your vehicle with that rotten egg smell.  So today we will crack the mystery out of that foul smell (no yolk intended).

The pungent smell of rotten eggs can send people running for the hills.  So when that odor is inside your vehicle, yikes!  Yolks!  The good news is that a trained service technician can search the source of that smell and stanch the stench… that comes from another word that begins with S. - Sulfur.

Fuel contains small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, but they're enough to stink up a vehicle when it's not properly burned.  You may know that the smell of rotten eggs can often be a sign of a catalytic converter that isn't working the way it should.  That could be due to age, damage or an abundance of oil that's clogging it up. 

If a sensor in charge of managing the fuel has failed, the engine can run with too rich of a fuel mixture.  That can overload the catalytic converter and allow some of the byproducts to escape without interruption from the chemical reaction that is supposed to prevent them from going out the tailpipe.

There's another possibility, but it's usually only in stick-shift vehicles.  That's leaking old transmission fluid.

Catalytic converter repairs are best left to a professional. Technicians at your vehicle service facility have equipment and training that can help them pinpoint the cause of this funky fragrance.  Once the cause is found, repairs made and/or parts replaced, the smell should go away fairly rapidly.

I leave you with my rotten egg joke of the week,

Why can't a rotten egg become a comedian?

He only has bad yolks

Duke

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