Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

Most of our Encino clients want to save on gas and seek our advice on improving fuel economy. At AutoAid & Rescue, we are frequently asked, however, just how much money Encino motorists can actually save. Well the US government has a website dedicated to helping us use less fuel. It presents the cost savings in a way Encino car owners can relate to and is relevant for all vehicles. Let me give you an example: Having your sedan engine properly tuned, can save up to 4%. If you’re paying three-fifty for a gallon of gas, you could save fourteen cents a gallon. In today's AutoAid & Rescue post, we’re going to talk about several things you can do to improve your sedanfuel economy driving around Encino. We’ll tell you the potential savings per gallon of gas at three dolla ... read more

Today in the AutoAid & Rescue auto care blog, we’re going to talk about oil change intervals. It seems that as engine technology advances, recommended oil change intervals have gotten longer for AutoAid & Rescue customers. High quality oil in a well-engineered sedan engine has lead to extended intervals. But it’s also lead to some confusion among Van Nuys drivers. The old mantra “change your oil every three months or three thousand miles, whichever comes first” once applied to every vehicle in your garage. Time and miles take their toll on motor oil. But now, you could have a different oil change recommendation for every car or truck you own. Van Nuys people are like everybody else, they have a tendency to put off all the oil changes to the schedule of the vehicle with the longest interval. Of course, that can lead to problems. For ex ... read more

Many Van Nuys drivers have been hearing about new advances in power steering technology, specifically, electric power steering. Some very high-end cars have been featuring electric power steering for a few years. An electric motor directly provides the power assist to make steering easier. Undoubtedly we’ll see much more of this in Van Nuys as full electric cars and electric hybrids become more common. The vast majority of cars and trucks serviced at AutoAid & Rescue in Van Nuys use a hydraulic power boost system. With hydraulics, fluid is pressurized by a pump which actuates a hydraulic cylinder to reduce steering effort. Some of these pumps are powered by an electric motor. Most pumps are powered by the serpentine belt driven by the engine. Power steering fluid has the necessary hydraulic properties and the ability t ... read more

Your sedan requires plenty of clean fuel to run. When your fuel isn’t clean, your fuel injectors can start to become clogged up. When this happens, your sedan engine may not get the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure to run efficiently. This hurts fuel economy and performance as you drive around Los Angeles. It can also lead to the buildup of harmful deposits on valves and in the combustion chamber. That’s why all vehicles, including sedans, come equipped with a fuel filter somewhere between the engine and the fuel tank. The job of the filter is to clean out little pieces of dirt and contamination. The filter captrues the contaminants and holds them out of the fuel stream. Of course, the filter will eventually get clogged up and need to be replaced at AutoAid & Rescue. If your fuel filter is clogged, the sedan engine can&rsquo ... read more