Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

Why is an Oil Change So Expensive? Regular maintenance such as changing the oil and air filters, rotating the tires , checking coolant levels, transmission fluid, etc. is essential to keeping your car in good health. However, not all pricing for these services is the same particularly when it comes to oil and filter changes in luxury vehicles. Why is an oil change so expensive? Oil changes can range anywhere from $37 to $187. That’s a pretty big span but there are valid reasons for it. The choice of oil is a big factor. Conventional oil from fossil fuel is the least expensive option. The next step up is a synthetic blend which uses conventional and synthetic bases. The most expensive oil is fully synthetic and if you have a luxury car then this may be the only choice. Why is synthetic oil so costly? Its high-quality base makes it more stable a ... read more

My Car Started Roaring Like a Lion This Morning. Could it Be My Muffler?By Jack Bulko, AutoAid The other morning a young man drove his 2006 Toyota Prius into the shop complaining of a very loud sound that he didn't hear when he parked it last evening. He recently moved to the area and found our repair shop on Yelp. His first question to me was, why is my Prius roaring like a lion? Could it be my muffler? I wasn't sure if it was his muffler or not, but I knew we needed to look at it before diagnosing the problem. It could have been something as simple as a damaged muffler or something much more complicated such as a leak or crack in the exhaust system's manifold. But first we had to take a look at it. We began by isolating the problem. That didn't take long as it was evident that someone had removed the catalytic converter. We needed to install a new one on the car, but first I had to te ... read more