Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

We’re entering the triple-digit heat season in Southern California, and this is the time of year I begin to hear more from customers. It’s not so much that they want to stay in touch, although they like us, but that their automobile, truck, or van is experiencing problems. Part of the issue is that many people don’t shield their car from the intense damage heat pounding down on it can cause. I sometimes feel like a broken record, but I’m always telling customers, “heat can wreak havoc on your car.” They usually don’t pay much attention until their AC doesn’t work, their tires aren’t holding up, or the engine oil isn’t up to snuff.   Along these lines, Lila, referred to me by my long-time customer, Cherry, stopped by the shop. That morning, before getting into her car, she noticed that her driver’s side tire looked odd; it was bulging. In her words, “it looked as if it were pregnant.”   “Ha ... read more

Over the years, I’ve learned that my customers with poor or no air conditioning in their cars are the most unhappy. This has been especially true if they had to drive their car into my shop on a hot day--by the time they get here, they are irritated. Take my customer, Velma. She’s been coming to my shop almost since I opened my doors in the late 1970s. Her car issues have been  minor (she’s been great at bringing it in for maintenance) until her car’s air conditioner stopped working. It was over 90 degrees F. that day. I had just walked out of my office, and I saw Thelma looking a bit harried. “Jack, my air conditioner isn’t working. It’s too hot to handle.” I couldn’t agree more. We depend so much on our car’s air conditioning systems during the hot weather, which seems to be year ... read more