Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

I came into the shop last week and saw my long-time client Sheila waiting for her car in our customer service area. It looked like they were changing one of the tires. I wished her good morning and then she went to town. “Have you  seen how much gas is now, Jack. I went to the pump a week ago it was $5.00/gallon. While I slept it jumped another 50 cents. And I passed a gas station today and I lost my breath, $6.15 a gallon. I’m telling you Jack it’s crazy. I was speaking to my sister in Georgia, and you know things are always cheaper down there anyway, but when I told her the price I had just paid for gas, she asked, ‘gas is how much?!’ Our most expensive gas prices are about $3.75 and I thought that was expensive. What’s going on in California? I told her that’s exactly what I’d like to know.” Not only was she frustrated about the tire because she had to get to work, but s ... read more

Image Credit: Mr. Music - stock.adobe.com “Why do many auto repair shops treat women so poorly?” This was the question Julie, a newer customer, asked me during our first phone call. She found out about my shop from her colleague Suzzie, a long-time customer, after going through some fairly rough experiences with other automobile repair garages.   Suzzie also mentioned to her that we were a woman- and LBGT-friendly shop. What this boils down to is that EVERYONE is treated respectfully and equally at AutoAid.   I invited Julie to visit the shop and see for herself what we offer. I told her she would never see a repair place cleaner than ours, or one with better trained techs.   A few days later, she arrived at our doorstep. The first thing Julie said when she came into my shop was, "It's so clean." But what she was most impressed with is that we LISTEN to our customers. AutoAid is a one-stop sho ... read more

By Jack Bulko, AutoAid It’s spring, and as the Willie Nelson song goes, “it’s time to get on the road again.” That’s what many of AutoAid’s customers are hoping to do after a year of stay-at-home orders. Before you rev your engine and drive off to “places you’ve never seen before,” you may want to check beneath the hood, under the car and in the trunk for any unexpected creatures. Cats, rats and other small animals look for warm places to rest and nest in the colder weather. And if you left food in the car, well, they get hungry too. Rats, in particular, can cause havoc to your vehicle’s wiring, hoses, fuses, upholstery, and more. That’s what happened to Ted, a longtime customer, who for most of last year didn’t move or start his car. It just stood idle in his driveway for months. He was terrifi ... read more

By Jack Bulko If you own a vehicle, no matter the make or size, there will come a time when it must go into the shop for repairs. Sometimes the visits are for a routine check-up such as an oil and filter change or belt replacement, not anything that will put your car out of commission for more than a day. And other times your car requires far more work and parts may need to be ordered. You feel lucky because unlike your friend who goes to a local, family-owned repair shop and has to rent a vehicle when his car, truck or van needs repair, you get off cheaply. You have all your repairs done at the dealership. Not only do they offer a free courtesy car and shuttle service, you also get to wait in their luxurious customer service lounge replete wit ... read more

You bring your car or truck into a service station for maintenance or repair. Then what? Do you rely entirely on the mechanic to alert you to any problems and fix them? Most people realize that their car’s health depends on a discussion between themselves and the mechanic, similar to a conversation you might have with your physician about your physical health—what’s working, what isn’t and why. The questions posed during your doctor’s visit and the answers you give allow the physician to make a more accurate diagnosis of your health. Our auto service technicians are the doctors for your car. And as your automobile or truck’s health professionals, we need as much information as you can supply to determine what is going on under the hood or the chassis. What Our Technicians Need to Know When you bring your car or truck into AutoAid, whether it is for a routine checkup or a speci ... read more

It’s happened to everyone: you’re rolling down the highway, blasting the radio, when the low fuel warning light catches your eye. There are no gas stations or rest stops for miles, and you don’t have a can of extra gas in your car. You’re about to run your tank dry. When a conventional engine runs out of gas, it’s just an inconvenience. All you need to do is get some more as and you’re on your way. But when your hybrid runs out of gas, it can cause long-lasting engine problems. If you own a hybrid vehicle, you need to be aware of the risks. When A Hybrid Runs Out Of Gas If your hybrid runs out of gas, you might assume that giant battery will help you out. However, most hybrid engines simply weren’t designed to operate on electricity alone. They aren’t electric cars after all: the gas engine and propulsion battery are engineered to work in tandem, not on their own. Every hybrid engine runs a little differently, so every hybrid vehicle w ... read more

This October is Fall Car Care Month, and here at AutoAid, we want to remind you to take a little bit of time to be “Car Care Aware,” as the team at CarCare.org put it. Every year in April and October, CarCare.org celebrates a month of vehicle maintenance awareness, in the hopes of reminding drivers like you that taking a few simple steps now can save you the trouble of an emergency breakdown – not to mention more than a few bucks on the cost of repairs – down the road. Whether you handle some of these tasks yourself or prefer to trust Jack, David, and the expert team at AutoAid of Van Nuys, CA for your auto service & maintenance needs, we recommend these important steps to take this Fall Car Care Month to ensure your vehicle performs well all year long. Battery. Check your connections, and make sure they are tight, clean, and free from cor ... read more

It’s back to school time, and that means worries for parents. Even if you’re confident in your teen’s ability to drive, there are many things which can go wrong with a car including flat tires, dead batteries, and other maintenance issues. If your teen driver doesn’t know how to respond to these issues, it can lead to worry, stress, or increased damage to the vehicle. Here are AutoAid’s tips for back to school car care – and if you want to be certain your teen’s ride is school ready, come on in for a free courtesy check here at AutoAid. Please call ahead 818-305-6632 or make an appointment on-line. When All Else Fails, Read the Manual Step one for learning car care should be familiarizing yourself with the vehicle’s manual. Many maintenance tips will appear here, including the correct type of oil, tire pressure levels, and service inter ... read more

Welcome back to the AutoAid Blog as we continue our discussion of common (and commonly confusing) dashboard warning lights. Ever see a light you didn’t recognize on your dashboard? Is one lit now? Not sure if your vehicle is safe to drive? If your check engine light is illuminated and you’re not sure why, check out Part One of this article for the lowdown on the CEL, or just swing by AutoAid in Van Nuys and let us check it out. If you have some other dashboard warning light illuminated, read on and get illuminated yourself! Battery Warning Light The battery warning light usually appears when you start the car, and then vanishes. If it stays on, or appears while driving, it could be an issue with your battery or with your alternator, or with the drive belt that powers the alternator. In any case, a battery warning light shouldn’t be ignored, especially at night when headlights and other components cause a higher strain on the battery. If your battery is more than 2 y ... read more

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