Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

North Americans love their cars. And nothing goes with cars better than the road trip. Freedom from daily schedules, new sights and the open road – it’s great! But there’s nothing like car trouble to bring the fun to a grinding halt. Now you can’t always avoid problems, but you can take steps to reduce the probability of getting sidelined on your trip. The first step is to look at your trip plan from your vehicle’s perspective. What kind of roads will you be traveling – winding byways or super-highways? Mountains or plains? What weather conditions are you likely to encounter? How many miles will you travel? How much weight will you be hauling – passengers and luggage? Lugging a trailer or roof top carrier? Will it be dusty? Armed with the answers to these questions, you can start a trip inspection to help you prepare your Van Nuys vehicle for your big adventrue ... read more

Your car is important to you and keeping it running is vital to your lifestyle. That’s why you should have it serviced regularly. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right. It’s also very important to AutoAid & Rescue to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money service centers like AutoAid & Rescue spend every year to make sure their technicians are properly trained. AutoAid & Rescue offers a variety of car care services to many kinds of vehicles. We need to be up to date on the latest techniques and parts so that we can care for your car properly. AutoAid & Rescue subscribes to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended ... read more

Tires do a lot of work. They transfer engine power and braking forces to the road; they handle steering control; and they cushion all those bumps and jolts. They also support the entire weight of the vehicle, including you and your passengers. With such critical work to do, you want your tires to do their job well. And since replacing tires is fairly expensive, you want them to last as long as possible. There are three keys to long, even tire wear: The front tires on a car take the brunt of the steering forces. As they push through turns, the shoulders of the front tires wear down more quickly than the rear tires. Rotating front and rear tires allows them to all wear at about the same rate. That’s especially true of front wheel drive vehicles whose front tires steer, and put the power to the road. SUVs and pick-ups, especially four wheel drives, also tend t ... read more

Getting enough fuel to your engine is very important for performance, fuel economy and safety. In order to accomplish this, your fuel system needs to be clean. Today’s production cars have fuel injectors, rather than a carburetor. The injectors need to be cleaned from time to time in order to deliver the fuel with the correct pressure, spray pattern and volume. You can buy fuel system cleaners that you just pour into your gas tank that can help maintain an already clean fuel system, but can’t do a major cleaning. For that, you need to see AutoAid & Rescue. They have the tools and chemicals to do the job right. AutoAid & Rescue can remove particles, gum and varnish from your fuel system and get those injectors running cleanly and efficiently. You’ll en ... read more

New cars cost so much these days. Add financing and insurance and, well a new vehicle may not seem so attractive. A lot of Van Nuys, CA people are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer. The good news is that with the current state of automotive engineering and manufactrue, there’s no reason a modern vehicle can’t be made to last for a 150,000 miles or more. There is an old saying that says, 'a stitch in time saves nine' and that is really true when it comes to taking care of your car. A great example is coolant service. Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. That’s why you need to have your cooling system serviced on a regular schedule. The same is true for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. And your oil changes should be ... read more

The hottest Van Nuys news story may be different everyday, but there’s one topic that seems to come up over and over again – the price of gas in Van Nuys. But we’ve found several basic things that any Van Nuys vehicle owner can do to greatly reduce their gas consumption, save money, and help the Los Angeles environment. You can really impact your fuel economy by how you drive – but first, here’s a review of things you can do for your car that’ll save gas no matter how you drive. The first one is keeping your tires properly inflated. That can save two miles per gallon. Driving on low tires is like driving through sand – your car just has to work harder. Most Van Nuys service centers will fill up your tires for free, so just ask your service advisor. Also, make a habit of checking your tire pressure whenever you get gas in your car. Many Van Nuys gas stations have ... read more

When you hear the word 'suspension', you may think back to those energetic days of grade school. Well, your car’s suspension is actually a good thing because it keeps your car up off the road and helps provide a comfy ride. It needs to keep your wheels firmly planted over bumps and through curves. Your suspension system has many parts. If you look under your car, it’s basically everything that connects your wheels to the car’s frame. These are heavy duty parts that do a lot of work. They need to be inspected for damage and excessive wear at least once a year. A good time for this is when you get your annual alignment service. Here are some warning signs that your suspension may have problems: . . . you get the pictrue. You just don’t feel in control when you’re driving. Some suspension parts just wear out with use. Shocks and ... read more

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars: emission devices and control computers; safety equipment like airbags; and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new car. Because new cars are more expensive, CA drivers are using their old cars longer. The average car is now over nine years old. 68% of vehicles on the road have more than 75,000 miles/120,000 kilometers. As cars age, their performance drops, they have difficulty idling for long periods and are more sensitive to weather extremes. Fortunately today's cars are up to the challenge - but they need a little help to keep on going. Some owner's manuals don't specify service requirements at higher mileage. That doesn't mean it doesn't have to be done. In fact, it's more important than ever to stay on top of routine maintenance for cars with more than 120,000 miles/190,000 kilometers. Just extend regula ... read more

Some of us just love tires. All those little rubber hairs on new tires and the smell is wonderful. We live in a great time for tires. No matter how you drive, where you want to go or the look you're after; there is a tire for you. The same is true about wheels. The hardest part is choosing from the thousands of wheels available. We may not be able to help with that, but we can help you get some things in mind before you consult with your Van Nuys tire professional. Let's start with function and think about how you drive. For example, maybe you have a large SUV but you don't drive off-road, so an off-road tread isn't important. Also, because you are not out bouncing over rocks in the CA backcountry, you don't need a high profile tire to protect your rims. So that means you can probably go with the low-wide look. If you have a winter season with rain and snow or if you find you need better ice and snow performance, they make great, high-performan ... read more

The coolant system is a vital part of your vehicle. It is also the second most common cause for vehicle failures. Even though coolant system failure is fairly common, it is easy to prevent. The most recognizable part of the coolant system is the radiator. It is connected to the engine with hoses and is filled with coolant. The coolant draws heat off the engine and then goes into the radiator. Air passes through cooling fins to reduce the temperatrue of the coolant and then it's back to the engine again. There are several ways for the cooling system to fail. Most common is with the coolant itself. Coolant is a mixtrue of water and antifreeze. The proper mixtrue keeps the coolant from either boiling away or freezing. Both of which can result in massive engine damage. Another very important coolant issue that is often overlooked is the age of the coolant itself. antifreeze has ad ... read more