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

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, AutoAid When people think of getting their car fixed, they focus on the mechanic, and true enough that person is responsible for repairing their car. What they don’t factor in is their own experience with the car: the noises it makes, odd smells, weird sounds or the feel of the ride, and a technician who listens to their concerns. We approach your vehicle much like a doctor does an ill patient. When was the last time you went to a car mechanic who heard a word you said? Months? Years? EVER? We understand the importance of listening to our customers and of our customers being heard. We’ve been your neighborhood repair shop since 1979. We Save You Time, Money & Aggravation We begin by asking questions, running tests and making observations, and only then do we prescribe solutions. By asking, testing and listening to your answers, we get the best possible understanding of the mechanical failure. To make sure there is no miscommuni ... read more

By Jack Bulko, AutoAid One of the most common situations clients call me about is not knowing what to do when their college-age son or daughter has car problems at their out-of-state school. Why do my clients call me with these issues? Because I’m willing to get on the phone with a mechanic or car dealer and ask them the questions that your son or daughter may not know to ask. I can make the entire experience much more pleasant. That’s why so many of my clients tell their kids, “no matter what, if you’re having car problems at college, call the Mensch with the Wrench.” Take Alice, for example. I’ve been working on her family’s cars since she and her husband were married 30 years ago. Before her son, Keith, went to college in Arizona, she came to me and asked, “Jack, what is he going to do without you? Since he started driving two years ago, you and ... read more

By Jack Bulko, AutoAid If you’re like most of us, every few months you receive a report from your healthcare provider giving you an update on your test results, or suggestions on how to improve your overall health. AutoAid prepares a similar report that we text or email following our Car & Truck Courtesy Check, which looks at 38 vehicle points including the wipers and washer system, exterior lights, air conditioning, and battery, filters, oils and fluids, belts, hoses, tires, brakes, steering, and suspension. Our dedicated team of technicians then prioritize the maintenance or replacement of parts based on their diagnoses of your vehicle. Your car’s health report is one of the many value-added perks that we give our customers throughout the greater San Fernando Valley area. How We Evaluate Your Car’s Health We’re not th ... read more

By Jack Bulko “My husband always took care of this and now he’s just dropped it into my lap! And if you think you’re going to take advantage of me because I’m a woman, you have another thing coming. I have been burnt more than once and it is not going to happen again!” All I had said to her up to that point was “How can I help you?” I could have raised my voice too, but I sensed the frustration in her voice and knew that her anger wasn’t directed toward me, at least, not exactly. I knew that she just wanted someone to listen to her and to help her solve her car issues in a fair way. So, I listened. I wanted to make her experience at AutoAid as pleasant as possible. After bringing her to our customer service waiting area for some coffee, we talked about the knocking noise she heard in her engine and what it might be. I explained that we perform a free ... 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

With all the festivities that include drinking, eating and cheering for your favorite Super Bowl team, be it the Patriots or Falcons, driving your own car to or from the party may be hazardous to your joy factor and not to mention Health. AutoAid will pay for your UBER ride up to the first 5 miles anywhere in the San Fernando Valley between the hours of 3 Pm and 9 PM Sunday, February 5, 2017. Submit your receipt after you arrive safely to: [email protected]. Be Safe and have Fun