Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

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 A customer called our shop the other morning. “I can’t believe it! I just drove to the corner of my street, and I noticed smoke coming out from under the hood. What should I do now? It’s difficult to assess what is going on under the hood unless I can see, hear and smell it. I told him that if he hadn’t already pulled off the side of the road, to do so now. I wanted to make sure he was safe. I then asked him if any lights on the dashboard indicated a problem? For example, did the temperature light or gauge indicate the engine was hot? Or was the oil icon indicating a leak? I also wanted him to note what it smelled like—different smells are associated with various issues. In addition, I asked him to tell me how dense the smoke is, how far away he was from the car at the time, and if he had an auto club membership. It turned out that he did have a membership with a road service company that included ... 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 You’ve just had your car repaired. It had been a while since you took it in for maintenance. The brake pads needed changing, and so did a couple of belts. But it was the rotors that really cost you. You had a list of questions you wanted to ask the technician when you picked up your car, but quickly forgot after signing the paperwork. You realize you didn’t see the parts that had been replaced (and you had asked when you brought the car in) nor did anyone review the final bill and associated costs with you. What do you do? Call the automotive repair shop, and ask for the needed information. Both these items are required under California’s Automotive Repair Act of 1974. If for some reason you can’t do this, either because they are out of the area or you feel too embarrassed to go back, call AutoAid. Our family-owned and operated business believes that educating customers helps them beco ... 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

You’re busy flying here and there for work or leisure and trying to fit a multitude of other tasks, including your car maintenance, into a very tight schedule. If you can get your dry cleaning picked up from your home or office and delivered back to you, your groceries ordered online and brought to your home, and can hire someone to stop by your house to walk and feed your pets while you are away--why can’t you find someone to service your car, van or truck while you are traveling? AutoAid Concierge Service You can! As part of AutoAid’s Concierge Service, your vehicle can be retrieved from Burbank Airport or the LAX Flyaway in Van Nuys and brought back to our shop in Van Nuys to have any maintenance or repair performed on it while you are gone. Upon your return, your car will have been serviced and will be back in a parking space at either of those two destinations. Not taking your car to the airport? We can pick it up directly from your home or office and service ... 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