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 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

YES, your car is on, and NO, you aren’t the first person to ask us this question. Unlike the loud gas-powered engines that can be heard from blocks away, hybrid and electric cars have a much more stealth-like approach. AutoAid customers tell us their cars are so quiet they forget to turn them off! They only realize it when trying to lock the doors. Luckily, car manufacturers have figured this out and installed a safety device that won’t allow you to lock your vehicle if the engine is running. Extremely quiet car engines have also become a concern for pedestrians, especially those who have sight issues or are blind. If they can’t hear your car, then they don’t know your car is coming their way. What to Do About the Quiet If you already own an electric/hybrid car with no alert system, don’t be too concerned. But be aware of your surroundi ... read more

So you just got in a wreck and your engine is beat up. You love your car with all the nostalgia and memories that come with it and you don’t want to give it up. However, your car insurance provider has deemed your car totaled and won’t let you get back on the road until you get a salvaged or rebuilt title. If you wish to keep your car, you will first need a professional like AutoAid to get the job done correctly to make sure your insurance company will accept the salvaged or rebuilt title. It’s important to know what these titles mean to you in order to make the best decisions moving forward. There’s a clear difference between a salvage and rebuilt title. A salvage title means the vehicle was totaled. A rebuilt title means that the car has been rebuilt from a totaled state. If a car is damaged to the point ... 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

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If you drive a car, you know about dashboard warning lights. Of these, the Check Engine light is one of the most infamous, and here at AutoAid we get daily calls from perplexed drivers with this mysterious light. “Check engine light” is also ranked among the most popular internet search terms for anything car care related. Modern cars, however, have a variety of warning lights you may catch a glimpse of when you start your car. These are lights for tire pressure, cooling system warnings, engine oil warnings, and more. So, if one of these lights illuminates, what should you do? Keep driving? Panic? Call a tow truck? Should you stop driving where you are, or is it okay to to “limp home?” Could you keep driving for a few more days, or weeks? Let’s tackle some of the most common warning lights below. Check Engine – Flashing vs. Solid We have all seen the dreaded Check Engine Light. This warning light can be an indicator of many different problems, whic ... read more