Downey Auto Repair

Can you believe it’s already summer again? Hopefully your summer is off to a great start. If you’re like a lot of people, then you probably have some road trips planned in the near future. Road trips can be a lot of fun, but only if you have a comfortable vehicle to travel in.   Of course, summer is a great time of year whether you travel or not. But either way, you probably depend on your vehicle a lot. So be sure to give it the proper attention in between all the fun. The hot months of summer can take their toll on your car. If you’re not careful, it won’t be able to get you where you want to go. In other words, just because you get vacation time this summer, your car doesn’t.   Easy Summer Maintenance and Service The good news is getting your vehicle ready for summer isn’t that hard. Just dedicate a little time to take care of it. Engine Belts – when was the last time you checked the serpenti ... read more

Are you in the market for new tires? If so, then you already know your choices are endless. But it’s important to select the right tires for your particular vehicle. After all, your tires keep your vehicle glued to the road, right where it should be. Obviously, your tires play a huge role in your overall safety, so you need the right kind. In other words, choose your tires wisely. With so many choices, how do you know which ones are right for you? When to Replace Your Tires Before we get to that, lets first discuss the timing of tire replacement. Most tires come with an expected tread life. For example, a tire with 50,000-mile tread life should last for 50,000 miles. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way, but it’s a good baseline for the life expectancy of your tires. Some tires do wear out before they reach their expected tread life. Your driving conditions can determine how long your tires last, and so can tire rotations. If you neglect ... read more

When Is a Good Time to Change My Transmission Fluid? It takes a lot of fluids for your vehicle to operate correctly. The first two that come to mind are probably gas and oil. But there are several other auto fluids that are just as important for your car, including brake fluid, radiator fluid (antifreeze/coolant), and power steering fluid. One of the most important fluids is your transmission fluid. Just like every other fluid in your vehicle, transmission fluid needs to be changed in a timely manner. How often you should change it varies on several factors. Most automakers recommend getting a transmission fluid flush at 100,000 miles. However, other automakers, including Ford, recommend getting a flush at 150,000. On the other hand, there are mechanics that recommend flushing your transmission at 50,000-mile intervals. Furthermore, vehicles with manual transmissions usually stick to a different ma ... read more

One of the questions we get the most at Glenn’s Auto Service is, “how can I get better gas mileage?” or “Why has my car’s gas mileage gone down?” And with gas prices so high, it’s no surprise most drivers care so much about their fuel economy. When your car gets older, it’s not unusual for your gas mileage to suffer. However, when you take good care of your vehicle, including getting regular preventative maintenance, your fuel economy should stay consistent. Top Causes of Bad Fuel Economy Of course, many car owners do see decreased fuel economy. But why? Why does your car start to get bad gas mileage? Here are some of the most common causes and what you can do about them. Tire Pressure Is Off – it might not be the first place you check, but low tire pressure can affect your fuel economy. Thankfully, this is an easy fix. Just properly inflate your tires, based on the correct amount of pressure lis ... read more

Remember what headlights used to be like? They were pretty basic, and they almost never drew anyone’s attention. They sat in the front grill, and they didn’t look fancy, or do anything special. You could say the same thing for taillights, brake lights, and blinkers. Their job was to make it possible for you to see and for others to see you. New Wave of Lights Well, that was then, and this is now. And times have definitely changed when it comes to the lights on your vehicle. Now they light up in several different ways, and lights have become a huge part of the overall car design. They come in dozens of shapes and sizes and manufacturers use them to make cars look more sophisticated. Lighting on this current generation of vehicles has way more to offer compared to lights in the past. But with all the fancy bells and whistles, they’re also a lot more complicated to replace or fix. Don’t Wait to Fix it However, if a light quits ... read more