Windsor Auto Repair

Why Won't My Car Start? As the seasons change and temperature drops, we get calls about vehicle not starting. There are lots of different reasons why your car may not start. The first thing to check is the car battery. Batteries work on electrical reactions. Those reactions send power to the terminal ends on a battery. When its cold outside those reactions slow and become weak. This can result in your vehicle to not start. Some of things you can do to winterize your battery. Best plan, is to keep a full charge and store your vehicle in a garage or carport. This is not always possible, so a battery blanket or a trickle charger also helps. Being in California we don't have to worry about his too many months out of the year. If you go out to start your car in early December, when the temperatures dip, and your car won't start. We are more than happy to test your battery and replace if necessary.  

Why Is My Car Vibrating When I Brake?   There are many different reasons why your car may vibrate or shake.  One of the more common reasons, especially if you feel the vibration while braking, is a warped brake rotor.  When applying the brake pedal, the brake pad pushes against the brake rotor.  The friction is what causes the vehicle to stop.  The rotor and pad must make even contact.  Even the slightest abnormality can cause a serious reduction in how long it takes to come to a full stop.    Uneven wear patterns or a warp of the rotor can cause a vibration or shaking when stopping.  Often you'll feel the vibration in the steering wheel or at the brake pedal.    You may ask, how does a rotor warp?  There is so much heat and friction in the braking system.  Overtime with constant heat and pressure as the rotor thins it can lose shape.      If new brake pads seat against a worn rotor the sur ... read more

Why Do I Smell Burning Oil? What’s that smell?  Do you smell burning oil coming from your engine? There are many reasons why your car might smell like burning oil.  Usually it’s due to engine oil landing on something hot and burning off.  This could be from a sloppy oil change or a variety of engine oil leaks.  One of the more common reasons is a leaking valve cover gasket.  The valve cover gasket loses its seal and engine oil leaks onto the exhaust manifold and burns.  Smoke can then waft into the cabin.     Is it safe to drive my vehicle with a leaking valve cover gasket? The short answer is No.  Your vehicle is losing engine oil.  If your car drives too long without engine oil it can do serious damage.  If the leak is small and your vehicle has the proper amount of engine oil you can drive until you have the means to fix, but should be high priority. What caused the valve cover gasket to break?  ... read more

    Why Does My Brake Pedal Go to the Floor? If your brake pedal is sinking to the floor most likely you have an issue with your brake fluid.  The braking system on most modern vehicles works by a hydraulic system.  A hydraulic brake system is filled with fluid.  When you apply the brake pedal the fluid travels through both the brake master cylinder and slave cylinder forcing pistons to apply the brakes. 3 Reasons Why Your Brake Pedal May Be Going To The Floor 1. YOU HAVE AIR IN THE BRAKE LINES Remember, our brake system works under pressure and air doesn’t provide any resistance.  So, if there are air pockets in the braking system it may cause your brake pedal to slowly sink to the floor.    2. YOU HAVE A BRAKE FLUID LEAK If the braking system works by compressing fluid and there isn’t enough fluid in the system, you will experience a spongy pedal or worst case a brake pedal that sinks to the floor.  ... read more

3 Signs You Vehicle Needs An Alignment!   Our tires and suspension absorb bumps in the road.  Hitting pot holes and other obstacles can cause our tires to be misaligned.  An alignment assures the wheels are pointing straight and the tire at the proper angle.  The measurements are very small and is not seen by the naked eye.  Even small misalignments can have very noticeable effects while driving.    1.  Steering wheel vibration.  Does your steering wheel vibrate when your driving down the freeway?  This is a common symptom of needing a wheel alignment.  If you're experiencing this problem,  slow down, and find a shop to fix sooner rather than later!   2.  Pulling.  Is your vehicle is pulling either right or left while driving?  If you are unsure if your vehicle is pulling find a flat open space and test.  If it is pulling left or right this is a sign you need a wheel alignment service.  ... read more