Albany Auto Repair

Coolant, also known as antifreeze, is a mixture of water and various chemicals to keep your engine running at the proper temperature. What is a coolant flush service? The chemicals in the coolant serve different purposes depending on the type of coolant. It can be a basic antifreeze additive all the way up to advanced European, or diesel coolant with additives. This helps with corrosion, extended service intervals, or heavy-duty use.   Just like the rest of the fluids your vehicle uses, coolant has a lifespan and needs to be changed at the recommended age.   When coolant breaks down, those additives become less and less effective. Another issue that you can have with coolant is contamination or debris in the cooling system. There are several components in the cooling system, often made of different materials. This can cause corrosion to form between dissimilar metals.     When we service your automobile, we will inspect your coolant for breakdown and cont ... read more

Cars aren’t affected by cold like people or animals, but the cold can cause some issues. It’s that time of the year when temperatures start to drop, the rain or snow sets in, and things slow down outside.  Your automobile is built to withstand a lot! Including pretty extreme weather conditions. It actually has to pass a long list of tests before it can be sold to the public. So you don’t have to worry about too much unless you live in one of those areas with extreme temperatures, like Alaska, for example.   But those tests are done on brand-new vehicles. What happens after a few years and thousands of miles? We are lucky here in Albany, Oregon,  and we don't get super cold here, so for us there are really only a few things to consider for your automobile when the temperatures drop.    Batteries,  as the temperatures decrease, so does the efficiency of batteries. That's why batteries have several ratings on their label. C.A. (C ... read more

Have you seen gas prices lately? Every last drop counts! Keeping your vehicle in tip-top shape is important not only for the longevity of your vehicle, but also making sure you aren’t spending more on gas than you should be.   Here in the United States, we spend so much time in our car or truck that we get to know its quirks and how it operates pretty well.  So when the fuel in the tank doesn’t seem to take you as far as it used to, you notice pretty quickly. There are a lot of things that could be causing this, we will go over some of the big ones.   It could be time for a tune-up. Spark plugs, wires, and ignition coils are all regular maintenance items and will degrade over time. This will cause a loss in power and performance, which could lead to your vehicle using more gas than normal. Typically, if these fail you will also notice your engine running rough as well.   Clogged filters, air filters especially, can cause a major loss of power. The ... read more

Rainy days have their own beauty, just like sunny summer days, but rain can make driving a bit more dangerous! After talking about how tires wear and how traction decreases in the rain, visibility also typically decreases.   What does “visibility” mean anyway?  Rain makes it harder for you to see out of your car and for others to see you. Snow and fog also have the same effect.    That's why keeping good windshield wipers on your vehicle is important. Streaking on the windshield doesn't help visibility at all. Fresh wipers will keep the rain off without leaving a mess, chattering, or skipping across the window.   Taking things a step further, Aquapel,  a glass treatment that is applied to the windshield. It’s like putting your wiper blades on steroids! It allows the water to bead up and blow right off the window all by itself. This means your wipers don’t have to work nearly as much to keep your vision clear.   ... read more

We have talked about how important tires are and about the difference between normal tires and snow tires. What about WHEN to replace your tires?   Tires are a normal wear item and are only designed to last a certain amount of time and miles. Because no road is perfectly smooth and we have to make turns, stop, and go, tires wear out.    When is it time for new tires? There are several reasons for needing new tires: age, wear, and damage.  Age can cause issues for tires, especially if they have spent their whole life outside in the sun. When tires age, they dry out, become less soft, and develop cracks in the rubber around the wheel or tread. While this may not immediately cause issues, a car or truck that doesn't get driven often can be extremely dangerous. It could separate or rupture without warning just sitting there or worse while driving down the road. Tires have date codes on them they will tell you when a tire was made. If your tire shows no signs of ... read more

It’s a fair question, even if we are an independent automotive facility. Let's dive in!   Typically, an independent facility is going to be comparable in price. While there are things like warranty repairs and recalls that have to go to the dealership. An independent shop, especially one like Crabtree Automotive, can and will give you better service. They also offer parts and repairs that exceed the factory's specifications. For example, some manufacturers may suggest 10,000 miles or more between an oil change and may use factory oil and filters. They have large change intervals to help reduce maintenance costs, But we always recommend changing your oil at most every 5,000 miles because even the highest quality oil breaks down. We want to change your oil before it has a chance to degrade and cause any issues.  We will also use an oil and filter that meets or exceeds the factory requirement.    Speaking of oil changes, when you finally buy that bran ... read more

Have you ever been driving, hit the brakes, and heard just an awful sound?    It could be something simple like a small rock getting stuck between the brake parts, or it could be time for a brake service. Brakes work off friction; a brake pad or shoe is made of very rough material and is pressed against the brake rotor or drum, and that is what stops your vehicle.    Under normal conditions, brakes aren't going to make noise, but sometimes, small rocks or other road debris can get in there and make noise. Or when a brake pad wears down on some models, they have a part designed to squeal on purpose to alert you that the pads have reached the end of their lifetime and need to be replaced. Most European cars have sensors in the pad or caliper that will warn you on the dash that the pads need to be replaced instead of making a noise.    If you ignore these warnings or if your automobile doesn't have either of these features and you wear completel ... read more

Why Is My Car Leaking Oil   Your car leaking stuff on the ground is annoying and can be embarrassing. It can also be a big problem.    Obviously, a vehicle shouldn't leak anything, but with age, these things can develop. There are several fluids and oils in your car, like motor oil, transmission fluid, coolant, gear oil, and fuel. Even EV’s use coolant and gear oil.  Sometimes, when a leak develops, it can be hard to figure out where it is coming from. The wind from driving can blow the fluid everywhere and really make a mess. Small leaks can build up gunk over long periods of time because they may not leak enough to leave a spot on the ground alerting you to an issue.    Other times, a major seal or hose can fail and cause a massive leak right away. It's always a good idea to check your fluid levels often. Some modern automobiles don’t have dipsticks anymore to allow you to check fluid physically, but some do have sensors to chec ... read more

Why Is My Car Cranking But Not Starting?   Your car not starting is a huge inconvenience, and no one has time for that. We’ve talked about batteries and starting issues before. When a car will turn over or crank but not start, that’s not typically a battery issue.  The engine in your automobile requires all the systems to work in order for it to start and run. While these systems can be complex, they can be categorized into four simple functions.   Fuel, air, spark, and compression. If your fuel injectors aren’t supplying fuel to the engine, then there is nothing for the engine to ignite. There is a pump and filter that supplies the fuel to those injectors, and the computer controls all of it. If anything fails, then fuel won't be sent to the injectors.   If your air filter is plugged, then the engine can’t breathe properly and won’t be able to burn the fuel. Also, a sensor that monitors the air intake could fail, making the e ... read more