Ventura Muffler and Brake

What is the annual cost to maintain a car? Well, the average consumer spends $400 a year on diagnostics, scheduled maintenance, and tune-ups. That's a little more than a dollar a day.

Asafa Powell, a famous Jamaican sprinter, once said: I think about cars to try and distract myself. It's a good way to relax, take your mind off everything.

Transmission tip: Wait until your car has settled when reversing before you put the car in to drive. It isn't good for your transmission to change it while the car is even slightly in motion.

Did you know? Engaging your parking brake when your car is parked - whether on a hill or not - reduces stress on the transmission and may save money in costly repairs later on.

Vehicles today are very complex but, did you know that they're somewhat easier to fix? Thanks to onboard computers and specialized scanners, the car or truck can tell the mechanic exactly what's wrong so long, drawn out searches are effectively eliminated.

Do you own an electric car? The motor has special brushes to keep it running, and these eventually wear out. Have them checked for damage every 50,000 to 60,000 miles and replace them if needed.

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Backfires may have several causes including an air/fuel mixture that is too rich, a faulty oxygen sensor, or catalytic convertor, or there may be false reads being sent to the onboard computer about coolant temperature.

When cleaning different car surfaces, be sure to choose an appropriate cleaning product for the material.

With proper maintenance, it's reasonable to expect your vehicle to run for at least 200,000 miles. Regular oil changes, lube jobs, fluid changes, brake maintenance and timely repairs will keep your vehicle in top condition.

Over time, the rubber bushings holding your vehicle's suspension components in place will wear out and cause it to rattle. In this instance the only thing to do would be to have the undercarriage thoroughly inspected and have any failed or failing components replaced.

If you drive a car or truck with a diesel engine, if the idle stop solenoid is old, defective, loose, or worn out, it can cause problems when you try to shut it off. It needs to be addressed before it causes serious (aka expensive) damage.

Even if you love working on your car, we do not recommend working on struts yourself. Strut repair and replacement requires intricate work. Then, once the wheels are back on they need to be realigned. Let professionals handle that job.