The summer months are the perfect time to travel and see our wonderful country. National parks, state parks and theme parks are great family vacation destinations that don’t have to involve the hassle of airports, airport security and cramped airplane seating. Some sites are reachable in a drive of just a day or two drive. In this peak summer travel season, keep a few things in mind before traveling long distances. An unplanned breakdown can halt your travel, disrupt your vacation and cause a great deal of stress.  Being at home and getting your vehicle ready for a trip during hot weather is so much easier than waiting in a motel somewhere on the road while repairs are made. The first stop should be your favorite repair shop for a pre-trip check.  This is most important for vehicles with more than over 80,000 miles or those who have not had good, consistent preventive maintenance. The most important focus should be your vehicle’s cooling system, because 85% of ... read more

Diagnosing car problems can be complicated Your automobile is likely the most complex piece of machinery that you own. Having been an automotive technician for over 45 years now, I feel as if I know less than ever about cars, but I am much wiser. I used to think I knew it all but now, not so much; I guess that’s called maturity. Cars are more complex than ever, what with high-end vehicles operating with more computer code then the Boing 787 Dreamliner. The most difficult concept for customers to understand is that it’s very difficult for auto technicians to diagnose and repair today’s vehicles. I had a chat with an employee of the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) about On Board Diagnostics 2 (OBD2) about reading the code. It’s a common misconception that this code reader diagnoses what’s wrong with a car.  Not True. Most times the given code is just a starting point for diagnosis. We spend more time learning about codes than any other su ... read more