Rocklin and Sacramento Auto Repair

The median age for cars in the Sacramento, California area was over nine years. And two-thirds had over 75,000 miles. At Made In America Made In Japan we hear reports that those numbers continue to rise. If you have a high-mileage vehicle in the Sacramento area, bring it into Made In America Made In Japan for high-mileage maintenance.1200 I StSacramento, California 95814916-442-3287 Many people in California are keeping their vehicles longer. The economy has influenced that, but the fact that modern vehicles are more durable and reliable means that owning a high mileage vehicle doesn't have to be a painful experience.Local car owners in Sacramento with over 100,000 miles on their vehicles often ask which service intervals they should follow. Let's start with the special needs of the older vehicle...The reality is that time and mileage will take its toll. The engine and transmission will have more sludge. The fuel, steering and brake systems will have g ... read more

It's important for Sacramento drivers to know battery basics. First, let's talk about which is harder on a battery – hot or cold California weather. Most Sacramento area drivers think it's cold weather because that's when we call on our batteries to have enough power to start a cold vehicle engine. However, heat does more damage to a battery than cold. Truth is, our batteries start to die a little from day one. Keeping a full charge slows the process, which is hard with short Sacramento trips because the alternator doesn't have time to fully recharge the battery from starting the engine. Sacramento drivers can top off the charge with a computer controlled battery charger – say, once a month in the summer and every three months during the winter.As far as how long a battery will last, statistics show that 70% have given up the ghost within four years. By that time, they aren't capable of taking a full charge like th ... read more

All those automotive fluids can be confusing for Sacramento drivers. Recent years have brought new grades of engine oil, types of transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid. The right fluid protects your vehicle and helps it perform at its best. The wrong fluid won't work as well and could even cause damage.In addition to new grades of engine oil, many vehicles now leave the factory with synthetic oil. People in Sacramento should always use the grade recommended by their manufacturer. All coolant, also called antifreeze, used to be green. Now there are several other colors of coolant sold at Made In America Made In Japan in Sacramento. Each type is designed to protect the cooling system components that are particular to your vehicle. The wrong stuff can void your vehicle cooling system warranty and could even cause engine damage.Most passenger vehicles on Sacramento roads today use either DOT 3, DOT 4 or DOT ... read more

A lot of people get custom wheels in Sacramento. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you're not careful. Sometimes, once they're mounted, they just don't fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don't want that. Consulting your Made In America Made In Japan tire professional can ensure you get the right fit. First he'll ask you a series of questions about your Sacramento driving needs and what you want in your new wheels. Now, not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub.If you don't want to make any modifications to your vehicle, you would need to focus on the wheels that would fit. With trucks, some people in Sacramento like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.Also, most Sacramento drivers don't realize that you need to keep the roll ... read more

Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at Sacramento car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of Sacramento, California, folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacturing, there's no reason a modern vehicle can't be made to last for a 150,000 miles (250,000 kilometers) or more for smart Sacramento drivers.The old adage: 'a stitch in time saves nine' is really true for Sacramento residents when it comes to car maintenance. A great example is coolant service.Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. Smart Sacramento drivers have their cooling system service taken care of right on schedule at Made In America Made In Japan.Ditto for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. Of course, oil changes should be done right on sched ... read more

Working up a sweat is a great thing to do in a gym around Sacramento, but not in your vehicle. When Sacramento residents' vehicle AC Systems have a problem, they'll often feel it right away. The question is, how long do you put up with it? You know, the old comfort versus cost dilemma. But a more comfortable drive around California has a lot of benefits, and keeping the AC System well maintained can help prevent repairs.A common cause of AC failure is water and air in the system. The system does not work as well with air in it. And water can cause rust that leads to damage of the A/C components. Also refrigerant, the stuff that makes the air cold, can leak out, reducing the efficiency of the system and making it work harder to try to cool the air. That is why periodically evacuating the air conditioning system and recharging it keeps the proper amount of clean refrigerant in the system for Sacramento residents, so it cools better and lasts longer.Sacramento drivers ... read more

Don't you hate it when you hear that squeal from under the hood when you're zipping down a busy Sacramento road? It usually means there is a problem with the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt powers a lot of engine accessories. It runs the alternator - which charges the battery; the water pump - which cools the engine; the air conditioning and the power steering pump. All are pretty important parts. It is called a serpentine belt because it snakes around a bunch of engine components. Serpentine belts are amazingly tough. They can last for years and go long distances. Like all moving parts, however, they eventually wear out. If your belt breaks while you are driving around Sacramento, everything will come to a halt within minutes. You need to stop the vehicle immediately or it will overheat, potentially causing engine damage. You can be sure that it won't happen at a convenient time or place. (As if there was a convenient time or place!) You might even need to get yo ... read more

Here's an interesting statistic for our in Sacramento, California, drivers: Only 30 percent of car batteries make it to 48 months. And the life expectancy varies by where you live. It ranges from 51 months in extremely cold areas to just 30 months in extremely hot climates.Why is that? It turns out that it's our modern cars with all their electric accessories that are to blame. Things like, GPS, DVDs and entertainment computers are keeping vehicle batteries from maintaining a full charge. The longer a battery goes with a low charge, the sooner it'll die.It's clear that you Sacramento drivers need to recharge your batteries. This is the job of the alternator. The problem comes when the car's demand for electricity is high and we are driving in stop and go conditions or short trips around Sacramento. The alternator just can't keep up.The result is shortened battery life. So what can we do to improve our battery's health?We need to keep the battery as close to a full ... read more

Today's Made In America Made In Japan post focuses on using coolant. If you pour in the wrong kind, it won't protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Check your vehicle owner's manual. Of course, your Made In America Made In Japan service advisor will know the proper coolant for your vehicle.Brake fluid is confusing for some Sacramento drivers. Back when we opened Made In America Made In Japan, most vehicles used Dot 3 brake fluid. Now we have Dot 4 and Dot 5. Some Sacramento residents mistakenly think the higher numbers are an upgrade. You know, if 3 is good then 4 must be better. That's not how it works. They are different formulations to meet the demands of differences in brake systems. Only one of them is designed for your vehicle.Ditto for transmission fluid. For decades there were two basic types of tranny fluid used at Made In America Made In Japan: friction modified or not. With the tremendous engineering advances in vehicle automatic transmissions, the ... read more

Brakes really aren't optional equipment for Sacramento drivers' vehicles. And taking care of them isn't optional either.A regular brake inspection is on every California driver's vehicle maintenance schedule. At Made In America Made In Japan, our team will check your brake system and let you know if there are any problems. Of course, if you're having trouble with your brakes, get your car into your Sacramento service center right away. And watch out for these problems: Low or spongy brake pedal Hard brake pedal A brake warning light that stays on Constantly squealing or grinding brakes Vibrations or clunking sounds when you apply your brakes There are two types of brakes: disc and drum. Disc brakes have a rotor that's attached to the axle. Calipers straddle the rotor, kind of like the brakes on a bicycle. Drum brakes are more common on back wheels. Pads, called shoes, push against the inside of the drum to slow the vehicle.There are several things that need ... read more