Rocklin and Sacramento Auto Repair

Fuel filters clean the dirt, dust and debris out of your fuel. Both gasoline and diesel-powered engines have them. The fuel filter is located in the fuel line between the fuel tank and the vehicle engine.Sacramento auto owners don't need to filter their fuel because it has lots of grit in it; they need to filter it because it has some grit it in. Any dirt is bad for your engine. The cleaner the fuel, the better your vehicle engine will run.Over time, the small amounts of rust, dirt and contaminants in your fuel settle out inside the fuel tank. After about five years, this can amount to a quite a bit of sediment. This means that as your vehicle ages, your fuel filter has to work harder to screen your fuel: more sediment in your tank means more potential for grit in your fuel.The harder your fuel filter works, the more often it needs to be replaced. Check with your owner's manual to find out how often it should be serviced and how long you can expect it to last. Sa ... read more

There's a reason we use the word “diagnose” when we talk about fixing cars in Sacramento. Figuring out what's wrong with your vehicle has a lot of similarities to figuring out what's wrong with someone who is ill. Vehicles are a mass of complex systems that can produce a variety of symptoms when something goes wrong. As with human diagnoses, a specific symptom may be indicative of a number of problems, and figuring out the specific cause takes training and experience.Sometimes the diagnosis of your vehicle's trouble comes down to a matter of trial-and-error. This can be frustrating for Sacramento drivers because time and money are on the line. You may feel you should only be paying for repair work. Of course, you only want to pay for the right repair – and a proper diagnosis is part of getting it right. Like at the doctor's office — some of what you pay for is the doctor's time and effort to figu ... read more

The hottest California news story may be different every day, but there's one topic that seems to come up over and over again – the price of gas in Sacramento. If you feel like most of your paycheck goes into your gas tank, this post is for you. Here are several basic things people in Sacramento can do to greatly reduce their gas consumption, save money, and help the environment. You can really improve your fuel economy by how you drive – but first, here's a review of things you can do for your vehicle that'll save gas no matter how you drive.The first one for Sacramento drivers is keeping tires properly inflated. That can save 2 miles per gallon/.85 km per liter. Driving on low tires is like driving through sand – your car just has to work harder. Most Sacramento service centers will fill up your tires for free, so just ask Made In America Made In Japan. Also, make a habit of checking your tire pressure whenever you fill up. Many Sacramento gas s ... read more

There are a lot of drivers in Sacramento who are due for a differential service, but had never heard of a differential before.With front-wheel drive being so common in California these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Sacramento folks don't even have to think about it. And rear-wheel drive differentials don't need to be serviced for years, so it's understandable that it's not something on the top of your mind. It's not uncommon for people in Sacramento to not know they have a differential, let alone know that it needs service.To better understand what a differential does, think about a track at any California high school. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That's to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means ... read more

California service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Sacramento drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.Made In America Made In Japan fuel system cleaning: Over time, the vehicle fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.Made In America Made In Japan headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It's usually good to change them every year or so.Made In America Made In Japan inspections: Sacramento drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they're going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle's ready for a California summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used vehicle and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal ... read more