Rocklin and Sacramento Auto Repair

With front-wheel drive being so common these days in Sacramento, California, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Sacramento drivers 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 Sacramento customers' minds. It's not uncommon for drivers to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service. Call Made In America Made In Japan in Sacramento at 916-442-3287 for information about differential service, or stop by our Sacramento, California, auto center at 1200 I St, 95814. To better understand what a differential does, think about our local Sacramento high school track. 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 in ... read more

A recent report stated that over 80 percent of the vehicles on our Sacramento, California, roads have one or more service or repair that's needed but hasn't been taken care of. Now that's a lot of undone service. That translates into something over 160 million vehicles in North America alone. Some of the neglected items are minor. Others are serious safety concerns.There are several reasons we hesitate to take care of recommended services, especially services that our Sacramento automotive advisor recommends when we're in for something else, like an oil change.The first issue boils down to comfort with car care. We don't always feel we know enough to make good decisions. Some of that can be attributed to the fact that vehicles are so reliable these days. They almost become an appliance. Of course you love your vehicle, but if you don't have to worry about it breaking down all the time, you're not forced to think as much about preventive ma ... read more

Do you ever shop for shoes in one of our Sacramento area shoe stores?When buying a running shoe, is quality important?Does durability matter as long as the shoes look fabulous?Would you rather have one pair of long lasting shoes or two pair of lower quality shoes at the same price?Is the warranty important when buying tires?When you choose new tires in Sacramento, what's the most important factor for you? Give us a call at Made In America Made In Japan at 916-442-3287 for tire recommendations. You know, buying tires in Sacramento is a big deal. It's a big ticket item so you know you'll be spending a lot. You're not only concerned about the price, but you want to know that it'll be a long time before you need to buy new tires again.And of course there's the safety aspect as well. The tires do a lot of work – they carry the weight of the vehicle and you and your passengers. They need to be up to the task ... read more

  Hey Sacramento area drivers, are your tires worn out? What is the standard for our California streets? How can you tell on your vehicle?While there may be legal requirements for the Sacramento area, there are safety concerns that go beyond meeting minimum replacement mandates.Two-thirty-seconds of an inch is the depth of the tire tread wear indicator bars that US law has required to be molded across all tires since August 1, 1968. When tires are worn so that this bar is visible, there's just 2/32 of an inch – 1.6 millimeters – of tread left. It's that level of wear that's been called into question recently.We're referring to the tread depth on a tire, it can't move surface water out of the way and you start to hydroplane.In a safety study, a section of a test track was flooded with a thin layer of water. If you laid a dime on the track, the water would be deep enough to surround the coin, but not enough to cover it.A car and a full-sized pick-up accelerated ... read more

Pop quiz: What is a cabin air filter? A. A filter for your Sacramento house?B. A fresh, piney scent?C. A filter for the passenger compartment of your car? Clever you, it's C.A cabin air filter cleans the outside air before it comes into the passenger compartment of your vehicle. It filters out common California air particles like dust, pollen, spores, bacteria, pollutants, exhaust gas, odors and even sparrows.These high tech filters can block particles larger than 3 microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns.Not all Sacramento vehicles have cabin air filters. They are fairly new on the scene in California. Last check, about 40 percent of new vehicles sold in Sacramento come with cabin air filters, but the number is growing every year. Cabin air filters make driving a lot more pleasant for people in Sacramento. Your vehicle can be a haven during our California allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. Of course, like all filters ... read more