Rocklin and Sacramento Auto Repair

Everyone in Sacramento, CA, knows we are advised to go to our Sacramento dentist twice a year.  Oral-conscious Sacramento residents have a teeth-cleaning and examination. Once a year, we get x-rays to look for problems that can't be seen with the naked eye. When our dentist is done, he/she tells us what was found – "Everything's fine, see you in six months." Or "You've got a small cavity starting, let's schedule an appointment to take care of it." By the time you leave, you have a plan for addressing any necessary issues.This system works so much better than waiting for a painful problem before going into the dentist. Small problems are fixed before they turn into big problems. And you avoid those huge bills.If Sacramento folks understand the wisdom of using this system for handling dental care, why do many resist when facing the same system for our vehicle maintenance? Following the vehicle manufacturer's recommended intervals can be confusing. Fi ... read more

Hey Sacramento - this is something really amazing: Your vehicle uses 12,000 times as much air as fuel when you drive it. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.That's like 100 gallons (380 liters) of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very important but inexpensive part that has to do a tremendous amount of work. And when it works, everything goes well. But, when it doesn't, well, it can lead to problems. Of course, your vehicle manufacturer recommends how often to change your air filter. But like most service intervals, where and how you drive your vehicle in CA affects when your filter needs to be changed.Dusty conditions around Sacramento or polluted city driving means you'll need to change your filter more often. Our trained professionals at Jack Dane Auto Service can check your filter for you. In fact, it's often a routine part of an oil change.When you think about it, a clogged air f ... read more

People in Sacramento have been hearing a lot about higher oil change intervals these days. Maybe you're wondering: What are the key issues?Some new vehicle manufacturers are now recommending much higher oil change intervals than they have in the past. As much as 5,000 to 8,000 miles (8,000 km to 13,000 km) or more. This practice came under scrutiny when four of the largest new vehicle manufacturers announced that owners like those in Sacramento were experiencing engine damage resulting from these higher oil change intervals.The manufacturers' standard oil drain service for particular vehicles was scheduled at around 7,500 miles/12,000 km. People following these recommendations were experiencing engine damage. It turns out that oil sludge was building up. This caused small oil passages to clog and engine parts to fail.What causes oil sludge? It's a factor of time and mileage. There are hot spots in every engine that cause oil burn off that leads to sludg ... read more

When your vehicle has a problem or just needs some routine service, you might get a little nervous. Your vehicle's so important to your life in Sacramento, you need to get back on the road as soon as possible – with the problem fixed right the first time.If you've ever checked into some of the technician training Jack Dane Auto Service professionals receive, you may be surprised at how much specialized knowledge and skill goes into diagnosing and repairing a modern car. For example: Today there are four cylinder engines that generate more power than the 1980s-era V-8's. I mean a new V-6 Toyota Camry could beat Sonny Crocket's Ferrari in a race to 60 mph/100 kph. Our engines are more and more powerful and at the same time their fuel economy keeps inching up – even with steep Sacramento gas prices. They are also amazingly reliable: Kudos to the automotive engineers. But the advances come at the price of simplicity. The mod ... read more

These days many people in the Sacramento area are really committed to making their cars last a long time. First thing: you've got to start with what you've got. It'd be ideal if people started with a brand new car, never missed a scheduled service item, paid attention to the severe service maintenance schedule and had regular inspections. But if you've had the vehicle for a while or bought it used, its maintenance history is what it is; and that's where you start.Go through the maintenance schedule for your vehicle and see what's been done and when. Have your Sacramento service advisor at Jack Dane Auto Service do an inspection and come up with a list of stuff that needs to be done. Review the list and prioritize the work, talk about budget and make a plan to get caught up.Making a plan is so important. Suppose you go in for an oil change and learn you need your cooling system serviced, a transmission service and are coming up on a timing belt replacement in the ... read more

Sacramento residents' vehicles have to operate in a wide range of CA temperatures which requires the engine coolant to be able to perform 'no matter what.' Think for a moment about the environment where the coolant does its thing. Very hot, high pressure, corrosive...And all the while, it has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. These components are made from steel and aluminum, plastics and rubber. The coolant has to be formulated to protect against corrosion for all of these different materials. That's why vehicle manufacturer’s recommend different types of anti-freeze for our Sacramento, CA, vehicles.There are several different 'families' of anti-freeze available to us here in Sacramento. Your owner's manual will tell you what kind you should use. Of course, the automotive professionals at Jack Dane Auto Service will know the right kind for your vehicle.It's important to stay on top of this because coolant system failure is the most c ... read more

People near Sacramento, CA, often ask Jack Dane Auto Service how often they should have a particular service done. It's a great thing to ask. You can look at your owner's manual or have your Sacramento, CA, service advisor at Jack Dane Auto Service look up your vehicle in a service database. What you find is often a surprise to people – there are actually two service schedules.One is the regular schedule and the other is the severe service schedule. Service intervals are shorter on the severe service schedule. When asked, most folks in Sacramento will say that their driving is normal and that the 'regular' schedule probably applies to them. 'Severe service' sounds pretty extreme – 'I don't drive like that.'Well, here is what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions; you can draw your own conclusions. Most of your trips are less than four miles (six and a half kilometers). Most of your trips are less than ten miles (16 km) and outside tem ... read more

All CA pilots have checklists for every aspect of flying. They always use their checklists even if they only have two steps on them. They do this simply because a checklist is a great way to not forget steps. It is also how they can assure a predictable outcome. That is why Sacramento automotive service centers including Jack Dane Auto Service have procedural standards for each service they perform. Jack Dane Auto Service technicians are trained step by step. And they perform the procedures step by step, the same way each time. By training to procedural standards, CA service centers can assure a quality outcome. The job is done right every time and Sacramento customers leave happy with how their vehicle performs. Each company trains its technicians to standards. The CA automotive industry as a whole is very committed to standards of excellence and encourages individual CA service center operators to apply them to every vehicle they service. An example is ... read more

Your vehicle is important to you, and keeping it running properly is important to your lifestyle. That's why you're smart enough to have it serviced regularly at Jack Dane Auto Service in Sacramento. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right by automotive professionals.It's also very important to your Sacramento service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our Sacramento auto service center spends annually to make sure our friendly and knowledgeable technicians are properly trained.Jack Dane Auto Service offers a variety of automotive services for many kinds of vehicles. We need to be current on the latest techniques and parts so that we can give you quality service. Our Sacramento service centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer.And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. Jack Dane Auto Service technicians follow ... read more

Since driving requirements and lifestyles differ among Sacramento drivers, your vehicle manufacturer publishes two auto maintenance schedules: the regular schedule and the severe service schedule. Which schedule should Sacramento drivers follow? Here are some questions to ask yourself:Are most of your trips less than four miles/six kilometers around Sacramento?Are most of your trips less than 10 miles/16 kilometers in below-zero CA temps?Are most of your trips off-highway in CA?Do you drive often in dusty Sacramento areas?Do you regularly tow a trailer or carry heavy loads around Sacramento?Do you drive in very hot or very cold CA weather?Think about your typical week. Do you live by your nearest Sacramento on-ramp and enjoy a non-stop commute? Or, do you drive the neighborhood car pool in stop-and-go traffic on Sacramento surface streets? Let's suppose your owner's manual says the severe service oil change recommendation is 3,000 miles/5,000 kilometers and t ... read more