Rocklin and Sacramento Auto Repair

The last new American vehicles sold in Sacramento with a carburetor rolled out of the CA dealerships in 1990. Since then, all new vehicles here in Sacramento, and nationally, have had fuel injectors. In very simple terms, a fuel injector is a valve that squirts fuel into your engine. Your engine control computer tells the fuel injector how much gas to deliver as well as the precise time it should be delivered. Of course this happens thousands of times a minute. Fuel injectors deliver fuel far more precisely than carburetors. That translates into better fuel economy and more power for Sacramento drivers. Virtually all fuel injectors for gas engines are known as port fuel injectors because they deliver the fuel to a port just outside the cylinder. Port fuel injectors operate at about 40 to 80 pounds per square inch of pressure.A few vehicle manufacturers have introduced gas direct injection systems on some engines recently. These systems inject the ... read more

When you take a corner in your car, the outside wheels have a slightly longer distance to go than the inside wheels.  That means that the outside wheels must turn a bit faster than the inside.  The piece of mechanical wizardry that makes this possible is called the differential. The differential allows the drive wheels to rotate at different speeds in turns without the wheels binding or hopping.  If you have a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the differential is on the rear axle.  You’ve seen that bulge in the middle of the axle when you’re behind a truck – that’s the differential. If you have a front-wheel drive vehicle, the differential function is handled by your transaxle.  Of course, all-wheel drive vehicles have differentials on both axles.  They also have a center differential or a transfer case between the front and rear axles to compensate for speed differences between the front and rear. Because all the power of the engine is tra ... read more

Let’s talk about cabin air filters.  There seems to be some confusion about them that we should be able to clear up.  Much of the confusion starts because cabin air filters are relatively new.  Not all vehicles have them, so some people confuse their cabin air filter with the engine air filter. Every vehicle has an engine air filter that cleans the air going into the engine, but not all have a cabin air filter that cleans the air going into the passenger compartment.  Easy to get mixed up. The cabin air filter cleans out dust, pollen, spores and other pollutants.  To give a point of comparison, a grain of sand is about 200 microns across.  A cabin air filter can stop particles that are just 3 microns in size.  It really does make the passenger cabin a much more pleasant environment. When the cabin air filter gets dirty, you just need to replace it.  Your owner’s manual may have a recommended interval for changing it.  If not, we ... read more

Hey Sacramento! Let's talk about one of our CA summertime must-haves: your car A/C. It's real easy for Sacramento drivers to take their car's air conditioner for granted. Just push the right buttons and out comes cool, dry, clean air. But your air conditioning system needs attention from time to time to help it keep its cool. Do you hear loud noises under the hood when you turn on your air conditioner? Do you only get cool air sporadically? If so, it is time to get your air conditioner checked at Jack Dane Auto Service in Sacramento. When most Sacramento folks hear the words "air conditioning problems." it sends a shiver up their spine. That is because the air conditioning system is fairly complex. It has a lot of parts and when it's broken, it's hard to repair.What things can Sacramento drivers do to prevent air conditioning breakdowns?A common cause of air conditioning failure is leaks ... read more

When they hear the word suspension, many drivers in Sacramento may think back to those energetic days of grade school. Well, your vehicle's suspension is actually a good thing because it keeps your vehicle up off the road and helps provide a comfy ride around Sacramento. Its job is to keep your wheels firmly planted over bumps and through curves. Your suspension system has many parts. If you look under your vehicle, it's basically everything that connects your wheels to the vehicle's frame. These are heavy duty parts that do a lot of work. They need to be inspected for damage and excessive wear at least once a year. A good time for this is when you get your annual alignment service at Jack Dane Auto Service. Here are some warning signs of suspension problems: the car pulls to one side it wanders the steering is erratic you see uneven tire wear you experience a poor ride or handling you see oil leaking from shocks Basically, you just don't feel in control when yo ... read more

Sacramento area drivers love their vehicles. And one of the most enjoyable things about them is taking a road trip. Freedom from daily schedules, new sights and the open road – it's great! But there's nothing like vehicle trouble to bring the fun to a grinding halt.

Now Sacramento drivers can't always avoid problems, but you can take steps to reduce the probability of getting sidelined on your trip. The first step is to look at your trip plan from your vehicle's perspective. What kind of roads will you be traveling – winding CA byways? Purple mountain majesties or fruited plains? What weather conditions are you likely to encounter? How far will you travel each day? How much weight will you be hauling – passengers and luggage? Pulling a trailer, roof top carrier or ATVs? Will it be dusty? Prepared with answers to these questions, you can schedule a trip inspection at Jack Dane Auto Service in Sacramento to help you 

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Richard Petty once told AutoNetTV, “You've gotta have good brakes. If you've got good brakes you can keep yourself out of a lotta trouble.”That's why a regular brake inspection is on every Sacramento driver's maintenance schedule. An inspection by your service advisor at Jack Dane Auto Service 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 Jack Dane Auto Service in Sacramento right away. Here are some symptoms for Sacramento drivers to watch for: 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 If you are experiencing any of these, it's time to get your brakes checked. Talk to your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Jack Dane Auto Service .There are two types of brakes: disc and drum. Disc brakes have a rotor that's ... read more

So you've bought a used vehicle in the Sacramento area. Do you know what you're getting? It is hard to know what you're getting because people in the Sacramento area sell vehicles for different reasons. Think about why you've sold vehicles. Did you just want something new or were there problems that you wanted to run away from? Maybe it was a little of both.Used vehicles in CA with 25,000 to 35,000 miles/40,000 to 55,000 km on them are often lease returns, corporate program cars or rental fleet vehicles. Most Sacramento buyers feel pretty confident about these because they're newer and may still be under warranty. But how well have they been maintained?Sacramento drivers who are planning to own a vehicle for a long time will keep up on auto maintenance so that they can avoid repairs down the road. But, if you know you're only going to have the vehicle for two or three years, you may not be so committed to maintenance. It would be easy to think ... read more