Rocklin and Sacramento Auto Repair

Every car in Sacramento, CA, is at risk for theft. So it's up to us to make our cars a less appealing target and more of a challenge – hopefully sending potential thieves to look elsewhere.The National Insurance Crime Bureau recommends a layered approach to protecting vehicles: Common sense Visible and audible devices Immobilizing devices Tracking devices Let's review each of these. One is common sense; you would be surprised how many vehicles are stolen in CA where the keys were left in the ignition with the doors unlocked. Always take your keys and lock the doors. In fact, in some places it's against the law to leave a vehicle unattended with the keys in the ignition.And don't leave spare keys in the car or hide them outside – because a thief will find them. Sacramento drivers would be wise to park in well-lit areas that have a lot of foot traffic. If possible, park near the end of a r ... read more

Poor interior air quality is nothing to sneeze at, and Sacramento auto owners might be interested to know that more and more new cars are coming equipped with a cabin air filter. Check your vehicle owner's manual, but they typically need to be replaced at around 12,000 to 15,000 miles (19,000 to 24,000 kilometers).The filter is usually under the vehicle hood or under the dashboard. Some are a little tricky to get to, so you'll want to have your friendly and knowledgeable Jack Dane Auto Service service advisor take care of replacing them.As we said, many Sacramento people don't realize they have a cabin air filter and come to Jack Dane Auto Service saying "my vents are smelling bad." It usually turns out to be a dirty cabin air filter. A switch out and they're on their way, smelling sweet.Sacramento residents who suffer from allergies can really benefit from a cabin air filter as it keeps irritants to a minimum.If you're one of them, you'll want t ... read more

Power steering is standard on nearly every vehicle in Sacramento, CA, these days. Now there are some exotic, new types of power steering systems, but for the most part, the general setup is a pump that's driven by a belt powered by the engine. Contact the automotive professionals at Jack Dane Auto Service in Sacramento for questions about your power steering. The pump generates power that assists drivers as they steer their vehicle around Sacramento, CA. Power steering systems use hoses to move pressurized fluid back and forth. These hoses can develop leaks so it's a good idea to have Jack Dane Auto Service inspect them at every oil change. A check of the power steering fluid level is on the list for every full service oil change at Jack Dane Auto Service because low fluid can damage the power steering pump. And the fluid needs to be compatible with the hoses and seals, so it's important to use the correct type – just ask your se ... read more

Like everything in the CA automotive market, there have been great strides in headlight technology in recent years. CA drivers can be safer at night because of it. Good headlights improve visibility on Sacramento roads, enabling you to see farther. They also improve your peripheral vision, helping you to see the sides more clearly. The more you can see, the more quickly you can react to road conditions. This is because nearly half of traffic fatalities take place at night. And as Sacramento resident population ages, everything that helps older eyes is welcome.Most new vehicles sold in CA come with halogen headlamps. A decade ago, halogens were exotic and expensive. Now that they are standard equipment, the price has come way down. Many luxury cars are equipped with high intensity discharge, or HID, headlamps. You have probably seen them on some Sacramento roads; they're very bright and have a bluish tint.From behind the wheel, there is no doubt that HID headl ... read more

A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the CA news. Sacramento people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better gas mileage and receive a government rebate. A lot of Sacramento motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They're good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they're paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their vehicles for 200,000 miles (320,000 kilometers) or more – as long as it's economical to do so. There are plenty of Sacramento drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles (240,000 or 320,000 kilometers). We can learn from what they're doing to keep our own vehicles on the road in CA.The Sacramento drivers of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. That may sound a bit unsophisticate ... read more

There are several important factors that go into how often Sacramento drivers should replace their wiper blades. Of course, the more you use your wipers, the faster the blades will wear out – especially if you use them on an icy windshield. Whether it’s a lot of bugs and road grime from CA freeway driving or lots of wet weather – your blades get a work out and start to wear. But your wiper blades break down even when they aren’t used frequently. They are damaged by sunlight and temperature changes as well. The rubber in the blades can dry out and crack and eventually fall apart. Check your wipers: If they’re not doing their important job, have them replaced at Jack Dane Auto Service in Sacramento. Talk to your Jack Dane Auto Service service advisor about how you drive - we can counsel you on the optimal blades for your needs.Jack Dane Auto Service1200 I StSacramento, CA 958149164423287htt ... read more

Recalls are pretty serious for Sacramento residents and don't happen all that often. But sometimes cars have less serious problems that Sacramento residents still might want to know about. For these less serious cases, the vehicle manufacturer issues what is known as a Technical Service Bulletin – or TSB. These bulletins tell Sacramento service centers (including Jack Dane Auto Service) how to repair a problem that occurs frequently or is especially difficult.Your Sacramento service center receives updated information through subscription plans, which are sometimes available in consumer versions too.Whatever your source, pay attention to Sacramento vehicle recalls to keep you and your passengers safe. No matter how well they're made, vehicles are bound to have problems with their design or manufacturing. Think of all the moving parts. When the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the vehicle manufacturer to issue recall notic ... read more

Many Sacramento drivers probably don't think of their shock absorbers as an important safety system; but that's just what shocks and struts are. They're all about ride control – keeping your vehicle tires in contact with the road and managing body motion.Every time you hit a bump or pothole on a Sacramento road, your tire wants to bounce up. The bigger the bump, the higher the bounce. Your shocks or struts push down on the tire to maintain the traction you need to start, stop and turn.If you've ever ridden in a vehicle with bad shocks, you know how it wallows on corners. The front end dives when you hit the brakes and the rear end squats when you accelerate. It's not only uncomfortable, it is difficult to handle.You may have heard vehicles described as having “flat cornering." That means that when you take a corner, the body doesn't roll very much. When shocks start to get worn, your vehicle will roll more on corners. The weight of your vehicl ... read more

Repair or Replace? That’s a question Sacramento drivers ask when they have tire damage. Some punctures cannot be repaired because of their size or location. Punctures larger than a quarter of an inch (6.4 mm) are considered too large to be safely repaired. Punctures in the sidewall or near the shoulders may not be able to be repaired. And sometimes there is internal damage revealed on inspection that indicates the tire should not be repaired. Run flat tires should not be repaired. Repairing high performance tires may make them unsuitable for motorsports. Your friendly and professional Jack Dane Auto Service service advisor can inspect your damaged tire and tell you if it can be safely repaired or if it should be replaced - and then help you get back on the roads around Sacramento.Give us a call.Jack Dane Auto Service1200 I StSacramento, CA 958149164423287http://www.jackdaneauto.com

Nowadays, Sacramento drivers are paying more at CA gas pumps. For some families it adds up to several hundred dollars every month. That's got to come out of the budget somewhere. This is one of the reasons many CA drivers are putting off buying a new car. They plan on keeping their old vehicle for a year or two longer than before.Even now, 2/3 of the personal vehicles on our local Sacramento, CA, roads have over 75,000 miles (120,000 kilometers) on them. The average age of vehicles is over nine years. And most people in the Sacramento area can't afford to be stranded or inconvenienced by a breakdown. So following a regular maintenance schedule, like personal diet and exercise plans, is actually critical to preserving your investment.Determining what to do for a higher-mileage vehicle can be challenging because many owner's manuals don't publish service intervals after 60,000 miles (100,000 kilometers). Thus, Sacramento drivers need to be better at keeping records and planning for ... read more