Winter weather can wreck havoc on your vehicle in many ways. For those who park their vehicle outside overnight, a frozen door in the morning can be a real annoyance. Heed our warning, don’t ever yank or pull on the door handle to open a frozen car door. If it breaks, you will be seeing us sooner than you planned and having a winter adventure you didn’t anticipate. An easy simple trick might be to give the door a hip check to loosen the ice and then lift and pull the door from the bottom. Use the handle only to unlatch the door while doing this. If you are still frozen out, try the passenger side door. Often the other side of the car has been less expose to wind and weather. You can also use warm water (never hot) to loosen the ice or a de-icing product. If you are lucky enough to have a remote starter, you can start the car and allow the interior warming to loosen the ice. Here is the important part. Never, and tell your kids and student drivers this too, ma ... read more

Winter has finally arrived and with the recent wet, snowy and icy weather, remember to turn off the wipers when you turn off your vehicle. Taking care of this simple task could help you avoid damage to your wiper blades and the internal motor that powers them. Most ofus don’t think about how that blade manages to move across our field of vision. That’s why one of the most common and preventable repairs for any mountain car, truck or SUV is replacing the wiper blade motor. Requiring a wiper blade to clear a snowy windshield or unstick itself after a wet, icy storm puts stress on the motor which can cause it turn burn out and fail. The result may be you driving down the road with your head out the window along with an unwanted repair expense. Avoid this by always turning off your wiper blades when you stop the vehicle. If possible, pull the blades away from the windshield to preventsticking. This simple action will allow your blades to last longer and save the wip ... read more

New cabin air filter vs old cabin filter Time to Change Your Cabin Air Filter With the pine pollen season behind us, now is a good time to change out your cabin air filter. Over time, the cabin air filter becomes less effective when it has done it's job filtering dust, debris, smoke and pollen from entering the cabin of your vehicle. “With our dusty roads and heavy particles in the air we suggest an annual change of the cabin air filter, “ says Bill Greeno, owner of Quality Automotive Servicing. Greeno also mentioned that anyone who drives dirt roads or who attends Burning Man should be especially diligent about the annual change. The cabin air filter began appearing in vehicles in 2002. It prevents dust, pollen, dirt and other pollutants from entering your car through your A/C and heat vents. With the driving conditions we experience everyday on our mountain roads, a clean cabin air filter will keep you breathing easier. Other Filter ... read more

The cooling system of your vehicle will be working hard this summer as temperatures in Truckee and Lake Tahoe heat up. To be sure your truck, SUV or car can take the heat have a qualified technician at Quality Automotive Servicing run through a checklist of items that will keep you on the road. Here are some things to consider in maintaining a healthy cooling system and your safety on the road. The ratio of coolant in the radiator should be 50:50 with the manufacturer recommended coolant for your engine and distilled water. Coolant should be flushed and changed regularly. The professionals at Your Trusted Local Auto Care suggest it be done annually for Glycol systems and every 100K with modern coolants. This keeps the system fresh and free of containements which will prevent corrosion and assures that the coolant has the proper boiling point and protection. If you experience overheating while driving, pull over at the next safe spot. You can do severe damage to your engi ... read more

The buzz around ‘extended oil change intervals’ for passenger cars and SUVs is everywhere. Most vehicle manufacturers are recommending longer oil change intervals. Oil companies are offering oils that they promote as having extended life. And motorists, pressured by the challenges of a tight economy and a hectic lifestyle, like the prospect of fewer trips to get their car’s oil changed. There are a few issues with extended oil change intervals. One is the quality of product used. The oil filter needs to have the require a capacity and efficiency to stand up against the impact of dirt, dust and engine contaminants over an extended period of time. As an owner that wants to protect your engine, know that not all oil filters are equal and a discounted oil change will probably be using a less quality filter that just can not stand up. 1. Filter Capacity The term ‘capacity,’ when used in reference to an oil filter, does not mean the amount ... read more