Truckee Auto Repair

Because 90% of our driving decisions are based on visual information, unobscured vision is paramount. Which brings us to the topic of today's The Auto & Tire Doctor Inc article: wiper blades. While this isn't the most exciting automotive subject, it's important. You wouldn't drive at night in TRUCKEE with your headlights off, but a dirty or streaked vehicle windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it just as difficult to see.Most of us in TRUCKEE replace our wiper blades when they no longer do the job. They are so worn, hard or brittle that they can't clean the windshield. They may even be falling apart. In other words, we deal with our wiper blades from a failure perspective. We address them when they no longer function. The theory, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," doesn't apply here. Instead, we should think about wipers blades as an important safety system that we should maintain rather than ... read more

The automotive professionals at The Auto & Tire Doctor Inc would like to give TRUCKEE drivers an update on some of the things happening in automotive fluids. You know, vehicles are becoming more sophisticated every day.  Fluids such as, oil, coolant and transmission fluid are becoming more specialized at about the same pace.The TRUCKEE do-it-yourselfer has to be pretty careful so that they do not actually harm their vehicle with the wrong type of fluid. That is why so many CA ] owners rely on the advice of their friendly and knowledgeable The Auto & Tire Doctor Inc service advisor to not only get the correct family of fluids, but to suggest the formulation that is best for their vehicle and their driving habits in the TRUCKEE area.Let's start with engine oil. TRUCKEE drivers who have been paying attention will have noticed a number of new oil weights on the CA scene in the last several years. Modern ... read more

TRUCKEE auto owners may know that most automotive failures in TRUCKEE, CA, are tire related, but do you know the second most common cause of vehicle failure? Nope, it's not teenagers. It is the coolant system. But if you take good care of your vehicle coolant system, it will take good care of you.A vehicle's engine creates a lot of heat - so much heat, that if it is not properly cooled, the engine can lock up, resulting in massive damage and repair bills. But when everything is working right, your vehicle engine operates at the proper temperature and all is well. Without antifreeze in your cooling system, the water could freeze and cause vehicle engine damage. This could be very expensive, not to mention inconvenient.The right mix of water and antifreeze protects the engine against damage from freezing and overheating. Antifreeze also protects the coolant system against corrosion that could cause the system to fail. The thing to remember is this: coolant system failure is very co ... read more

Today's report from The Auto & Tire Doctor Inc is on vehicle batteries, why they die and what we can do to lengthen their life. Most of us have had a dead battery at one time or another. In fact, it would be very unusual if you hadn't. You may be surprised to learn that only 30 percent of TRUCKEE vehicle batteries last for 48 months.Now that's an average. How long a battery lasts depends on many factors. You may not know that one of the biggest factors is the temperature where you live and drive around in CA. You might suppose that cold weather was harder on batteries because it takes more power to crank a cold engine, but the opposite is actually true. For more information on your battery, please visit us:The Auto & Tire Doctor Inc12000 PIONEER TRLTRUCKEE, CA 961615305872178 Batteries in very cold climates have a life expectancy of 51 months as opposed to 30 months in very warm climates. The reason is simple: batteries are chemic ... read more

One TRUCKEE automotive service issue that doesn't get much attention is driveline service. Drivelines don't get talked about very much around TRUCKEE, but they're very important. First let's define what the driveline is:Taking a small step back, the power plant is comprised of the engine and transmission. The driveline starts there and includes all of the components that transfer power from the transmission to the wheels.That's not really a lot of components, but they handle the full force of the engine. Without the driveline you're not moving. So TRUCKEE residents need to take good care of it. The driveline components differ depending on whether your vehicle has front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive or four wheel drive. For purposes of our discussion, we're going to have to oversimplify a bit. If you are ready to have your drive train looked at, give us a call at 5305872178. Let's start with front wheel drive. The point where the transm ... read more