Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

If your heater is only blowing cold then it could be due to a plugged heater core. Your heater core is inside your dash and the warmed coolant that comes through your engine flows through it providing heat to you. If this element is plugged then it won't allow the warmed coolant to enter causing you to not have heat. Your heater core can become plugged due to contaminated coolant. Your coolant should be serviced every 36 months/3 years. Give us a call to schedule your appointment and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

This could be due to an issue with your blower motor. Your blower motor is your fan, if your blower motor has debris then it can cause your heater to not work properly and for fan to make a noise. Many times we find mice and or a nest in the blower motor and that is causing the noise. If this is unaddressed for a long period of time it can cause damage to the blower motor and it will have to be replaced due to damage. Give us a call to schedule your appointment and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather 

A sweet smell coming from your car may be coming from one of your cooling system components. This can range from your radiator, hoses, heater hoses, heater core, water pump, heater elbow, thermostat. Any one of these components can leak coolant and if to much coolant leaks out then it will cause your car to overheat. An overheating issue can cause damage to your engine and multiple components. Give us a call to schedule your appointment and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures, Heather

We know how frustrating it is when your car doesn't operate the way it should. If you're turning the steering wheel and nothing happens they refer to that has play in the steering wheel. This play is an indication that your steering gear is worn out. Your steering gear has internal gears that over time can wear out causing this extra movement or play. The steering gear can wear out faster if you have larger oversized tires or if it has had a leak then it may not be lubricated properly causing premature wear. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

This depends on your vehicle and your engine. Some engines need the timing belt to be replaced every 30,000 miles and others 90,000 miles. This just depends on your engine. Your timing belt controls the valve timing of your engine. If this belt breaks it can cause internal damage to your intake and exhaust valves and result in needing the valves replaced and the cylinder head repaired. A little bit of maintenance goes a long way to keep your engine running properly and your cost of repairs down. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

Your fuel gauge is one of those things that I deem important. I wouldn't want to run out of fuel when driving down the highway because I didn't know how much was in my tank. Your vehicle has a fuel level sending unit that tells the fuel gauge how much fuel is in your tank. If this stops working then your fuel gauge will also stop working. The fuel level sending until will need to be replaced to make your fuel gauge start working again. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

This could be due to multiple things. The first thing that should be checked is your battery. Your battery should last from 4 to 6 years, but if you live in a hot or cold climate then your battery may not last as long. Many times a battery that is getting older will stop working when we have a big swing in temperature - like when we get our first cold snap or our first hot day of the year. We do free battery checks - just give us a call and we will take care of you.  Happy Adventures, Heather

Are you traveling this year? 2020 has been a hard year for sure and we know it's been hard to be so isolated from friends and family. For those who are traveling what is your go to list for when you're on the road. As my kids have gotten older my list has gotten less, but more at the same time. It's much of the same as it always has been but just different. Here is my top list of things we need to have when we travel during the winter months.  1. Blankets 2. Phone Charger 3. Comfortable Clothes 4. Water 5. Snacks 6. Emergency supplies 7. Games 8. Music playlist 9. Headphones/earbuds 10. Paper map What's on your list?  Give us a call to get you ready for all of your travels. Happy Adventures, Heather

If your check engine light is on and it's running rough then it could be due to a bad PCV valve. This valve controls crankcase ventilation it helps to remove the harmful gases from the crankcase. If it is damaged or broken then it will not work correctly and cause your vehicle to not run properly. This valve will need to be replaced to make your vehicle run properly. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

Depending upon how badly your pickup is shaking it could be an issue with one of your front end steering and suspension components. When these components get loose and worn out they will have excess movement in them that can cause a death wobble. This is when your pickup starts to shake uncontrollably. This can be a very dangerous situation, it can cause you to lose control of your vehicle and be unable to stop or steer properly. The best thing to do if you find yourself in this situation is to take your foot off the pedal and start slowing down. This should allow you to regain control of your vehicle. We also recommend to have it checked as soon as you can to keep you safe on the road. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather