Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

Overtime your headlight lenses can become foggy and it can become harder to see at night. Your headlight assemblies do not have to be replaced they can be cleaned and restored. This process involves using a compound to clean the lenses then a second compound to restore the lenses. This process takes a bit of time, but it saves you money from purchasing new headlight assemblies. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

Your timing belt keeps your engine in time. The timing belt goes over the gears on the front of your engine. Those gears are attached to the internal moving components of your engine. The timing belt fits onto the gears and it has "timing marks" these marks make sure the gears are all in the correct position. If the gears get out of position it can cause internal damage to those engine components. It can cause your intake or exhaust valves to hit the piston and when that happens it can bend things and you will end up with getting your cylinder head removed for repairs. This is why having your timing belt replaced every 60,000 to 90,000 miles is so important. If your timing belt breaks then 90% of the time that means you need to have your cylinder head repaired. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

It doesn't matter what you drive, when your vehicle overheats it's very hard on it. If you vehicle starts to overheat then you need to pull over as soon as it is safe and turn off your engine to prevent anymore overheating. After it has cooled down you can check the level of your coolant to see if you are low and that is causing the overheating issue. A coolant leak will cause your coolant to be low which will cause your engine to overheat if it doesn't have enough coolant to keep it at the proper operating temperature. IF you are in an emergency situation and you only have water to add to your vehicle until you can get it repaired then you can add water - but this is just until you can have it properly repaired. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

First off did you start the pickup after you realized it had gas in the fuel tank? If not then the fix is typically pretty easy, we will drain and clean the tank, replace the fuel filters, refill it with diesel and it should be good to go. If you were unaware of the gas in the fuel tank and started it then we have a different route that we need to go down. The fuel tank needs to be dropped, cleaned and then refilled with diesel, the fuel filters will need to be replaced, then the fuel system bled to get the other fuel out of the system. At this point the fuel filters may need to be replaced again. At this point we will start testing each component for damage and then we will have a conversation about where to go depending on our findings. Worst case senario the engine will need to be replaced. Not the answer you wanted and it doesn't typically happen, but depending on the damage it could.  Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

When your dash says that you need to service your tire monitor it means that something has happened to one of your tire pressure monitors (TPMS). Your tire pressure monitors monitor your tire pressure to make sure your tires are at the correct pressure. This ensures you are safe and that your vehicle is operating at optimal conditions. When you tire pressure is to low it can cause damage to your tires, and it will lessen your fuel mileage. When it is to high it can again damage your tires by over inflation.  Give us a call and let us take care of you. 541-791-2886 Happy Adventures,  Heather

If your car suddenly starts to steam then you need to pull over right away and turn off your engine. This could be a coolant leak causing the steam. If you drive with no coolant in your engine then it can cause the engine to overheat which will cause damage to your engine and other components. When in an emergency you can add water to your radiator until you can fill it with coolant. You should not drive your car with only water in your cooling system as it will not cool your engine properly.  Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

Typically when we see a vehicle that is having an issue going into gear it has one of two issues. The first is it could be low on transmission fluid. If this is the reason then it can be solved by finding out why it is low on fluid, repairing the leak then making sure it is full of fluid. There is always a chance that if the fluid was low for an extended period of time then it could damage the internal components of your transmission. The second option is that an internal component has failed and is causing your transmission to not shift. If this is the case then your transmission will need replaced or rebuilt.  Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

Before it starts to get cold outside you should have a few things checked. Cold weather can be hard on your vehicle. You should have your battery checked, coolant, tires, wipers and defroster/heater. A cold snap can drain and shorten your battery life. Over time your coolant wears out and can stop cooling your engine properly. If you're not a frequent driver then over time your tires can become weather cracked due to heat and cold. The last part is the defroster/heater - you need to make sure it works properly to keep your windows defogged.  Give us a call to make your appointment for your winter checkup. Happy Adventures,  Heather

Many cars are now equipped with a sensor in the coolant overflow tank to monitor the cooling system level. This sensor monitors the level of coolant in your vehicle. This has been a helpful addition to keep your engine full of the fluids that it depends on. When your engine is low on coolant then it can overheat which can damage the internal components and shorten the lifespan of your engine. If this light comes on you should pull over and check to make sure you're full of coolant, if you are low you should have it checked for leaks as soon as you can. If your vehicle starts to overheat then you should pull over and turn it off.  Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

This ticking noise could be an exhaust leak. Many times you will hear a ticking noise while driving. Typically it is due to a exhaust manifold stud breaking and it will need to be replaced. If not replaced over a long period of time then it can cause damage to the cylinder head and possibly crack the exhaust manifold itself.  Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather