Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

When should I replace my tires? Tires are an investment in your vehicle. They keep you on the road and they keep you safe. Having plenty of tread on your tires will keep you and your family safe. Typically, it is recommended that you replace your tires when they are between 6 and 10 years old. This is due to the rubber deteriorating. This makes it more likely to experience a failure even when they look like they have plenty of tread. If you drive a lot, then you will probably never reach that 6-year mark. The other indicator that you need new tires is low tread depth. Industry standard is 3/32 which is the edge of a penny to Ab Lincolns head. 3/32 is at the end of the useable tread. It is also where the wear bars are. These are in between the grooves and are a tread depth indicator. If you are concerned about if your tires are safe, then stop by and we will do a quick check of your tires for you. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather   Check us ... read more

Why does my diesel have a long crank when starting? Your long crank while starting your diesel could be from a couple of different reasons. If your diesel has glow plugs, then this could be the issue. Your glow plugs over time will wear out and stop working properly. Glow plugs unlike spark plugs do not have a maintenance interval. They do not have a maintenance interval because they are only used when starting the vehicle. When they start to fail you will have a longer than normal crank or your check engine light may come on. When you have a long crank, it is hard on your batteries and your starter. Over time it will shorten the life span of your batteries and starter. This will cause them to need to be replaced.  Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather   Check us out at https://www.facebook.com/JHAutomotiveInchttps://www ... read more

Why are my brakes pulling hard when I brake? When braking and your vehicle starts to pull hard to one side it can be in indication that one of your disc brake calipers is sticking or dragging. This can happen when the disc brake caliper piston does not release after applying the brake and is grabbing harder than the other brakes. This is like always having your brakes on and will cause your disc brake pads to wear prematurely. It will also affect your fuel mileage. One of the reasons that your disc brake caliper may fail is from your brake fluid being contaminated. When your brake fluid has a high moisture content then it will cause your brake hydraulics to fail. If you are concerned about your brakes give us a call. We will do a brake inspection for free* and make sure that you are safe on all your adventures. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather   Check us out at https://www ... read more

10 Reasons You Should Come Work Us We do not work weekends Time away from work is important to be able to recharge. Weekends are a great time to do that and spend time with our families. We love our employees              We want the best for our employees and do our best to make the environment where they have to                   spend all day as enjoyable as we can. We offer great benefits              We offer PTO, health insurance, 3% matching IRA, life insurance, mentoring, training, coffee days,                   treats, Friday lunch day, and much more Breakfast every morning               They say it is the most important meal of the day. Let’s start each day off right with breakfast. During                so we go over the day ... read more

What do the lights on my dash mean? Your dash has so many lights on it, and they are all important. Some are crucial to the operation of your engine. Others let you know when your lights are on. Let’s go through them one by one and we will solve the mystery of the lights on your dash. The first is your check engine light. The check engine light can look a couple of different ways. One will say service engine soon and the other is a picture of an engine. This light tells you when something is not working properly with your vehicle. It will come on due to a faulty sensor or module. A misfire in your engine or another engine issue. Even though it is a check engine light it will also come on due to an issue with your transmission. This light should not be ignored. There are times that your light may come on due to your fuel cap not being tight enough, and while that is an easy issue to fix it can cause issues with other components. Not taking care of your check engine light can cau ... read more

Brakes for Breasts 2021 We have partnered with Fast Undercar in Salem Oregon to be a participating shop. Brakes for Breasts is an organization that unties independent repair shops across the country for the month of October. All participating shops will provide customers with free brake pads or shoes and the customer simply pays for the labor and any other parts that may be needed. The shop then donates 10% of that total to the Breast Cancer Vaccine Fund. How it works – you pay for the labor and any other brake parts that are needed. The brake pads or shoes are covered. We keep track of it and at the end of the month we donate 10% of each ticket to the Breast Cancer Vaccine Fund.  Everyone wins. You have new brakes, and we get to donate to something that affects so many women and families. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

How many miles do you expect to get from my vehicle? Mine is at 400,000 miles. How many miles do you expect to get from your vehicle? I expect another 100,000 before I need to replace mine. Do you know what it takes to reach 400,000 miles? 500,000 miles? Maintenance, just good maintenance. Good maintenance means changing the oil on time. Taking care of suggested services as soon as you can. Making sure the transmission and other fluids are serviced on time and as needed. Tune ups and suspension items are serviced when they should be.  Getting to your vehicle to 400,000 plus miles is more than just the engine. It is the entire vehicle. Which means the transmission, suspension, steering and all the other components that keep you going down the road. My vehicle runs and drives great. You would never know it has 400,000 miles. It may not be new and flashy, but she is reliable, and I appreciate it. We have had countless family adventures and road trips. So many conversations with my ... read more

Why do I need to change my oil? Your oil is a vital component to your engine. Without it your engine will seize, and your vehicle will not run. Many components that are part of your engine rely on engine oil to run and operate properly. Over time your oil will get contaminated with fuel. Fuel makes your engine oil thin. When your engine oil is thin then it does not lubricate the internal components properly and this over time will cause failures. This will also happen if your oil is low. When your engine oil is low there is not enough of it to go around and to lubricate everything that needs it. When this happens, it will cause a failure of those components. If those components fail, they will need to be replaced to keep your vehicle on the road. The easiest way to keep this from happening is to have your oil changed on a regular schedule. For most vehicles that means having your oil changed every 3,000 miles. For some it is 5,000 miles. We never recommend exceeding a 5,000-mile oil c ... read more

How do I improve my fuel mileage? I am sure you are aware that fuel prices are going up daily. If your car gets poor fuel economy, then that can start to add up quickly. We hope you have been enjoying this summer of the great American road trip. Some of us have been able to explore more than others. Are you planning your next trip? Have you decided where you are going to adventure to next summer? The last thing any of us want is to have to worry about the cost of fuel while we are planning our road trip. We can all make a few changes that will help save us when we get to the pump. Make sure your tires are at the proper air pressure. If your tires are under inflated, then it will create drag and that will lessen your fuel economy. Engine air filter – if your Engine Air Filter is dusty, dirty, or clogged then it is restricting air flow to your engine. This makes your engine work harder and it uses more fuel. We all like to breathe clean air. Fuel Filter – not all vehicle ... read more

New driver in the house? Do you have a new driver? Do they know about maintaining a vehicle? With a new driver we go through the maintenance requirements and best practices with them and the vehicle they are driving. It’s no charge, but you do need to schedule an appointment with Heather. Even if it is Grandmas old car or borrowing Mom or Dad’s car. It is important for them to know what it takes to properly maintain a vehicle. This keeps them and the vehicle safe on the road and gives them the knowledge to know what is important. Give us a call to schedule your appointment. Happy Adventures, Heather   Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHAutomotiveInc Instagram J & H Automotive (@jhautoinc) • Instagram photos and videos https://www.pinterest.com/jhautoinc