Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

Why does my A/C blow hot on one side? This happened to my car last year and I can say if you are on the side that is not blowing hot it is not an enjoyable experience. It can happen due to a sticking, broken or malfunctioning temperature blend door. This occurs for a multiple of reasons. One of the multiple electrical components may have failed, this will cause it to not actuate properly and cause the door to stick. Another option is a mechanical breakdown where the internal gears have stripped.  When the gears strip then it does not allow it to turn properly opening the doors when required. The other option is that is has debris that has made its way inside causing the door to not open properly. Either way it is frustrating, and it almost always happens on the warmest days of the year. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

My car air is not cold This is most likely due to an issue with your air conditioning system. When one of the components in your air conditioning system fails it causes the remaining components to not function properly. One of those components may be your condenser. Your condenser is in front of your radiator. They can fail due to many options and one of them is damage from rocks or debris hitting the front of your vehicle. The condenser is made of metal but if the rock hits it hard enough it will cause a hole and a leak. This causes your refrigerant to leak out. This component is not something that can be fixed, instead it will need to be replaced and the air conditioning system recharged. When your condenser is damaged it will leak out your refrigerant and cause your air conditioning to stop working. Give us a call and let us take care of you. You can also find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHAutom ... read more

Why did my car die? Your car could have died due to a bad battery. Your car battery is charged by your alternator while driving, but if your battery has a bad cell in it then your battery will not take the charge. When this happens it can cause your battery to fail and your car will die. Extreme hot and cold weather is also hard on batteries. If your battery tests okay, but not great then a sudden change in the weather can damage a battery that is just okay. We perform free electrical checks on your battery, alternator and starting system. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

Why did my air conditioning stop working in my car? Summer has arrived in the Willamette Valley and she came in HOT.  I expect when I get in my car and turn on the air conditioning for it to be cold and I am sure you do too. When that does not happen, it is not pleasant. This can happen for many reasons and one of them is a failure of the air conditioning compressor. Your compressor has a few different components that make it function and may seals. If one of the seals fail, then the compressor will leak out the refrigerant and this will cause your air conditioning system to not work. When this fails the system can become contaminated. If your air conditioning system is contaminated, then the other air conditioning components will need to be replaced to prevent another failure. While driving around with the windows down always sounds nice, I enjoy my air conditioning and would prefer to have it. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

Why did my car not start? Your vehicle may not have started due to a faulty battery. If you are not driving as much like many people right now then your battery may have died due to a lack of driving. Newer vehicles have many modules that are on even if your vehicle is turned off. These modules keep the computer working properly and all the other electrical components. We recommend for you to take your car out for a drive at least once a week. If you are concerned about your battery stop by and we will perform a free battery check for you. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

Why did my car overheat while at a light? This could have occurred due to a faulty fan clutch. If it is hot outside and your vehicle is stopped or moving slowly your engine fan is set to come on a specific temperature. If this does not happen then it can cause your engine to overheat. The fan pulls air through your radiator at slow speeds or at a stop. This air flows air over your engine and helps the cooling system to keep things at the correct temperature. Your fan has a clutch and when it gets worn out it may not engage properly, and this will cause the fan to not work. Newer vehicles may have an one or more electric fans. These do the same job but are controlled by the computer. When they stop working it could be one of several electrical components that control them. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

Why does my A/C blow hot? Your air conditioner may be blowing hot due to low refrigerant in the system. When you do not have enough refrigerant your air conditioning will not turn on to prevent damage to your a/c compressor and other components. This could be due to a leak in your air conditioning system. Your air conditioning system has many fittings and all of them can seep refrigerant over a long period of time causing your levels to be low and your air conditioning to not work properly. It is also possible that one of those many components has failed and that is causing your air conditioning to not work properly. We recommend that if your a/c is not working properly to have a leak test performed to make sure you have no other issues. Give us a call and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather

All gave some and some gave all. This is the time of year that we remember those who we have lost. We feel the loss of them being gone every day. We miss them. To all those who are missing family and friends we feel your loss too. Thank you to the familes who are missing your loved ones, thank you is all we can say. We would not be here in the land of the free is it was not for them.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

Your shocks and struts do more than just cushion your ride. Did you know they also help keep your tires on the ground. This increases your stability and control of your vehicle. Your shocks and struts will increase the life of your tires by maintaining constant contact with the road surface. When your stocks and struts bounce they can cause damage to the tire and uneven tread wear. Your shocks and struts also aid in how quickly you are able to stop when braking. When your stocks and struts are worn out and or damaged they could greatly increase your stopping distance. This in an emergency situation can cause an accident. Most of the time you will not notice that your shocks and struts are worn out due to how slowly they wear. Many times after they are replaced you will notice a better and quieter ride.  Manufactures recommend your replace your shocks and struts every 50,000 to 100,000 miles. This depends all on the vehicle you drive. Give us a all and ... read more

Our Newest Team Member. We wanted to take a moment and introduce to you our newest team member. This is Kimber, she is a French Bulldog that has joined our merry band of Labradors. She naps a lot right now so she may not always be up and about. If you would like to meet her just say the word and we can bring her out to greet you. Why a French bulldog you ask. Well if you have been around for a while then you may remember Gracie. She was an English bulldog that we fostered and miss. We decided that we just could not live without a bulldog.   Happy Adventures,  Heather