Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

Your check engine light can come on for so many reasons - sometimes it's as simple as a loose gas cap and other times if not addressed can cause engine damage. The best way to know what is going on is to take it in and have it checked . It happens to all of us. The picture is of my check engine light that came on just a few weeks ago. It was for the knock sensor which is a common failure on my car. I had them replaced and now it's running beautiful again.   Give us a call and we'll make sure you keep going to where you're headed.   Happy Adventures Heather

I've received this question several times in the last week. "When I started my car today it was really loud" "After I left the grocery store my car got really loud" this unfortunately isn't something that I can say well this is why.... it's an I need you to bring it by for the guys to check it out type of thing instead.  Our biggest concern is your safety and keeping you on the road. Give us a call if you're having issues and we'll make sure you're safe to head out to your next destination.  Happy Adventures Heather

Back to school is just around the corner, I am already receiving registration information and at least my kids are excited to go back to school (it means fewer chores for them). I am wishing for a few more family days.   With all this going on I finally got my car in for an oil change and realized I was a little past due on some maintenance. I am back on the schedule to get that done so it will be one less thing to worry about this fall.    Give us a call and get your car up to date on it's maintenance and have one less thing to worry about.   Happy Adventures Heather

Shocks and/or struts should be replaced every 50-100K miles. I realize that is a large variance of mileage and that is due to the type and style of suspension that you have on your vehicle. Most manufactures do not list a replacement mileage, but shocks and struts are very important to your vehicles handling and stopping ability. When they are worn it can take longer to come to a stop especially in an emergency situation. Most people don't realize that there car is even handling differently since typically they wear slowly. Why am I saying shocks and/or struts - well not all vehicles have the same components. Cars can have a combination of struts in the front and shocks in the rear, all struts or all shocks, pickups will have all shocks or on occasion struts in the front and rear shocks, I haven't seen struts in the rear of a pickup but that doesn't mean that it can't happen.  They are just as important though as your belts, hoses, fluids and other components of ... read more

Over the weekend we took the crew and my Mom on our annual summer trip. Every year we pick a new adventure and this year we decided we would go rock fishing off Newport for the day. We picked the wrong day. The forecast said it would be warm and we expected some waves. What we got was something totally different. Instead we had what Mom referred to as a deadliest catch day. We'll just say it was a little rough and cold.  I think Olivia and I have finally thawed out..   Our crew did amazing, even with a few of us who got sick, spirits were still high and we had fun. Don't they say a bad day fishing is better than...…We look forward to our day every year and we have already started to discuss what could be on the docket for next summer.   We know that you have plans for the rest of the summer and fall will be here before you know it. Are you ready for your trip? Make sure you are by scheduling a pre-trip inspection, oil change and get your maintenance do ... read more

I'm not ready for summer to be over yet, but as I look at the calendar I am seeing fewer weekends and most of those are full of obligations and things that have to get done before fall. I don't know about you but the older I get the faster the days go and the weeks just fly by. We have already started planning our fall and it's busy too. I am always trying to plan ahead of what needs to be done so it doesn't sneak up on me. Let us take care of you by planning ahead and making you a maintenance schedule for the future so you don't have things take you by surprise too.  

For one when is it happening? Let's just say it's happening when you are braking. This is more than likely an issue with your brake rotors. When you apply the brakes and the pad meets the rotor it transfers a small amount of material from the pad to the rotor, if this happens at an uneven rate then it can create a variation in thickness. This variation when braking can cause the shaking.  Unfortunately there are a hundred different theories and ideas. When this happens though the rotors and pads will should be replaced for the shaking to stop.  There are many other reasons for your vehicle to shake when driving. I would recommend having it looked at just to keep you safe.  Happy Travels, Heather  

It's that time of the year when we all turn on our car air conditioning system on the first 80 degree day, it's not something we've thought about for the last 8 months and we remember it was cold the last time we used it and now it's not. No one wants to be in a hot car with no air conditioning or running around with the windows down with all the pollen in the air. It could be as simple as the refrigerant in your air conditioning system is low and it just needs a recharge, or you could have a component that went out sometime over the winter. The easiest way to know what happened is to schedule an appointment to have your air conditioning system tested. One other detail that most people don't realize is that the air conditioning compressor also turns off and on all winter when you're using your defroster, so it really works all year long. Jason and Heather

We are coming into the warmer months of the year and with that it can be easier for your vehicle to overheat if it is due for a cooling system fluid service or low on coolant/antifreeze. If your vehicle is starting to run warmer than normal it would be a good idea to have a cooling system test done. In a cooling system test they should check your vehicle for any external leaks, test the coolant/antifreeze, and pressurize the system to make sure you don't have any internal leaks. We all want to get where we are going and the best way to do that is to take good care of your vehicle and to make sure it is properly maintained. Cooling systems and hoses should be done every 100K or 6 years. If you think about it 100,000 miles is a lot of heating and cooling of those hoses and the fluid that goes through them. If it's been awhile it might be time to have yours checked out too. Heather  

Spring??? It feels like it's been just an extended winter here in the valley. I've been waiting for spring to arrive for awhile now and looking at the forecast it looks like that might happen finally. While I enjoy a good fire and curling up to watch movies, I am more than ready to break out the outdoor fire pit and enjoy some time outdoors. We are so fortunate to live within an hour of great hiking or a fun day at the beach. If those things don't appeal to you it's an hour to Portland or south for what is typically a little warmer weather. While all those things are great, let's make sure you get there without a worry. Give us a call and we'll get you scheduled for an inspection and service to make sure you get to where you want to be. Jason and Heather