Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

Most of the time when we have a high-speed shake the problem is tire balance not alignment. It may also be caused by a bad tire or an out of  round tire, your service center can inspect the tires and let you know just what needs to be done to correct the problem. If you are having this kind of issue it should be checked sooner than later, if you have a bad tire it may let you down any time or any where. We had a little visitor to the shop today. She was just so adorable! Happy Adventures Heather

This can be caused my many things from low tire pressure to major suspension problems. You should get to your service center as soon as you can for a safety inspection to determine exactly whats going on.  Happy Adventures Heather

For those who do not know the shop as three yes three black Labradors that come to work with me every single day. Yes that's a lot of dog, but I love them and they are great. They are very well behaved and if you don't like dogs that's okay we have a gate to keep them behind. They are not blood related, we just acquired them over time. Kenzie is 6, Ashley is 5 and Bailey is 2. Stop by, say hi and we always have treats on the counter if you want to give them one.  Do you know how this picture really happened....Jason had a Dorito above my head. You can see the look of pure desperation and the promise of I'll be good.  Happy Adventures Heather  Shop girls; Ashley, Bailey and Kenzie

Why should I change my cabin air filter? I would say you should change it because it is the air that you breath in your car, it catches pollution, allergens, dirt, smoke and any other stuff that would go into the air.  Happy Adventures Heather

Why does my diesel smoke? When your diesel is smoking that is typically (not always) unburnt fuel. That means that smoke is raw diesel coming out the tail pipe. When you're looking for fuel economy is not the way to go. We can make your pickup run more efficiently and still have all the hauling capabilities that you purchased it for.  Happy Adventures Heather

  Why is my car overheating? When your car or pickup is overheating it is most likely due to low coolant or antifreeze. There of course are many other reasons for it to overheat, but that is typically the most common. It is important for your engine to have coolant in it and the correct type. If you're engine is overheating it's time to have it checked out.  Did you know we do alignments too. We do! We can take care of your vehicle top to bottom, bumper to bumper.  Happy Adventures Heather

When should I replace my shocks and struts? They should be replaced between 50,000-100,000 miles and this depends on your specific car, pickup, van, or suv. These are a maintenance item and they are also a safety item. When your shocks and struts are worn they can prevent you from stopping as quickly in a hard braking situation. They wear slowly so it's hard to know when they are worn out. When they are replaced you'll notice that your vehicle rides so much nicer. 

  Why is my car loud? That's an excellent question and unfortunately it's not an easy answer. The best advice I can give you is for you to make an appointment and we will check it out for you so you have one less worry.  Happy Adventures Heather

It's week three of school being back in. In our house we are settling into back into our schedule and things are going well (so far). I have a driver now so that is taking a huge load off in the mornings too. This is not to say everything is just peaches and cream - trust me I have plenty of the where is this and that and why aren't you dressed and you're going ot have to eat this on the way to school.  This is our last year of having three in three different schools, next year we're starting the down hill slope and we're at two schools. I thought I drove a lot before school started but now with all that drop-ff and pick-up stuff along with high school sports my car is getting a workout for sure. It's almost ready for another oil change and probably a little scheduled maintenance too.  Give us a call and let us take care of you. We will make you a maintenance schedule for your car so you know when and what is due.  Happy Adventures Heather

    Over the weekend I was lucky enough to take my oldest son on an overnight backpacking trip near Detroit. We hiked in 6 miles to Twin Lake, spent the night and hiked out Sunday morning. It was his first time for this type of thing. Before we got to the trailhead it was 6 miles of rough road that our max speed was 5mph. I am thankful for the fact that we had a well maintained pickup and I wasn't worried about walking back to find help.   On every invoice from us you should have a custom maintenance schedule for your vehicle. This way you know when your car/pickup/van is due for service again. We want you to have fewer surprises (the bad kind) and you can plan ahead. Our goal is to get you to where you want to be whether it's to work, school, shopping or your next adventure.   Happy Adventures Heather