Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

Number 3  Tire checkup - before any trip to either the beach or the grocery store you do a walk around your vehicle to make sure all of your tires are properly inflated. It's a quick and easy way to make sure you're safe on your journey. A few years ago we were headed out for the weekend. I had everything and everyone loaded in the car. We were ready to leave when Jason did the walk around and we had a flat tire. We had picked up a nail at some point and had to have it repaired before we could leave town. It was just a little hiccup, but I am glad we checked before getting on the freeway and having a bigger issue.  Basically just make sure you're ready and safe too. If you're concerned about your tire pressure or if you need us to take a look for you stop by or give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures, Heather

Number 2 .... this is the really important one Have snacks. Maybe it's just the Mom in me from having littles, but snacks are so important on any road trip.  Now that the kids are older it's easier for sure, but I am still picky about what they eat in the car - crumbs are a pain and I'm the one who has to vacuum my car. We try to stay away from sticky things, we have wipes, but it's just easier to stick with the things that aren't sticky. Jerky, crackers, popcorn, granola bars, grapes, things along that route are typically what I pack in the car still.  Along with the snacks everyone needs a reusable water bottle. I swear we have 50 of them, we might as well use them, plus it's easier to refill them as we go than to buy a new one.  It doesn't matter if it's a day trip or a week long trip - you still need snacks.  Happy Adventures, Heather

Number 1 Before any long road trip you should have a pre-trip inspection done - we will check out your entire vehicle including all the fluids, brakes, tires and suspension and not forgetting about your battery and belts. We want you to have one less thing to worry about while you're off adventuring. This should be done one to two weeks prior to your trip on the off hand chance that you do need to have something repaired or serviced prior to your trip. It gives you a little time to breathe and it makes that last minute stuff easier when you have your vehicle.  Give us a call and let us take care of you. 541-791-2886 Happy Adventures, Heather

Congratulations! To all those who are graduating from high school and college this year!  We hope that you achieve all of your hopes and dreams. I'm not going to lie it's going to be hard. Harder than anything you've done in your life so far. Know that it will be worth it. It's okay to change your mind, you're going to change your mind, we all do. Your life is built off of your experiences and adventures, make them good ones. Do the things have make you nervous, that's when you're growing.  Happy adventures,  Heather   

If your brakes are making a noise they need to be checked. It could be something as simple as a rock that got stuck in the backing or it could be that you are due for new brakes. Most cars have a "squealer" that will start to make noise when the brake pads are getting close to needing to be changed.  We do free brake inspections, just give us a call we'll schedule you an appointment and make sure you're safe on all your travels. Give us a call and let us take care of you 541-791-2886. Happy Adventures, Heather

When your transmission isn't shifting properly it will need to be seen to diagnose to determine if it is just a fluid issue or if something else has happened. The best way to prevent transmission issues is to have it serviced on a regular basis. That means fluid services every 30,000-50,000 miles. It should be serviced by a reputable shop to make sure it has the correct fluid, the wrong fluid can cause just as much damage as not having it done at all. Transmissions have gotten more complicated as technology has increased, with that the fluids are more specific.  Give us a call and let us take care of you. 541-791-2886 Happy Adventures,  Heather

Summer seems to be taking it sweet time in getting here. It tricked us last month and we had a week or more of beautiful warm weather, then it turned cold and windy like early spring again. I'm not sure what's going on, but I would love more of that warm weather. With warm weather brings the need to turn on your air conditioner, especially if you live in the valley and have allergies.  Your air conditioner hasn't been something you've probably thought about since last fall when you turned it off for the winter. It worked then why doesn't it work now?? Well all winter you were still using your air conditioner compressor when you used your defroster. It could be your just low on refrigerant or you could have a leak somewhere. We can run a quick test and find our what's going on with it.  Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures, Heather

Nothing is worse than when your vehicle isn't running like it should. If you're anything like me I depend on my vehicle to be ready to go whenever I need to be somewhere and when it's not it's frustrating. If your turbo suddenly stopped making boost and it's having issues it needs to be looked at. It could be a simple fix or we may need to look into rebuilding or replacing the turbo on your car.  Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures, Heather

School will be out in a couple of weeks and that means summer fun right? Well it should, but worrying about your vehicle and wondering if it's ready for all the fun isn't much fun at all. A pre-trip inspection and an oil change is always a good idea before hitting the road. The last thing you want is for your good time to be hampered by a preventable breakdown. It's best to have these done a week or two prior to your trip. This is to ensure that if you do have an issue then it is fixable prior to your vacation and one less thing on your mind while you're packing.  We hope you have a fabulous summer and you're safe on the road. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures,  Heather

We all know that summer in Oregon is also referred to as road construction season. With that the roads are uneven, chunks are missing, large metal plates or potholes can make driving hazardous. All of these can wreak havoc on your suspension components and your alignment.  We recommend that you have your alignment checked every 12 months as a minimum, but if you're driving in harsher environments than we would suggest that you have your alignment checked more frequently.  Give us a call at 541-791-2886 or request an appointment online and let us take care of you. Happy Adventures, Heather