Tangent and Albany Auto Repair

Your tire pressure is monitored by sensors in each of your tires and if one or more are below or above what they deem safe then the light will come on.  If your light comes on just stop by anytime we are open and we'll check your tire pressure for you - no charge.  Happy Adventures, Heather

That indicator is for the electronic throttle control and if it comes on it is best to have it checked out. Many throttles (gas pedal) are not controlled electronically and not by a cable.  Happy Adventures Heather

Corrosion on top of your battery could be caused from a bad connection, but most of the time the battery itself is leaking through the seal around the post. If you have it cleaned and the corrosion comes back then it's time to replace your battery.  We can do a battery check for you, battery acid needs to be handled carefully and fumes can lead to an explosion. Happy Adventures Heather

A couple weeks ago Jason and I were fortunate enough to get to go with our oldest son to a water polo tournament in Modesto California. We made it a family trip and it was an awesome experience. The boys did well in the tournament and I look forward to going again in the future.  That being said it made me think that the holidays are not to far away and with that comes all the travel to grandma's house and to visit all those friends and relatives. This is the time to get your vehicle in to have it checked out. We can give you a list of anything that is important and those things that need to be taken care of in the future. We all just want to get where we are going without having to think about having car issues. Give us a call and we will schedule you an appointment so you get to grandma's house on time.  Happy Adventures Heather

In a moments notice when you are traveling or even perhaps in an emergency that is fine. The biggest problem is that they are not all properly trained and they are not always looking out for your best interest. We had a gentleman decide to get a discounted oil change at a quick lube.  It was anything but a deal. They broke his oil pan and it had to be replaced. The person who changed his oil had no idea what they were doing and instead of a $25 oil change he got to purchase an oil pan. I know the difference was more than the extra $15 he would have spent here, and no they did not repay him for his loss of time and the repair. Yes it is oil and filter, the difference is the level of training and expertise that goes into it. Give us a call and let us take care of you.  Happy Adventures Heather

There are so many different lights on your dash, and many times they can be confusing so I figured we should go through them one by one. The first one we will cover is the traction control light.  Modern cars have excellent traction sensors onboard that accurately detects the tires’ traction on the road. It is a yellow illuminated sign that shows a car with zigzag skid marks. This indicates that your car is losing traction. On seeing this sign, you should slow down to let the tires regain their grip on the road. This lights up for a few seconds, so if you still notice the sign even after you have stopped, then it is clearly a faulty sensor.  Almost all modern vehicles have these sensors, ie: gas, diesel, hybrid and electrics too. We can check the sensors for you and give you piece of mind.  Happy Adventures Heather

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

  Car manufacturers are extending oil change intervals to 7,500 miles or more, there is even a commercial on TV that says you only need to change your oil on an annual basis. There are a few problems with waiting so long to change your oil. One is oil consumption - these same manufactures that tell you only to change your oil every 7,500 miles don't tell you that you engine can consume/burn up to 1 quart of oil per 500 miles. Yes you read that correctly 500 miles. For some people that is one or two tanks of fuel. That means if your car holds 5 quarts of oil, that you will be out of oil before you get to 2,500 miles, unless you are checking your oil every time you get fuel; this could cause catastrophic failure to your engine. It would not be covered under your factory warranty - they expect you to check your oil to make sure it's at the proper level and if you're not then it is considered neglect. We still recommend that if your car uses regular oil then to change it ... read more

  Why are diesel engines more efficient? You know I didn't know the answer to this one, with as long as I have been married to a master certified tech who all he does is talk about cars - okay so I'll give him 85% of the time he's talking about cars - you would think this one would have crossed our conversation. I talked with Jason and asked him why...his response was one that you would expect he started to go on and on. I said I need simple, people are asking, plus after all these years I still don't understand when he starts getting technical on things, or maybe just glassing over. Simply it is because diesel fuel has 30% more energy than gasoline, which makes it more efficient. If you would like more of the technicalities I can get those for you too.  Happy Adventures Heather