Fort Collins Auto Repair

Just because your serpentine belt doesn’t appear to be cracked, don’t think your auto mechanic is wrong when he says it needs to be replaced. Drive belt technology has improved in newer vehicles, meaning there is new criteria for determining if a belt is worn. If you have a late-model vehicle, listen up. Let’s start with a quick lesson on drive belts, so we’re all on the same page. Drive belts come in two forms, or types: v-belts and serpentine belts. Timing belts, however, are different. A timing belt makes the engine work. Vehicles have 1 timing belt and anywhere from 1 to 4 drive-belts. Drive belts transfer power from the engine to your vehicle’s A/C, power steering, and alternator. Without drive belts, these systems don’t operate. Common knowledge tells us that drive belts need to be replaced when they show signs of cracking. This is true. However, in newer vehicles, a drive belt that has natur ... read more

This season brings us back to earth, back to school, and allow us to reflect on what’s most important to us. It is also a great time to begin preparing your vehicle for winter. Read on to learn more about the areas of your vehicle to focus on for fall maintenance and auto repair. In Colorado we experience true seasons, and so do our cars. Auto repair services tailored for the weather are more effective. Like buying a coat for winter, seasonal maintenance helps prepare your vehicle for the ever-changing elements, thereby extending its life. “It takes very little time and money to make sure your car runs properly throughout the year and although breakdowns happen, they can definitely be minimized by taking a few extra preventive steps,” Rich White, director of Car Care Council. Our Seasonal Car Care Specials are designed to handle all of your car maintenance and auto repair needs for each season of the year and are ... read more

It’s fact: an oil additive is great for an engine. This review is of BG MOA, specifically, is because the product is… amazing! And is really not given enough credit. Considering the benefits to an engine and the cost of a can, the worth of this product is phenomenal. This seemingly simple yet incredible product truly does help extend engine life ten-fold. So much so that we, as a shop, swear by it and use it religiously. I personally add it to my oil every oil change. Eric (Owner of Community Auto) even uses it in his lawn mowers! I hope to shine some light on this little gem as it seems many customers aren’t aware of its greatness and may be missing out on a simple way to make their vehicles last longer. BG MOA (Motor Oil Additive) is, as the name suggests, added to oil and makes the oil more effective. Oil is the blood of an engine, and its condition and contents are extremely important for engine function and performance; just as the shape and functioning of red b ... read more

Shopping around for automotive repair is much like shopping for anything else, right? There’s many factors to consider: price, quality, convenience, etc. It’s one thing to seek out the best burger in town; maybe ask a few people and try a few places to get there. It’s also appropriate to investigate options for, say, your next sinus surgery. You wouldn’t, however, call all the burger joints and surgeons in town, ask how much the burger or surgery costs, then go with the one that tells you the cheapest price, right? Or maybe you would. I don’t know. But let’s assume we agree it’s a bad idea to make an important decision, one that costs you taste buds or money, via a mere phone conversation convincing you of the cheapest price. Oddly, this frequently happens when people choose who to have fix their car. I get it. You’re just wondering how much a certain repair will cost so you figure you’ll call a few shops, see how much they’l ... read more

While not quite there, our shop is well on the way towards being…paperless! Community Auto is always super excited to rock new technologies so I thought I’d share with you our exciting avant-garde, the Digital Automotive Inspection! Just like a physical exam from your doctor, technicians are trained to inspect a vehicle’s health in a bumper-to-bumper fashion, assessing the the health and safety of various parts and components and recording their findings in a way you’ll understand. They procedurally go over the vehicle, checking belts, hoses, fluids, tires, suspension, etc. and inspect for any issues or soon-to-be issues. In the past, technicians used paper forms to record their findings, leaving greasy fingerprints on the forms and hard-to-read sloppy handwriting (to the defense of mechanics everywhere, going directly from turning a wrench to writing with a little pen is dexterous!). But luckily for us ... read more