Fort Collins Auto Repair

If you and your family are hitting the roads for the holidays, know that you will be one of many. In a perfect world, holiday road trips are full of spirit and fun. While few families use this opportunity to jam out to Christmas carols, many sit in stress or frustration. To prevent a disaster on the road, we’d like to share these tips to ensure your road trip is safe and as stress-free as possible: Stay buckled up - Safety always comes first. That said, make sure everyone in the car is buckled in. Store valuables - For longer trips that span for several hours, stops for gas, restrooms, and even meals are inevitable. When you make stops, ensure valuables (including christmas gifts) are stored out of sight.  Prepare for icy conditions - Depending on where you’re traveling, you might hit some icy or snowy conditions. Make sure you take it slow while on the road. Additionally, make sure your vehicle is equipped to handle such conditions. Some areas to check include tir ... read more

Tires are a very important safety feature of your vehicle. They are the only thing sitting between your vehicle and the road, and a good set of tires is essential to proper control and road traction. We know that tires can be expensive, so extending the life of your tires as much as possible should be a priority. Plus, it's always a good idea to replace all four tires simultaneously. Uneven tire wear can happen over time, which is why rotating your vehicle's tire is so important.  What is a tire rotation? A tire rotation is service performed which rotates your tires to different positions. For example, your front tires are moved to the back, and the back tires are moved to the front. They are also rotated from left to right.  Depending on your vehicle, whether it is a front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive, certain tires may wear down faster than others. When you have your tires rotated, your tires will be able to wear down more evenly in comparison ... read more

Isn’t it frustrating to spend your time and money taking your vehicle to an auto shop only to learn the problem is something you could have easily fixed yourself?  Knowledge is power. Therefore, we believe part of our job to educate drivers on how their vehicles work. Be sure to pick our brains whenever you come into the shop.     But for now:     We have five secrets to keep you from needing to make that appointment call.   1. Save yourself a trip to the auto repair shop by taking care of your car battery   If you go to start your car and the engine won’t crank and the electronics (lights, radio, door locks, etc.) won’t work, your car battery might be dead.      Now, instead of having your vehicle towed to the shop, you can try a few things on your own.   First, check for corrosion on the battery terminals.   When corrosion builds up on the terminals, it can make for poor connection to ... read more

Whether you’re a weekly commuter or weekend warrior, saving money on gas is probably worth it to you. After all, gas can add up to around $200 a month just for the necessities of your life. Getting that cost down can greatly impact the overall cost of driving your vehicle and allow for more dollars to be allocated elsewhere such as for trips and vacations. And don’t worry, buying a new vehicle is not necessary to improve your fuel economy! Follow these tips to maximize any vehicle’s fuel efficiency. 1. Vehicle Maintenance Up-to-Date A vehicle runs optimally when all systems are in great working order. Having necessary repairs and staying up-to-date on factory scheduled maintenance helps ensure that all systems in your vehicle are functioning at their best. Preventive maintenance will not only help you ... read more

Fleet Repair Management The more vehicles you own, the more difficult it becomes to manage maintaining them. Think about it--a vehicle requires an oil change and tire rotation about every 3 months, other fluids serviced at 6 or 12 months, and a host of other inspections and replacements recommended in the schedule of your Owner’s Manual. Depending on how much you drive, your vehicle may need to go into the shop or be attended to 4-5 times a year or more. If you have multiple vehicles that are used to get a job done--a fleet--it becomes ever more important to have a system in place that keeps them running in tip-top shape. Now imagine your fleet of five or ten vehicles, all of which are required for the proper functioning of your business, and keeping up on what service each vehicle needs and when. Sounds impossible! If you are a fleet manager, sm ... read more