Boulder Auto Repair

Your car’s suspension plays a key role:  It keeps your car up off the road and helps provide a comfy and stable ride.  It should keep your wheels firmly planted over bumps and through curves. Your suspension system has many parts. It’s basically everything that connects your wheels to the car’s frame. These are heavy duty parts that do a lot of work. They need to be inspected for damage and excessive wear at least once a year.  Colorado driving with it’s multitude of potholes, road debris, rocks, ice and other obstacles can really take a toll on suspension systems, so at John’s Auto Care we feel it’s important to inspect at every oil change service. Here are some warning signs that your suspension may have problems: . . . You just don’t feel in control when you’re driving. Some suspension parts just wear out with use. Shocks and struts wil ... read more

When it comes to winter tires, much of the public’s perception dates back to when 8-track audio tapes were the best way to listen to the Bee Gees. Twenty years ago, winter tires differed from highway tires only in their tread design. We called them snow tires back then and they had big, knobby lugs that were designed to give good traction in deep snow. They had the same rubber compound as regular tires and they weren’t very good on ice, packed snow or wet roads. They were not even very good on dry roads. They really helped in deep or loose snow, but they did a poor job the rest of the time. They were loud and rode hard. You couldn’t wait to get them off in the spring. Then all-season tires came along. All-season tires are really a compromise between summer and winter performance. They have acceptable hot weather ride and tread life, and you can get through mild winter road conditions O ... read more

The coolant system is a vital part of your vehicle and is the  second most common cause of vehicle failures.  Even though coolant system failure is fairly common, it is easy to prevent. The most recognizable part of the coolant system is the radiator. It is connected to the engine with hoses and is filled with coolant. The coolant draws heat off the engine and then goes into the radiator. Air passes through cooling fins to reduce the temperature of the coolant and then it’s recirculated back to the engine again. There are several ways for a cooling system to fail. Most common is with the coolant itself. Coolant is a mixture of water and antifreeze. The proper mixture keeps the coolant from either boiling away or freezing. Both of which can result in massive engine damage. Another very important coolant issue that is o ... read more

Like Us on Facebook to Participate Every Monday we post to Facebook a photograph of a part we took out of a customer’s car. On Fridays we will announce the winner, who will be chosen at random from all the correct posts received through midnight Thursday.  They will win a coupon for 10% off parts & labor on any service or repair at John’s Auto Care (never expires) … AND a chance to win $100 cash! All weekly winners will be entered in a bi-annual contest to win $100 in cash! If you think you know what the part is, Like Us on Facebook & write the name of the part in comments.

A little preparation goes a long way to keep your car reliable and you safe in winter.  And winterizing your vehicle becomes critical if you plan to play in the mountains!  The only thing worse than being stranded on the side of the road….. is being stranded in the middle of winter!  The cold can turn an inconvenient situation into a life-threatening one surprisingly fast. Here are some very simple things you can do to help insure a safe and enjoyable winter driving season: NOTE:  – services listed below with one asterisk (*) are included in every John’s Auto Care oil change service. Have your oil changed regularly with us and each starred item is one less thing you have to think about.   – services listed below with two asterisks (**) are included in John’s Winter Special Fluids   As any mechanic will tell you, checking and renewing your fluids is the least expensive an ... read more