Boulder Auto Repair

The push for fuel economy has two benefits: using less gas, and fewer emissions. Boulder cars and trucks run cleaner than ever. Boulder people may not realize that the first federally mandated pollution control device came out almost fifty years ago. Boulder folks that were around in the early 60’s may remember that the PCV valve came out on 1964 model cars. PCV stand for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The crankcase is the lower part of the engine where the crankshaft is housed and where the engine oil lives. The crankshaft is connected to the pistons that power the engine. When fuel is burned in the family car engine, it pushes the pistons down and the crankshaft rotates and sends power to the transmission. Some of the explosive gases from combustion squeeze past the pistons and down into the crankcase. Now this gas is about 70% unburned fuel. If it were allowed ... read more

Whenever we talk about exhaust service, most people normally think about exhaust pipes and mufflers. Well, actually, exhaust service is a lot more comprehensive these days. For example, catalytic converters were mandated in 1976 and on-board emission control computers in 1990. Governmental emissions requirements have forced manufacturers to come up with much more sophisticated ways to comply with environmental regulations. Exhaust service has really become exhaust and emissions service. High-tech computer controlled emissions devices are now a big part of exhaust service. Because it is so sophisticated, your vehicle manufacturer recommends you have your emission system checked out by a qualified Boulder exhaust technician regularly to make sure everything is working right – usually every 6 months or 10,000 miles/16,000 kilometers. If your Check Engine light comes on, especially if it’s flashing, get your car looked at right away. Technicians ... read more

Richard Petty once told AutoNetTV, “You’ve gotta have good brakes. If you’ve got good brakes you can keep yourself out of a lotta trouble.” That’s why a regular brake inspection is on every Boulder car’s maintenance schedule. An inspection at John’s Auto Care will check your brake system and let you know if there are any problems. Of course, if you’re having trouble with your brakes, get your car into John’s Auto Care right away. Here are some symptoms to watch for:If you are experiencing any of these, it’s time to get your brakes checked. There are two types of brakes: disc and drum. Disc brakes have a rotor that’s attached to the axle. Calipers straddle the rotor, kind of like the brakes on a bicycle. Drum brakes are more common on back wheels. Both types have pads or shoes that press against the brakes and slow ... read more

You may have found yourself in the following situation: You go to get your oil changed and the service adviser at John’s Auto Care recommends you get a new engine air filter. You say yes, but because you didn’t know what an air filter is or what it does, but you were too embarrassed to ask. First of all, you did the right thing by getting a new one. And, you should never be too embarrassed to ask for more information from any of our John’s Auto Care staff. It’s your money and you have a right to understand what you’re paying for. Let’s review what an air filter does: Air is the focus of this discussion. What is the air like outside in Boulder right now? Can you see any smog? Is it full of pollen? How about dust? Anyone in CO with hay fever can tell you that there’s plenty in the air that you can’t see. Well, it’s the engine air filter’s job to clean that air before it goes into your engine, to mix with the fuel and be burned ... read more

One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician at John’s Auto Care in Boulder CO is diagnosing a problem before it can be fixed. Cars are made up of a bunch of complex systems. There usually could be a number of reasons for any given symptom. So it’s challenging to track down the actual cause of the problem. And it can be frustrating for the vehicle owner because it can take time and money to get to the bottom of a problem. If it’s not something obvious, it’s easy for the customer to focus on the fixing and not the diagnosing. Let us introduce you to something we’ll call Customer Detective Work – that is helping your Boulder CO technician find clues to what’s wrong. We start with the detective basics: What, Where and When. Play along with me. You come in to John’s Auto Care and your car is making a funny sound.Do you see where we’re goin ... read more