Boulder Auto Repair

Today we’re going to talk about power steering service in Boulder. If you took an informal poll around Boulder you’d probably find that most have never heard of power steering service. That’s not surprising. Even though power steering is standard on every vehicle, most people in Boulder aren’t aware that it needs periodic service. If you’re younger than a certain age, you’ve probably never driven a car or truck without power steering. To get an idea of the difference; if you’ve ever cut a board with a hand saw, you know it’s a lot of work. Using a power saw is easy-peasy by comparison. Without power steering, your arms have to do all the work to steer the wheels, and that’s hard, especially around downtown Boulder. That’s why old cars had such big steering wheels; to get enough leverage to steer. Most vehicles in Boulder have a hydraulic power steering system. Th ... read more

Most of our Louisville clients want to save on gas and seek our advice on improving fuel economy. At John’s Auto Care, we are frequently asked, however, just how much money Louisville motorists can actually save. Well the US government has a website dedicated to helping us use less fuel. It presents the cost savings in a way Louisville car owners can relate to and is relevant for all vehicles. Let me give you an example: Having your family car engine properly tuned, can save up to 4%. If you’re paying three-fifty for a gallon of gas, you could save fourteen cents a gallon.In today’s John’s Auto Care post, we’re going to talk about several things you can do to improve your family carfuel economy driving around Louisville. We’ll tell you the potential savings per gallon of gas at three dollars and fifty c ... read more

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