Car Talk

 As many of our customers' vehicles reach the high 200k mark on mileage we, "car talk" today about clear next steps on moving forward on a new vehicle purchase. 

Now, when I say vehicle purchase, there are many makes and models out there in today's automotive industry. So which one do you choose?

That answer has to do with many factors including your lifestyle, (MPG) miles per gallon concerns and if you are planning on purchasing a new or used vehicle.

Some people want to tow trailers and some want a commuter to get to and from work with the best gas mileage possible.

Let's talk about the vehicle makes available today. You have our top two which are Honda and Toyota. Lets face it, these Makes are some of the best in the business as far as reliability is concerned with owning a vehicle that will go the distance, (with normal maintenance of course) these are top two.

Then we have the lifelong battle between Ford and Chevy trucks on the American makes. While I do believe that Ford is better for the workhorse there is nothing better them getting into a nice clean Chevy or GMC truck with tons of features and driving home from work and still able to tow a boat on the weekend if needed with the family.

As a mechanic, I don't mind working on ANY cars or trucks but yes some makes and models are easier to repair then others and that isn't the owner's fault it's the engineers flaw in design.

While you do the test drive speed jockey program here's a list of makes and models from low-end to high-end to keep your eye on out there that we recommend:

• Honda=>Acura
• Toyota=>Lexus
• Nissan=>Infiniti
• Buick=>Cadillac
• Hyundai=>Genesis
• Subaru=>Volvo

These are good choices all around but price goes up as the arrow above shifts to the right on makes.

Have fun shopping and we will always be here as a resource to you while making your vehicle purchase just remember in the end you will spent a lot of time in the vehicle so go with your gut.

Don't forget about our pre-buyer inspection we offer for $80 so we can look at your used vehicle and make sure your not getting into a new can of worms and out of pocket expenses once you purchase your new car or truck.

During your pre-buyer inspection we will generate a list of things we find wrong with the vehicle moving forward that you may want to repair soon (if we find anything).

Due to long-time customers that have been bringing their cars to our business and trust us when we recommend repairs and maintained as needed will ONLY then have a good chance at making another 200k plus on their new vehicle purchase.

Set an appointment today before you buy your used car and make a more educated decision that could save me money down the road.

Happy car hunting!

Drive Safe......

Contact: Rick's Auto in Forestville, C.A. (707)887-1641.

COVID-19 UPDATE FROM RICK’S AUTO IN FORESTVILLE, C.A.

Rick’s Auto is an “Essential Business” and is OPEN during this Pandemic

At Rick’s Auto the safety and well-being of our employees and our customers is always our priority. In preventing our customers’ exposure to any air or contact borne bacteria or viruses we have told our employees to stay home is they have any cold or flu-like symptoms. Furthermore, we sanitize our shop each day on all relative contact points including, phones, keyboards, door handles, restroom, and tools and equipment. For our customer vehicles we address sanitation of seat covers, steering wheel covers, and floor mats and we also wipe down door handles, gear shift handles, etc.

We realize you depend on your vehicles, which is why we are concerned about the health, safety and well-being of your vehicles as well. This is why scheduled services and repairs that are due should not be overlooked. 

The new operating management at our shop is as follows:

1)      We have always had and continue to have after hour drop-offs available in front of the shop with payment strictly done via by phone.

2)      We are starting the provide vehicle pickup and delivery service by appointment ONLY for Forestville residents ONLY.

3)      At this time all work will be appointments only, no drop ins or customer waiting in our waiting room.

We appreciate our community here in Forestville and we will be here as a resource to you if help is needed with your vehicles and thank you for your cooperation during this Pandemic.

We hope everyone works together to stay safe out there!

Regards, The Staff @ Rick’s Auto in Forestville, C.A. (707) 887-1641

DOES MY VEHCILE HAVE A CABIN AIR FILTER?

HAVE YOU HAD YOUR CABIN AIR FILTER CHANGED AFTER THE KINCADE FIRE? IF NOT CALL RICK'S AUTO (707)887-1641 AND SET AN APPOINTMENT TODAY SO YOU CAN START BREATHING EASY AGAIN!

Today's Most Common Car Repairs

Everyone has had that moment when your driving down the road and your engine light comes on, the first thing you think about is, “how much is this going to cost me?”. For most new cars today about half the time the problem the engine light pertains to a loose gas cap.

Although in general you should NEVER ignore ANY warning light, but common check engine repairs can range from a $15 gas cap replacement to a $1,100 catalytic converter replacement and everything else in between. The most common repair across makes, models happens to be oxygen sensor replacement. The average cost for this repair is around $250 and goes up from there especially if it's a heated oxygen sensor which is more complex in design and application and the price tag proves this. 

Overall, the average repair cost in 2017 was $387.31 ($155.15 in labor, $232.16 in parts). That’s 8% less than the 10-year high of $422 in 2006. One big hint from this blog post is if the check engine light goes on, check your gas cap to ensure it's clicked three or more times, preferably a non-locking cap because it will seal better.

That’s the good news. The bad news is perhaps self-evident: The average cost to repair 2006 cars was $399, double the average repair cost of 2017 models (whose repairs were usually covered by warranty). Worse still, the second-most common repair involved are the infamous pricey catalytic converters. Rounding out the top five were replacements for the ignition coil and spark plug” ($390), gas cap replacements and checks and thermostat replacements ($210). New to the top 10 most common repairs were evaporative emissions purge control or solenoid replacements, which both cost just less than $300.

One of the best ways to minimize and reduce the cost of unforeseen car repairs is to follow a regular maintenance program here at Rick's Complete Automotive in Forestville. CA (707)887-1641 and take care of small problems as soon as you’re aware of them before big problem arise, particularly as vehicles age.

At our shop we have seen a simple spark plug failure that can snowball from a $50 part into a $400 part order in a blink of a eye going from a bad spark plug to a bad ignition coil and a bad fuel injector over the same cylinder with a misfire condition.

This past 2017 calendar year, during which the U.S. experienced an El Niño weather pattern, spark plugs were only the eighth-most common reason for check engine light issues. Battery replacements are not listed on the 10 most common repairs this year.

Take a look at the top 10 car repairs of 2017:

1. Replacing an oxygen sensor – $249
2. Replacing a catalytic converter – $1,153
3. Replacing ignition coil(s) and spark plug(s) – $390
4. Tightening or replacing a fuel cap – $15
5. Thermostat replacement – $210
6. Replacing ignition coil(s) – $236
7. Mass air flow sensor replacement – $382
8. Replacing spark plug wire(s) and spark plug(s) – $331
9. Replacing evaporative emissions (EVAP) purge control valve – $168
10. Replacing evaporate emissions (EVAP) purging solenoid – $184

If you are one of those people who lose sleep over repair bills,owning a car may not be the best option. If a lease is sounding like a better idea to you just remember, you still need to pay a monthly bill to lease your ride when you can have a paid off car and get get hit with a big bill once in blue moon. 

The point of this blog entry is if you under maintenance your vehicle, and your not proactive to auto repairs when weird sounds or warning lights come on and continue to drive your car sooner or later you will be hit with lighting leaving you and your car on the side of the road waiting for a tow-truck and a big repair bill coming out of your pocket book.

Please be proactive and let Rick's Complete Auto in Forestville take care for your concerns by addressing the cause and correction to keep your vehicle trouble free and make sure your running the life you want to live without a broken down car being your biggest priority.

Rick's Complete Automotive

6560 Railroad Ave. Forestville, CA 95436

Contact Owner: Keith Tacla

(707)887-1641 

Safety Tips for Driving. It Could Save Your Life...

We all know that newer cars are safer than ever, but remember they are still driven by human beings and, humans by design make mistakes.

Follow some of these safety tips while driving and one day it may be able to save your life.

#1 ADJUST YOUR MIRRORS TO HELP ELIMINATE THE BLIND SPOT

This is such a frequent cause of accidents that most makes and models today adopted fancy radar sensors or camera systems capable of detecting other vehicles in your blind spots and if you own one and you enter a blind spot with a car there you will hear a extremely loud beep/scream as you swerve in terror and/or crash your vehicle anyway. If your car doesn't have these fancy upgrades adjust your mirror so you don't see ANY of your car to give you the most field of vision as you can get. Remember, look over your shoulder and don't be lazy.

#2 PAY MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS THEN ROAD SIGNS

We're not saying that you should ignore stoplights and road signs, but that you shouldn't rely on them to make every decision for you. Just because you had the right of way at an intersection won't make you any less dead if you pull in front of an 18 wheeler. Be safe out there and use your eyes and head as you see fit. I mean come on...we are all adults here so let's act like it!

#3. TRY DRIVING WITH YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON AT ALL TIMES

As you can see in the above picture it is MUCH easier to see the a car in low light conditions with the headlights on as opposed to the headlights off. It also isn't a ticket to drive with them on and never a bad idea to be more safe then sorry. According to a recent study, you can reduce your risk of being involved in an accident by up to 32 percent simply by driving with your headlights on at all times and I don't know about you but I'd rather have the odds in my favor when my life's in danger.

This message was brought to you from the safety instructions of the following company:

Rick's Complete Automotive

6560 Railroad Ave.

Forestville, C.A. 95436

707-887-1641

6 Ways To Damage Your Vehicle

The parking brake is there for a reason. It locks up the wheels so the car won't roll downhill. It also prevents stripping the parking pawl in the transmission when in "park". Your car is not meant to be held by the transmission and that is what your parking brake is used for so let's start using it people...Remember to always release the parking brake before driving.

You can strip the gears and bands in your transmission when you don't come to a complete stop before shifting gears. Eventually, you won't be able to shift into gears because they will no longer have teeth to mesh, nor any bands to apply tension to hold all of the necessary force in place for propulsion.

Don't ride the brakes, or rest your foot on the brake petal when going downhill. If you do, it could wear down the brakes pads faster then you wanted. Brakes are you life so this issue is one of the most important pro-active maintenance items on your vehicle.Get your brakes checked by Rick's Auto in Forestville regularly.

The engine has metal pistons with round metal rings that slide up and down the cylinder walls. If oil is not maintained, the metal rubbing can eventually lead to some major issues. Regular oil changes can extent the life of any motor.

Don't forget to turn your AC off before starting your car; AC is connected to the serpentine belt, so it requires the engine to work a little harder when it is left on.

You probably didn't know that fuel in your gas tank actually cools down the fuel pump once submerged. If you are one that likes to wait until the gas light come on please don't do it. You may be saving a little money by not fueling up as often but you could be setting yourself up for bigger issues. Try to keep you fuel gauge at 1/4 or more full to avoid fuel pump issues.

 

Honda Air Bag Recall

Honda has recently expanded its air bag recall to two-million vehicles marking this as one of the biggest air bag recalls of all time. 

The problem lies in a defective inflator that could explode in a crash, sending shards of its metal casing into the passenger compartment. The inflator was made by Takata Corporation, which has said the propellant inside the inflator was not properly prepared and was too powerful. Last month, Takata recommended that customers including Toyota, Ford and Chrysler recall vehicles in Hawaii, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, saying that high humidity appeared to make the problem more likely to happen.

But Honda said it would recall vehicles in other areas that also have high humidity because it wanted to make sure owners would not be endangered. In addition to the states recommended by Takata, Honda had said it would recall vehicles originally sold or registered in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas.

Honda has since received a report of an “energetic deployment” of an air bag in California, leading to the decision to issue a recall, Chris Martin, a spokesman for the automaker, said in a telephone interview. Mr. Martin also said that the automaker was still calculating how many vehicles are being recalled because it involves tracing vehicle histories. But he estimated the total will be about 3 million in the United States.

The vehicles affected by the recall are the 4-cylinder-engine-equipped 2001-7 Honda Accord; the 2001-2 Honda Accord V6; the 2001-5 Honda Civic; the 2002-6 Honda CR-V; the 2003-11 Honda Element; the 2002-4 Honda Odyssey; the 2003-7 Honda Pilot; the 2006 Honda Ridgeline; the 2003-6 Acura MDX; and the 2002-3 Acura TL and CL.

Here is a video example of how powerful an air bag explosion can be:

Air bag explosion: http://youtu.be/oXnfySKQock

Take your Honda to your local dealership to see if you qualify for the current recall. You can also call the dealership and give them your VIN Vehicle Identification Number so they can run the number and see if you qualify for the recall.

For any other questions or concerns about the Honda recall contact Rick's Complete Automotive (707) 887-1641.