Frequently Asked Questions

The AutoMedic handles all routine maintenance your vehicle needs to stay running strong.

• • Pit Stops
    • Oil Change
    • Tire Rotations
    • Fluid Top Off
    • Wiper Blades
    • AutoMedic Inspection
  • Tune Ups
    • Brake Pads & Rotors
    • Spark Plugs & Wires
    • Air Filter Cleaning & Replacement
    • Belts & Hoses
    • Battery
    • Alternator
    • Starter
  • Diagnostic (Engine & Vehicle)
  • Used Car Vehicle Inspections

We also provide The AutoMedic + Membership which gives our customers the power of an Auto Mechanic they can trust in their back pocket. Although we do not provide a full repair service, we are certainly here to make sure you don’t get taken advantage of where you decide to take your vehicle. We can even communicate with repair shops on your behalf. We speak Car, that’s what we do!

One key problem with the auto industry is the flat rate pay system. There is little motivation to be honest and quite a bit of motivation to rip off the customers. The AutoMedic values lifelong relationships with not only you but with your vehicle as well! We have an extraordinary team of competent and ethical mechanic experts who will answer all of our clients questions and give you a thorough explanation of needed procedures before, during and after the service takes place!

Long story short? Your engine needs oil to run smoothly and avoid developing complicated (and expensive) issues down the road.

Longer story? There are three primary reasons your engine needs motor oil, and fresh motor oil on a regular basis too.

• First, oil lubricates all the moving pieces in your engine to keep everything running smoothly.
• Second, it helps stop your car from overheating (and smoking up the highway!) by reducing friction, transferring the heat, and absorbing by-products from combustion.
• Third, a correct oil level keeps everything flowing properly so the engine system doesn’t starve.   

When your oil level gets too low or your oil gets too old, the engine’s motor oil can’t properly perform these three functions and you could end up with nasty problems like decreased engine life, sticking piston rings, and overheating. By getting your oil changed regularly, you can keep your engine in good condition and provide the best protection for all of your engine’s bits and pieces.

Follow the specifications set by your vehicle manufacturer, as different engines have different needs. When you get an oil change, you’ll get a handy little sticker to remind you when to get your oil changed next, based on time or mileage. Traditional wisdom says you should get an oil change every 3 months or 3000 miles. (And, as always, bring your car in to get it checked out if you notice performance issues or oil spotting before that point.)

Is it time to get your oil changed? SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT 

During an oil change, we do more than pour new oil in your engine. We’ll remove your old, gunky oil and replace it with a full synthetic oil, synthetic blend, conventional, or high mileage oil depending on your vehicle’s needs. We’ll also replace and recycle your oil filter and perform a courtesy inspection which includes fluid, light, and battery checks to make sure you drive away confident in your vehicle’s safety.

Simply put, synthetic motor oil is specifically created from chemical compounds. These formulations allow scientists to create motor oil that at a molecular level is able to provide superior, more complete protection for your engine than conventional oil can. This means a series of complicated-sounding but significant benefits, like less evaporative loss, a higher viscosity index, greater resistance to oxidation thermal breakdown and sludge problems. Plus, markedly superior low and high temperature performance. Bottom line: synthetic oil helps keep your engine as close to new as possible for as long as possible, which adds up to you having greater peace of mind on the road.

Synthetic oil costs more than conventional oil, which is why The AutoMetic also offers synthetic blend. As the name suggests, synthetic blend is simply a mixture or blend of synthetic and conventional motor oils. Both its price and protection levels are in between conventional and full synthetic oil. (Often synthetic oil is referred to as “full synthetic” to distinguish it from a synthetic blend.) So you can think of conventional, synthetic blend and full synthetic oil as good, better, best.

There are many reasons people decide to use synthetic oil. First, because your vehicle’s manufacturer requires it. More and more manufacturers today design their engines specifically around the superior protection and performance properties of synthetic oils. Your AutoMedic technician can tell you which oil is required for your vehicle, or you can look at your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. You may risk engine damage if you don’t use synthetic oil, and you may void your new-vehicle warranty.

The second reason to use synthetic oil is because it offers better protection and performance, regardless of whether your manufacturer requires it or not, particularly in extreme temperatures. Synthetic oil flows more freely at freezing temperatures than conventional oil and resists breakdown or “burn off” at higher temperatures. The difference is really eye-opening. So especially if you live in areas of the country where temperatures sometimes get down to single digits and/or climbs near or exceeds triple digits, you should consider a synthetic or synthetic blend. You should also consider a synthetic or synthetic blend if you do a lot of towing or other “severe use” driving, like lots of stop-and-go traffic or grinding, rush-hour, big-city commutes.

Synthetic motor oil and regular motor oil both start off life as crude oil.  However, synthetic motor oil has been refined and broken down to remove impurities.  This improves its stability and also improves its lubrication qualities at higher and lower temperatures.  Synthetic motor oil is a more costly choice.  There are a few scenarios in which we recommend using synthetic motor oil, such as performance vehicles with a turbo and in some high mileage vehicles.  Despite this, regular motor oil should not be looked down on.  It does a wonderful job at protecting your vehicle’s engine and keeps it running smoothly.

The simple answer is to help keep your car running newer, longer. By letting us perform routine maintenance, you’ll help spare bigger car trouble in future.

Lapsing maintenance on your car’s vital fluid exchanges, dirty filters, fussy belts, and old spark plugs can lead to bigger problems like busted-up radiators, slipping gear shifts and engine failure. That’s why routine maintenance is key to vehicle longevity. Maintenance you think you can “let go” in the short term can often be an “oh, no!” down the road.

Your manufacturer has designed a maintenance schedule (found in your owner’s manual) around the specific makeup of your particular vehicle. Follow this schedule and chances are your vehicle will deliver optimal performance as you rack up the miles, help your parts last longer and save you some dough on more expensive replacement parts.

Each car, SUV, truck or van manufacturer lists time and mileage intervals for routine maintenance, inspections, and part replacement. Some service intervals are shorter, requiring more frequent maintenance, while other maintenance intervals are longer. Feel free to contact us with the specifics of your vehicle and we will be sure to inform you of the proper maintenance schedule.

If your check engine light comes on while driving, it will most likely not damage your vehicle if you continue to your destination. You should, however, make it a point to bring your car in as soon as possible to make sure that there is nothing seriously wrong with your vehicle. This is a warning light that something is wrong, be smart and get it looked at by a professional.

A tune up is a major service that includes an oil change, replacement of an engine air filter, spark plugs and possibly a few additional items.

Tune-up intervals vary from one vehicle to another. Most older vehicles with non-electronic ignitions should be tuned every 10,000 to 12,000 miles or every year, whichever comes first. Newer cars with electronic ignition and fuel injection systems are scheduled to go from 25,000 miles to as many as 100,000 miles without needing a major tune-up. We recommend following your manufacturer’s specifications on tune-ups and other maintenance, based on mileage intervals. This will help to maintain a new vehicle’s warranty and also add longevity to the life of your vehicle

Brake pads are equipped with wear indicators that produce a squealing noise when the brakes are almost worn out. The noise may be present with or without the brake pedal applied, but when noise is heard from the wear indicator, the brake pads should be replaced as soon as possible. Wear indicators are set to create noise when there is around 2 mm of brake pad friction material thickness remaining. In the case of assessing pad wear through inspection, pads should be replaced at or before 2 mm thickness is reached.

Brake rotors are marked with a “minimum thickness” on the casting (usually 2 mm to 3 mm less than the new rotor thickness). Rotors should be replaced before they reach this minimum thickness and should not be turned below this.

Brake squeal is caused by the high-frequency vibration of brake components (rotor, calipers, and/or pads) in response to excitation from the brake friction process. A significant amount of time and engineering goes into eliminating brake squeal from original equipment brake components.

Brake components are engineered as a complete system—factory-original performance can only be assured when using original equipment brake pads and rotors. When brake squeal occurs, there may be damage or excessive wear on one or more components affecting noise, including the brake pads, the noise-damping shim that is bonded to the brake pad, or the rotor friction surface.

In addition, it should be recognized that high-performance and track-capable brake systems using high-performance pad materials will always be at higher risk for producing brake squeal noise, even when no damage to the components is present.

No. If there are no conditions such as pedal pulsation or steering-wheel vibration during braking, and the brake rotor is at least 1 mm thicker than the discard thickness, then it does not need to be turned or replaced.

We can’t stress enough how important a pre-sale vehicle inspection is.  This is the only surefire way of knowing what you are really purchasing, because even ‘pretty’ vehicles can have an ugly unsafe side to them.  With our used car inspection, we look for safety concerns and look for overall maintenance issues.  We also review the vehicle for body damage that the seller may be trying to hide.  Having a professional technician inspect your car gives you a very clear picture of the ‘true’ condition the car is in and in some cases gives you the power to negotiate a better price.

Your car needs regular service with top engine oil. Finding a trusted mechanic is an absolute must so your car get the very best! Many workshops are found to be selling dirty or fake engine oil to their customers.

Some shops also advertise with very cheap oil changes, but before you grab a coupon for a $15 or $20 oil change, buyer beware! These shops often have additional charges for disposing of the oil and other things they add on, so your bill ends up being much, much higher.

The average driver uses their brakes 75,000 times per year and takes for granted that they’ll work every time. Today’s brake systems are hydraulic and use brake fluid which is hydrophilic, meaning it can absorb moisture from the air. Once the hydraulic system has moisture in it, corrosion takes place and brake components fail. Brake fluid should be flushed periodically to keep corrosion under control. This procedure is not expensive and is included in many preventative maintenance schedules. Brake fluid should be handled with care. It will melt plastics and remove paint.

Coolant/ Antifreeze should be replaced every two years due to oxidation and deterioration of important additives. These additives lubricate the water pump and protect metal parts from rust and oxidation. They also help keep coolant hoses soft and flexible. Today we can recycle and clean old antifreeze, replacing the additives. Antifreeze is very toxic and not environmentally friendly so recycling makes good sense. The engine’s thermostat should also be replaced every 2 years to keep the engine operating temperature in the proper range.

If you notice any cracks on your belts or hoses, it is time to replace them.  The elements make the rubber in hoses and belts deteriorate over time. This makes the rubber hard, creating cracks. This can make a belt snap or slide off the pulley, or have a hose start leaking. Other indicators it is time to replace them is if they feel hard or extremely soft.  However, hoses can start to wear from the inside out, and this isn’t something you would be able to see on a visual inspection.  We typically recommend you replace them every 2 to 4 years.

Improperly inflated tires are a leading cause of tire failure. Proper tire pressure helps a tire have optimum tread contact with the road, which improves traction and braking and reduces tire wear. Under-inflated tires generate heat, which is the tire’s worst enemy, so maintaining the right amount of air keeps temperatures where they should be.

A good rule of thumb is if wipers smear water or snow and obstruct your view when they swoosh by, it’s time for new blades.

Yes, we suggest that any time you are planning a trip with your vehicle, you have it inspected for any possible safety issues along with making sure it is in optimal running condition.  You don’t want the highlight of your trip to be when the tow truck finally rescued you from the side of the road!

If it has been a while since your last oil change, we typically suggest you have your oil changed before and after any long road trips.  In addition to an oil change, you will want to check and make sure all your lights are in working order, along with your windshield wipers.  Check all fluids, belts and hoses, and inspect your battery to make sure it doesn’t show any signs of corrosion. Checking brake pads and rotors is a must as well. It is also very important to check your tires to make sure you have plenty of tread, no cracks, and to ensure they are properly inflated according to the manufacturer’s specifications.  You may want to install winter tires if going for a trip to the mountains. We suggest you also take a few basic items with you in case of an emergency, such as jumper cables, some basic tools, a first aid kit, and water.