Solana Beach Auto Repair

Spring is in the air – along with pollen, dust, and a host of other irritants! If you suffer from allergies, you go through a love-hate relationship with spring every year. While you can’t magically get rid of all the pollen in the air, you can ensure the air inside your vehicle is clean and fresh with a new pollen filter. Problems Associated With a Dirty Filter Think of this hard-working filter as “PPE” for your vehicle's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system! Over time your pollen filter can become clogged with dust, leaves, twigs, and residue from exhaust fumes. A dirty filter can't do its job properly and filter out the contaminants. Left blocked, not only will it cause your car to smell moldy, it could also potentially cause costly problems to your vehicle’s AC system.  Spring is a great time to replace your pollen air filter. (Read to the bottom of this article for DRIVE&nb ... read more

Vehicles are machines, and like any machine they need maintenance. For most vehicles, regular maintenance begins at 5,000 miles and continues from there every 5,000-10,000 miles. Of course, checking your car on a more regular basis is even better. Why do you need to maintain your car regularly? Properly maintaining your vehicle is key to keeping it in top condition. It can also help ensure your safety, the safety of your passengers, and your fellow drivers. Here are the reasons maintaining your car is the right choice. Preventing future repairs When your car develops a problem, and you leave it unattended, the problem can potentially become bigger. For example, if you ignore an oil leak, your lubrication and transmission systems will get damaged, plus the engine's car starting system and other components. By repairing a car the moment you notice a problem, you can avoid all the additional problems. Increasing your car's lifespan As you use your car, most of its ... read more

Shock absorbers are a crucial part of a car's suspension system. They maintain incredible traction between the tires and ground by preventing excessive movements caused by speed bumps and potholes. All the same, after years of hard work, your shock absorbers are subject to wear and tear and will eventually fail, calling for a replacement. Naturally, you can use your shock absorbers for approximately 50,000 miles before you need to replace them. However, this is dependent on where, how, and for how long you drive. If you mostly drive on the less beaten paths, your shock absorbers are more likely to fail more quickly, unlike in cars driven on smooth and leveled roads. Other factors such as weather can also contribute to corrosion, thereby reducing your car's shock absorbers and strut life span. When Should You Replace Your Shock Absorbers Your car's shock absorbers play a vital role in enhancing comfort and safety on the road. In fact, they are considered a regular mainten ... read more

Cars are complex vehicles that have a lot of moving parts, all of which have to work well in order for the vehicle to effectively and efficiently operate. Vehicles in warmer climates are doing to need different things than cars that have to go through the cold weather. But either way, there are certain seasonal repairs that are common with many different vehicles. Spring One of the biggest things people often have to have looked over and repaired in the spring is the braking system. The winter months may have put the brakes through a lot, especially in colder conditions, and it can wear down the brake pads. Brake pad replacement and other fixes in the spring are very common. Summer Since summer is warm almost everywhere in the country, one of the biggest complaints customers have about their vehicles is the air conditioning. Either the AC won't work at all, or it will start to blow warmer air, which is a real problem when the temperatures rise ... read more

Over time, your tires are going to wear out. The treadwear from driving around, exposure to heat, and the age of the tire can all wear them down and make them dangerous to drive around. Knowing the right time to replace your tires will make you safe on the road. Why is the Tread Wear Important? With good treads on the tire, the car is able to drive better. However, if these treads wear down, the vehicle will struggle in bad weather conditions including snow and rain. The worn treads can wear down the other parts of the car as well. To check the tread of the tire, you can use a penny. Point the head of President Lincoln down and insert it into the grooves of the tire. If you can see any part of Lincoln's head, this is a sign that the tread is wearing down and you need to replace the tires. The Age of the Tires Regardless of how much wear there is on the treads, there are a lot of manufacturers that will recommend you replace the tires of any vehicle after six years, though you ... read more

Spark plugs have been around since cars were first dreamed about. The first spark plugs were developed in the mid-1800s and while others had a hand in developing them, Robert Bosch was the one to perfect and patent the technology in 1901.          Today, if you drive a gasoline-powered or hybrid vehicle, your vehicle has spark plugs. So it's worth taking a few minutes to understand how they work. What are spark plugs? Spark plugs are a major component of your vehicle's ignition system. They create the electric spark needed to continuously ignite the fuel-air in the combustion chamber of your car. Every vehicle requires a specific spark plug. When your spark plugs are in good shape, they burn fuel efficiently. But like your motor oil, spark plugs also require routine maintenance and replacement. A faulty spark plug is one that has become dirty or has blistered and worn out from running too hot. Just one bad spark plug will a ... read more

We all don’t expect our vehicles to always smell like roses, but we don’t anticipate a nauseating smell either. If your car releases a strong odor, it can help you identify a potential problem. Unless you have a new air freshener, an unusual smell should be inspected to prevent dangerous mechanical problems and costly repairs. Below are five strange car smells to look out for and what they may mean.  Sweet Smell Coolant is usually lime green and smells very sweet smelling. If you notice a sweet smell inside your car cabin, there may be a coolant leak. In some cases, the coolant leak will be visible underneath the front of your vehicle. However, a coolant leak may not always be visible because it can take place beneath the dashboard. A sweet smell may seem nice but should be inspected by a professional.  Burning Smell  A burning smell may occur if the brake pads and rotors have overheated due to hard braking. If the burnin ... read more

Help us support local business and listen to some incredible music live from the Belly Up stage. Whether you’re sheltering-in-place, parents of children who are “zooming” instead of attending school, or a family separated from loved ones, we know that COVID-19 has been hard on everyone. Running two auto repair businesses in Solana Beach (N. Cedros and Highway 101) we talk to a lot of neighbors and we know that these are trying times for sure. The crisis has hit especially hard at the arts, musicians and the venues that support the artists.  Since 1980, DRIVE AutoCare has been an integral part of the small business community in Solana Beach. Building a business in a beautiful place like North County we have a lot to be proud of. That’s why we’re so passionate about supporting other local businesses like ourselves. To support our local community, DRIVE AutoCare is giving away 10 FREE tickets to the ... read more

Coolant is an essential fluid that should be regularly checked as your vehicle tacks on miles. Periodically inspecting the coolant can find potential problems before they turn into severe damage. If you pop the hood and check the coolant, it should be pollutant-free and sweet-smelling. Healthy engine coolant is typically green and pink. Coolant in an unhealthy engine is milky-looking. Milky coolant can appear grey, dull, dark, or white. Coolant that is milky and dull in color can indicate a significant issue with the head gasket that needs immediate attention. A vehicle’s head gasket is fitted between the engine block and cylinder head. It’s usually made of copper or steel material. The head gasket has numerous functions, but its primary job is to keep the coolant and motor oil separate from the combustion chamber. If this function fails, the coolant can become diluted with oil. Diluted coolant will not be able to adequately cool the engine, eventually leading to the engin ... read more

Record-breaking hot weather, low humidity, and wind have fueled California wildfires during the 2020 historic fire season. During the month of September, San Diego experienced ash, soot, and dust from the wildfires in addition to our normal pollen and pollutants. Your vehicle’s cabin air filter is designed to protect you from these contaminants. Normally, the cabin air filter is changed every 12,000 miles. However, under the current fire conditions, your cabin air filter should be changed more often. (Read to the bottom of this article for DRIVE AutoCare’s special offer!) About the Cabin Air Filter In most cars, the cabin air filter sits behind the glove compartment. This filter is a small pleated unit, often made of an engineered material or paper-based, multifiber cotton. Before air can move into the interior of the car, it goes through this filter, trapping any contaminants within the air to prevent them from infiltrating the air you breath ... read more