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Standard Auto Care in Sacramento has a blog and videos that keep automobile owners abreast of what’s happening in the always changing automotive industry. Tom Hipp and his team of auto mechanics value our customers and want them to be as informed as possible. Check out Standard Auto Care’s blogs-videos:

Yearly Archives: 2019

Can a battery be bad and still start the car?

The average life span of a battery is 4 years if it’s taken care of. It is very possible for the battery to be defective but still starts the car. Generally, one of the cells shorts internally which significantly reduces the reserve capacity. That means if you were to leave the lights or radio on while the engine is not running the battery will run down much sooner and not start the car. We can easily test for this now with modern battery testers. In addition to not starting the car, a weak battery can damage the alternator by overworking it. We test your battery at our auto repair shop every time we do an oil change service. This helps to catch a weak battery before you become stranded. Sacramento can get very hot or very cold which are both hard on batteries. One other thing to remember is if you always drive short distances your battery may not recharge completely. An undercharged battery will have a much shorter lifespan. Battery manufacturers recommend putting the battery ... read more

Why did my gas mileage go down when summer arrived?

I get this question frequently when the seasons change. Here in Sacramento California when summer approaches,the fuel manufactures add additional chemicals to gas to compensate for hot weather and emissions. This can decrease mileage by 1-3 mpg. Don't be alarmed as this is normal.  Another issue could be the engine is over due for a tune up or is getting a buildup of carbon deposits from using cheap gas that does not have cleaners added. Getting a de-carb procedure performed every 30k miles is recommend. Also choose gas that advertises cleaner has been added. It's usually more expensive. You can also add fuel additive to your gas tank.  Last but not least if you're still concerned schedule a visit to your trusted repair shop for a check up

Should I worry about oil leaks on my car?

Is it really a big concern if I make sure it does not get low? I would like to add power steering and transmission fluid into this question as well. Aside from the obvious danger of damaging the engine, power steering pump, and, or rack & pinion or, the transmission, there is an insidious hidden damage that occurs from oil leaks of any kind. All these fluids are a petroleum product. Petroleum over time will dissolve rubber or plastic. There are many components on the undercarriage and engine compartment containing rubber or plastic. These can include engine mounts, steering and suspension boots, hoses, belts, electrical wiring. In my experience the damage created is normally more expensive than it would have been to fix the leak. So, if you’re thinking it’s ok to ignore those oil leaks think again

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