Rocklin and Sacramento Auto Repair

No, ERG isn’t the sound a pirate makes.  It’s a part in your vehicle that recirculates exhaust gas to reduce certain gases and pollutants in the atmosphere.  In fact, ERG stands for “Exhaust Gas Recirculation.” One gas our vehicles may make when they burn fuel is nitric oxide, which can play a big role in creating smog and acid rain.  It’s better for our planet if our vehicles aren’t spewing that into the air.   One inventive way of reducing it is by taking the exhaust and channeling it back to the vehicle’s air intake system. When it travels through the engine again, its composition is changed, and it comes out cleaner.  It also helps the engine be more efficient. The EGR valve can fail after a while, and some signs you may notice are the engine is miss firing, it may suddenly lose power or your Check Engine light may come on.  You may also see your fuel economy decrease or hear your engine knock. A bad EGR valve ... read more

There’s an important part in your vehicle that shields your timing belt, timing chain or cam belt from the debris and gunk that can be kicked up from the road.  It’s called the timing cover.  It’s important because the timing belt or chain is what coordinates parts of your engine called the camshafts and crankshaft.  When they’re in sync, all runs smoothly.  When they’re not, it can cause some serious engine problems. If your vehicle has a timing belt, without the protection of the timing cover, that belt can come loose from the timing gears or break.  If your vehicle has a timing chain, the cover keeps engine oil circulating around it which lubricates it.  When that starts to leak because of a bad gasket, the chain may not be getting adequate lubrication.   If your vehicle has a timing cover problem, you may notice engine oil leaking if a gasket is not sealing tightly.  You may hear a strange metallic sound coming f ... read more

Think of how many times you put your foot on your vehicle’s brake pedal every day.  And think of how much you rely on your brakes to slow down and stop your momentum.  When it comes to safety systems, your brakes are at the top of the list, and that’s why it’s so important to keep them in top condition. Brakes are something you make sure you keep maintained before they start showing signs of problems. Some of those signs are a grinding sound when you step on the brake pedal, your vehicle pulling to one side when you brake, you don’t feel your brakes stopping you as quickly as they used to, or you notice the brake light is illuminated on your instrument panel.  We ask a lot of our brakes.  They have to work no matter how hot or cold it is outside.  That means whether it’s sunny, snowing, raining, or icy; you’re traveling at highway speeds or school-zone speeds; or when suddenly you find yourself trying to avoid hitting another ... read more

A clean connection is a wonderful thing.  Think of a good cell phone signal or an airline connection with ample time and short distance to the next gate. Good connections are also important for your vehicle’s battery, and one secret to that is to make sure it’s periodically cleaned. If it’s been a while since you have had any service to your battery, bring it in so we can inspect it for any corrosion that might have formed.  Corrosion on the battery terminals will affect the connection between the battery and your vehicle’s electrical system. The amount of corrosion you can expect can be influenced by such things as the kind of climate you live in (dry or humid, warm or cold), if there’s lots of salt on the roads and how old your battery is.   We have tools and chemicals to safely remove the corrosion for an optimal electrical connection. In order to reduce the amount of corrosion re-forming on the battery, we’ll apply a special protec ... read more