Sacramento and Elk Grove Auto Repair

Your vehicle's water pump functions as the heart of the cooling system. It regulates the flow of coolant and circulates it throughout the cooling circuit. Water pumps are most commonly driven externally by a pulley/belt combination. If the water pump is damaged, the engine can eventually overheat. Water pumps are designed to last a fair amount of time, but it can break down as you add on miles with other vehicle parts. When it's time to replace the water pump, it will start to display some warning signs. Below are four signs that indicate water pump failure.  There's a coolant leak. The water pump has multiple gaskets and seals that hold the coolant and are consistently delivered to the engine. Over time these seals and gaskets can degrade and wear out. If these seals are dry up and crack, coolant can leak and puddle on the ground. Coolant is usually green or red and will typically be near the front of your engine.  There ... read more

Your brakes are put to the test every time you drive your vehicle, so they must stay in top condition. A healthy brake system gives a type of peace of mind that most drivers take for granted during their routine commutes. Brake maintenance is essential because neglecting the brakes can impact your vehicle's response time. Failing brakes can be a matter of life and death. The brakes aren't designed to last forever; they have a natural life span that causes them to wear over time. Your brakes will alert you when they need to be serviced; you just need to be aware of the signs. To help you identify whether it's time to have your brakes serviced, below are three signs, it's time for professional maintenance.   Your car takes longer to stop.  Brake fade is the technical term when your brakes start to wear over time, causing your vehicle to take more time to slow down. There are different types of brakes fade; the most common types are a friction fade and bra ... read more

Headlights are essential, and without them, driving becomes increasingly dangerous. If your high beams are working, but the low beams aren't, several reasons can be the cause. While it's easy to assume this may be due to a bad bulb, if changing the bulb doesn't help, a deeper issue may be the culprit. Don't neglect this problem by choosing to drive in the daytime. Driving without headlights is not just hazardous; it's illegal. You may find yourself coming out of pocket for a fix-it ticket. Below are 3 of the most common issues that can illuminate the high beams while leaving the low beams inactive.  The Relay is Damaged In layman's terms, a vehicle's relay is a switch that operates electronically. If the relay has gone bad, it may be receiving the electricity but cannot complete the full circuit. This will require a new relay. Some vehicles have different relays for their high beams and low beam lights. If one relay goes bad, the other one ... read more

If you’re a commuter, gas may be an expense you’d like to keep as affordable as possible. Gas prices are incredibly volatile, and changes occur almost in the blink of an eye. Even with the instability of gas prices, you can still do some things to increase fuel economy. Below are a few helpful tips to improve gas mileage and save money in Elk Grove:   Remove the Extra Weight  A car holding a heavy load or extra packed weight makes it challenging to get the required traction it needs from all four tires. If the tires can’t make efficient traction, fuel efficiency decreases. Excess weight doesn’t just affect traction; it also forces the engine to use more power to attain and sustain a certain speed. Removing any extra weight in your vehicle will create significant improvements in fuel economy. Use the Correct Fuel Most drivers assume that no matter what type of vehicle they’re driving, premium gas is the be ... read more

Oil changes are one of the most essential maintenance services that you can do. Clean oil keeps your engine lubricated and prevents corrosion. When you’re getting an oil change, the service attendant may ask you whether you’d like to use synthetic or regular oil. If you aren’t familiar with the differences, this question may leave your head spinning. Below are some critical points to examine to help you make a more informed decision.  Synthetic oil is always the superior choice, but why? Synthetic motor oil is a high-quality base oil, while conventional oil is a less-refined base oil. Synthetic oil provides prominent engine performance and greater protection for the engine than conventional motor oil. In comparison, conventional oil breaks down quicker and faster in high temperatures and does not have a long lifespan.  Synthetic motor oil is the superior choice because it outperforms conventional oil by:  Keeping the engine cleaner Offering more eng ... read more

It seems like tire balancing and tire alignments are used almost interchangeably, leaving most drivers confused. There appears to be a common misunderstanding between the service of lining up the front end of a car and balancing tires.  A tire balance and alignment are two very different services. Both of these services contribute to a smoother ride, improved handling performance, and extended tire life. However, they shouldn’t be confused for the same thing. A tire balancing service corrects any uneven distribution of the weight of the wheels. If your wheels are not adequately balanced, your tires can experience excessive wear and tear. This can lead to your suspension becoming damaged, resulting in your vehicle vibrating during drives. Your wheels can become unbalanced due to normal wear or worn suspension parts. Sometimes if your car accidentally hits a curb, it can throw off the wheel balance as well. To combat this issue, your tires are placed on a balancing machine du ... read more

After staying home for several months, the summer sun becomes a welcomed visitor. We turn on our A/C, prepare the lemonade, and lather on the sunblock, forgetting about our beloved vehicles. When the temperature rises outside, it’s essential we also prioritize the safety of our car. We can prevent significant engine damage by making an extra effort to keep our vehicles protected from the sun.  Here are some helpful tips to keep your vehicle safe in the blistering summer sun:   Park in the shade.  If you have to make a road trip, it’s always best to choose a shady area to park your vehicle. Just as the shade helps protect our skin from the sun, the shade also protects your vehicle. If there aren’t any available shaded parking spots, use a sunshade to limit the amount of heat that flows into your car. Some retailers also sell window shades that shield your vehicle from the sun’s UV rays. If you have a few extra dollars to spe ... read more

During the summer months, many people will be planning road trips with their families and friends while school is out and the weather is warm. Because summer means more traveling, there will be more cars out there on the road and traffic always brings the possibility of an accident.  Although you may not even want to think about a car accident occurring, it is always a good idea to be prepared for anything - just in case. A minor accident may not ruin your entire trip, but not having the things you need can put a damper on your journey.  We recommend packing a safety kit with you, just in case you find yourself in some sort of vehicle accident or emergency. The safety kit should have the essentials, such as your Driver’s License, car registration, and your insurance card and medical information.  Some other items you should always have on hand include a phone and phone charger, water, snacks, jumper cables, emergency phone numbers, spare tire and tire changing k ... read more

Verified Customer Ratings Used to Name the Inaugural CARFAX Top-Rated Service Shops of 2019    Prestige Auto Works is being celebrated as a CARFAX Top-Rated Service Shop based on verified reviews from actual customers. The exclusive list of service shops being recognized in the inaugural CARFAX Top-Rated Service Shops received an average of 4.77 stars out of 5 on CARFAX Car Care (formerly myCARFAX). “Our goal is help car owners make confident decisions,” said Mike Liou, head of Service Marketing at CARFAX. “We have over 10 million active Car Care subscribers who use the program to help keep up with maintenance and recalls on their vehicles. We want to utilize this community to highlight the service shops who are going above and beyond when it comes to customer care, and we do so with reviews from only verified customers.” In February, CARFAX also launched the first ... read more

The average car owner may think - if there’s nothing wrong with my vehicle that I can see or feel, then there’s no reason for me to go to the auto shop. However, this is not the case. Good car maintenance is proactive and also preventative - the best way to save yourself money on your European vehicle over the years is to catch issues early on before they become expensive, larger repairs.  Daily driving, weather, road trips, and more can take a toll on the condition of your vehicle. When you get regular inspections on your European vehicle, you allow an experienced mechanic to evaluate the condition of your vehicle overall and the systems within it. At our shop, we only recommend services or repairs that we feel are completely necessary to your safety and that will lead to major repairs if ignored.  We want to change the way that car owners think about vehicle maintenance. It isn’t a way for an auto shop to take your money - it is actually a way that you c ... read more