Temecula Auto Repair

  Today we're going to be talking about serpentine belts for our Temecula, California, customers. Let's start by talking about the accessories that are driven by the serpentine belt. First is the alternator. That's the device that makes electricity to power the vehicle and recharge the battery. Then there's the air conditioning compressor that makes cool air for you while you're driving around California in the summer.The power steering and power brake pumps are driven by the serpentine belt in most Temecula residents' vehicles. Those pumps provide pressure that assists your steering and braking.In many vehicles, the water pump is driven by the serpentine belt. The water pump is what circulates the coolant that protects your engine. In some cars around Temecula, California, the water pump is driven by the timing belt.The radiator cooling fans on some vehicles are also driven by the serpentine belt. Some have separate electric motors. That's really a lot ... read more

California service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Temecula drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.European Autowerks fuel system cleaning: Over time, the vehicle fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.European Autowerks headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It's usually good to change them every year or so.European Autowerks inspections: Temecula drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they're going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle's ready for a California summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used vehicle and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or are g ... read more

Sometimes we hear people in Temecula say, "What's up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don't break down." While it is true that today's vehicles are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials than ever before. All that complexity demands higher tolerances for everything. For example, most Temecula drivers don't realize how high tech automotive fluids have become,  fluids such as engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid.Did you know that a modern engine would not run for more than a few months using motor oil formulas from 30 years ago? Today's automotive fluids contain a much higher percentage of additives to protect your vehicle's components from premature wear and corrosion. Time and distances march on for all of our cars. Please don't think we're using scare tactics to get you to take care of your maintenance - but here are some personal stories we've heard to ... read more

Sometimes busy Temecula residents dream about going back to the “simpler” days of our grandparents. But if you could travel back in time and take a road trip around California in a Model T, you might change your mind. The improved designs and quality of today's automobiles have significantly reduced the amount of time Temecula residents spend at the side of the road during breakdowns. With proper maintenance, today's vehicles can stay on the road longer than ever before.Some of those improvements, however, have led to higher repair costs. For example, older cars often broke down from vapor lock. Gas vaporized while traveling from the gas tank to the fuel pump. No gas, no power. The car quits going. The solution was simple — you just sat by the road until the car would start up again. Today's Temecula drivers would hardly tolerate that kind of inconvenience, and it's likely that yesterday's Temecula drivers didn't care much for it, either. So on today's vehicles ... read more

Every Temecula car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when the filter should be replaced. Now, most air filters purchased in Temecula don't cost a lot to replace. It's just that California people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at European Autowerks can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in Temecula. Think about a dirty furnace filter in your Temecula home. When it's all clogged up, enough clean air can't get through. In your vehicle, that means that your engine can't get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around Temecula roads. Your vehicle actually needs about 12,000 tim ... read more

If you are a driver in Temecula and you aren't currently using synthetic motor oil in your vehicle, maybe now's the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil. Synthetic oil doesn't gel or gum-up like petroleum based oil and it doesn't vaporize as easily. It protects better in severe driving conditions like stop and go driving around Temecula, as well as in very hot or very cold conditions. More and more new vehicles are being delivered with full synthetic motor oil, with the recommendation to use synthetic for the life of the vehicle. Why is this? Synthetic motor oil maximizes engine power and fuel economy. To see why, we'd need a microscope, so we'll have to settle for using our imaginations. The molecules of conventional motor oil are long hydrocarbon chains. Synthetic motor oil, on the other hand, has uniform, round molecules. Which is more slippery, a pile of pencils or ... read more

Since driving requirements and lifestyles differ among Temecula drivers, your vehicle manufacturer publishes two auto maintenance schedules: the regular schedule and the severe service schedule. Which schedule should Temecula drivers follow? Here are some questions to ask yourself:Are most of your trips less than four miles/six kilometers around Temecula?Are most of your trips less than 10 miles/16 kilometers in below-zero California temps?Are most of your trips off-highway in California?Do you drive often in dusty Temecula areas?Do you regularly tow a trailer or carry heavy loads around Temecula?Do you drive in very hot or very cold California weather?Think about your typical week. Do you live by your nearest Temecula on-ramp and enjoy a non-stop commute? Or, do you drive the neighborhood car pool in stop-and-go traffic on Temecula surface streets? Let's suppose your owner's manual says the severe service oil change recommendation is 3,000 miles/5,000 kilome ... read more

High gas prices in Temecula increase the cost of living for California drivers. You've probably budgeted a certain amount for vehicle related expenses. Increased fuel costs now consume a larger portion of our incomes, causing some Temecula vehicle owners to skimp in other areas – like scheduled maintenance.According to California news reports and automotive industry studies, this is becoming increasingly more common. In fact, nine out of ten personal vehicles on the road have at least one maintenance or repair item that hasn't been done. Some of these items pose serious safety risks. Others are just more likely to make it more expensive to drive. In this area, we can take a lesson from professional Temecula vehicle owners. I'm talking about fleet owners and operators. You know, Temecula folks like the trucking companies and delivery services. Because their livelihood depends on it, they hav ... read more

When it comes to their vehicles, some Temecularesidents don't have amaintenance mindset. They know they need to take care of their cars, but it just seems really hard to get them to remember to do it. Temecula drivers generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance but just may not have applied it to their vehicles.Here's something that will help: The key to good vehicle maintenance starts with the oil change. Think about it – when you go in for a full-service oil change, your friendly and knowledgeable European Autowerks service advisor will check all your fluids. If one of them is low, he can look for the reason. If your serpentine belt is cracked, he'll see it and let you know. Corroded battery cable – they've got you covered. And at European Autowerks, we check to see if your vehicle manufac ... read more

When your vehicle breaks down in the Temecula, California, area, or just needs some routine service, it can make you a little nervous. Because your vehicle's so important to your life, you need to be back on the road as soon as possible — with the problem fixed right the first time.We've been checking into some of the training our Temecula, California, technicians receive, and we're very impressed. It's amazing how much knowledge and skill goes into diagnosing and repairing a modern vehicle. So it's not like when your uncle worked on his hot rod over the weekend.Today there are four-cylinder engines around Temecula that make more power than the V-8's in luxury cars did 20 years ago. A new V-6 Toyota Camry could beat Sonny Crocket's Ferrari in a race to 60 mph/97 kph.Our engines are more and more powerful. And they're so reliable. This is all due to engineering. But the benefits come to Temecula drivers at the price of simplicity. Modern cars are so much more ... read more