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Author Archive | Michelle Long

Auto Mechanic in Woodinville

By on August 8, 2018 in Automotive Maintenance

Are you looking for an auto mechanic in Woodinville?  Well, we would like to meet you.  Long’s Car Care Center has been in Woodinville for over 30 years.  We are family owned and operated.  We work on just about all makes and models, except for some of the high end exotic brands.  Our mechanics are all ASE Certified, plus we are a state licensed emission repair facility.  We treat your vehicles as if they were our own.  All of our inspections are digital, so that we can send them to you either via text or email.  They include pictures and videos, so that you can see what we are seeing.  We invite you to come to the shop and meet us and our staff.  We would be happy to show you around the shop so you can see how we operate.  We hope to meet you soon.

How often should I replace my belts and hoses?

By on August 8, 2018 in Automotive Maintenance

Customers often ask “How often should I replace my belt and hoses”?  Belts and Hoses can wear thin and crack due to weather conditions and just regular wear and tear.   At Long’s Car Care Center, we provide a “Free” digital vehicle health assessment, every time we see your vehicle.  We take pictures of your belts and hoses, so that we can show you what they look like.  This also allows us to keep a digital history on all of your vehicles.  When we see wear and tear starting to happen we will let you know, so that you can plan for the replacement.  Our goal is to not have any “surprise” break downs..nobody like that.  If you are concerned about your belts and/or hoses, give us a call for and appointment so that we can check them out.

Why is my steering wheel crooked?

By on July 30, 2018 in Automotive Maintenance

“Why is my steering wheel crooked or off center?” When was the last time you had a certified mechanic inspect your suspension for worn parts?  When you bring your vehicle in for any type of service we always inspect your vehicle’s suspension and steering parts.  If everything is fine and there are no parts issues, we would then recommend having an alignment done.  This would straighten out your steering wheel, and also prevent uneven wear on your tires, which would mean replacing them sooner than necessary.  It always very important to get your vehicle aligned after purchasing new tires.  If you have any questions and are in the Woodinville area, please stop by or give us a call at 425-481-1739 and we will be happy to help you.

 

When does College start?

By on July 27, 2018 in Automotive Maintenance

We have a lot of customers wondering when does college start?  Well it starts sooner than you think.  If you have a college student that is driving and has been all summer, and is getting ready to leave for college soon, it would be a very good idea to get their vehicle into the shop so that we can do a FREE vehicle health assessment before they leave for school.  Some, not all, young people don’t really pay attention to noises, squeals, rubbing, check engine lights, etc.  Why?  Because they love being able to be mobile, and don’t want to go a minute without their vehicle.  Also they tend to play their music loud so that they really can’t hear anything.  When they see their check engine light come on, they like to think its just a loose gas cap.  So we highly recommend that a parent drive the car, to see if anything is amiss, and then bring it in so that we can look it over, and make sure everything is in good order.  We want to give you peace of mind.  We have had kids away at college ourselves and know first hand how it can be a worry.  Heck even my daughter came home from college one time, missing her muffler…didn’t realize it was gone, due to the volume of her music!!  Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we hope to see you soon.

 

 

 

What is that clunking noise coming from the front of my car?

By on June 4, 2018 in Auto Repair

What is that clunking noise coming from the front of my car? Why do I have problems when turning? Why is my car setting unevenly?   A broken coil spring can cause all these issues. Your coil spring and your shock or strut work in connection with each other to keep your vehicle stable. A broken coil spring will compromise the ride of the vehicle, the height the vehicle sits at, the way the vehicle handles turns or cornering, and the overall comfort of the ride. A broken coil spring can be a safety issue. If taking corners too fast, the vehicle may not react in the same way the driver is used to plus if the broken spring comes in contact with the tire it can cause the tire to blow out. If you are having any concerns about your suspension, call us today to schedule an appointment for a complete inspection so that we can assess the health of your vehicle.  We want your vehicle to be as safe as possible, so that you can have some peace of mind.

 

When is it too hot to leave my dog in the car?

By on May 23, 2018 in Automotive Maintenance

The weather is getting warm, and you don’t want to be leaving your pet or your child in your car.  Once the temperature starts hitting the 70’s it can be dangerous, and even deadly to leave any creature or human in your vehicle.  It’s hard to imagine how quickly it can heat up inside your vehicle, with the windows up and no breeze.  It can happen very fast, and sometime those quick stops, can become longer that you intended, and can turn into a tragedy.  So during this time of the year, leave your precious pets at home, and bring you children into the store with you.

Why is my air conditioner blowing warm air?

By on April 25, 2018 in Auto Repair

When it starts to get warm, we get asked almost every day “Why is my air conditioner blowing warm air?”  There are numerous reason why this could be happening.  The simplest solution is that your A/C system just needs to be serviced.  Most systems need to be serviced every 5 years.  What happens is, overtime, condensation builds up inside the system, which causes it to blow warm air instead of cold.  When we service the system, we pull all of the refrigerant out and store it, we then pressurize the system to make sure there are no leaks, dry the system, and put your refrigerant back in.  Now you will get plenty of cold air.  Sometime when we do this we find that there are leaks, and the refrigerant is gone, hence the warm air.  If this happens, we need to repair the leak, refill, and you are good to go.  Sometimes it’s a part in the system that has failed, usually the compressor, or the condenser, if that is the case,  we replace that part, and you are on your way.  If your air conditioner is blowing warm air, give us a call, we will set up an appointment for you, and get your A/C blowing nice cool air!

 

Where can I get my vehicle inspected for free?

By on April 16, 2018 in Automotive Maintenance

Did you know that we do Free Vehicle Inspections?  We do a free vehicle health assessment everytime your vehicle is at our shop.  We want to make sure that your fluids, belts, hoses, brakes, suspension, and exhaust system are in tip top shape.  These inspections are then emailed to you so that you can see what we have found.  We take pictures of any issues we may find, plus on the report there are links to videos, so that you can learn more about how your vehicle functions.  After we send it to you, we give you a call, to answer any questions, and to also provide estimates for any needed work.  If you would like a FREE Vehicle Health Assessment, just give us a call, and we will set up an appointment for you!

How much does a Tune-Up Cost?

By on March 30, 2018 in Automotive Maintenance

How much does a tune-up cost?  That is one of the hardest questions to answer, and we get asked this several times a week.  Vehicles have changed so much in recent years, all of the computers, sensors, injectors, spark plugs, wires, and other variables, that can affect the runnibility of your car, there is no way for us to give you an accurate cost until we can inspect your vehicle.  If you have a check engine light on, we will need time to diagnose that, and then go from there.  If your vehicle is running rough, with no check engine light on, we will need to inspect your plugs, wires, and fluids to see what the issue is.  If you are having runnability issues, please give us a call at 425-481-1739, and we will get you in as soon as possible.

 

Why is my battery light on?

By on March 16, 2018 in Auto Repair

Why is my battery light on?” This is a question that we hear from our customers at least once a week. When your battery light comes on, it means there is a problem with your  charging system.   This could be a failed alternator, a broken alternator belt, a bad battery connection, or a bad battery. We won’t know what the problem is until we have a chance to diagnose the problem.  Your vehicle is safe to drive with the battery light on, but you will want to get in to a shop as soon as possible, because  your battery will die soon.   If your battery light is on, give us a call so that we can get your vehicle in, and diagnose your charging system.  We don’t want you to get stranded because your vehicle won’t start, we want you to drive with peace of mind.