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Author Archive | Michelle Long

Want Free Oil Changes for Life?

By on July 18, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

Would you like FREE oil changes for Life?  Join our Lifetime Maintenance Program and you can.  This is a brand new program that we just introduced here at Long’s.  If you sell your vehicle, you can transfer the Lifetime Oil Change Plan to your new vehicle.  If it takes a more expensive package, you just pay the difference.  Fight inflation, as the price of oil and parts increase, they never will for you!  Gain peace of mind.  Have your vehicle inspected on a regular basis so that you can maximize reliability and performance.  The Lifetime Maintenance Club provides many valuable benefits:  1.  Free oil and filter changes. 2.  Multi point vehicle inspection. 3.  Maintenance service reminders.  5.  Free fluid top offs, brake, power steering, and washer fluid.  6.  Free shuttle service.  This is a great program, that we are proud to offer our customers.

 

How much does an alternator cost?

By on June 26, 2017 in Auto Repair

Are you having issues with your charging system, and you want to know how much an alternator costs?  That’s a fair question, and if you called us and asked, we would tell you that it would be in your best interest to let us diagnose your charging system to get to the root of the problem.  Charging system issues can be as simple as loose connections at the battery, a bad belt, a weak battery, and yes, it could be your alternator not doing it’s job.  We don’t want to spend your money, and install an alternator only to find out it’s something else.  We want to repair it right the first time!!

 

It’s Road Trip Time!!

By on June 22, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

That’s right, summer is finally here, and that means it’s Road Trip Time!!  If you are going on a road trip, make sure to give us a call for a FREE pre-road trip inspection!  We want to make sure that your vehicle is in tip top shape, before you take off on your adventure.  We will inspect all of you fluids, brakes, belts, hoses, suspension, charging system, and towing system, if needed.  So make an appointment at least a week before your trip.  That way if anything is needed you won’t be up against the wall to get it done.  Hope to see you soon.

 

Where can I buy tires in Woodinville?

By on June 21, 2017 in Auto Repair

Were you wondering where you could buy tires in Woodinville?  Now, you can buy then at Long’s Car Care Center!!  Yes we are now selling tires.  We decided to add tires to our services, because we value your time.  We know that our customers are busy, and care about convenience.  It wasn’t convenient for you if we had to send you somewhere else to buy tires.  We know you are busy with work, school, kids, errands, etc.  So now we have tires for you, so we can be your one stop shop for all of your vehicles needs!!  Hope to see you soon!

 

Diesel Mechanic in Woodinville

By on June 12, 2017 in Auto Repair

Are you looking for a Diesel Mechanic in Woodinville?  Well, we sure wish we could help you, and we can in some areas.  We can do routine maintenance, oil changes, filter changes, brakes, suspension, etc.  But if you have a check engine light on, or are having other runnability issues, we would highly recommend Dynamic Diesel in Snohomish.  They are right across the street from the Snohomish Airport.  We are hoping to add a Diesel Mechanic to our workforce soon, and when we do, we will make an announcement, but until then, we will have to refer you out.

 

When is it too hot to leave a dog in a car?

By on June 9, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

Every summer it seems people ask, when is it too hot to leave a dog in a car?  In my opinion any time it’s over 50 degrees.  That might seem low to some, but here in the Pacific Northwest, the temperature can increase fairly quickly.  I can be cloudy and cool one minute and the next the sun in blazing and it’s hot.  It’s just not worth the risk.  I like to bring my pup to work with me, but I make sure that I am going straight there, and have no stops to make, not even quick ones.   Quick stops, can turn into unplanned long ones, in the blink of an eye, and I don’t want to take that chance.  So if you know you have to make some stops, leave your pooch at home where he/she is safe.  I would hate to have something tragic happen.  Also, Long’s Car Care Center is a pet friendly shop, so feel free to bring you pup in for a visit.

 

Image result for dog temps in car

 

How much does it cost to have my transmission fluid changed?

By on June 6, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

When was the last time you had your transmission fluid changed?  Was it more than 30,000 miles ago?  If so you should get it changed sooner rather than later.  If it has been a long time, please make sure that a qualified technician checks it before it is changed.  If the fluid if really dirty and burnt, you probably are going to want to leave it, especially if the vehicle has high mileage.  Why?  Because over time the fluid breaks down and form a type of shellac on the interior of the transmission.  If you take out the old fluid and put clean fluid in, the clean fluid is going to act as a detergent and clean the shellac off, and at this point it could cause major damage, including losing the transmission.   This is why we recommend replacing your ATF every 30,000 miles, before it gets dirty, to prevent this from happening.  We want your transmission to run smoothly for years, and years.  As far as the cost of the service, it’s really going to depend on the year, make and model of your vehicle.  Give us a call, and we will answer this question for you.

 

Can I hurt my car if I hit a curb?

By on June 5, 2017 in Auto Repair

It happens all the time in parking lots, people hitting the curbs with their vehicles.  Most of the time, this doesn’t cause a huge issue, although you should get your car aligned so that you don’t incur uneven tire wear, and have to replace them sooner than you had planned.  But sometimes you can cause real damage.  We had a customer just last week that brought her car in because she wanted us to check her alignment because she had hit a curb.  When we went to bring into the shop, there was a pop, and the two front tire went in opposite direction.  We had to push it into the shop….she had broken her tie rod.  She was so lucky to get it to the shop when she did, if she would have been driving and it had let go, it could have been very dangerous.  So if you do hit a curb, and you hit it hard, it might just be a good idea to call a tow truck and get it to the nearest shop, just to be on the safe side.

 

How much does it cost to turn my airbag light off?

By on June 1, 2017 in Auto Repair

Did you know that if your airbag light is on, that they are not functional?  You can’t just turn the light off.  We need to find out why it came on.  Is it a bad sensor, or connection?  Did you just buy the car and light came on?  If so, that could mean that the vehicle may have been in an accident, repaired, but no one took care of the airbags.  Airbags are there to protect you and your passengers in case of a collision, it’s always best to have them in good working order.  Give us a call for an appointment, we can diagnose the issue and probably take care of the repair.  If for whatever reason the repair is not something we can handle, we have a mobile airbag company that comes right to our shop to help.  So no matter what we will get you back on the road safe and sound.

 

How much does it cost to repair a coolant leak?

By on May 23, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

Is your vehicle leaking coolant?  Are you wondering how much it is going to cost to repair it?  Well, that is a great question.  There are numerous things that could be causing this leak.  It could be a loose hose, or a leaking hose.  Your radiator could have sprung a leak.  It could be as simple as a loose connection.  If your vehicle is leaking coolant it is best to get it check out as soon as possible, repair a leak, is going to be a lot less expensive than the repair would be if you overheat your vehicle.  Give us a call, and we will get you in as soon as possible.  One of our mechanics will inspect and test your cooling system to pinpoint this issue.  We will then let you know what the repair is going to cost, get the parts, and repair the leak.  We will have you back on the road in no time.