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Archive | Automotive Maintenance

How much does a Tune – Up cost.

By on May 17, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

Is your vehicle running rough, and are you wondering how much a tune-up will cost?  This really is a great question!  In the old days a tune-up was pretty straight forward, and on some of the older vehicles it still is.  Spark plugs, Wires, Cap and Rotor, and you were good to go.  Unfortunately with newer vehicles it’s just not that simple.  If your Check Engine light is on we will need to diagnose what the codes mean, and what they lead us to.  If your vehicle is running rough, and the Check Engine light isn’t on we will need to visually inspect the tune up parts, and test drive it.  So the cost is really going to depend on the year, make and model of your vehicle, and it’s symptoms.  Computers are amazing, but sometimes they make things a bit more difficult to repair.

 

How much does it cost to have my vehicle inspected?

By on May 15, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

Are you going on a road trip and wondering how much an inspection on your vehicle would be?  Well, the good news is, that at Long’s Car Care Center, we perform what we call a Pre Road Trip inspection for FREE!!!!  We want you to have an enjoyable vacation, and we know that there is nothing worse than breaking down in the middle of nowhere.  We suggest having this inspection done at least a couple of weeks before you plan on leaving so just in case there is any work to be done, you would have plenty of time to get it done, and not be under the gun and stressing out.

 

How much does an alignment cost?

By on April 24, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

How much does an alignment cost?  Great question, that we get asked almost daily.  Once again, it depends on the year, make and model of your vehicle.  Sometimes an alignment is just a two wheel adjustment, sometimes it needs a 4 wheel adjustment.  Some vehicles just take longer than others.  The good news here at Long’s is that we just purchase a new alignment machine, which is going to make it easier for our technicians, which means they will be done quicker, and be more economical for our customers.  If you are noticing a weird wear pattern on your tires, or you have hit a curb, your steering wheel is of center, or your vehicle is pulling to one side…bring your vehicle in and we will get aligned for you!

 

How much does it cost to replace my timing belt?

By on April 17, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

How much does it cost to replace my timing belt?  This is going to depend on the year, make and model of your vehicle.  You can give us a call at 425-481-1739, and we will be able to look up your vehicle and give you a quote.  It is important to do have it replace at the mileage that the manufacturer recommends, especially if you have an interference engine.  When we give you the quote, in most cases, we are also going to include replacing the Water Pump.  Why?  Because in most cases the water pump is very close to the timing belt, and this will save you money in labor.  If you replace the timing belt, and it’s a four job, and in 6 months your water pump goes out, it’s going to be another 4 hours in labor, so we would like to save you that money!!

 

How often should I change my Power Steering Fluid?

By on April 13, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

How often should I change my Power Steering fluid?  This is a great question.  Here at Long’s Car Care Center, we recommend replacing your Power Steering Fluid every 30 thousand miles, as preventative maintenance for your vehicle.  You don’t want to wait until it is really dirty, because at that point it could be causing issues with your Power Steering Pump.  Replacing the pump is quite a bit more expensive than replacing the fluid.  We want to help you keep your vehicle well maintained so that you get as many years out of it as you want.

Why is my air conditioner blowing warm air?

By on April 12, 2017 in Auto Repair, Automotive Maintenance

Every summer this happens, the weather get warm and people turn on their A/C and it blows warm air.  We get phone calls almost daily in the summer asking why is my air conditioner blowing warm air?  There are a couple of things that may be happening.  1.  Most manufacturers recommend servicing your A/C system every 5 years.  Why? Because it is a closed pressurized system, and over time condensation can build up, which will not allow it to blow cold air.  So if you haven’t had it serviced, this is probably the issue.  Servicing is easy..we remove the refrigerant that is in your system, clean it and dry it out, refill with your refrigerant, and away you go, with nice cool air.  2.  You could have a leak..basically we do the same this as we do when we service it, but we pressurize it and check for leaks.  When we locate the leak, we call you with an estimate for the repair.  Once we get your approval, we do the repair, fill your system, and you are good to go, to enjoy a nice warm summer day, with nice cool air inside your vehicle!!  Do yourself a favor, don’t wait till it’s really hot out to see if your A/C is working properly…when it gets really hot we get really busy with A/C repair…you don’t want to have to wait days…check it out now..

 

What should I do when my check engine light comes on?

By on April 11, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

What should I do when my check engine light comes on?  If your check engine light comes on, and your car is running fine, check all of your fluids to make sure they are full, then give us a call, so that we can get you in sometime within a week or so.  If your check engine light comes on and your vehicle is running rough, having a hard time going up hills, is sputtering, etc, give us a call so that we can get you in as soon as possible.  You don’t want to continue to drive it for a long period of time, as in doing so you could cause more damage.  If your check engine light comes on and it is blinking, pull over and turn your vehicle off.  Call AAA or a tow truck and get it towed in.  Do not continue to drive with a blinking Check Engine Light!!  Your check engine light coming on can be as simple as a loose gas cap, or if it is blinking, it can me major engine/transmission issues.  Never ignore it, but understand the different levels of concern.

 

How much does an oil change cost?

By on April 10, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

How much does an oil change cost?  We get multiple phone calls asking this very question on a weekly basis.  The answer is, we don’t have a set price for oil changes due to the fact that some people use full synthetic, a synthetic blend, or regular oil. The amount of oil differs from vehicle to vehicle also.   Oil filters can vary in price depending on the year, make and model of your vehicle.  There are quite a few variables, as you can see.  If you are curious about the cost for your vehicle, just give us a call 425-481-1739, and we will be happy to look it up and give you a quote.

How often should I change my Automatic Transmission Fluid?

By on April 6, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

How often should I change my Automatic Transmission fluid?  This is a very good question.  Here at Long’s we recommend that you change this fluid every 30,000 miles.  You do not want to wait till it gets dirty and burnt, as this could cause transmission issue.  We like to be preventative in our approach to maintaining your vehicles, this will help keep your vehicle running a very long time.

What is the cost to replace my brakes?

By on April 3, 2017 in Automotive Maintenance

What is the cost to replace my brakes?  We get this question almost daily.  The answer is, that we won’t know until we do a Free Brake Inspection.  There is NO WAY for anyone to know how much a brake replacement on your vehicle is going to cost until they are inspected.  Why? Because there are so many components to the brake system, and we don’t know what is worn out or not working until we can see the system.  It could be that you just need new pads, and your rotors machined.  Your rotors may be too thin to machine so we need to replace them.  Your Calibers may be sticking, or working just fine.  I think you get the picture.  We want to give you a price that is correct, not a guess.  This way you will know exactly what the cost is going to be and how long it’s going to take.  If you feel as though your braking system is not working correctly, please give us a call and we will get you in for your FREE inspection as soon as possible.