Windshield Repairs at Cal Oaks Autos

Perhaps there are times when we, as Californians, do not appreciate just how fortunate we are with the climate in the Murrieta area. We are blessed with good hours of sunshine and very rarely experience frost or snow that will trouble our experience as road users. Why am I discussing the weather? In one word – Windscreens!

Because we do not get really cold days where the temperature drops to or below freezing, our vehicle windscreens tend to have a prolonged life span compared to road users in more northern regions of the country.

Just about anyone who has driven will have, at least once, experienced a stone chip on their windscreen. More often than not these only tend to be 1mm to 2mm wide and do not really make a serious indentation in the glass. If we were to experience a sudden drop of temperatures the following would happen:

As the temperature falls, moisture gathers in the indentation and as the temperature falls to freezing point, the water expands and makes that small indention crack like a spider’s web. In time this small crack will expand in to a large split in the windscreen at which point it becomes weaken and dangerous to sit behind when driving.

However, to prevent these indentations becoming small cracks in the first place it is possible to repair your windscreen, not 100% back to its former glory but certainly good enough to prevent a crack and eventually large split ever occurring.

If you drive to the colder parts of America and you have a couple of small stone chips on your windscreen, you may want to consider getting them repaired before you head off. Replacing a windscreen is often expensive; repairing them at the early stages is not! If you think you may have a chip or two that may become a problem, call in and lets us assess its condition for you.

Transmission service – when is it needed?

The gear system of an auto is no different to any other mechanical part under the hood, parts wear and things do go wrong that affect the performance of a vehicle, be it an automatic or manual transmission type. The question you should be asking is when do I need a transmission service?

There are some indicators that drivers can hear or see during their normal driving that give a pointer toward something is not quite right, or really very wrong in some cases. Below are a few of the more common and obvious “pointers”, experience any of these and a service is required

Gear change response is not smooth

In both automatic and manual transmissions, gear boxes are designed to allow an easy change of gear so if you start to experience problems in getting the right gear (normally park or drive in automatics) then there is a problem that needs looking in to.

Transmission slips out of gear

There is no good reason for a car to change gear without the drivers influence and if this hap[pens to you, you will know that it needs repairing as driving becomes next to impossible if the problems occurs regularly.

Leaking Fluid

When a vehicle is parked and the engine is off, and all is working as it should, why can you see small spots of fluid on the road or driveway? This is not necessarily a sign of transmission issues as it could be caused by a few other components. These spots are not always noticeable until you pull away and if you are in the habit of parking in the same place every time it could be weeks before you notice them.

If you notice any of the above issue please call in to CalOaks Auto’s and let us have a look for you. We provide an honest service to our customers and react quickly and friendly to all vehicle problems.

Looking after your vehicle – Air Conditioning Service

Looking after your vehicle is a task that most people prefer to not indulge in, hence there are many garages and service stations that tend to the needs of your vehicle, CalOaks Auto is a business with the expertise to keep your driving experience at it’s best and this week the focus is on one of life’s greatest driving comforts – the air conditioning system.

Here in Murrieta, California we are blessed with wonderful sunshine in the summer months and for many decades driving in the heat was a fairly unpleasant experience until auto air conditioning systems were introduced under the hood. Virtually every modern car or truck comes with air conditioning fitted to provide a good level of comfort while driving but the system needs special care to keep it performing to it’s very best.

Without getting too technical, there are three main components in a car’s air conditioning system under the hood – compressor, condenser and a receiver-dryer unit. The compressor is belt driven by the crankshaft and a refrigerant is drawn in as a gas, compressed and forced in to the condenser. There is one other component that is actually in the vehicles cabin and this is where arguably the most important part of the process takes place, and that is the evaporator.

As with any air conditioning system, it is not terribly complicated but the location of most of the components in a vehicle does make maintenance a little awkward for most motorists to undertake, all the same it does require attention from time to time.

When do you need to have the air conditioning system serviced? The first service should be considered at the 3 or 4 year point and followed up every 3 years thereafter. If you fail to get it serviced and you will begin to notice that things are not quite right over time as you feel hotter and hotter while driving.

When to Change Brake Pads

Last week we covered tires and how to perform a simple tread check so let’s move on to another high priority aspect of the motor vehicle – the brakes. As with most features in the present day vehicle the brakes and brake systems have improved considerably over the years but they are, and always will be mechanical so prone to wear and tear.

Brake pads are manufactured and sold in a range of materials that are attached to steel plates but one thing in common that they all share is that they will eventually wear down with use, the harder you apply the brakes or the more often you use them, the quicker they will wear and require replacing. The good news however is that brake pads do not require changing too often, unless you are driving the vehicle all day, everyday and the local road conditions will also play a part in how quickly or slowly the brake pads wear down. The typical lifespan could be anywhere between about 18,000 – 60,000 miles, though most are likely to be at the lower end of the scale.

Most vehicles now comprise of disk brakes, as opposed to drum brakes, and offer an improved stopping performance but they will still wear down with use, it is inevitable.

So how do you know when to get them changed?

There are only two methods of identifying worn out brake pads. One way is if you hear a high pitched “screeching noise” when you apply the brakes, the other is a visual inspection. Although the brakes are not that hard to access, most people do not as it involves removing the wheels. If you begin to question the braking efficiency of your vehicle, bring it along to our workshop where our brake repair specialists will conduct a thorough check and make recommendations as necessary.

Self Help Vehicle Maintenance

Last week CalOaks Auto touched on variations of the engine as minor faults begin to arise and we recommended that you ask one of our technician to diagnose and repair, this week we are going to give you some further tips on what you can do to prevent more serious faults occurring. While we are not suggesting for one minute that you undertake a full service yourself, there are some things you can do easily to help maintain your vehicle.

Spark plugs

Faulty spark plugs will prevent efficient ignition of the engine and this is no more than simple wear and tear and something easily remedied with the right tool and all you need is a socket wrench and new “sparks”. These plugs are inexpensive and will save many frustrating mornings, especially in the colder or wetter months. You can use a silicone based spray over the spark plugs that will act as temporary solution as it will to an extent seal the gap where the spark jumps but this is only a short term solution.

Tire Treads

Arguably the most important check any vehicle driver can conduct for themselves. When a tire tread depth is at 2/32″, in most states, the tire is worn out in legal terms.

So how can you check this for yourself? Surprisingly easily actually by using either a penny or a quarter. By using a penny, insert in to the tread (Lincoln’s head facing the tire). If the very top of the head is covered then you have 2/32″ and are borderline illegal. Using the same method with a quarter, If the very top of the head is covered then you have 4/32″ and are within the legal limits but you need to be aware that a change of tire is not too far away.

If in doubt about either of these aspects of self-maintenance please come and visit us and we will be more than happy to help you and keep you safe while driving.

Complete Vehicle Computer Diagnostics

All new models, and most older types of car, pick-up, trucks etc have to some extent an on-board computer that scans various sub-system of the vehicle. Any diagnostic check that is performed will highlight issues that may not be obvious while driving but all the same require the attention of a vehicle technician. The engine of your vehicle is a complicated machine with many mechanical and electrical parts that wear down or short and they are not normally identified until a more serious problem arrives such as being unable to start up.

Many drivers tend to not visit a car repair center until they are aware of a fairly serious problem with their vehicle and our advice would be to pay attention to the performance of your vehicle at all times when driving. Listen to the sound of the engine when it is “idle”, pressing down on the accelerator, on gear changes, cruising and slowing down. By listening to the engine you will get familiar quite quickly with the sounds associated with certain the aspects as described and if you notice an unexpected difference in the sound or performance of your vehicle then it would be wise to have a computer diagnostic check performed.

A lot of drivers however will ignore small changes either in the belief that there is not anything too serious to worry about, or they don’t want to spend the money at that time because it is not a serious problem – yet! Our advise would be be get it checked at the earliest opportunity because of you leave it too long you could cause further damage to other components of the engine and drive the repair bill higher.

Our technicians at Cal Oaks Auto Repair are fully trained in performing diagnostic checks and reading the data supplied on the specialist software to identify known and unknown problems, allowing them to pinpoint the exact work required to rectify the problem.

Introducing Cal Oaks Auto Repair

Cal Oaks Auto Repair serves the community of Murrieta, Wildomar and Temecula, and further afield. We are located directly behind the 76 Gas station, on the corner of Jackson Avenue and California Oaks Road, Murrieta. Our postal address is

Complete Auto Repair & Service
40648 California Oaks Rd. Murrieta, CA

Click on the map below to enlarge.

We are a family owned and operated business serving the needs of all drivers in the local and surrounding areas to provide a fast, honest and reliable service and are ASE Certified.

Whether you own a car, SUV or truck we can and will provide expert maintenance for your vehicle but in addition to being experts in the maintenance field we can diagnose potential problems before they arise and complete all repairs deemed necessary. No job is too small or large so even if it is a battery replacement or re-charge, replace windscreen wipers we will do it; engine overhauls are no problem for us either. If the job is vehicle related, we can fix it! Next weeks blog will begin to introduce you to the full range of services that are most common but by no means exclusive.

One question we are frequently asked is – why is it necessary to have a vehicle serviced to the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule?

Even a brand new vehicle is prone to wear and tear and while some drivers may believe their brand new car or truck is immune to problems because it has just rolled off the factory floor could be in for a nasty shock if they do not tend to the needs of the vehicle. Any machine that is mechanical is susceptible to wearing down but vehicles also feature electrics and modern in-built computerized systems that can equally perform incorrectly.

Topics such as the above example will also be covered, answering questions that are frequently asked of Cal Oaks Auto Repair.