Fort Collins Auto Repair

Here at Community Auto, we understand that our community and our nation as a whole is dealing with some very uncertain and worrying times. While the majority of us have been asked to shelter in place and avoid group settings to avoid spreading COVID-19 further, our essential services still need to remain open in order to protect the infrastructure of our county. Among these essential services is auto care.  Auto repair is essential, now more than ever, because many of us are relying on our cars to get us to the store to purchase food and supplies for our families and to check on loved ones who may need our assistance. There are also since thousands of healthcare, law enforcement, first responders, and other essential field workers who need their vehicles to get them to work every day. This is why our shop has remained open to serve our community and has adapted new procedures to keep our services sanitary.  We have implemented measures to do our part in preventing the sprea ... read more

Isn’t it frustrating to spend your time and money taking your vehicle to an auto shop only to learn the problem is something you could have easily fixed yourself?  Knowledge is power. Therefore, we believe part of our job to educate drivers on how their vehicles work. Be sure to pick our brains whenever you come into the shop.     But for now:     We have five secrets to keep you from needing to make that appointment call.   1. Save yourself a trip to the auto repair shop by taking care of your car battery   If you go to start your car and the engine won’t crank and the electronics (lights, radio, door locks, etc.) won’t work, your car battery might be dead.      Now, instead of having your vehicle towed to the shop, you can try a few things on your own.   First, check for corrosion on the battery terminals.   When corrosion builds up on the terminals, it can make for poor connection to ... read more

Fleet Repair Management The more vehicles you own, the more difficult it becomes to manage maintaining them. Think about it--a vehicle requires an oil change and tire rotation about every 3 months, other fluids serviced at 6 or 12 months, and a host of other inspections and replacements recommended in the schedule of your Owner’s Manual. Depending on how much you drive, your vehicle may need to go into the shop or be attended to 4-5 times a year or more. If you have multiple vehicles that are used to get a job done--a fleet--it becomes ever more important to have a system in place that keeps them running in tip-top shape. Now imagine your fleet of five or ten vehicles, all of which are required for the proper functioning of your business, and keeping up on what service each vehicle needs and when. Sounds impossible! If you are a fleet manager, sm ... read more

Staying cool is one of the most important things these days. OK, there are more important things, but it would be pressing to find someone who won't agree that getting into a hot car is highly inconvenient. Even dangerous [painful]. Including vehicle maintenance for summer, how to keep your car cool is a popular question during these hot Colorado summer months. Completely avoiding a vehicle from getting hot may be close-to-impossible but a few thoughtful actions could really make the difference between roasting alive and actually beating the heat.   1. Cover your hot bits   The initial shock (or injury) of getting into a hot car is oftentimes caused by infamous areas that end up burning hot--the door handles, leather seats, steering wheel, seat belt buckles and gearshift. To avoid getting burned, all you need is to do is simply ... read more

Auto repair tends to come in two major wrench-in-your-life categories: Unexpected and Costly A vehicle breakdown ranks high on most people's priority list of things to avoid. And for good reason--breakdowns cost you major time and money. Furthermore, they force you to completely overhaul your day while leaving you riddled with anxiety, fear and doubt about what it’s going to cost, and how you’re going to get back on the road and back to your life. Luckily, there’s a third category—your saving grace: Preventive Vehicle Maintenance. This is the key to avoiding unexpected and costly auto repair. Such as health problems, a dirty house, leaky faucet, a garden full of weeds, saving for retirement or an avocado, the longer you wait--the worse it gets. When you see, hear or smell something unusual with your car, it’s important to pay attention and to act. Problems in vehicles usually start small and th ... read more