Fort Collins Auto Repair

If you and your family are hitting the roads for the holidays, know that you will be one of many. In a perfect world, holiday road trips are full of spirit and fun. While few families use this opportunity to jam out to Christmas carols, many sit in stress or frustration. To prevent a disaster on the road, we’d like to share these tips to ensure your road trip is safe and as stress-free as possible: Stay buckled up - Safety always comes first. That said, make sure everyone in the car is buckled in. Store valuables - For longer trips that span for several hours, stops for gas, restrooms, and even meals are inevitable. When you make stops, ensure valuables (including christmas gifts) are stored out of sight.  Prepare for icy conditions - Depending on where you’re traveling, you might hit some icy or snowy conditions. Make sure you take it slow while on the road. Additionally, make sure your vehicle is equipped to handle such conditions. Some areas to check include tir ... read more

The experience of driving during winter is different from all other seasons. It's tough, to say the least. The fog, icy roads, heavy snow, freezing temperatures, to mention but a few, make driving such a daunting task. However, all is not lost. You can still do something about it. This article is to help you prepare better. Driving Tips During WinterClean Your Windshield Your windshield will frequently get iced during winter. If you do not clean it, you will have a hard time driving. You will also be putting your life at risk and that of the other road users because your visibility is poor. Use an ice scrapper to clean your windshield. If you don't have it, use a credit card or something similar. You can also pour tap water on the windshield using a hosepipe to melt the ice away. Turn Your Headlights On Visibility is a big deal during winter because of the rain and fog. For a better visibility, turn on your headlight ... read more

Getting your vehicle prepared for the winter months is necessary when it comes to keeping it reliable in the cold weather. From icy roads to falling snow, making sure that certain safety features are in top working condition will help keep you safe on the road. Getting stuck in the snow is never a fun time, and driving in certain weather conditions with a poorly maintained vehicle can put you at risk for an accident.  There are several steps that you can follow that will help keep you prepared for the winter months ahead. Let’s look at some of our top recommendations to follow starting this month before the Holidays:  One thing to check is your car’s battery. A battery that hasn’t been replaced in a few years can be at risk of losing enough power in low temperatures to cause your vehicle not to start. A test at our shop can tell you if your car battery can still hold its charge ... read more

It's first thing in the morning and you’re already late for work. You hop in your car, turn the key to start it and...nothing.  The worst! You panic as you try to figure out what to do first: call someone--your boss, AAA, the Quick Lube who changed your oil two months ago...    We’re instead going to turn this panic into power and armor you with knowledge that will 1. keep you calm and 2. get you back on the road as soon as possible.    Your first step is to troubleshoot. And the best part is you can do this yourself. It is easier than you may think!    Start here:   When you turn the key in the ignition, does the engine crank (try to start)? Do the lights and radio come on? Do you hear a “clicking” noise? Or, does nothing happen at all (you might as well not even be trying here)?    Can you remember the last time the battery was replaced? You may simply need a new battery.   Or maybe you le ... read more

As a driver in Colorado, you know how annoying (or flat-out dangerous) it is to have streaking or inoperable wiper blades. The importance of these relatively small and fragile car part cannot be overstated when driving in poor weather conditions.   But don’t worry:   You can avoid broken and brittle wiper blades or inoperable wipers by incorporating the following advice.   Enjoy Longer-Lasting Wiper Blades with These Four Tricks   1. Test your wipers and wiper fluid before driving off You don’t want to be in desperate need of a squirt of windshield wiper fluid when you realize you’re out. Also, if your windshield is dirty, go ahead and clean it first. Don’t use your wiper blades to clean this!   If you notice a fluid squirter isn’t working or that the wiper blades are stuck to the windshield, you can hop out and attend to these issues while you’re still parked.   2. If your wipers appear to be frozen, remov ... read more