Fuel injector service and cleaning is important to maximize the performance of your automobile. A dirty fuel injector system can cause weak acceleration, low power output, decreased fuel economy, rough idling and an unbalanced air and fuel mixture. Dirty fuel injectors can also lead to higher levels of carbon monoxide emissions, thereby damaging the environment and detracting from your car’s ability to pass a smog check. Fuel injector openings are quite small, being less than the size of a pinhole and it only takes an 8% to 10% blockage to cause your car’s engine to misfire. Check your vehicle owner’s manual for the schedule guidelines for Fuel injector cleaning. Big Q Lube recommends that you have your fuel injector service performed at least every 25,000. In this economy you need all the gas mileage you can get, as well as helping to decrease vehicle emissions and help the environment. Big Q Lube is conveniently located in Santa Monica and we have state of the art equipment to service and repair your fuel injector system.
Posted in Auto Service
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Tagged fuel, injector
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A comprehensive and scheduled engine tuneup should be performed to keep your car’s engine and powertrain working at optimal levels. Performing a routine engine tuneup enables your vehicle to perform at an optimal level. Properly tuned engines deliver higher power, use less fuel and produce fewer emissions. A routine engine tuneup will help to recondition your car to a more optimal state and aid the overall effectiveness of the engine and the emission system. General engine components that are inspected, repaired, serviced or replaced in a tuneup include the spark plugs, the ignition system, emissions system, fuel and air filters, adjustments to the ignition timing and idle speeds and to perform diagnostics and repairs to the onboard computer system. Get your vehicle’s engine tuneup in Santa Monica at Big Q Lube.
Posted in Auto Service
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Tagged engine, tuneup
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Summer is here and so too is the heat. Make sure your Air Conditioning System is up and running in proper condition to ensure the highest level of interior comfort for you, you’re family and other passengers. The Air Conditioning System, commonly referred to as the AC, is also connected to your car’s Heating and Ventilation System and together the conglomerate group is referred to by the following acronym, HVAC, which stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning System. The HVAC not only provides interior comfort in hot and cold driving conditions, but it also provides crucial safety features, such as supporting the proper operation of your car’s defroster. Typically, your Air Conditioning system should be inspected for service or repair once a year. A qualified AC Technician checks refrigerant pressures to test proper function and operation, along with inspecting the refrigerant charge and outlet temperatures. If the AC System is found to be running on low levels of refrigerant a leak test will be performed to discern the location of the leak and will provide corrective measures if and when appropriate. The AC Technician may add refrigerant to “top off” the AC System. Some AC Systems cannot be “topped off” because of various reasons, including the Air Conditioning refrigerant being contaminated. A thorough check of the HVAC System also includes checking the compressor’s drive belt and tension. Big Q Lube Auto Service and Repair Center provides thorough Air Conditioning System inspections, service and repair.
The most important safety system in your car is the brake system. When you press the brake pedal a hydraulic force and pressure is generated in the master brake cylinder. This hydraulic brake pressure flows through the brake system, including the brake system’s hydraulic lines and hoses that lead to the wheel cylinders and calipers. When the brake pedal is pressed down this causes the brake shoes to press against the brake drums and the brake pads against the brake rotors in disc brakes. The resulting friction slows the vehicle relative to the amount of force applied to the brake pedal.
Your car’s brakes should be inspected regularly and a brake job, brake service, brake repair or brake replacement should be performed if and when needed without delay. Like your car’s tires, the brakes are a normal wear item and eventually your brakes will need to be replaced to maintain the performance and safety of your vehicle. Delaying a needed brake job can lead to exorbitant brake replacement costs. When your automobile brake system reaches the point when metal is rubbing against metal the brake drum and rotor usually need to be replaced, which can be quite expensive. You can review your vehicle owner’s manual to learn more about your car’s needs for periodic flushing and filling of the brakes hydraulic system. Contaminated or inadequate amounts of brake fluid can lead to erosion and other problems in the brakes hydraulic system, particularly in cars with antilock brakes (ABS). To ensure the integrity of your brakes you should have your brake linings, brake drums, brake rotors and brake fluid inspected at each oil change. A brake job generally includes the replacement of the brake pads or brake shoes and sometimes the brake drums or brake rotors need to be refined via a machining process or replacement may be necessary. Get a quality Brake Job in Santa Monica at Big Q Lube Auto Service and Repair Center.
The battery in your car stores electrical energy required for many normal functions within your vehicle. The starter converts the energy from the car battery into mechanical force to turn over the engine for starting the car. The alternator assists the charging system of the vehicle by creating and maintaining current and to replace the energy that was dissipated and lost during the starting of the car. The alternator also acts to support the electrical load on the engine and throughout the vehicle when the vehicle engine is running. Another core component of the Charging System is the ignition module, which is used to create a spark at the spark plugs in order to ignite the mixture of gas and air in the engine. There is also a belt that assists in the transmission of the power from the front of the engine to the alternator pulley, amongst other car accessories. Grouped together, your car’s battery, starter, alternator, ignition system and related belts can be referred to as the vehicle charging system. To ensure your car operates in a dependable manner throughout different environmental and road conditions you should ensure your battery, starter, alternator, ignition system and related charging system belts are checked and in proper function. Signs and symptoms of a weak battery or charging system may include low or dim headlights, the “Check Engine Light” or the “Battery Light” may come on or certain electrical accessories may fail to operate. Big Q Lube Auto Service and Repair Center in Santa Monica can perform quality repairs on your car’s battery, starter, alternator, ignition system and charging system belts.
The vehicle emission system measures and controls the amount of emissions, exhaust and pollutants emitted from your car. The emission system functions through the collaborative utilization of computerized engine controls, an array of electronic emission sensors and exhaust components. Your car’s emission system monitors and reduces the amount of harmful gases and pollutants, including but not limited to carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, along with preventing the escape of harmful gasoline vapors from the fuel tank. Your vehicle’s emission system enables the engine to operate with efficiency and clean in a wide array of driving conditions. A dysfunctional emission system can lead to many deleterious effects, including an increased use of fuel, leading to a decrease in the miles per gallon, hurting your pocket book, along with excessive pollutants being exuded from your car’s exhaust system, thereby hurting the environment and increasing your risk for getting a smog violation ticket. Some factors that can have a deleterious effect on the emission system include driving and atmospheric conditions, vehicle mileage and age, the type and strength of spark plug material, damaged or worn emission sensors, auto service history and bad fuel. Big Q Lube Auto Service and Repair Center has state of the art emission system testing equipment and we can diagnose and fix your car’s emission system. We can also refer you to local smog check facilities and help you prevent excessive emissions from your car and thereby mutually help the environment.
The Check Engine Light or Service Engine Soon Light notifies the driver of possible problems related to the emissions system. A steady check engine light is usually indicative of problems related to high engine emissions or evaporative engine emissions and a blinking check engine light is indicative of a severe levels of engine misfire that can lead to costly car component damage.
The check engine light is a part of the vehicle’s On Board Diagnostic system, also known as the OBD. The check engine light is an early warning sign of potential problems related to the automobile emission system. The On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system is a conglomerate of computer components that control many of the vehicle engine systems, including the ignition system and fuel. The On Board Computer is a self-diagnostic system for the vehicle that can assist automobile technicians’ in diagnosing and repairing engine and emissions problems. The On Board Computer system can help drivers by saving gas and help the environment by reducing the amount of harmful emissions.
If the check engine light or service engine light is on and stead or blinking that is generally a clear sign to the driver of a possible problem that may need auto service. It is a good idea to consult the vehicle owner’s manual and a repair shop when the check engine light is on and remember that a blinking check engine light indicates a more critical problem and should be serviced and repaired soon. Big Q Lube Auto Service and Repair has high quality check engine diagnostic equipment and we can quickly diagnose check engine light problems and repair the causative factors. Come on into Big Q Lube and get your car running smoothly and save fuel and help improve the environment by reducing your vehicle’s emissions.
Get your Factory Scheduled Maintenance performed in Santa Monica at Big Q Lube Auto Service & Repair Center.
I think that most new car dealerships do an excellent job in serving their customers and servicing their customers’ vehicles. The smaller independent auto service and repair shops should update and improve some areas of our operations that lead to our losing customers to the big dealerships. For example: improve the customer waiting room, a clean customer bathroom, offer a drop-off & pick-up service, provide a loaner car and other thoughtful car service amenities. Big Q Lube Auto Service & Repair Center, being a smaller local car service center has an extra beneficial tool, being that we can actually create longstanding relationships with our customers. Our customers won’t have to go through a super expensive bureaucratic chain that can often lose sight of their vehicles. We can take the time to thoroughly answer customer questions and concerns, explain and show in detail the problems associated and make the customer feel they truly are an important resource for our car service business and not just a number associated with a particular vehicle. We can also offer our customers substantial and competitive cost savings, as our overhead is not wrought with high bureaucratic costs.
Did you know that Federal Law prohibits new car dealers from implying or denying warranty service because routine scheduled maintenance was performed at an independent repair facility, which is governed by the Magnusen-Moss Act (1975) Title 15, Chapter 50, §2301 – §2312 of the US Federal Code.
If you wish you can save time by filling out our car service repair order form prior to your arrival.
For the month of July 2010 new customers getting any brake job done at Big Q Lube Auto Service & Repair in Santa Monica will receive a complimentary 20-point full service regular oil change $39.00 value or the same value will be discounted toward any synthetic oil change. If no oil change is needed at the time of the brake job a $39.00 shop credit will be issue for your next oil change.
