West Los Angeles Auto Repair

Even though they are one of the most important components of your vehicle, most people don't really know a whole lot about the car tires they are driving on. Thousands of people count on their car tires every day to help get them to where they are going. It makes sense to pay some attention to these amazing pieces of technology. Here are some things you probably didn't know about those little rubber doughnuts you ride on every day. Just a Little Contact with your Car Tires… Everyone knows your tires are your only contact with the road surface. But have you ever thought about how much of your tires actually stick to the road? While most vehicles have fairly large tires, in reality the contact patch (the part of your tire ... read more

As a car enthusiast, you want to get maximum performance and efficiency from your vehicles. You may have seen some drivers go to great lengths to obtain parts such as new tires to maximize their engine performance and output. Enthusiasts have worked countless hours to trick up, chop off, and modify their cars since the birth of driving over 100 years ago. When you're ready to delve into your next car modification, think about what you want to improve about your car. Is it the acceleration? Is it the stopping power? Maybe you want to improve your ride quality or your fuel consumption? It could be any number of things that you may want to improve in your vehicle. Have a plan in ... read more

Every two years we all have to do it. The smog check. It's important, but no one likes to do it. If you fail your smog check, that means a trip to the auto mechanic, and wasted money on the test. There are lots of ways you can help yourself pass your test when you bring your car to the mechanic. Smog regulations are important to the environment, these tips will improve the performance of your car and help improve air quality here in Southern California. Smog testing was introduced in the 1970's as part of the Clean Air Act. You'll find 33 states that use smog check programs to control emissions. In the 1960s, Los Angeles had 100 smog alerts each year. From 2003 to 2013, there were two. The biggest reason for that ... read more

If you own a car, you were probably told about your car's factory maintenance schedule. Usually, your scheduled maintenance will happen every 30,000 miles. As a result, you'll sometimes here your mechanic call it 30/60/90k maintenance. Your schedule might be different, but if you make sure to go in for your scheduled visits to the auto shop you won't have to make as many unplanned visits to your mechanic. Many people think 30/60/90k maintenance plans are just another way dealers upsell and make you spend more money. If you're faithful to your scheduled maintenance, you'll extend your car's life and get better performance. Meanwhile, many car makers think scheduled maintenance is so important, they won't honor their ... read more

You probably did a lot of research into your car to make sure it was reliable. However, no matter how reliable your car is, you'll eventually break down. Sometimes, when talking to your mechanic, you might have trouble really giving them an idea of what's going on with your car. If you're having trouble explaining the problems you're experiencing, the information you'll learn here will make it easier at your local West Cost Tire & Service repair shop. Write Down Your Symptoms Just like when you make an appointment with your doctor, the more specific you can be, the easier it will be for your mechanic to diagnose your problem. By writing down what your car is doing, or not doing, you'll have an easier time explaining it to your mechanic. Trying to describe your p ... read more

It's fun to work on your car. A professional auto mechanic is indispensable for big repairs and fast service, but there are plenty of auto maintenance chores you can handle if you're willing to get your hands dirty. A few hardy souls spend many hours tinkering with just about every aspect of their car, from simple oil changes to minor auto body repair. With time and experience comes wisdom, and many DIY auto repair enthusiasts have developed many techniques and tricks that they use to make their work safer, faster, and more efficient. Here are a few tips and tricks that a DIY auto mechanic can use to stay safe and work more effectively: Properly Secure Your Car Before Working On It Many car repairs are only possible if you can raise the car off the ground. It's important to remember that a car is a very heavy p ... read more

One of the few things we can count on in life is the ever-increasing cost of gas. Everyone wants to squeak out a few extra miles from every tank of gas whenever possible. You can count on your favorite tire shop to give you the tips and information you need to get the best gas mileage out of your vehicle, whether it's a brand-new Prius or a 20-year-old truck. Tires When the topic of gas mileage comes up, most people think of the engine. Keeping your engine in tune is important but the tires you choose and the way you maintain your tires goes a long way to improving your gas mileage. High quality tires reduce the rolling resistance as your car travels on the road. The less resistance your tires encounter, the less energy they use. In addition ... read more

New car tires are a smart investment. Most new tires will last as many as 7 years, or up to 60,000 miles. Of course to save money, drivers will want to use those new car tires to as close to those limits as possible. Your car's engine needs regular maintenance to keep it running optimally. Your tires require regular inspections and maintenance, too. Here are 7 tips you can use today to help make sure you get the maximum life from your car tires: Check the Air Pressure Regularly One of the simplest tips is also one of the most useful. Poor car tire inflation is one of the leading causes of tire wear and tread loss. You should check the tire pressure at least once per week, or at every fuel fill-up. Tire manufacturers usually write the correct tire pressure on the sidewall of the tire. With a ha ... read more

America has always had a fascination with automobiles. Americans take pride in their cars and trucks, and they love to keep them clean, maintain them, and add goodies like fancy new tires or custom rims. Some shade tree mechanics even lik doing a little auto repair work on their own. Another thing Americans love is talking about cars. We've assembled a few fun facts about cars you can use to impress your friends or your mechanic the next time you're in for an auto repair job: Older Cars Really Hummed With a Tune-Up Few people know it, but inventor Henry Ford coined the term tune up while he was working on his first automobile prototype. At the time, ignition systems were very simple. He used a separate ignition coil for every spark plug, so if a car had four spark plugs, it had four sepa ... read more

The power of smartphone technology is changing many aspects of our lives. Driving is no exception. Whether you need to find information for auto repair work, navigate busy streets, or find a nearby gas station, your smartphone can be invaluable. West Coast Tire and Service has compiled a list of 6 free Android apps that can't be beat for convenience and usefulness. The best part? They're free! Waze - GPS, Maps, and Traffic Next to Google Maps, which comes with almost every Android phone, Waze is the largest community-based traffic and navigation app. Waze includes many of the features that other navigation apps offer, like the ability to report gas prices and speed traps. Waze also helps you plan a driving route based on traffic conditions. If you're feeling helpful, you can use Waze to alert other dri ... read more