Quick car care tip: Does the inside of your vehicle smell like rotten food, pets and/or cigarettes? Put a bowl of vinegar on the passenger seat when you get home from work and leave it there overnight. The odor will be gone the next morning. Try it, it works!

Interesting car fact: nearly 20% of all new cars sold in the U.S. do not have spare tires (which are not federally mandated). The spare is usually replaced by either a tire inflation kit and sealant package or with run-flat tires. This not only lowers the weight of the car (by up to 30 pounds) and increases gas mileage, but also lowers manufacturing costs. Today’s tires are also made better, and so are less likely to go flat. Perhaps most important, changing your own tire is a pain in the rear axle, and can be dangerous. Eventually, nearly all new cars will be spare free – not that most of us will notice. Only 30% of Americans say they change their tire when it goes flat. What’s the number for Roadside Assistance?

As winter approaches and the rainy season upon us, it’s time to pay attention to the condition of your tires.  They are carrying precious cargo, aren’t they?  You and your family’s safety is dependent on the condition of your tires.  It is important to check the wear and tear of your tires for safety purposes.

One of the ways you can check the condition of your tires AND have fun with the kids is by using a good old fashioned penny.

Tires should have have at least 3/32-in. of tread or more. By using a penny as a quick reference, insert the penny into the tread groove with Lincoln’s face showing, but with his head upside-down. If you are able to see all of Lincoln’s head, the tire needs replacement. If you see a wear bar across the width of the tread while facing it, it’s time to replace the tire. Generally, it’s best to replace tires in sets of four.

Ricks Performance is pleased to announce we now sells tires.    Tires are available form all major manufacturers like Michelin tires, Bridgestone tires, Goodyear tires etc., at discount tire prices.

We offer mounting and balancing, and even perform flat repair.   Contact Ricks Performance at 925-484-2324 to schedule an appointment or schedule on-line now.

Tires On Sale EVERYDAY!

Ricks Performance is pleased to announce we now sell  tires.    Tires are available from all major manufacturers like Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Firestone, etc., at discount  prices.

With fall upon us and winter approaching quickly, now is the time to make sure your tires are safe for winter driving conditions.  If you are unsure if it is time for new tires, here is a link to an article on checking your tire tread and some tips of what to look for.

Our discount tire services (discount wheel and tire packages) also include; mounting and balancing, alignment and we even do a great job at  flat repairs.

If you are interested, Custom rims and tire packages are also available.

Since our primary business is auto repair, our prices are highly discounted to our clients as an added service.   You will find that our prices are even competitive with warehouse stores that sell discount tires like Costco and local tire stores like Big-O-Tires.   No tire coupons necessary…just great prices and service on tires that you would expect from the best Auto Repair Place in Pleasanton.

We here at Ricks Performance have been coming across some very strange running cars lately.   The customers will tell us that all of the sudden the car started idling poorly, is making strange noises,  has hesitation issues or the check engine light is on.   At least one a week with these symptoms.   Every car’s auto repair issue is a little bit different.  But the cause is typically the same.   Upon lifting the hood we find rodent droppings, teeth marks on rubber hoses and wiring insulation along with evidence of nests!   It seems that furry little creatures are finding warm engine compartments very inviting.   Not to mention good eating.  With all the environmentalists whining about how terrible it is that cars use plastics and rubber, the car makers are mixing in all natural ingredients to stretch the plastics and rubber so they are “greener”.

The car manufacturers are using soy based products to mix with the plastic and rubber.   I guess mice like soybeans, so when you mix in some soy with some wiring insulation or rubber vacuum hoses you  have a very palatable combination.   The problem appears to be more prevalent in newer model cars.    Last week we had a Mazda RX-8 here with a check engine light on for an evaporative emission leak.   Turns out the customer had been noticing droppings on the garage floor but could not figure out where they came from.   There is a plastic tube under the RX-8 that runs from the gas tank to the engine (not the fuel line)  and a mouse had eaten a hole in it.   Gasoline vapors were escaping to the atmosphere from the hole.   To replace the hose we had to remove the fuel tank, rear subframe, driveshaft, axles and heat shielding.  The bill came to $1700.00.   His insurance picked up most of it.

But the most amazing car to date is a 2006 Honda Accord that came in yesterday with the check engine light on.   The car has only 27,000 miles on it.    The code was for a circuit problem with the knock sensor on the engine.   The knock sensor detects any engine knock or ping and tells the computer about it.   We found the computer was not getting any signal.  We removed the upper section of the intake manifold to reach the sensor and found the wiring to it was eaten through and actually separated.   This is where the story gets really interesting.

I called the Honda dealer to order the new section of harness that goes to the knock sensor and told the parts man that the wire was eaten through by a rodent.   He told me “thats the wire all the mice like”.   I thought he was joking until I received the new harness and believe it or not the wire had tape encircling it with little mice pictures on it with Xs through their eyes.   I called the guy at the dealer back and asked him what was up with the “no mice” tape on the wiring.  He said apparently rodents like the taste of this wire particularly and Honda actually puts tape on the wire to warn the mice not to eat it!

What will the car makers come up with next?

We recommend installing rodent bait around the garage and make sure to always keep it fresh. Try not to park the car outside or on the side of the house.   Otherwise you will be coming to see us sooner rather than later.

Contact Rick’s Performance should you have any questions regarding the maintenance of your vehicle. 925-484-2324 or schedule on-line.

With all the recent news about Toyota’s problems with the gas pedal sticking on some of their newer cars, I thought I would share some information regarding what you should do if your gas pedal gets stuck and your car continues to accelerate even with your foot off the gas pedal.   It can theoretically happen to any car or truck.

Imagine this situation, you are getting on the freeway and flooring the gas pedal as you merge.   Once in your lane and caught up with traffic you back off the gas pedal but the car keeps accelerating.  Your first thought might be to try looking down at the gas pedal to see if the floor mat is stuck on top of it, or try to stick your toe under the pedal to free it up.  You are loosing valuable time.  Do not try to figure out why the car is accelerating,  just put the car into neutral if you have an automatic transmission, or push in the clutch if you have a manual transmission.     DO NOT turn off the engine.  If you turn the engine off you will lose your power steering and possibly your power brakes.

Do not worry about the engine being damaged from over-revving.   Almost all modern fuel injected cars have rev limiters to cut off the fuel flow or spark if the engine rpms get too high.  But seriously, think about it.   If you careen at full speed down the freeway, or worse, on a city street, you will get in an accident.  Even if you need a new engine for $4000 to $6000, that is cheaper than an accident or someone getting injured.   Focus on getting the car over to the side of the road and stopped.  Then turn off the ignition.

Toyota will get things figured out.  They really do build some of the most reliable cars around.   And whether this turns out to be an actual sticking gas pedal problem, or more likely a software problem with the computer that controls the throttle,  you can be sure that all the automakers have a stake in making sure the cars we buy are as safe and reliable as possible.

Feel free to contact us should you have any questions regarding servicing your Toyota or any other of the many cars we service in the Tri-Valley.  Keeping your vehicle serviced and safe is a top priority.

You can find more information regarding the Toyota Recall at http://www.toyota.com/recall/ and can  rest assured that we are keeping up to date with the latest and greatest information coming from Toyota.

The video below shows a good visual example of how to handle the situation of a stuck gas peddle.

Rick’s Performance is Pleasanton’s Auto repair center for Toyota tune-ups, Toyota auto repair, Toyota Oil Changes,

The word “Tune-up” comes from the early days of car maintenance.  Before autos had computers, engine parts were controlled mechanically. These parts were precisely tweaked to ensure the car’s engine worked most efficiently. The more the car was driven, the more “out of whack” these parts would become.  It was the auto mechanics job to re-calibrate or “tune” them by hand.

Today, servicing cars is very different.  Modern vehicles don’t have many parts that require hand-tuning.  Everything from the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber to the precise shift time in automatic transmissions is now controlled by the car’s computer.

Today, a typical auto maintenance routine consists of inspecting the car for wear, changing fluids, keeping up on oil changes and replacing worn out parts. So, when you take your car in for a “Tune-up”, to be accurate, its really more of an “auto inspection, change and replace up”.

When your check engine light turns on it is an indicator that your vehicle uses to tell you that your vehicle needs some attention or a potential repair. When the light comes on the computer stores a trouble code in its memory to help the auto repair technician determine what is causing the problem.

The first thing you should do when the check engine light comes on is to pay attention to the gauges in your vehicle and to the feel of how the car is running.  Make sure all gauges are in the normal range, and that the car feels like it is running smoothly.  It is also a good idea to step outside the vehicle to take a listen as well (make sure it is safe before you step out of the car).  In many cases you may not notice any symptoms of the possible issue.  As long as the car is not showing any problems, it is most likely safe to drive to your destination.  If do you hear any unusual noises or notice the vehicle running poorly, or if there are any other warning lights on then you should pull over safely and turn the engine off.

Contact your auto repair center immediately to have a qualified auto repair technician assess the problem.   It may surprise you to find out that there are over 140 items the computer monitors that will generates a code if the computer detects a problem.

It could be something as simple as the gas cap is loose on the filler neck. The gas tank has a pressure sensor in it that monitors the air pressure in the tank as the fuel is used. If the tank is not holding pressure then the computer will see that and trigger a code for an evaporative emission leak.
Another common code we see is for an ignition misfire.  This code will usually cause the check engine light to not only turn on, but it may also flash. You may also notice the engine running rough and have low power or an uneven idle. This issue needs to be addressed by an auto repair technician quickly!  Not addressing the issue quickly can damage the cars catalytic converter if it continues to be driven.

A misfire means fuel is injected into the combustion chamber, but it is not being burned completely.  This unburned gasoline then travels into the exhaust where it encounters a red hot catalytic converter.  The fuel is vaporized  in the converter but this raises the temperature of the converter excessively.  The converter is then damaged and may start to melt. A new converter is a very expensive auto repair.  Most misfires are ignition related – loose spark plug wire, bad ignition coil, worn spark plug.

By the way, the computer monitors how well the catalytic converters are functioning as well. If the efficiency drops below about 80%, the check engine light will come on for that problem.

Often times a car will come in with multiple codes – a misfire and a worn out or damaged catalytic converter for instance. This auto repair consists of diagnosing the order of failure, then replacing the parts contributing to the problem.
As you can see, a properly maintained vehicle will likely run better, get you better gas mileage and have fewer unexpected breakdowns. Be sure to follow your manufacturers scheduled auto maintenance guide, or as a customer of Ricks Performance we will e-mail you scheduled maintenance reminders right to your computer. Our goal is to keep all of our customers cars running as well as our own.

If you have questions, please contact Rick’s at 925-484-2324 or schedule on-line to have your car repaired Here.

I read a study a few weeks ago that talked about how people that floss their teeth regularly live longer. Now your first thought might be how in the heck does flossing my teeth regularly make me live longer. Continue reading….

It seems regular flossers are also people who tend to be more hygienic and in touch with their bodies. They pay attention to aches, pains, watch what they eat and monitor their general health.

When something seems out of the ordinary, they will find out why by calling their doctor. They are concerned about preventative health and finding out about problems before they are fatal.
Because this is a site about Auto Repair, you are probably wondering what flossing could possibly have to do with maintaining your vehicle.  The tie between the two has everything to do with…. oil changes!  Most modern cars and motor oil will allow you to run closer to 5000 miles before the oil needs changing.   Some car manufacturers say you can go as long as a year or 15,000 miles between changes.

The big problem with holding off on oil changes is that no one  is checking on the condition of the car between oil change service.   JD Powers has us all believing that a new car can run for 100,000 miles before we have to lift the hood.  And that may be true, except when you consider…..

Back when people brought their car in every 3000 miles for an oil change, the mechanic would check all the fluids under the hood, look at the timing belts and hoses, check for any fluid leaks under the car and inspect the tires and tire pressures. If any problems were starting to develop, they could be repaired before the car risked breaking down on the side of the road.   When you think your auto mechanic is telling you that you need to return in 3000 miles for your next oil change, he is not trying to squeeze you for more money, he is trying to help keep you from breaking down, which is far more costly.

I cannot tell you how many cars that come in for an oil change (over 140 per month at our shop) have belts about to break, almost no coolant in the engine, bald tires, nails in the tires or other severe problems we catch before big expensive auto repair problems occur. Our job is to help our customers stay on the road safely and as economically as possible.
Food for thought.

Ribbon Cutting

On Wednesday October 21st,  the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce arrived at Ricks Performance in Pleasanton, California to help Rick celebrate 25 years of serving the community by providing quality auto repair and service.    Also on hand were representatives from the Pleasanton Downtown Association, customers and friends.   We are looking ahead to a great future and making many new friends.

Thanks to all that were in attendance and for your patronage over the last 25 years.  It has been our pleasure to serve the auto repair needs of the Tri-Valley.