Same Great Service at All Locations!

Mon - Fri: 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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La Mesa Location

(619) 403-9426

7447 University Ave, La Mesa, CA 91942

Mon - Fri: 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Sat & Sun: Closed

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El Cajon Location

(619) 404-5645

10813 Airport Dr., El Cajon, CA 92020

Mon - Fri: 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Sat & Sun: Closed

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Monthly Archives: June 2019

Upgrade Shocks for Better Handling in San Diego

Many San Diego drivers probably don't think of their shock absorbers as an important safety system; but that's just what shocks and struts are. They're all about ride control – keeping your vehicle tires in contact with the road and managing body motion.Every time you hit a bump or pothole on a San Diego road, your tire wants to bounce up. The bigger the bump, the higher the bounce. Your shocks or struts push down on the tire to maintain the traction you need to start, stop and turn.If you've ever ridden in a vehicle with bad shocks, you know how it wallows on corners. The front end dives when you hit the brakes and the rear end squats when you accelerate. It's not only uncomfortable, it is difficult to handle.You may have heard vehicles described as having “flat cornering." That means that when you take a corner, the body doesn't roll very much. When shocks start to get worn, your vehicle will roll more on corners. The weight of your vehicle ... read more

Categories:

Shocks & Struts

Straight and True in San Diego: Wheel Alignment

Most San Diego folks worry about running out of gas or having a breakdown on the side of the road. That is why we practice preventive maintenance on our vehicles — that and to keep our repair bills down. But one important part of preventive maintenance that may get overlooked by drivers in San Diego is a periodic alignment inspection. Poor alignment causes tires to wear rapidly, unevenly or both. This means they will have to be replaced early, and new tires are more expensive than an alignment check in San Diego. Bad alignment can also cause damage to suspension and steering systems, which can be expensive to repair in San Diego. Tire wear on misaligned wheels can also lead to blowouts, which are dangerous, can lead to serious accidents and can seriously damage your vehicle. Also, poor alignment itself can be the cause of an accident since the vehicle may not steer properly. One or more wheels on your vehicle can be knocked out ... read more

Categories:

Alignment

How to Know When to Change Your Oil at John's Automotive Care

Today in the John's Automotive Care auto care blog, we're going to talk to San Diego drivers about oil change intervals. It seems that as engine technology advances, oil change intervals become longer for John's Automotive Care customers. For example, recently four of the world's largest vehicle manufacturer's shortened the published intervals for several of their engine models. They originally published intervals that extended out to a much as 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers).In real world San Diego driving, the oil started to sludge up before the recommended change interval. Oil sludge is a thick jelly-like substance: quite literally petroleum jelly – like Vaseline. This goop was clogging vehicle small engine passages so the oil wouldn't flow to some parts of the engine. This resulted in engine damage. We see it too often at John's Automotive Care in San Diego.The vehicle manufacturers began to offer an extended warranty to cover sludge damage. But there was a ... read more

Categories:

Fluids

Battery Basics for San Diego

Battery Basics for San Diego

It's important for San Diego drivers to know battery basics. First, let's talk about which is harder on a battery – hot or cold CA weather. Most San Diego area drivers think it's cold weather because that's when we call on our batteries to have enough power to start a cold vehicle engine. However, heat does more damage to a battery than cold. Truth is, our batteries start to die a little from day one. Keeping a full charge slows the process, which is hard with short San Diego trips because the alternator doesn't have time to fully recharge the battery from starting the engine. San Diego drivers can top off the charge with a computer controlled battery charger – say, once a month in the summer and every three months during the winter.As far as how long a battery will last, statistics show that 70% have given up the ghost within four years. By that time, they aren't capable of taking a full charge like they used to ... read more

Categories:

Battery

Is Your San Diego Driving Severe?

People near San Diego, CA, often ask John's Automotive Care how often they should have a particular service done. It's a great thing to ask. You can look at your owner's manual or have your San Diego, CA, service advisor at John's Automotive Care look up your vehicle in a service database. What you find is often a surprise to people – there are actually two service schedules.One is the regular schedule and the other is the severe service schedule. Service intervals are shorter on the severe service schedule. When asked, most folks in San Diego will say that their driving is normal and that the 'regular' schedule probably applies to them. 'Severe service' sounds pretty extreme – 'I don't drive like that.'Well, here is what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions; you can draw your own conclusions. Most of your trips are less than four miles (six and a half kilometers). Most of your trips are less than ten miles (16 km) and outside temper ... read more

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