Marysville Auto Repair

Week 8: 07/15/15 Bud’s is here to report in for week 8 of Car of the Week, 2002 Chrysler Town and Country! This van came in because it needed the transaxle to be inspected, had thrown a converter code, dies at stop lights and slow turns and had an uneven idle. These are quite a few serious issues! The customer let us know that they had done multiple oil changes, changed plugs and the air filter, trying to correct the issue themselves. Upon inspection our tech found that the van needed a multitude of things. Sadly, they could have been prevented with a strict regular maintenance schedule. Thankfully, we can make the repairs in-house. For this repair order we will be installing a new transmission, belt tensioner, alternator, air filter and possibly a cooling system. Whew! With the parts and pieces where they are in this vehicle Branden is diving in with both feet but “gettin ‘er done”. It’s a big job but we are up to the challenge. Bud ... read more

Car of the week blog: Week 7: 07/03/15 Bud’s is here to report in for week 7 of Car of the Week, 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid! This weeks “car of the Week” is a Toyota Hybrid. Our technicians have been learning quite a bit lately as they work on vehicles that they don’t have years and years of experience with. Both of our techs have many years of Subaru experience so they rarely get tripped up on them, but some of the newer vehicles and types can give them a run for their money. This Camry Hybrid was pretty cut and dry though. The customer did their own oil change. A lot of people who change their own oil rarely have an issue but this time proved to be one of those rare times! After the car started running rough and making noise, the customer stopped to check their oil and realized that the oil plug had fallen out! They replaced the plug and filled the oil immediately, just to drive a very short distance and have the car stop completely. The ind ... read more

Automotive Air Conditioning Packard invented the auto air conditioner in 1939. It was quickly accepted and started becoming factory installed in cars the very next year, 1940. What the unit does is cools the air that passes through it and removes the humidity. It does this by using a compressor, condenser and evaporator. It’s commonly used to cool the air when it’s hot outside and when defrosting the windshield in the winter. Automotive air conditioning or, A/C as it’s commonly called, is a component that most Pacific North westerners only worry about when the two weeks of warm summer hit since our average temperature is like 75*. This year though, the PNW is having a heat wave! The sun is out and everything is HOT! We are breaking records and having to be extremely cautious of our surroundings, including our homes, pets and automobiles. With this week’s temperatures maxing out at 94* here in Marysville we are seeing more and more vehicles in to have their AC ... read more

Car of the week blog: Week 6: 06/19/15 Bud’s is here to report in for week 6 of Car of the Week, a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT! This Dodge pick-up came in because of a noise. The customer stated that the noise was coming from the rear differential when they were driving at 35mph. It had been previously diagnosed by a major chain but the customer felt more comfortable having us repair it. Upon inspection by our tech, the truck is in great overall health except for the rear diff! The truck is not brand new so it is rare to only have one recommended service on the inspection sheet filled out by the tech. When they do the complimentary 29 point inspection they test as many areas for wear etc. They rate each item with Green, Yellow or Red for Good, Okay and Needs Repair Immediately. This truck had all green makes besides the rear diff. During inspection our mechanic found that the pinion bearing had failed. This is usually the result of high mileage or improper mainte ... read more

Week 5: 06/12/15 Bud’s is here to report in for week 5 of Car of the Week, a 2007 Ford F-150 Lariat! This truck came in with the complaint of “coolant leaking” as fast as you can put it in and has had a slow leak for at least a few months. We found out that someone else had put a new radiator cap on and it had slowed the leak a bit but not stopped it completely. The customer let us know that the water that was leaking under the truck was rusty as well. Upon inspection of the cooling system, specifically the radiator, our tech (mechanic) determined that the cooling system had been “topped off” or re-filled with water. You see, antifreeze or engine coolant is meant to keep your water system from freezing but it also contains chemicals that aid in the prevention of rust and corrosion. If you just top off the fluid as it is leaking with water you are diluting the coolant so much that is can no longer protect your engine from corrosion. Thi ... read more