Boulder Auto Repair

As Boulder consumers, we live in a disposable society. It’s amazing all the stuff we throw away. New stuff comes out so fast, and much of it is fairly cheap, so we just toss the old and move on. It seems like when we were kids in Eldorado Springs, our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our stuff – especially parents who grew up in the Depression. You know, hang up your clothes, polish your shoes, put away your toys. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough, we had to do without. Boulder auto owners couldn’t afford new cars very often, so we tried to make them last as long as we could. It’s a good thing that cars are more reliable these days. They just don’t break down as often. And the good news for us Boulder penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles with proper care. The engineering’s there and so is the manufacturing quality. The missing ingredient is us making sure we follow the ... read more

Most Eldorado Springs motorists don’t even think about their car air conditioning system unless it fails. That’s because many Boulder and Louisville motorists don’t really understand that automotive air conditioners need periodic service. Let me share some of the reasons why they fail. First, like every machine, the family car air conditioner parts need – you guessed it – lubrication. The lubricant is actually mixed in with the refrigerant (that’s the stuff that makes the air cool). Remember that even if the air conditioner is still blowing out cool air, the oil that lubricates the parts may be used up: and unlubricated parts can fail in all CO cars.The air conditioner actually removes some of the moisture in the air. So if you have trouble with fogging on your windshield during CO winters or during ... read more

Sometimes we hear people say, “What’s up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don’t break down.” While it is true that today’s cars and trucks are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials than ever before. All that complexity demands higher tolerances for everything. For example, most folks don’t realize how high tech automotive fluids have become. Fluids like, engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid. Did you know that a modern engine would not run for more than a few months using motor oil formulas from 30 years ago? Today’s automotive fluids contain a much higher percentage of additives to protect your vehicle’s components from premature wear and corrosion. Time and miles march on for all of our cars. Please don’t think we’re using scare tactics to get you to take care of your ... read more

If you’ve walked through the automotive fluids of an auto parts store in Eldorado Springs, you’ll know how overwhelming the sheer number of products available can be. How do you know what’s right for your vehicle? As you know, these fluids all serve a function in making your car run as you drive around the Eldorado Springs area. Your vehicle manufacturer has specified a particular type of fluid for every system from the motor, to the cooling system, brake fluid and so on. When you realize that not every variation is applicable to your vehicle, the task becomes more manageable. First let’s talk about why there are so many varieties. Starting with motor oil, we see that manufacturers match the properties of a particular weight or type of oil with the design needs of the engine. For example, engines with sophisticated valve trains often require a thinner weight of oil. Some vehicles around Eldorado Springs come fr ... read more

We live in such a disposable society. It’s amazing all the stuff we throw away. New stuff comes out so fast, we just toss the old and move on. In the old days people were real sticklers about taking care of their things. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough – they had to do without. Most people couldn’t afford new cars very often, so they had to make them last as long as they could. It’s a good thing that cars are more reliable these days. They just don’t break down as often. And the good news for us CO penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles/320,000 km with proper care. The engineering and the manufacturing quality is tremendous. The missing ingredient is us Boulder car owners making sure we follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedules. Every time you go a couple thousand extra miles between an oil change, you have created an opportunity for sludge to be fo ... read more