Venice Auto Repair

How do I Improve my Fuel Economy?   These days you might be cringing at the gas pump each time you visit with the rising fuel prices. In this blog, we would like to discuss what you can do as a driver to improve your fuel economy and hopefully save you some money when it's time to fill up! Summer months are quickly approaching, when there is a rise in temperature, your fuel economy can actually increase because your engine doesn't have to work so hard to get up to a normal temperature. To counteract this though, there is the running of the A/C system in your vehicle that reduces fuel economy to keep the inside of the vehicle at a comfortable temperature. The easy solution to this you would think would be just rolling the windows down, right? But no. Rolling the windows down can also decrease fuel economy because now your vehicle is fighting against the wind resistance and using more power to push through that! Not to mention, who wants to roll the ... read more

Why Does My Car Smell Like Burning Oil?    Oil, a major component to your vehicle, and often times can be leaking from those compartments that holds it. A guest of ours recently came into our shop with the complaint of a "hot smell". Our technician Tony informed me that the term "hot smell" usually always refers to the smell that stems from an oil leak, where the oil is dripping onto another component in the vehicle and burning essentially. In this case, the oil leak was coming from a bad Valve Cover Gasket. Oil leaking from or around the engine can be potentially dangerous. You could significantly damage your engine if you let an oil leak go. You want to avoid fire hazards, but also, future expensive repairs.  He found this leak upon doing a thorough visual inspection, oil residue found coming out of the Valve Cover Gasket.    What Tony found was the oil that was l ... read more

Why are Loud Noises Coming from Under My Car?    While this can be a generic question with multiple causes, this direct occurrence was due to a failing Driveshaft. The Driveshaft Coupler needed replacement inside of a Corvette's Torque Shaft. A whole lot of big words with so many different responsibilities for allowing your vehicle to move. Let's get back to the basics...What is a Driveshaft anyway?     A Driveshaft is part of the Drivetrain system, this is responsible for the drivability of your vehicle.  There is something called Torque in an engine, which is the measurement of force that transmits the engine power to the Transmission. In this specific vehicle, the Driveshaft is a long round shaft that goes from the Engine to differential gears to the transmission that create torque and turn the wheels of the car. When the output shaft of the Transmissio ... read more

What is Carbon Build-up? How Does it Affect my Engine?  Carbon build-up can be found inside the engine. Over time carbon builds up inside the engine from exhaust and fuel combustion. As the engine burns fuel, the layers of carbon build up causing the valves to stick. This can impede the valves sealing correctly when disposing of exhaust or intaking air into the cylinder.  Carbon can also plug up your fuel injector nozzles resulting in poor fuel delivery.  For example, when there is a fire in the chimney you can see soot start to build up on the inside walls. This is exactly what is happening inside the engine!  Oil travels a long road before it winds up in your vehicle. Gasoline from oil refiners such as Shell, Chevron, etc. mix their gasoline with their own kind of detergents. These detergents are formulated to remove or prevent the carbon build up in the fuel injectors and intake valves. This may differ though with a direct injec ... read more

Do I Have to Replace my Timing Belt?    The simple answer is yes. Some vehicles have a Timing Belt, and others have a timing chain. These are necessary to keep the engine working properly and "in time". A Timing Belt is what keeps the engine valves and pistons "in time" with each other so that they don't collide. It is part of the internal engine system that creates a synchrony of movement between the Camshaft and Crankshaft to ensure that these engine valves open and close in unison during the Cylinder's in/out strokes.    The Timing Belt is rubber, so it does not last forever. In most cases, your manufacturer will recommend replacing as part of routine maintenance. This is about 70,000 miles, but every manufacturer is different. You can consult your owner's manual or come to our shop with trained professionals to ensure you are ... read more