Placentia Auto Repair

Winter is coming, and for many of us outdoor enthusiasts, this means ski season! Fortunately, California is home to many fantastic ski spots. If you are looking to hit the slopes this season, you need to be ready -- both you and your vehicle. Here are the top five ways to prepare for ski season:  Make sure you have chains at the ready, especially if you are traveling on icy terrain. Additionally, old or worn out tires need to be replaced before you head out to the snow for optimal safety.  Test out your heat and defrosting system to make sure they are ready to rock and roll. You don’t want to find yourself chipping off any ice off your window in those chilly mornings.  Think about roof storage. Roof storage makes sense, if you are bringing quite a few snowboards and skis. Even if you have an SUV, you might want to extra room for your passengers.  Don’t destroy your car’s mats with melting snow, salt, and grimy slush. Invest in some floor liners ... read more

Trunk-or-treats is a new spin on trick-or-treating. Trunk-or-treating is similar to trick-or-treating, except it involves your trunk instead of your house. There are usually numerous events in your local community, where people decorate their car and go to a specific area to partake in some Halloween fun! Trunk-or-treats are a safer alternative to trick-or-treating, as it minimizes you and your child’s time on the streets, avoiding vehicles on the road.  Here are some fun costume ideas to dress up your car for Halloween:  Which car costume is your favorite? If you dress up your trunk this Halloween, please take a picture so we can see what you came up with. The team at Placentia Super Service just wants to remind you that Halloween can be a bit spooky on the streets and not for all the fun and festive reasons, as the chance of accidents increase significantly on this night. We encourage you to bring your vehicle to our shop, so our team can perform an inspection. You n ... read more

Fire season is starting, as California is known to experience horrific wildfires that wreak havoc on us and our beloved state. There is a lot that goes into preparing for fire season, including getting your vehicle ready. The team at Placentia Super Service is here to get your vehicle ready for whatever comes it’s way, including wildfires.  Here is how to prepare your vehicle for the fire season:  If you are towing, make sure to secure your chains. Dragging chains can lead to sparks, so utilize the appropriate safety pins and hitch ball to secure those chains.  Perform a thorough inspection of the exterior of your vehicle to ensure nothing is dragging on the ground. You can even look underneath your vehicle to make sure nothing is out of place.  Check that tire pressure. Before fire season is here, you will want to make sure that your tires are in proper condition and overall road-worthy. Driving on an exposed wheel can lead to sparks flying.  If you ... read more

Can you believe it’s August already? Where did the time go? Now that we’re here, it’s time to start preparing for the back-to-school season. Got backpacks, pencils, pens, and paper?  Check! Got your laptops and tablets ready?  Check! Is your family vehicle fully serviced and all set for the first day of school?  Maybe? How about the vehicle your teenager drives?  Is it ready to transport your student safely to school and back?  Maybe? We know Summer is the time when most of us go out and play. As we approach the final days of Summer (last minute road trip, anyone?) it’s time to make sure your family vehicle is equally ready for back-to-school. Here are five ways to get your vehicles ready for the school year: Check your brakes. Without properly working brakes, your chances of a traffic accident rise exponentially. Just to be sure, bring your vehicle into Placentia Super Service for brake inspection and service. Install Bluetooth ... read more

Do you know there’s a new automotive air conditioning refrigerant called R1234yf? It’s a newer refrigerant that is more environmentally-friendly, and you’ll find it in the newer car models made after 2014. But what is R1234yf, and why is it such a big deal? According to AutoExpert TV in Australia, the history of automotive A/C refrigerant is as follows:   “In the olden days they used freon-12 which was awesome as a refrigerant but might as well have been Sarin gas as far as the ozone layer was concerned. It was also a pretty good propellant for aerosol cans. Developed countries basically ditched Freon-12 in 1996, and developing countries boned it in 2010. The refrigerant in your car right now is probably the r134a that’s been in common use for about 20 years. It’s about the same as Freon 12 as a refrigerant, but its effect on the ozone layer is insignificant. It doesn’t burn in most environments, either, and it’s non-toxic. But i ... read more

Your automatic transmission is a critical system in your vehicle and needs proper care and attention by you to ensure long lasting operation. Many people are unaware that the automatic transmission can cost more to replace than an engine. This makes it important that you pay attention to the following symptoms and problems on this page if you want to avoid a major repair. Automatic Transmission Symptoms In This Page: Grinding or shaking sensation in gearCar won't engage or respond when in gearMakes Noises: whining, humming or clunking, noisy in neutralSmells like its burningGears SlippingLow or leaking fluidCheck engine light is on This article may ease your mind, or it may make alarm bells go off in your head. Either way we aim to help you with the information below. Armed with the right knowledge, you can ... read more