Camarillo Car Care Center

Products And Services

• Brake Repair and Service

  Have your brakes checked when you have any of the following symptoms: Your vehicle pulls to one side when you press on the brakes. Your brakes require more pressure than normal to stop. Pedal sinks to the floor Scraping noise Chatter noise when your press on the brake pedal Brakes drag when you are not pressing the pedal Hard pedal Low brake pedal Pedal Pulsation Squeals Grabby brakes Yellow or brownish fluid leak under the car Every inch counts in an emergency stop! At Camarillo Car Care, we understand the importance of your brakes for the safety of you, your family and the public at large. That’s why we have deliberately made many internal decisions that allow us to give your car the best braking ability as possible. We use the best brake components for YOUR vehicle The parts we select for your brake service and repair meet or exceed your car manufacturer’s specifications. In fact, in most cases, we use the exact manufacturer’s part specified. The reason for this is that usually their part is provides the best stopping power and is the safest. Our Technicians are well trained and experienced We also don’t shave costs by hiring just anyone to do your brake work. Our technicians are qualified ASE Certified or Master technicians. This gives you an eagle eye looking over your car and making the right decisions when it comes to your braking system. We use the best equipment and tools to service your brakes One of the best pieces of equipment found in our shop is our “On-the-car-brake-machine.” This equipment allows us to turn the rotors while they remain on the car. This uses the car’s particular characteristics to accurately shape the rotor. For example, if your car has a slight bend in the axle, taking the rotor off the car and turning it on a brake machine would shape it improperly for your car. This could cause premature wear, and brakes that pulsate or pull to one side.

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• Cooling System Service

  Summary of this article: Neglect of the cooling system is the #1 cause of expensive engine repairs. The cooling system consists of the Radiator, Water Pump, Thermostat, and Coolant/Water Mixture. Coolant is a mixture of 50% of the RIGHT coolant/anti-freeze and 50% water. Improper balance of water and coolant causes corrosion and serious problems that you cannot see. Coolant breaks down in its protective qualities with time and mileage. The cooling system must be serviced periodically to make sure the cooling system is doing as it is designed. The service intervals depend on your car, mileage and the manufacturer’s recommendations. Many auto repair companies only do a drain and refill as their coolant system service. Drain and fill leaves up to 60% of the old ineffective fluid inside. To properly service the cooling system you must use equipment to completely flush out the old fluids and replace it with all new fluids. Camarillo Car Care always recommends the proper cooling system flush and refill method. Camarillo Car Care is a strong advocate of saving your money and giving you many added benefits through proper maintenance on your cars. From our experience, the number one cause of major engine failure is cooling system problems due to neglect of the cooling system. We see some very expensive engine repairs due to this neglect – several $1,000’s is very common. Obviously, this is a very important topic for our customers. Remember, our goal is to help you prevent major breakdowns and to save you money. We do this by encouraging affordable maintenance when your car needs it. First, lets understand how the cooling system works The cooling system consists of a radiator, a water pump, a thermostat and hoses. A mixture of water and coolant/anti-freeze flows through the engine, water pump, thermostat and radiator. The goal is to dissipate and remove the heat off the engine. The fluids constantly flow through the system through the radiator. The radiator uses air from the car’s motion and radiator fan to aid in the cooling of the fluids. This system sends lower temperature fluid back into the engine constantly. This keeps your engine from overheating. Overheating causes major engine damage and is very expensive. Understanding water and coolant Water is a great coolant for the engine. It even does a better job than the coolant/anti-freeze itself. In fact if you wanted to cool an engine, water alone is the best method. However, there is one problem with only water: it corrodes the internal parts of the engine. Corrosion damages many important components in the cooling system that can restrict cooling. So, we add coolant to the water to help protect the cooling system from corrosion. The coolant is also an anti-freeze formula that helps to prevent the water from freezing in your engine. Auto Cooling System Service | Camarillo Car Care Center Rust, scale and sludge can plug cooling system fins, preventing proper circulation of coolant. Auto Cooling System Service | Camarillo Car Care Center - image #2 Severe corrosion can occur when additives that protect the cooling system have been depleted. To strike the right balance of water and coolant we mix 50% water and coolant. The coolant is a blend of chemicals that inhibits rust, while the water is for cooling. In the old days, we only had one type of coolant. Each technician or auto repair shop had their favorite brand, but there was really only one type. Today, we stock six different types of coolants. This is because some car manufacturers require a specific type. Therefore, you would need to mix the right coolant and water, not just any coolant Cooling systems are becoming more complex with later model cars. We are becoming chemists to a degree. We have to ensure that right pH, percentage of coolant additives to water ratios, and measure the presence of stray voltage (electrolysis) in the fluids. Certainly, times were more simple and easier to troubleshoot and maintain. Today, though, we must be aware of a wide variety of technologies related to cooling. Suggested cooling system service intervals We recommend and perform a visual inspection of the cooling system at each oil change service. This visual inspection consists of looking at the fluid levels and looking at the consistency of the fluid, then topping the fluid levels if needed. That is all that is needed between cooling system services. Thorough Cooling System Inspections Intervals Periodically, it is important to do more than just a fluid top off. A more thorough inspection is needed. We do this periodically depending on how long and how many miles you have driven since your last cooling system service. We also factor in what your car manufacturer recommends, and the current condition of the cooling system. Additionally, we encourage more frequent thorough inspections after your car has reached 50,000 miles.

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• Hybrid Vehicle Service and Repair

  Camarillo Car Care Center has been at the forefront of Hybrid Vehicle Service and repairs. Our staff has been attending classes for a few years on these new breed of vehicles. If you have a Toyota Prius or any other Hybrid vehicle, please call our auto repair facility for service the next time you need repairs or service. Because we are so well qualified, our shop can perform required maintenance for vehicles under warranty. Of course, cars under warranty needing repairs or recalls will still have to go to the dealership. Our service facility is also taking many steps forward in helping keep our environment clean. We have started the process of reducing or eliminating the harmful effects on the environment from our shop. This process is important for future generations and starts with us.

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• Transmission Repair and Service

  If you are having transmission problems, don’t despair, it may not be a major issue. We have seen numerous times when a customer comes to us in a panic, expecting the worst because of a shifting problem. Then, after inspecting the vehicle, we find the problem was NOT a major problem. Transmission Repairs and Rebuilding CAN be very expensive, sometimes several $1,000’s. HOWEVER, there are many minor causes of transmission problems that might scare you needlessly. Here are just a few that we have seen that could be at the root of your transmission or shifting problem. NON-Major repairs that could be causing transmission troubles: Transmission Fluid Leaks / Low Fluid Level: Your vehicle may have a small or large leak of the Transmission Fluid. There are a few causes of this and the fix can often be quite affordable. Vacuum Lines that have come out or loose: When this happens usually, your transmission won’t shift at all. Of course, a non-shifting transmission can scare you, but if this is the cause, the cure is not painful at all. Linkages and/or cables that have come loose or out of adjustment: These run from the transmission to the throttle body. If one comes out of adjustment, you may experience shifting issues such as no shifting, hard shifting or late shifting. Bad Solenoid: The transmission contains shifting solenoids inside (and on some models, outside). The symptoms from this transmission problem cause a wide array of shifting problems like not shifting into particular gears. Usually, a bad solenoid gives problems with specific gears or sets of gears like 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Your Car’s Computer problems: Today’s cars all have computers in them to help coordinate all the functions in the car. But the computers can develop problems and seem to cause you transmission problems. Symptoms from a computer problem range from no shifting to erratic shifting. Sensor defects: Each car has sensors that help tell the transmission when to shift. Fixing this problem is much easier and more affordable than a new transmission. Bad Fluid: There are occasions that a fluid flush and change fix your transmission problems. In fact, we often like to do this to see if it solves the problem affordably. However, if we find that it doesn’t help, we remove the charges if we do a major transmission repair or rebuild. It’s often a smarter first step because it MAY fix the problem. Transmission troubles due to bad fluid Transmission problems due to prolonged bad fluid often results in major damage. The purpose of the transmission fluid is to protect the internal parts from damage by cooling and lubricating helping to keep it operating smoothly and efficiently. However, just like motor oil, transmission fluid breaks down with time and use. Once transmission fluid loses its properties to protect the inside of the transmission, your transmission degrades quickly. Usually when you have transmission problems due to neglected fluid, the problem is severe and expensive to repair. That is why it is less expensive to perform periodic Transmission Flushes. Because seals start to harden inside, this causes delays going into gear, shifting issues, and eventually (or sometimes suddenly) complete internal transmission breakdown. How often should transmission fluid be flushed and changed? Your car’s owner manual lists the recommended service intervals. These are the minimums that the manufacturer requires so you remain covered under the warranty period. It’s important to point out that the manufacturer has a balancing act when they specify these intervals. On one hand they want you to protect the transmission from problems so they don’t have to pay excessively for repairs. On the other hand they don’t want to be known for requiring services at intervals that are too frequent. The latter issue causes damage to sales appeals. There is a difference in Transmission Flush Services Many auto repair shops and specialty shops do not perform a thorough transmission flush service. They simply drain some of the old fluid and add back in new fluid. Certainly this is better than only old neglected fluid, but it only helps a little. What is needed is to completely flush out the old fluid from the transmission, then replace it with the right fluid and top it off with a transmission fluid additive that adds extra protection. The way we usually do this is by adding a special flushing fluid that increases the temperature of the fluid. This helps suspend contaminants that are adhering to the walls of the transmission.

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• Ventilation System Service

  Many of us are surprised to find about a hidden problem we have in our cars. That problem is your car’s cabin air quality. Mold, mildew and bacteria are a growing concern in many vehicles’ ventilation systems. The dark and damp ventilation units are a perfect breeding ground for microorganisms that can be potentially harmful to your health. The result is a mix of mold, mildew and bacteria blown into the passenger compartment every time the fan is turned on. Fortunately, we now have a solution for you. Camarillo Car Care now has a solution for this growing concern. We researched and discovered a recently developed piece of equipment that effectively treats your vehicle’s ventilation system. This equipment was named product of the year in 2006 by Popular Mechanics. With this equipment, we now can offer the “Ventilation System Service.” It only takes an additional 20-30 minutes while your car is in for service. The technician seals the car and starts the process of treating the ventilation system. The result is a healthy solution that restores interior air quality, and effectively treats mold, mildew and bacteria as well as eliminating offensive odors. View our current coupon for our Ventilation System Service

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