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Line Them Up: Wheel Alignment Service at Made In America Made In Japan

Hello Sacramento! Let's talk about alignment. One of the most important parts of preventive maintenance for your vehicle is keeping the wheels in alignment. Poor alignment causes your tires to wear unevenly, which can significantly reduce their lifespan. This means you will have to replace them more often, which can be costly for drivers in Sacramento.It can even damage your suspension system, which is costly to repair. But even more importantly, uneven tread wear can lead to blowouts on the road, a dangerous and potentially deadly safety risk for Sacramento drivers and their passengers.It may not take an accident or bad driving habits to “knock” your tires out of alignment. Tires can go out of alignment with just everyday California driving. Sacramento road hazards, pot holes, uneven or gravel roads, and even the bumps and bounces of normal Sacramento roads and surface streets can gradually put your vehicle tires out of alignment.So it's ... read more

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Alignment

Clean Fuel ? Clean Performance for Sacramento Drivers

Fuel filters clean the dirt, dust and debris out of your fuel. Both gasoline and diesel-powered engines have them. The fuel filter is located in the fuel line between the fuel tank and the vehicle engine.Sacramento auto owners don't need to filter their fuel because it has lots of grit in it; they need to filter it because it has some grit it in. Any dirt is bad for your engine. The cleaner the fuel, the better your vehicle engine will run.Over time, the small amounts of rust, dirt and contaminants in your fuel settle out inside the fuel tank. After about five years, this can amount to a quite a bit of sediment. This means that as your vehicle ages, your fuel filter has to work harder to screen your fuel: more sediment in your tank means more potential for grit in your fuel.The harder your fuel filter works, the more often it needs to be replaced. Check with your owner's manual to find out how often it should be serviced and how long you can expect it to last. Sa ... read more

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Fuel System

Automotive Detective Work in Sacramento

There's a reason we use the word “diagnose” when we talk about fixing cars in Sacramento. Figuring out what's wrong with your vehicle has a lot of similarities to figuring out what's wrong with someone who is ill. Vehicles are a mass of complex systems that can produce a variety of symptoms when something goes wrong. As with human diagnoses, a specific symptom may be indicative of a number of problems, and figuring out the specific cause takes training and experience.Sometimes the diagnosis of your vehicle's trouble comes down to a matter of trial-and-error. This can be frustrating for Sacramento drivers because time and money are on the line. You may feel you should only be paying for repair work. Of course, you only want to pay for the right repair – and a proper diagnosis is part of getting it right. Like at the doctor's office — some of what you pay for is the doctor's time and effort to figu ... read more

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Diagnostics

The Easy Way to Save Cash in Sacramento

The hottest California news story may be different every day, but there's one topic that seems to come up over and over again – the price of gas in Sacramento. If you feel like most of your paycheck goes into your gas tank, this post is for you. Here are several basic things people in Sacramento can do to greatly reduce their gas consumption, save money, and help the environment. You can really improve your fuel economy by how you drive – but first, here's a review of things you can do for your vehicle that'll save gas no matter how you drive.The first one for Sacramento drivers is keeping tires properly inflated. That can save 2 miles per gallon/.85 km per liter. Driving on low tires is like driving through sand – your car just has to work harder. Most Sacramento service centers will fill up your tires for free, so just ask Made In America Made In Japan. Also, make a habit of checking your tire pressure whenever you fill up. Many Sacramento gas s ... read more

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Maintenance

Vive la Differential at Made In America Made In Japan in Sacramento

There are a lot of drivers in Sacramento who are due for a differential service, but had never heard of a differential before.With front-wheel drive being so common in California these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Sacramento folks don't even have to think about it. And rear-wheel drive differentials don't need to be serviced for years, so it's understandable that it's not something on the top of your mind. It's not uncommon for people in Sacramento to not know they have a differential, let alone know that it needs service.To better understand what a differential does, think about a track at any California high school. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That's to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means ... read more

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Drive Train

Made In America Made In Japan Helps You Decipher the Menu Board: Part 2

California service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Sacramento drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.Made In America Made In Japan fuel system cleaning: Over time, the vehicle fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.Made In America Made In Japan headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It's usually good to change them every year or so.Made In America Made In Japan inspections: Sacramento drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they're going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle's ready for a California summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used vehicle and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal ... read more

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Maintenance

Blind Spot Safety for Sacramento Driving

Blind spots may be a good thing when it comes to a spouse's annoying habits, but when driving an automobile in Sacramento, they are definitely to be avoided. So, while it's not good marital advice, it's good auto advice to minimize your own blind spots and stay out of other Sacramento drivers' blind spots, especially when it comes to large, heavy vehicles like trucks and buses.First, minimize your own blind spots. Do this before you pull out of the driveway or parking space. Adjust your rearview mirror so that you see as much of the area behind you as possible. And, no, this doesn't include the passengers in the back seat. The rearview mirror isn't designed to be a baby monitor.Next, lean to the side until your head almost touches the driver's side window. Now adjust the driver's side mirror so that it just catches the side of the vehicle. Then, lean to the middle of the car and adjust the passenger's side mirror in the same w ... read more

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Safety

A New Battery in Sacramento

Hello Sacramento drivers, let's talk about batteries. Car batteries are just like any rechargeable battery. They will eventually wear out and die. If you are shopping for a new battery in Sacramento, here's some auto advice to help you.There are two measurements to consider when purchasing a new battery: cold cranking amps and reserve capacity. The power required to start a cold engine is measured in cold cranking amps. The number you need is determined by what kind of vehicle you drive and where you live. In general, higher-cylinder engines require more cold cranking amps than lower-cylinder engines. In other words, an eight-cylinder engine needs more cold cranking amps than a six-cylinder one. Also, diesel engines require more cold cranking amps than gasoline engines.The weather where you live in California also determines the number of cold cranking amps you need. The colder  ... read more

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Battery

Getting New Tires in Sacramento?

There are so many tire choices in the Sacramento area that selecting the right one can be a bit overwhelming for drivers. And even though it's kind of fun to have new tires on your vehicle, they're a significant investment for most Sacramento area folks so you want do it right.Tip: talk with your friendly and knowledgeable Made In America Made In Japan tire professional. He'll help you sort through the choices.Here are some of the issues you'll talk about: One is size – you know, all those numbers on the side of the tire. The right size is . All new vehicles are required to have stability control which, along with other important safety systems, is calibrated to work with specific tire sizes. Your Sacramento tire professional can help stay within manufacturer's specifications or program a different tire size into your vehicle's computer.And you'll want to discuss how and where you drive to determine the type of tire you need: summer, winter,  ... read more

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Tires and Wheels

Put on the Brakes: Brake Service at Made In America Made In Japan

When it comes to preventive maintenance and vehicle care, most Sacramento drivers know how important it is to check their brakes. But brakes are more than just brake pads and shoes. There are a lot of components in the brake system, and they all need to be in good working order.The pads and shoes are known as the friction materials in the brake system. They push together, providing friction which stops the vehicle. It's no wonder they have to be checked regularly for wear, and brake pads and shoes need to be replaced periodically.Brake pads/shoes gradually wear out, but that doesn't mean your braking gradually becomes less effective. The pads are engineered so that they maintain good braking until they wear too thin to provide adequate friction. At this point, they need to be replaced.But your braking system also has mechanical parts. These pistons and springs can also gradually wear out or get gummed up by oil, dirt and other road spatter. A bra ... read more

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Brakes
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