Rocklin and Sacramento Auto Repair

At Made In America Made In Japan we've had a lot of Sacramento customers asking how they can make their vehicles last longer. These questions are actually a reflection of a trend that's been building for several years in California. The median age of personal vehicles is now over nine years. And 33 percent of all vehicles on the road have over 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. It looks like it's going to keep heading in that direction for a while. With high fuel prices, a lot of California folks are putting off buying a new car. So let's say you're one of the average in the Sacramento area; you've got a nine-year-old car with 80,000 miles (130,000 km) on the odometer. What can you do to make it last another year or two?Let's start with the premise that there's no reason that a modern car can't run for 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care in Sacramento. The engineering and manufacturing quality is there.Of course, some parts will wear out along the way ... read more

Today in our Made In America Made In Japan blog, we're going to talk about following recommended service intervals. Your vehicle isn't the only aspect of your life in Sacramento with recommended intervals: Let's start with twice yearly dental check-ups and regular physical exams. How about laundry, watering the lawn and paying the bills?Now, what would happen if you didn't follow these intervals? Well, you'd get more cavities. You may not discover health conditions that could be more effectively treated with early detection. And you'd have to wear dirty clothes, be embarrassed by your brown lawn and have your utilities shut off.Clearly, there are some things in life that we have to take care of regularly. If we don't, there are negative consequences. Our quality of life in Sacramento takes a hit and it inevitably costs more money.So why is it so hard to remember to follow regular preventive maintenance on our vehicles?Probab ... read more

The median age for cars in the Sacramento, California area was over nine years. And two-thirds had over 75,000 miles. At Made In America Made In Japan we hear reports that those numbers continue to rise. If you have a high-mileage vehicle in the Sacramento area, bring it into Made In America Made In Japan for high-mileage maintenance.1200 I StSacramento, California 95814916-442-3287 Many people in California are keeping their vehicles longer. The economy has influenced that, but the fact that modern vehicles are more durable and reliable means that owning a high mileage vehicle doesn't have to be a painful experience.Local car owners in Sacramento with over 100,000 miles on their vehicles often ask which service intervals they should follow. Let's start with the special needs of the older vehicle...The reality is that time and mileage will take its toll. The engine and transmission will have more sludge. The fuel, steering and brake systems will have g ... read more

Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at Sacramento car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of Sacramento, California, folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacturing, there's no reason a modern vehicle can't be made to last for a 150,000 miles (250,000 kilometers) or more for smart Sacramento drivers.The old adage: 'a stitch in time saves nine' is really true for Sacramento residents when it comes to car maintenance. A great example is coolant service.Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. Smart Sacramento drivers have their cooling system service taken care of right on schedule at Made In America Made In Japan.Ditto for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. Of course, oil changes should be done right on sched ... read more

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars in Sacramento, California: emission devices and control computers, safety equipment like airbags and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the Sacramento motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new vehicle.Because new vehicles are more expensive, people in the Sacramento area are driving their old vehicles longer. The average vehicle is now over nine years old. Two thirds of vehicles on the road in California have more than 75,000 miles (120,000 km) on them. As cars age, their performance drops, they have difficulty idling for long periods and are more sensitive to weather extremes. Fortunately today's cars are up to the challenge – but they need a little help to keep on goin'.Give Made In America Made In Japan a call at 916-442-3287 to schedule your next maintenance.Some owner's manuals don't specify service requirements at higher mileage. That doesn't mean ... read more

We live such busy lives nowadays: work, social events, running the kids all over Sacramento. Some days it's all we can do to keep track of everywhere we need to be. That's why you've gotta be organized. Smartphones, calendar apps - we have to keep track of it all.So let's talk about schedules. Specifically, automotive service schedules. And particularly, the scheduled services that are sometimes forgotten.Here is a list of 10 service items that are often overlooked by Sacramento residents. They're all very important and need appropriate attention. So here we go, in no particular order.1. Power Steering ServiceBe honest; have you ever thought of this on your own? Your power steering fluid gets dirty and builds-up moisture over time. Cleaning out your power steering system means that dirt and gum are removed and your power steering parts are protected from corrosion. Next time you're in for an oil change, ask your Made In America Made In Japan service advisor ... read more

Hey Sacramento - this is something really amazing: Your vehicle uses 12,000 times as much air as fuel when you drive it. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.That's like 100 gallons (380 liters) of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very important but inexpensive part that has to do a tremendous amount of work. And when it works, everything goes well. But, when it doesn't, well, it can lead to problems. Of course, your vehicle manufacturer recommends how often to change your air filter. But like most service intervals, where and how you drive your vehicle in California affects when your filter needs to be changed.Dusty conditions around Sacramento or polluted city driving means you'll need to change your filter more often. Our trained professionals at Made In America Made In Japan can check your filter for you. In fact, it's often a routine part of an oil change.When you think about it ... read more

People in Sacramento have been hearing a lot about higher oil change intervals these days. Maybe you're wondering: What are the key issues?Some new vehicle manufacturers are now recommending much higher oil change intervals than they have in the past. As much as 5,000 to 8,000 miles (8,000 km to 13,000 km) or more. This practice came under scrutiny when four of the largest new vehicle manufacturers announced that owners like those in Sacramento were experiencing engine damage resulting from these higher oil change intervals.The manufacturers' standard oil drain service for particular vehicles was scheduled at around 7,500 miles/12,000 km. People following these recommendations were experiencing engine damage. It turns out that oil sludge was building up. This caused small oil passages to clog and engine parts to fail.What causes oil sludge? It's a factor of time and mileage. There are hot spots in every engine that cause oil burn off that leads to sludg ... read more

Every Sacramento car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when the filter should be replaced. Now, most air filters purchased in Sacramento don't cost a lot to replace. It's just that California people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at Made In America Made In Japan can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in Sacramento. Think about a dirty furnace filter in your Sacramento home. When it's all clogged up, enough clean air can't get through. In your vehicle, that means that your engine can't get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use more gas to move your vehicle around Sacramento roads. Your vehicle actually n ... read more

If you are a driver in Sacramento and you aren't currently using synthetic motor oil in your vehicle, maybe now's the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil. Synthetic oil doesn't gel or gum-up like petroleum based oil and it doesn't vaporize as easily. It protects better in severe driving conditions like stop and go driving around Sacramento, as well as in very hot or very cold conditions. More and more new vehicles are being delivered with full synthetic motor oil, with the recommendation to use synthetic for the life of the vehicle. Why is this? Synthetic motor oil maximizes engine power and fuel economy. To see why, we'd need a microscope, so we'll have to settle for using our imaginations. The molecules of conventional motor oil are long hydrocarbon chains. Synthetic motor oil, on the other hand, has uniform, round molecules. Which is more slippery, a pile of pencil ... read more