Staten Island Auto Repair

5 Modifications That Will Affect Your Car's Resale Value Posted August 28, 2014 by Ken KupchikinShare0 Image from Pakwheels.com Cars are wildly popular in America because they not only allow the freedom of transportation for individuals across the country, but because they embody the independence and individuality of their owners. Some car owners take this a step further and add modifications to their vehicle to add their own personal touch, make it stand out, or increase speed and performance. But it's important to remember that making modifications to your car can seriously impact resale value when it comes time to sell it or trade it in, so be mindful of what kind of changes you make. Here are 1) Body modifications - Whether it's a new spoiler, a body kit, or hood scoop, changing the look of the car's body is the most obvio ... read more

Rotate Tires On many cars it is very simple to rotate tires. You just remove them and move them to the appropriate spot (front to back, back to front), then re-install them. In the last few years however this have become a much more difficult job. Most cars these days have what is called a "Tire Pressure Monitoring System" or TPMS. There are also a lot of "all wheel drive" cars on the road. These two things make rotating your cars tires more difficult. It can still be done, but you need much more info and, in some cases, specialized equipment in order to do this job. What is TMPS and How Does it Work? The primary reason that it is becoming harder to rotate tires is because of what is called TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitoring System. This system does just what its name suggests. It monitors the pressure in your tires to be sure that they are prop ... read more

What Causes Traffic Jams? (4) Comments Add a Comment » By Natalie Josef September 25th 2012 Where I live, in the San Francisco Bay Area, traffic jams are as common as the fog. A few weeks ago, I drove up to Sebastopol from San Francisco and before I knew it, my leisurely drive had turned into stop-and-go traffic. The traffic was so bad, I had to turn around to head back to the city before I had reached my destination so I wouldn’t be late for another appointment. When I turned back and started heading the other way, suddenly I was in traffic again. I had seen the roadway on my way up and there had been no traffic—none at all—and now it was crawling along. And just when I was about to seriously freak ou ... read more

Your Check Engine Light Is On...Now What? Posted April 27, 2015 by Bobby GagliniinShare0 Over 8% of drivers on the road today have a check engine light on. Unfortunately, the vast majority of those drivers won’t get it checked out for months. But hey, can you blame them? If everything seems fine, why waste a costly diagnostic to get it checked out? Or, perhaps there’s that desire to avoid the possibility of paying a lot of money to get it fixed? Well, it’s not always so easy to decide what to do. Let’s go through a common example. You’re on the highway, driving home from work and everything with your vehicle is ship shape. Then, your car beeps loudly, and your check engine light is on. Your first thought is probably, “oh no”, and your second is to look for or feel anything different in your car. This is a pretty good idea. See if your engine is overheating, feel if your car is driving strangely, or listen to anything dif ... read more

Mechanics: 7 Reasons Why You Should Treat Your Customer Better Posted January 23, 2015 by Bobby GagliniinShare0 The other day I gave 7 reasons why customers should treat mechanics better. Now it’s time to flip it up. Let's go through 7 reasons why mechanics should do the same for their customers. Most mechanics are good people who treat their customers with courtesy and friendliness. But like all businesses, there are some that are extremely defensive, inconveniencing, or rude to their customers. If you think you might be one of them, here are 7 reasons why you should start treating your customers better. 1. Most mad customers have a stereotypical view of repair shops. It’s tough working against a stereotype. Most mechanics are honest and hardworking individuals. The bad apples are few and far between, but that&rsq ... read more

Customers: 7 Reasons Why You Should Treat Your Mechanic Better Posted January 22, 2015 by Bobby GagliniinShare0 While most customers engage their mechanic with courtesy and friendliness, some people insist on treating mechanics badly, whether it’s constantly calling them for an update on your car, or telling them that your uncle’s cousin’s brother-in-law knows the problem better than they do. Regardless of what it is, if you’re one of those people, here are 7 solid reasons why you should treat mechanics better the next time you go to one. 1. They're just trying to make an honest living. The few dishonest mechanics out are the ones that give everyone else a bad reputation. People always want to talk about or review a terrible experience, but not always a good one. When a mechanic gives you a quote, don’t immediately think they’re tying to screw you over. Most are no different from you or me. They get in at 8am, work hard all d ... read more

5"Easy" Car Problems You Should Still Bring To A Mechanic Posted February 10, 2015 by Bobby Gaglini With tons of YouTube videos and online tutorials, it might feel that sometimes you can fix anything wrong with your car. And while studying and hard work might help you accomplish a lot, even one small mistake can cause catastrophic problems with your vehicle. Here are 5 of the “easy” car fixes that many people say you can do yourself, but should probably leave to a professional mechanic. Brake pad changes While the concept of changing brake pads might seem pretty straightforward, if you haven’t done it before with someone who knows what they’re doing, it can end up being dangerous in the long run. There are too many things that could go wrong, like your brake line being compromised or the pads being on backwards that can put your safety at risk. Tire replacements This one might seem like the easiest tas ... read more

How Does GPS Work? (1) CommentAdd a Comment » By Natalie Josef July 19th 2012   --> A couple of months ago, I was riding in a friend’s car as we drove across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland. She had a navigation system that was pretty neat and had already helped us navigate around some road construction and one-way streets. Though I didn’t like the tone of the lady bossing us around, I had to admit the navigation system was pretty cool. When we were in the middle of the bridge, suddenly, the little arrow that was us moved off the roadway and into the San Francisco Bay. This, of course, prompted me to laugh my butt off because all I could think about was what that cranky lady would s ... read more

Finding and Installing Wiper Blades with Jim and Natalie (1) Comment Add a Comment » By Natalie Josef October 11th 2012   Today, Jim Taddei (our expert mechanic) and I took to the parking lot outside the RepairPal office so he could "help" me install new wiper blades. And by "help" I mean, he installed them while I watched. As I mention in the video, to find the proper wiper blades for your car, go to the vehicle manufacturer's website, your local dealer, your local auto parts store, or a store like Target or Walmart. There will be many blades to choose from, so be sure to look up the make, model, and year of your vehicle to find the correct wiper blades. On most cars, the ... read more

By Natalie Josef October 12th 2012 It's been a while since we did something fun on a Monday and since this week seemed particularly long, I think it's time we all had a good laugh. Here are a few funny bumper stickers to get you started. If at first you don't succeed, why bother? Your honor student will take care of it. Where am I going? And why am I in a handbasket? My next car is a Bentley*. [* conditions apply] I am the English teacher about whom your mother warned you. People who think they know it all really annoy those of us who do. I read the Constitution for the articles. Lawyers have feelings too (allegedly). To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential. Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you weren't asleep. As a matter of fact, I do own the road. Dogs have owners. Cats have staff. I break for … Oh crap, no brakes! 668 - Nei ... read more