Choices. We have a lot of them as consumers, which helps us feel empowered as the drivers of our own lives. Of course some choices are easier than others, like where to go to dinner or what brand of milk to buy. Other choices are harder to make, like where to live, what kind of car to drive, or who to select as a doctor. 

Sometimes we shop around when deciding on something. Can I get the same milk at a better price somewhere else this month? And sometimes we decide there are certain things that aren't worth shopping around for. If the doctor you want is thirty minutes away, no matter what, you'll make the drive. 
He or she knows you inside and out, and the comfort of that makes shopping around for services unnecessary.

When it comes to selecting a shop or mechanic to service your car, there are advantages to selecting a single garage as your one-stop-shop. Sure, you might find a $5 difference on oil changes somewhere else, a one-time special on brake work in another place, and yet another shop who promises a 5-10% price difference on a timing belt job. But in going to many different places and price shopping for every job, you miss the opportunity of having one provider get to know your car and the big picture of your long term plans. 

That brake job just may not be worth it anymore, but if anyone other than your primary garage is doing the work, you won't be given the choice. On the other hand, you also might miss something big when another shop does a small repair but doesn't know your vehicle's history. That little issue might be a symptom of something bigger that your regular mechanic was keeping an eye on for you. 

Hopefully you've heard or read our general motto ~ that we like to consider ourselves to the Primary Care Provider for your vehicles so we can best keep you and your family safe on the road. We feel this way because in caring for your car we can help you face the small things, guide you through the big things, and give you the choice when it's time to consider another car. We always try to be fair and competitive with our pricing, and we try to give you the choice to use premium vs. economy parts. We are all about choices, and we hope you'll consider choosing us!  

Keep on truckin', stay safe, and call when you need us! 

The roads are cleared, the snowbanks are piled a mile high, and the tree branches form a beautiful arch over the roads from the weight of all the snow. 

Snow. There's lots of it. At this point you’re almost looking forward to frost heave season just to be done with handling all this snow! After feeling like you've been in a wintry cocoon for three days, you’re finally back to your normal routine. You made it through, and the commute to work is actually welcome. It’s clear skies and nothing but plowed roads ahead…until you get on the highway and your steering wheel starts to shake like a washing machine on the spin cycle. You also notice a funny grinding noise when you make a turn. 

This wasn’t happening two days ago. Your tires are inflated properly and were recently balanced when you put snow tires on. And the noise is new too. So what could this mean? 

It’s entirely possible that you just have big bunches of snow packed in and around your tires. When this happens it will feel similar to that shaky feeling of your wheels being out of balance. 

Before you do anything see if you can feel or see the build-up and knock it loose. If it’s there and too packed in we don’t recommend trying home remedies to fix it. You could damage other components and cause much larger issues. However, unless we're in the midst of a winter thaw, it will need to be removed. Fear not, friends ~ that's where we step in with our handy dandy indoor hose to clean up all that build-up. Of course we’ll do a quick road-test before and after to make sure there isn't another issue causing the shakes and noises; but we do see a lot of this in the winter, and if these symptoms appear right after a snowfall, we’re pretty certain it’s an easy fix! 

Keep on truckin', stay safe, and call when you need us!