We Put You in "The Driver's Seat" When it Comes to Auto Service Knowledge!

The other day, one of our auto mechanics, Hernando, was working on a Mercedes SUV. The driver had brought it in for preventive maintenance, and when Hernando checked it out, it turns out the brakes were in terrible condition. The brake material was worn so thin; it was as flat as paper. And then, it just came off!

When your car isn't properly maintained a lot of things can go wrong. The other day I ran across a Facebook post that caught my eye.  A fellow auto shop owner, Ken Quasney of Auto Sense, posted a picture of a ball joint that had separated from the lower control arm. In the text of the post, Auto Sense summarized this problem and its probable cause. 

Over the past few years we have written many blog posts on the MINI Cooper.  If you are familiar with our auto repair center, you may know that when we first opened our auto shop back in 1978, we focused on servicing British and American cars -- hence the name, British American Auto Care.  Since that time we've expanded to cover most vehicles on the road today, but we still hold a special spot in our hearts for the cars with British origins like the MINI. 

It seems that articles about self-driving cars (autonomous cars) have been all over the press lately.  What you may not realize is that you don't have to wait another five to ten years to experience what it's like to sit behind the steering wheel and have the car drive itself.  In fact, my wife Jen, who is not extravagant when it comes to cars, recently decided upon a 2016 Acura RDX.  

She upgraded from a 2000 Acura TL, one of only two cars she's had in the last 32 years -- the 2000 Acura and a 1983 Chevy Caprice Wagon.  Both of those cars had over 100,000 miles on them, and they were in good condition when she upgraded to a new vehicle.  (Of course, as you would expect, they were very well cared for, safe and reliable, helped along by regular preventive maintenance from the staff at BA Auto Care!) So, this year, it was my wife Jen's turn to purchase a new car.  We change our cars like clockwork, every 15 years. Waiting 15 years between car purchases means we see giant leaps forward in technology with each new car. My turn to switch cars comes in 2019, and who knows what kind of great technological advances will be available by then.  Already a lot more 2016 cars have an advanced electronic package that includes adaptive cruise control, lane deviation warning, and lane deviation assist.