Venice Auto Repair

What is the Brakes for Breasts Program?     For the month of October, until the 31st, we are offering our Brakes for Breasts promotion. That means free Brake Pad or Shoes all October long. We donate 10% of the proceeds will benefit the Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Fund. This is not only to our shop but shops across the country are participating in this to raise over $100,000 in proceeds! We want to defeat our goal from last year which was $680.00. This all happens around Breast Cancer Awareness Month which is also in October.  This is a wonderful cause we are happy to support but some may be completely clueless when it comes to anything Brakes related, other than that they make the car stop. Let's be honest, when they tell me I need new Brakes, I am sent a detailed inspection report, and shown all the pictures to see that diagnosi ... read more

Why are Loud Noises Coming from Under My Car?    While this can be a generic question with multiple causes, this direct occurrence was due to a failing Driveshaft. The Driveshaft Coupler needed replacement inside of a Corvette's Torque Shaft. A whole lot of big words with so many different responsibilities for allowing your vehicle to move. Let's get back to the basics...What is a Driveshaft anyway?     A Driveshaft is part of the Drivetrain system, this is responsible for the drivability of your vehicle.  There is something called Torque in an engine, which is the measurement of force that transmits the engine power to the Transmission. In this specific vehicle, the Driveshaft is a long round shaft that goes from the Engine to differential gears to the transmission that create torque and turn the wheels of the car. When the output shaft of the Transmissio ... read more

Why Is My Car Shaking When Idle?    Have you ever experienced a rough idle or lots of shaking while you are stopped at a stop light or maybe you are slowing down, and it just starts to shake out of nowhere? There could be a variety of different reasons for this, it's not something you want to ignore as it may be a big underlying issue!   We recently had a BMW X2 in the shop that was experiencing this symptom. Upon doing a full diagnosis to the vehicle, our technician found that this was coming from the Motor Mounts. After asking my Service Manager about this issue, he stated that Motor Mounts can have many names, and can be different depending on make and model of vehicle. For instance, trucks usually have Engine Mounts that are metal and rubber, whereas other vehicles like this BMW X2 have mounts that have rubber with liquid inside of them, also known as hydraulic fluid. For this vehicle, Chris our ASE Certified Master Import & Eur ... read more

What is Carbon Build-up? How Does it Affect my Engine?  Carbon build-up can be found inside the engine. Over time carbon builds up inside the engine from exhaust and fuel combustion. As the engine burns fuel, the layers of carbon build up causing the valves to stick. This can impede the valves sealing correctly when disposing of exhaust or intaking air into the cylinder.  Carbon can also plug up your fuel injector nozzles resulting in poor fuel delivery.  For example, when there is a fire in the chimney you can see soot start to build up on the inside walls. This is exactly what is happening inside the engine!  Oil travels a long road before it winds up in your vehicle. Gasoline from oil refiners such as Shell, Chevron, etc. mix their gasoline with their own kind of detergents. These detergents are formulated to remove or prevent the carbon build up in the fuel injectors and intake valves. This may differ though with a direct injec ... read more

Why Are My Brakes Squeaking?Squeaking Brakes, American Import Auto, Inc.  In this post, we are going to discuss some of the reasons for squeaky brakes. Squeaking brakes are attributed to many different factors. At American Import Auto, Inc. we offer brake service and repair on ALL makes and models. Call us today to schedule an appointment to determine the cause of your squeaking brakes!    Brake Inspection First, we go into the brake system inspection. At  American Import Auto, Inc. we recommend changing front brakes at 3-4 millimeters in thickness. Rear Brakes at 3-4 millimeters in thickness, and a brake fluid flush every 24 months, or 24,000 miles. Our ASE-Certified mechanics will inspect all the major components of your vehicle's brake ... read more