Venice Auto Repair

WELCOME TO VENICE, FLORIDA!  Sandy Beaches & Stunning Sunsets Myakka River Canopy Road or Mossy Oak Tree Lined Roads American Import Auto, Inc. wants to welcome all of our new residents and clients to this beautiful city on the Gulf. It's no lie this is one of the most amazing places to live, with America's number one rated beach only miles from Venice! We have the World Series Champion Atlanta Braves that play their spring training games here in town, a cute downtown eating and shopping strip, beaches, boating, and great schools your youngsters can attend.  This town is wonderful for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle, or the concrete jungle. It is a breath of fresh air and a true gem of a city to both raise a family or even consider retirement! There are opportunities to build relationships fast with a strong Chamber of Commerce leading the way with community driven events, and plenty of networking opportunities to get you ... read more

Seasonal Car Care - Florida Edition  Hi there friends, residents, and visitors of Venice, Florida!  Today we are going to go into detail about the importance of maintaining your vehicle while you might be away from it for some time. Florida is no stranger to visitors and seasonal travelers during the winter and early spring months. We want to ensure that while you might be away in your home state, your vehicle down here still needs to be maintained routinely. So, let us talk about best practices, and what might work best for you! It is only January, but this is good prep for when the time comes, planning ahead will save you from last minute stress!  Car Battery First, let us talk about car batteries. Especially important to know that car batteries can die just by sitting for extended periods of time. They can die even when they are left connected and not recharged for some time. We ... read more

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

Do I Have to Replace my Timing Belt?    The simple answer is yes. Some vehicles have a Timing Belt, and others have a timing chain. These are necessary to keep the engine working properly and "in time". A Timing Belt is what keeps the engine valves and pistons "in time" with each other so that they don't collide. It is part of the internal engine system that creates a synchrony of movement between the Camshaft and Crankshaft to ensure that these engine valves open and close in unison during the Cylinder's in/out strokes.    The Timing Belt is rubber, so it does not last forever. In most cases, your manufacturer will recommend replacing as part of routine maintenance. This is about 70,000 miles, but every manufacturer is different. You can consult your owner's manual or come to our shop with trained professionals to ensure you are ... read more

What Happens When An A/C Actuator Goes Bad?   You might be thinking to yourself, what is an Actuator? We have had a few vehicles come in with this issue, that can range from a quite difficult job, to one not so intricate. Depending on your vehicle make and model this might be an extensive repair, in other cases, it could be a quick fix.    An Actuator or Blend Door Actuator, is a small electric motor in your vehicle that runs in forward and reverse motion to move the Blend Door/ Air Mix Door between fresh air and re-circulation modes, hot and cold air flow, and floor/defrost modes. The Actuator is what actually went out with one of these vehicles. So, the Blend Door was not swinging back and forth, causing the hot/cold airflow to be minimal. In another vehicle, we diagnosed a similar issue but the Actuator was working correctly. The ... read more