Automotive News & Information - Oliver Automotive

We’ve all been there: You start your car in the morning and begin to back out of the driveway. You hear an unusual noise coming from your car, and it sounds bad. How do you know if it's something you should bring in to us here at Oliver Automotive to get looked at?

Fuel economy isn't far from the minds of our Novato drivers and we hear these questions daily such as: Why can certain cars zip along at close to 40 mpg while others are lucky to get anywhere near 20? As it turns out, there are as many factors that go into how well your ride does at the pumps! Here are the 10 factors that have the greatest impact on fuel consumption that we would like to share with you.

Getting into the habit of saving on fuel now will mean you’ll be ready when prices start rising again. You don’t have to buy a new, fuel-efficient car, either. No one wants to trade a fuel bill for a car payment, so take a look at our top 5 ways to save on fuel and you may just be able to pocket a little extra money at the end of the month.

Your car’s belts and hoses are essential to the cooling, air conditioning, and charging systems, and the engine. Here at Oliver Automotive in Novato, our team takes them seriously as we understand that ignoring the routine replacement intervals will result in a costly breakdown that could leave you stranded. There are so many components tied together with your belts & hoses that it isn't just a simple belt or hose requiring repairs when you allow things to progress to the stage where your car or truck has a breakdown due to a faulty belt or hose.

Obviously, your brakes are pretty important. Your brake system is made of many components that all have to work correctly for your brakes to operate seamlessly. If one thing needs to be repaired, the whole system is compromised. Brake pads, rotors, hoses, calipers, and metal lines all play a part in stopping your car. At Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA, we’re here to make sure your car, truck, or SUV stops as it should.

Car enthusiasts would argue that "those were the days". Everything you drove was built like a tank and had the chrome on it so you enjoyed washing it but NO power steering. For most of us, it is hard to remember life without power steering – cranking those great big steering wheels? It was a pretty good workout. Now power steering is standard. The heart of any power steering system is its pump. The pump pressurizes the power steering fluid that provides assistance for steering. Most pumps are driven by a belt that is run by the engine – a few are electrically powered. A high-pressure hose passes fluid from the pump to the steering gear. A low-pressure hose returns the fluid back to the pump. Here at Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA we know that you depend on that power steering and check your fluid & hoses religiously!

Did you know that airbags weren't mandatory safety equipment in passenger vehicles until 1997? Now, you'll find them in well over 100 million cars and trucks on the road. Since their invention, airbags, along with the seat belt, have played a major role in reducing the number of injuries and deaths in traffic collisions.

The time to know if your brakes are going bad is NOT when you go to stop at that red light or on the parkway when someone suddenly swerves in front of you. It's not always "just" brake pads either, your brake master cylinder could be an issue. How do you recognize the signs that you have a real problem with your brake master cylinder and just what is it? Here atOliver Automotive in Novato, CA we not only have the answers, but we also put together a service schedule for you and keep an eye on issues based on your driving habits, vehicle type and your description of issues you are having. We treat your car, truck or SUV as if it were ours keeping you informed of issues we find so you can get them fixed "before" there are larger repair bills so you can keep your vehicle Newer - Longer! Below is everything you need to look for and tips on your brake master cylinder.