Automotive Industry News & Information - Oliver Automotive

When your car, truck, or SUV is burning oil, it can be frustrating and costly. There are numerous reasons an engine will burn oil - these range from an altogether worn out engine to a simple part replacement. At Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA we want to keep you informed, here's what you need to know about why your engine might be burning oil.

Part of maintaining your vehicle is keeping its safety devices in good working order, especially when there are kids in the vehicle. Seat belts, window locks, and airbag sensors work together to keep children safe in an automobile. Though safety components are generally very reliable, they do occasionally fail. Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA is here when they do; here are some things to watch out for.

Whether you drive a Porsche, Audi, BMW, Subaru, Land Rover, or other performance and luxury vehicles, your ball joints are an essential part of your car or SUVs performance and safety. From us at Oliver Automotive, here’s what to watch out for, to make sure your ball joints are in shape and ready to go.

Unless you are confident in your abilities as an automotive mechanic, there is really only one rule when purchasing a flood-damaged vehicle: don’t do it. Unfortunately, sometimes sellers aren’t particularly straight-forward with their used cars. Many will try to hide the fact that it’s been damaged by floodwaters at all or try to convince potential buyers that the car is in fact fine. “It has gone months with no issues” or “technically it is flood-damaged but” are two red flags, and while it isn’t impossible for a flood car to be fine, it’s altogether a good idea to stay away.

At Oliver Automotive in Novato, we understand all too well the importance of changing your oil regularly. Three to five thousand miles sounds like a lot, but it doesn’t really take that long to rack them up. The busier you are, the more you probably drive, and the more likely you are to forget it’s time to change your oil. Here are some reasons to pay attention to your oil changes, and help you better understand why oil changes are so important.

Fluid levels, tire condition, dashboard lights, and a variety of other items typically are briefly explored whenever you bring your vehicle in for maintenance here at Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA, where we are good at noticing things that need repair, but the fact of the matter is that only you know your car. You know when your car feels off when it's been serviced last (or that it hasn't been serviced at all,) and have at least some vague idea of what’s going on with your vehicle day to day. Here are some questions you can ask us next time you come by the shop;

In today's economic climate, people are working hard to make their dollars go further. Not only are drivers holding onto their vehicles longer, but they're also looking to improve fuel efficiency to get the most gas mileage out of every gallon of gas. You can do both by following a few simple tips from our team here at Oliver Automotive!

A huge part of what the hydraulic system in your transmission does is tell the mechanical components what to do and when to do it. Even if you don't understand how that works, our technicians at Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA have trained with the best to make sure they understand all the ins and outs of your system. We want you to understand what we're talking about when we talk to you about your vehicle so we'll break down some aspects of your hydraulic system.