KANSAS CITY AND OVERLAND PARK AUTO REPAIR

If you own a MO vehicle with a warranty, beware! Many dealers and manufacturers suggest that you need to get your maintenance services at a dealership in order to keep your warranty. That simply isn’t true! You can have your vehicle serviced at your trusted, local service center without affecting your warranty. A federal law, called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, prohibits a manufacturer from voiding your warranty just because you got parts or services from a non-dealer. In fact, a manufacturer can’t require you to use their brand of oil filters, lubricant, or any other part in order to maintain your warranty protection. This protection is true for aftermarket extended warranties purchased on new or used vehicles. This protection also applies to leased vehicles. There are similar laws in Canada as well. If a manufacturer can prove that the replacement parts or service lead to a vehicle failure, they can void a portion of t ... read more

North Americans love their cars. And nothing goes with cars better than the road trip. Freedom from daily schedules, new sights and the open road – it’s great! But there’s nothing like car trouble to bring the fun to a grinding halt. Now you can’t always avoid problems, but you can take steps to reduce the probability of getting sidelined on your trip. The first step is to look at your trip plan from your vehicle’s perspective. What kind of roads will you be traveling – winding byways or super-highways? Mountains or plains? What weather conditions are you likely to encounter? How many miles will you travel? How much weight will you be hauling – passengers and luggage? Lugging a trailer or roof top carrier? Will it be dusty? Armed with the answers to these questions, you can start a trip inspection to help you prepare your Kansas City vehicle for your big adventure. A lot of our Kansas City customers prefer to go through this exercise with an automotive service advisor at Sallas Auto R ... read more

Motor oil is the MOST IMPORTANT fluid in your vehicle. Why you ask? First, the oil protects the motor from heat that comes from all the moving parts inside the engine. Oil also cleans the inside of the engine protecting it from corrosion. Most motor oils are made from petroleum crude oil processed into motor oil. With this type of oil we recommend an oil change every 3,000-3,500 miles. Why? Because the heat and pressure inside the engine degrades the oil and it becomes quite dirty from keeping the engine clean. If the oil is left to long it will start to sludge up. When your next oil change comes around all the sludge may not come out leaving you with build up or residue inside the motor and can cause parts to plug up or corrode. Synthetic oil is an alternative to the standard mineral oil motor oil and is used in many newer vehicles. Synthetic oil is made from chemically modified compounds (synthetic materials) and can offer several advantages to car owners who are lo ... read more

When buying a used car one thought always seems to surface even if it is never spoken, “when will this car need a repair or maintenance?” One way dealers will try to give you peace of mind in your decision is by offering an extended warranty. But before you sign on the dotted line make sure you know all the details. What is an Extended Warranty? After a designated time the manufacturer’s warranty on a vehicle expires. Most warranties tend to last around three years or three thousand miles. Some cars can even have multiple warranties that vary from comprehensive coverage all the way down to seat belt coverage. An extended warranty is a warranty that can be added to a vehicle once the first warranty has expired. But adding an extended warranty also means adding additional fees. And some fees may not be worth adding. Research When you are purchasing a used vehicle be sure to do y ... read more

You may have an alignment problem if your car drifts or pulls to one side, your steering wheel’s off center, you have uneven tire wear or your car doesn’t feel like it handles right as you travel around MO. When all of your Kansas City vehicle’s wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Running into potholes, smacking a curb or other Kansas City street hazard are great ways to knock your car out of alignment. Then one or more of your wheels starts pulling in a slightly different direction and the problems begin. Driving for an extended time when you’re out of alignment causes your tires to wear unevenly and excessively. Sometimes the tire can be worn so badly that it will fail. At the very least, you’ll have to replace your tires sooner. You could end up with premature wear to your suspension system, which can be really expensive. The front wheel alignment is adjustable on all vehicles, and the back wheels are also adjustable on some cars. Now, let ... read more