Medina Auto Repair

Several decades ago (prior to about 1980), winterizing your car was often a complicated ritual, but critical if you wanted your car to start when the temperature dropped. Luckily, modern cars don’t need quite as much babying when the weather turns cold, because nowadays automotive technology is such that cars can start in extremely frigid temperatures without the need for a lot of special winterizing preparations. However, if you want your vehicle to start on cold mornings and run well when the cold weather hits, it’s still important to prepare your car for winter by doing a few simple things (or having your auto mechanic do them). Switch to winter-grade oil in the winter. Motor oil thins as it heats and thickens as it cools. In colder weather, thinner oil is better. The first number in the oil specification index for a motor oil indicates the oil viscosity; for example, 5W-30 is more viscous than 10W-30, and if you generally use 10W-30 oil in the warmer months, switching ... read more

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you saunter out of the house, travel mug in hand, whistling a tune as you hop into your car...only to pound your head on the steering wheel minutes later as you crank and crank and crank the key because your engine won’t start? Or have you ever left work late or been traveling somewhere miles from home, maybe even in the dark or rain, and had your car simply break down on the side of the road? Both of these events are frustrating, upsetting, and sometimes even scary. Do you sit in your car waiting for the tow truck or a helpful friend to rescue you, wondering what you might have done wrong? Were there any steps that you could have taken to try to avoid at least some of the most common car problems? Well, we’re glad you asked! Some of the most common car problems can leave you stranded out on the road, but there are things you can do to prevent them (or at least somewhat minimize the frustration when problems do occur). Your Ca ... read more

Have you been thinking about buying a new or pre-owned car lately? Have you been considering a change in vehicles for a while but can’t decide if you want to spring for a new car or look for a pre-owned car that might prove easier on your wallet? There are pros and cons to both. Here are a few things to think about when you’re trying to decide between a new versus a used car. With a new car, you can get exactly what you want--the color, the trim, the features. Your new car will come with a manufacturer’s warranty. Many used cars, especially those sold by individuals, are sold “as is.” If you’re the first owner of a vehicle, apparently you will get more life out of it than out of a used car. Do you tend to keep your cars for a long time and drive them to very high mileage? In that case, buying a new car will likely give you more years of ownership. What is the main drawback to buying a new car, then? Well, there are three: 1. Depreciation. 2. Deprec ... read more

Seat belts became commonplace in consumer vehicles after 1958. They progressed rapidly from lap belts to lap and shoulder belts, and fatalities from car accidents plummeted as more and more people buckled up. As safety features were added, airbags, traction control, and antilock brakes became standard.  But what have auto manufacturers done for us lately? What are the latest driver-safety technologies that are already here or on the way? Following are a few descriptions of some of the most impressive. Adaptive cruise control ensures that you won’t follow the car in front of you too closely as it senses the position of the vehicle ahead of you and adjusts your speed as needed. Some of these systems can even incorporate emergency braking if the car you are following slows or stops abruptly, which brings us to the following item. Automatic emergency braking enables your car to sense a potential collision and start braking automatically if you are not able to react in time ... read more

Summer’s nearly over and it’s almost time for the kids to go back to school! Here are some ideas for those dog days of summer that’ll keep you looking back with a smile on your face and a song in your heart.  Do Something You’ve Never Done Before  Summer is a time for exploration and for trying out new things (in a safe environment, of course!). We recommend something in or around water, and maybe one that involves inner tubes. Have you ever played inner tube water polo? The inner tubes keep you from getting hurt, and the number one rule is to have fun! Could you handle that? Hah! Thought so! Another thing that’s really fun with inner tubes is floating on a stream or playing in a swimming pool.  Barbeque, Barbeque, Barbeque There may be something you’ve been meaning to try barbecuing but haven’t. For instance, have you ever barbequed pineapple? It’s easy and delicious! Cut off the crown ... read more