As an auto service advisor, one of the questions I frequently get asked is about using high octane or premium gas in customer’s vehicles. “Do I really need to put premium gas in my tank?” Often, customers will tell me they are unsure about purchasing a car that requires premium gas. Their focus is always on the higher cost of premium gas when they should be considering what a high octane rating means to the continued health of their vehicle.

Not long ago, I walked into the reception area at our auto shop and greeted two long-time customers. After chatting for a while, we eventually got around to the reason why they were there. The wife shared with me that she had noticed a constant scraping noise coming from their car that got worse while braking. Then the husband held out his hand and displayed a tiny jagged stone about ¼ inch long.

Every Land Rover or other European car owner should know the answer to these three questions!

A few weeks ago I was approached with three different questions.

How do we diagnose complex “issues” when they go wrong?

One of the scariest moments that can happen while driving is when you try to stop and your break pedal sinks to the floor.

It’s that time of year again. The days are getting hotter. In fact, here in Columbia, MD we are expecting the temperature to hit the 90’s this week. If your car’s air conditioning system is blowing hot air, don’t sweat it out. Take care of it now.

Based on the above definition, #2 to be exact, there is no doubt that we are experiencing an epidemic. Over the past year, we have seen dozens of Mini Coopers coming into our facility with a very low oil level. This is serious because it can dramatically reduce the life of a Mini Cooper engine!