The weather has been perfect for Mini adventures and our shop has been flooded with Minis in for a checkup or minor repairs. Although some owners have been putting off service to their Minis for over 18 months, requiring a longer service call to get their vehicle “adventure” worthy again.

If you own a European car like a BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes, Land Rover, Mini or Jaguar you need an auto repair shop that has specialized in these cars for decades. At BA Auto our attention to detail and high-quality service has brought in European car owners looking for an alternative to dealership repair shops.

Since Covid-19 there has been a greater interest in how to keep your car’s ventilation system clean and fresh. The main component that filters the air coming into a car is the “cabin air filter”. In normal times this filter is inspected or replaced at around 15,000 miles or 18 months if it’s dirty.

One of the hardest things for some of our auto repair customers to understand is why their specific repair or service cost so much. An explanation of the repair may sound simple and straightforward, but the actual work required to accomplish that simple repair can be very complicated. The dilemma is, if we explain something in a way that a layperson can understand, the simple explanation can make a customer think it’s a simple job. Where possible, we like to share with a customer what’s involved in a repair, but that’s not always feasible.

With the arrival of spring, we can look forward to our first hot days and lots of pollen!

It sounds like an easy question to answer doesn’t it? In fact, when people bring their vehicle in for a headlight bulb replacement, they expect to be in and out quickly, but that’s not always the case. With cars built in the last decade, a simple task like changing a headlight or brake light bulb can be much more complicated than before. Gone are the days when an auto mechanic could wander out to a vehicle in the parking lot, lift the hood, change the headlight bulb and be back in the office in five minutes!

Recently, one of my teeth broke. I put off making an appointment for a week or so because the dentist is not my favorite place to go. I was not looking forward to having a root canal or a cap.

So, you’ve made an appointment to have your car serviced. What information do you want to make sure you cover with your auto service advisor? And conversely, what do you want to make sure that your auto repair shop communicates to you?