Huntington Beach Auto Repair

There are 5 costly misconceptions about having an auto brake job done: #1. All brakes are created equal, so the only thing that matters is the price. #2. If I'm quoted a higher price it just means that they make more profit. #3. A lifetime warranty is better than a parts and labor guarantee. #4. My next door neighbor's kid can do my brakes the same as your technicians can. #5. If I'm hearing a squeaking sound, it means I need all new brakes. --Quick Answers-- #1 There's metallic, semi metallic, organic, and ceramic. All have thier advantages. We'll match you up to the optimum product. #2 In most cases a higher price means that the shop is using better parts. This is not always the case and it's important to match function and demand. #3 Never true. A shop offering a lifetime warranty comes with all types of gray areas. They'll install cheap semi metallic pads. It's never for the customer's best interest. The pads will wear out fast ca ... read more

We always use the best. These small but critical parts of a vehicle do so much but get little respect. Most car manufactures have a recommended replacement schedule that can be subjective. Surprisingly some have NONE! It is best to adhere to a schedule unless there is a good reason not to. If a progressive corrosion has set in the hoses then best to replace sooner than scheduled. The CAUSE of the corrosion should also be addressed at that time to prevent further premature age and break down. The belts may also fail prematurely if the vehicle sits for extended periods of time in an extreme atmosphere such as a high heat as in the desert, or near salt air such as here in Huntington Beach or surrounding areas. In fairness to todays vehicles, many belts and hoses go over 100,000 miles. However it may have been in a short period of time so AGE is not so much a factor as USE. Because we've seen more than most, it has been our policy to consider age or use to determine replacement ... read more

As long as I've been around mechanical repair it always strikes me as curious to see how things come in waves. A particular brand vehicle will have electrical problems for a year. Another will have brake related problems. Maybe we get a bunch of window repairs on all cars. This year we've seen 6 cases of motor or engine noises. Not unusual but the nature of the noise I'm referring to is a clacking or knocking, sometimes slight, sometimes more pronounced. Usually from a new customer. The noise that we have been getting is from a lack of MOTOR OIL in the engine! Wholly smokes! We all get busy but I implore everyone to please check their own oil or have someone else do so at appropriate intervals. Serious damage can happen if an engine runs low on oil. A newer vehicle is less likely to go low on oil because of the newness of the gaskets, seals and rings. As a vehicle ages the gaskets and seals wear and fail. The rings may wear and allow oil to burn like John Candy's old Mercury in "Un ... read more

We seem to get more than our share of my favorite vehicles from the original GMC type Suburbans famous for towing the old Airstream camper trailers, to the new Cadillac Escalades. The fact that at one time we owned 6 various S-10 Balzers, full sized Blazers and Tahoe at the same time helps a bit. We've become very familiar with these SUVs and will always have a soft spot for them. Feel free to ask any questions you may have or come in for a quick free check on the Air Conditioning, Check Engine light or tire rotation if you print this page out and bring it in. Ask for Chris

If you need Mazda repair in Huntington Beach, we're right around the corner. To keep your Mazda safe, reliable and long-lasting, it's important to bring your vehicle into a shop where the staff is experienced. If you notice anything unusual about your vehicle: that it's taking longer to accelerate to 60 mph, the brakes are making noise or the air-conditioning is not cooling as quickly as it used to, bring your car to HB Auto & AC for a diagnostic. Those of you that have known us for a long time will remember us as "Strictly Mazda". We still have all the old factory manuals needed to service your Mazda

Perhaps the most dangerous item in your vehicle besides an irresponsible driver is the gas tank. The specialized care to repair, clean, remove and reinstall is old hat to us having had previous 25 years experience as a Radiator Shop. The gas tank sending unit, Fuel Pump and now EVAP System is all in a days work for our technicians at HB Auto & AC. California smog requirements demand near perfect performance to the point that a leaking gas cap will trigger a "Check Engine" light on your dash. Your vehicle has an EVAP hose from your vehicle's gas tank to the engine's charcoal canister. The charcoal canister is usually located in a corner of the engine compartment, is a black container filled with charcoal pellets that absorb fuel vapors. Some are located in the engine compartment, some near the vehicle's gas tanks in order to maximize efficiency. It is our pleasure to repair any problems you may have in this area

On this, we know. When it comes to auto repair for air conditioning we have probably more years of experience than ANYONE. (No matter what that little guy says) We find leaks others cannot!! We have had dealerships bring air conditioning diagnostic problems to us. We still have AC tools older than 35 years old. Refrigerant testers made when there was no compromise on quality. Not to say we do not keep up with the latest equipment. we do. Our favorite example is the 1956 De Soto system we worked on held the refrigerant charge over 13 years! We had fabricated several of the long lines over 12 feet long and repaired components that were no longer available. You can see this vehicle on our site photo page. A beautiful show car that places second place in show competition regularly. If it were a two door, it would place first. Other auto repair facilities are using scare tactics where a car stopped or burst into flames if the Air Conditioning is faulty. One in a mill ... read more

After over 25 years as one of the areas best Radiator Shops we still know how to repair radiators. Just saved over $300 from cost of a brand new custom hot rod aluminum radiator by repairing the drill hole in the core that a technician put in. We still get odds and ends from shops we've known for a long time

We have more experience with Radiators, Automotive & Truck Cooling Systems and diagnosis than just about anybody in Huntington Beach. (I don't care what that little guy says.) Our experience allows us to diagnose, repair (sometimes rather than replace, saving you money), maintain and service these systems to the advantage and savings of our customers. After 20 years ownership of one of the most popular radiator shops in Orange County, we know what we are doing. Some of our customers have been coming to us over 25 years since first starting with us as Bolsa Radiator. Over the past 9 years we expanded our services to retain customer loyalty to include complete service and repair of their cars and trucks. Our single-minded expertise as cooling system specialists is extended to include services and repair to keep ALL our customers on the road. Don't forget, the single most reason for on the road failure (besides tire problems and running out of gas) is a cooling system problem ... read more

We've see things like this on a regular basis. Larry's 2004 Mini Air Conditioning was not working. The dealer said it needed a compressor replacement at a cost of over $1500! We fixed his Prosche earlier last year so he gave us a look at the Mini. We found the AC compressor clutch coil not working. From the BMW dealership the cost of the new compressor alone was over $800! Because of our long experience in auto air conditioning, we knew what we could do. While replacing the compressor coil only we found the main shaft seal leaking and replaced that also. Now the air conditioning FREEZES the passengers at much lower cost than previously quoted. We like working on air conditioning