Margate City Auto Repair

Hey all, I have been thinking about how long our vehicles have sat this year. Some never started all spring, some are only moving from the driveway to the stores. Some of us will be traveling by car and truck to visit our families for the holidays - this is exactly why our cars need to be maintained. When vehicles sit too long many different issues can occur, from batteries not starting to having animals chewing the electrical wires and nesting as it gets cold. Having your regular maintenance services performed, even if it is not due by mileage, but by time allows you to avoid any issues. Kind of like still seeing the doctor for your check-ups even though you are feeling well, your vehicle needs to be seen and checked for service. This year, we have seen cars sit so long that brakes have seized, we have found nesting rodents, chewed wires, batteries that would not charge and many other issues that have impacted a vehicles performance. During this time our vehicles can feel like th ... read more

The Season of Pot holes is upon us! Winter is hard on everyone and everything, yes that means on your roads and cars as well. That is why April is Car care Aware month. Its time to freshen up for the Spring. The biggest threat to your car right now is pot holes and neglect of maintenance. Pot holes meh, am I right? They come back every spring like flowers. They are caused by water seeping into the cracks of the pavement, then freezing and thawing, and then being driven on causes the pavement to weaken and eventually give.  If you lucky your city is on them like white on rice. Either way they are a danger to your car. Alignments, Tires, Hubs, your exhaust, your under carriage and depending on how deep it is anything within its evil grasp. It can cause leaks, dents and compromise the integrity of parts and sometimes clips can come off and parts can start to drag.   Is there any way to avoid them? Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee, that’s because your car can ... read more

Animals that use your car as a nest, hiding space, or refuge from the weather   As I was driving around today on this cold day I had a bird fly out of my windshield wiper area! I hadn’t gotten far and this poor little bird and I were both startled. It got me thinking on how we can prevent those little un-pleasantries for both of our sakes and our cars.   Animals are not thinking about you or your car when they go to find a place to get out of the weather or make a home. They don’t have the ability to reason that this is a car, there’s a person who owns this and it’s going to be a bad time. All they are thinking is that this place is warm and dry. So how can we help each other out?   How to dislodge and deter animals from making your car their shelter: As much as I personally hate being startled, this might be the best and safest way to warn the animals that you’re about to get moving. So give your car ... read more

Winter is coming!   Do you know what it takes to make it easier on you or your car during these cold winter months? The cold is hard on cars. Especially their batteries, wiper blades, tires, paint job, heating system and lights. Make sure to check on them often for your (and others) safety.   We have compiled two lists for you to check to help you!   Things you should have in your care in case of emergencies:   Blankets- Cold leads to hypothermia, and if your car gets stuck or breaks down blankets will help keep you warm. Collapsible Snow Shovel- to dig yourself out Non-Perishable Food – because who doesn’t like a snack? We recommend Protein bars. Water- water= life Spare Change and Cash- You never know when the power will go out Flashlight, Jumper Cables, First Aid kit, Road Flares/ Reflective Warning Triangles and Portable Air pump/flasher- because you should always have them Kitty Litter- cheaper than u ... read more

Did you know that we offer a Complimentary Concierge service here at Sunny Sunoco in Margate? Well... we do! No need to rearrange your world and your closest driving friend (or person) to get your car worked on when you use us for your car needs! We will pick your car up anywhere on or around the Island of Atlantic city! That means: Atlantic City, Ventnor City, Margate City, Longport, Somers Point, Linwood, Northfield and parts of EHT. Would you want to get your car worked on while you are at work?  We will be happy to pick up your car and, depending on the services needed, return it to you before you leave. Talk about convenient! If your service takes longer than a few hours we also offer loaner vehicles.  If you would like a beach day (maybe this time of year is not the most ideal... but we don't judge..) we will chauffer you and yours down to the beach so you can enjoy the salt air and relax while also being productive. There is nothing more peac ... read more

Rotors   What are they? Rotors, with assistance from the brake pads and calipers, cause your car to slow down and/or stop. They are the circular metal part that the brake pads rub against to cause the wheels to stop spinning. They are as important as brake pads for stopping.   Why do they go bad? Heat isn’t a friend of metal parts. Heat from friction can cause warping and wear. For those of you that remember LP records, think of records that were left in the sun.   Signs you need new rotors. Squeaking, rough stopping, vibrating when slowing, When your rotors go bad you will hear it and feel it. Make it over to your mechanic as soon as possible.   Helpful Info Rotors should be replaced every 30-70 thousand miles. And when you change the rotors you should change your brake pads too. Since the rotors and brake pads rub together the brake pads are ‘mated&rsquo ... read more

Child Car seat safety:   Congratulations! You have yourself a mini me! Now you have the pleasure of figuring out your child’s car seat for the next 80 pounds or so. Fun times. With all the changing laws, recommendations, and car seats, this can be a confusing and stressful time. You want to keep your precious one safe, but you would like for ‘them’ to hurry up and decide the right way to do that. As AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) just changed the rear facing car seat recommendations to rear facing until 4yrs, it doesn’t look like they’ll get it together anytime soon. There is a way to help keep your sanity though, whenever you hear the recommendations have changed look at NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) website, it is THE guideline. (they have not changed their recommendation of three years old)   Car seats have grown in safety and complexity from the salad days of the burlap sack, to the first ac ... read more

The next week and a half is looking to be very wet and, as we are already seeing, flooding has begun. Since our flood water is salt it can be very damaging to vehicles. We’d like to remind everyone that driving thru salt water is a big no-no. Salt water is corrosive. It will eat away at your car. Anything over 4 inches will damage a sedan sized vehicle. Remember tow trucks will not rescue you until the water recedes, so as I like to say, Better safe than sorry. So, If you think the water will reach your under carriage I repeat, do not drive thru.  Electrical system and combustion systems do not like water and your car is basically these two systems. Also water plus electricity equals electrolysis (which causes the blue crude you sometimes see near battery terminals)  If you find yourself in any of these scenarios, here is my advice to you: If you are driving and find yourself facing a flood, turn around! Do not attempt to go thru the water. You never know what is unde ... read more

TPMS Tire Pressure Monitoring System What is it? TPMS is a monitoring system that lets the driver know if they have a flat tire or if the tires are low on air. There are 2 types of TPMS. Direct TPMS- more expensive, more accurate, doesn’t have to be reset after filling the tire or replacing tires. Battery tends to last a decade. Once the battery goes they need to be replaced, about every 10 years. Indirect TPMS- counts rotation of tire against the other tires. Under-inflated tires need to rotate more to keep up. Does not use a pressure sensor. Has to be reset after filling tires. Not as accurate. Making a comeback as technology improves. If ALL tires are under inflated by the same amount the TPMS alert won’t be triggered. TPMS came about in the 1980s in European luxury cars and became mandatory in the United States in 2009 for light passenger cars. The thought was that it would decrease the amount of accidents due to poor tire care and pressure. All cars 2007 or newer ... read more

Thermostat: What is it? Every car has a thermostat. The thermostat in you car regulates the engine coolant temperature to cool off your engine. Thermostats don’t have an average lifespan. So there is no real recommended time to replace them. That is why it is important to get your check engine light read as soon as you can when it pops up or know what to do if it suddenly goes bad. How does it work? As the car heats up to 200 degrees, the thermostat opens (heat causes things to expand) and opens to allow circulation of the coolant thru the coolant system (which is a series of pipes that are housed around/ thru the engine) when the engine cools down enough (cold causes things to contract) it closes. When the thermostat goes bad it gets stuck, or doesn’t open which causes your car to overheat, or if it gets stuck in the open position it causes the car to be too cool which causes bad emissions, and bad efficiency, and accelerates wear. What are signs I need to get mine fixed ... read more