Automotive News & Information - Oliver Automotive

Since the first automobile, vehicle electronics have become increasingly more complex with every passing era. In the modern-day, your car, truck, or SUV likely depends on an array of modules, sensors, and components that control every aspect of how your vehicle runs and drives. Here’s what you need to know about your vehicle’s electronics systems, from Oliver Automotive in Novato.

Your vehicle's cooling system is one of the most important systems in your vehicle. Inside your engine, spark plugs ignite the fuel within the cylinders to produce small explosions that propel your vehicle down the road. With small explosions comes scorching temperatures that can destroy your engine if not controlled. There are two types of cooling systems - liquid-cooled and air-cooled.

Modern vehicles are becoming increasingly complex, and as a result, computer diagnostic systems are becoming a necessity rather than a convenience. At Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA, our state of the art technology and trained technicians are ready to diagnose any transmission issue you may be experiencing with your car, truck, or SUV.

Your brakes have a lot to do with how your car drives. Brakes are a frequently neglected item on a lot of people’s checklist, and many drivers on the road have subpar brakes and don’t even know it. A car that brakes well and brakes correctly are just as important as acceleration, handling, or any other aspect of a vehicle’s drivability. A car with brake issues has the potential to be a far more enjoyable ride when fixed.

At Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA, we service all types of transmissions, on any car, truck, or SUV. This includes both All-Wheel Drive and Four-Wheel Drive vehicles, but you may be wondering...what’s the difference? Both types of vehicle supply power to all four wheels, so why use two different terms? Due to the increasing demand for AWD and 4WD vehicles over the last decade, equipped on everything from sports cars to pickup trucks, more and more people are asking these same questions.

Unless you are confident in your abilities as an automotive mechanic, there is really only one rule when purchasing a flood-damaged vehicle: don’t do it. Unfortunately, sometimes sellers aren’t particularly straight-forward with their used cars. Many will try to hide the fact that it’s been damaged by floodwaters at all or try to convince potential buyers that the car is in fact fine. “It has gone months with no issues” or “technically it is flood-damaged but” are two red flags, and while it isn’t impossible for a flood car to be fine, it’s altogether a good idea to stay away.

At Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA, we know the key to making your vehicle last; good maintenance. An overwhelming percentage of the problems we see, especially the really catastrophic ones, are a result of poor maintenance. While properly maintaining a vehicle can seem like a bit of a hassle, it is absolutely worth the payoff. Good maintenance is the only difference between a car that lasts 80,000 miles and a car that lasts 400,000 miles. Preventative maintenance and repair when a problem occurs are your two concerns, and both will keep your car on the road far longer if observed properly.

At Oliver Automotive in Novato, CA, we are here to maintain and repair your vehicle. We’re also here to help you keep your car, truck, or SUV in good shape and running strong. “Bad gas” is often cited as the cause for a variety of issues - but what does that mean, and what can you do?