Towns – Burtonsville
Auto Repair Mechanic Burtonsville MD 20866
Car Repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20866 Directions
Burtonsville Maryland car repairing mechanics are Only 5 minutes Away! Short run up route 29, turn onto route 216 East and you’ll about be here. Four miles and you’re at the automotive shop with decades of experience, higher value for your dollar and ASE Certified Master Technicians. Unlike many other shops you are going to see the same faces here over and over. We have an incredibly low turnover of mechanics at Thoroughbred Auto Care. You can see a proven and trusted process as we treat every customer right. We’ve been in the automotive repair business since 1979 out of our home. Since then we’ve expanded the location, staff and services into a steady growth of constant service for the Burtonsville MD 20866 area. We offer many free services to help you get to and from the shop with shuttle services and a car repair leading warranty of 36 months or 36,000 Miles!
Car Repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20866 – Trust is Earned
Providing car repairs for the Burtonsville area is a rewarding career. Part of earning trust is the decades of experience. Other steps in building trust in your Burtonsville mechanic is when others recommend and review a mechanic. We are proud and thankful for all the 5 out of 5 star reviews. Working hard to earn the NAPA Gold level for years is yet another way we earn trust of local businesses and drivers. When we get to see a new generation of a family pull into the shop with their “new to me” vehicle it gives us a sense of pride in our standards to quality. Sometimes we see the next generation when they want a car checked out if it’s going to be a good purchase. It’s nice to trust and be trusted! We are ready to help with all your auto repair needs as well Maryland State inspections. We take inspections very seriously, not just because we are held responsible, but because we care and want to see everyone’s vehicle as safe as possible since we share the Burtonsville roads with you. Contact us online or on the phone for all your automotive repair needs in Burtonsville MD 20866.
Burtonsville Car Alignments Mechanics for MD 20866
Car alignments in Burtsonsville MD, 20866 can help to save money. Car repairs like Alignments can also improve the quality of your commute and peace of mind. When your car or truck is out of alignment you may notice because the steering wheel is pulling to one side or the other when on a straight road. Although you may not notice a pull and the vehicle may still be out of alignment when both wheels are “toe’d in” or “toe’d out”. The long term thing to notice is the wear on the tire is not “even.” However, you do not need to wait until costly damage is done to tires. You can have your car alignment checked and our precision, computerized equipment will let you know if an alignment is needed.
Some of the reasons which may lead you to check the alignment is impacting a pothole in the road or impacting something on the road. This hard impact can change the alignment of the wheel or wheels and knock the Burtonsville vehicle out of “true.” No matter how it happens we can help. Other wheel services like rotation, balancing and mounting can also be taken care of. Give us a call for all your car repair needs in Burtonsville, Maryland, 20866 zip code. We offer many free services to make your car repairs from Burtonsville more convenient. If you need a free shuttle service give us a call. Precision Alignments in Burtonsville ASE Certified Master Techs / Mechanics.
Burtonsville Car Repair Mechanics for MD 20866 – Streetview
A short drive and you will see the street view of our car repair shop. We have new paint on the building and you won’t miss us driving in the area. Car repairs like brakes, tires, alignments, hoses and belts are all common this time of year. Burtonsville and all of the 20866 zip code car repairs can benefit from preventative maintenance. Being prepared with car maintenance that is recommended from the manufacturer can help to have an overall lower car repair cost. Our Burtonsville mechanics will likely be the same ones you will see for years to come. We have a radically low turn over rate of employment. We work well together and have a lengthy hiring process. We want to work with the highest quality. That means mechanics near Burtonsville will know about your car. We pride ourselves on long lasting car repairs with a 36 months / 36,000 miles warranty. Give us a call for your dealership alternative near Burtonsville, MD 20866. Trusted Burtonsville car repair ASE Certified Master Techs / Mechanics.
Car Repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20866 – Thankful
Burtonsville MD 20866 auto repair mechanics have a varied set of customers. Many are veterans or currently serving the Country in one way or another. Today is Tuesday June 6th and that same date more than 70 years ago was D-Day in WWII as America entered the war. Many people come into our shop and make a good impression as contributing to our local area communities like Burtonsville. Others not only make a good impression but – make a LASTING impression. Reasonable, Respectable, Responsible as we talk about more than just auto repairs. We get to know each other and quite often we find that we have many hobbies and likes in common. We pride our auto repair shop with those same values and it has made for decades of relationships. When a person is treated honestly, and with Respect, allowing each person to know what to expect it ends in Burtonsville auto repair mechanics that you can Trust.
Reviews Car Repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20866
We’re thankful for all the customers who have taken the time to write reviews of their car repairs in Burtonsville MD 20866. Thank you for all the kind Reviews.
Car Repair Services for the Fall in Burtonsville
Next let’s talk about your car battery. An easy test in about 5 minutes can tell you if it will fail in the near future. Generally speaking at the end of 4 years, it should be considered nearing its replacement time, and at the end of 5 years; I would highly recommend it.
Wipers & Lights are key items. Wipers have a 6 month life cycle, after that the sun has cooked them, consider them done. Bulbs can fail at anytime but as daylight driving shortens, fall is great time to do this. Your mechanic can do this, or some can do this themselves.
Car Repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20866 – Automotive Savings
As Mechanics serving the Burtonsville Maryland area we like to pass along the savings on tires and other automotive savings. Check our coupons page often and watch for announcements on this website as well as Facebook. Give us a call for details and see how we can help you drive with a bit more control over the road as Summer is here and Thunderstorms cover our area roads. We want you to be safe and enjoy good driving performance. That’s why we extend our tire savings and services into a year of road hazard, Flat Tire roadside assistance for 3 years, and Free Rotation with the purchase of those 4 tires as long as the tires are on the vehicle. Extending ourselves with tire services helps us to build trust in the Burtonsville area. We are here for the long term and ready to treat you like one of our own with higher quality parts, service and ASE certified Mechanics providing specials on auto repairs for Burtonsville MD 20866.
Car Repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20866 – Tires
Car repair Mechanics in Burtonsville or if you prefer a more formal introduction of “ASE Certified Master Technicians” we are okay with using either title. One of the more frequent needs that we see for Burtonsville vehicle are tires. The old saying of “where the rubber meets the road” is a very true statement and probably why it has lasted for so long. It’s important to stay in control of your vehicle at all times and the quality and condition of your tires is a large contributor to that control. We all know low tread on a tire will slip more easily in challenging road conditions. As Burtonsville has it’s share of road hazards, pot holes, small critters and larger ones like our whitetail deer, it is important to save every last distance of a braking when something jumps into the roadway. We have a wide variety of tires and have the expertise and high caliber equipment to bring you quality tires and services like mounting, balancing, rotation and of course sales that will serve you well. As ASE certified Mechanics we pride ourselves on bringing top notch auto repairs in Burtonsville to continue building our reputation and being an integral part of the community. Whether you need help with tires, brake, oil change and tune-ups or something more involved like a transmission or engine repairs we are ready to help and keep you enjoying the Burtonsville MD roads.
As our ASE certified Master Mechanics Burtonsville work on car repairs we hear a toy being dropped off for the toys for tots drive. We’re proud to be able to help just a little as a collection drop off location. It’s nice to see the Burtonsville community and all around the 20866 zip code drive up to our big red box and give a new unused unwrapped toy. The Marines will come by just as they have for years to pickup the toys on Dec 16th. So, stopping by between today and the Dec 15th is the best bet to get in before the deadline. We hope that your automotive repairs have served your Burtonsville cars and trucks throughout your Holiday season. When you are out driving and the last of your shopping stop by and see us. We would like to catch up and while you are here bring a little cheer to someone less fortunate than yourself. You can learn about more details about our Toys for Tots Collection Center closest to Burtonsville, Maryland info. Or give us a call if you prefer for even more information Phone: 301-317-7886 and ask for Jon or Stephen. Auto repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20886
Car Repair Burtonsville MD 20866 – Mechanics
From: Behind the wall, A Technical Question
So as many of you know, Here at Thoroughbred Auto Care I get asked many Questions about vehicles car repair and a few, “What would you Do?” I will share this recent email from, “Collin”.
Collin writes, “Stephen my Engine went out in my vehicle recently and had to be replaced, the shop that did the repair said it was out of oil! Collin said he looked where he parks the car and no oil stains were found. What could I have done to prevent this?”
First off I had to feel bad for Collin. An engine replacement is not routine or something that one plans for and it is very expensive. Further if you own a vehicle that ended up needing an engine replacement, consideration to the entire condition and value of the vehicle must be given first. Also no one is likely to want to buy a vehicle with a blown engine, and in Collin’s case he still owed money on the vehicle, so he had no choice but to have it fixed.
But back to Collin’s question. I asked Collin if he kept records of his oil changes for his car. He answered like many, he follows the light on the dash, when it says 10% he has it changed. I said well you should still have receipts from the places it was done at? He said yes, and I asked him to fax me copies of these oil changes. When I laid them out on my desk I quickly knew what had happened. Collin’s car has a common 4-cylinder engine, (like most vehicles) very dependable, but it does work hard, under normal Conditions. His records showed 8, 9, and in several cases 12,000 miles between oil changes! We tell all clients to follow the Manufacturer’s Guidelines for SEVERE driving conditions. Why you ask? Well if you take short trips, stop and go, or high speed, Interstate driving, you meet the severe driving conditions. If you read the owners manual they recommend 3,000-5,000 miles depending on oil used. So without looking at the vehicle, I can say with Confidence that the engine failure didn’t have to happen. Why? Because today’s vehicles are depending on less oil in the engine and lighter weight oils. For fuel mileage, they run hotter, 210 degrees on most cars built after 1995. They have additional moving parts inside the engine that help meet emission requirements, Fuel Mileage requirements and performance needs. The Engines create sludge very easily and a few more $45-$75 oil changes with the correct oil can save $5,000 to $10,000 down the road.
Collin is a young man just out of College and starting his career, the last thing he needed was this, but he learned a valuable lesson and this should never happen to him again.
Thanks, Stephen Powell (send your Burtonsville Car Repair questions to: STEPHENTBRED6@AOL.COM)
Car Repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20866 – Toys For Tots
As Mechanics serving the Burtonsville area we know the importance of community involvement. That’s why we have joined forces with the US Marines as a collection/donation center for the Annual Toys for Tots Campaign. Our big red box will be out front starting on Oct 30th, 2016. You can donate a New, Unwrapped toy right into out box. Every day our Mechanics will be out checking for the donations and working with the local community to make this Holiday season a little brighter for deserving families. Toys for Tots Collection Center closest to Burtonsville, Maryland info. Or Give us a call if you prefer for even more information Phone: 301-317-7886 and ask for Jon or Stephen.
Car Repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20866 – Car Inspection
Car Inspection in Burtonsville or you may have read the term “Vehicle Safety Inspection” on the Maryland MVA website, either way we can Help. Often inspections come when a car, truck or trailer is being bought or sold. Maryland law requires it to be inspected for safety reasons that keep us all safe. We are an authorized inspection station and glad to provide honest, dependable inspections for cars, trucks, trailers under 10,000 lbs, which covers most all needs.
With decades of experience and ASE Certified Master Technicians or more commonly known as “car mechanics serving Burtonsville” we offer superior service that you can trust. As a locally ownen and operated, family auto repair shop we look forward to helping you in getting your inspection safely and as easily as possible. You can learn even more about car inspections in Maryland. Car inspections are important for safety of you, your family and all of us on the roads around the Burtonsville MD area.
Car Repair Mechanics for Burtonsville MD 20866 – Why is my Check Engine Light on?
An explanation of the basics on how the check engine light works may be helpful before car repairs in Burtonsville. Most all of your engine, transmission, fuel, brake, power steering system and air conditioning are controlled by the computer. The Computer is actually a network of 10, 20 or even 30 modules (smaller computers) working together to give you all the functions we all take for granted; fuel Mileage, smooth power, flawless transmission operation and so on. These modules rely on various “sensors”. There can be 20 to 50 sensors monitoring your vehicle.
So what is a simple failure in need of auto repair in Burtonsville? You fuel your vehicle one day and the next day the light comes on, you swing by we do a “scanning” and find a small leak in the evap. System. We walk back find gas cap loose. Tightening the cap fixes the problem and the light will clear in about a day of use. As the vehicle performs the same self test that turned it on, it sees no leak and turns the light off. For a FREE basic system check – Give Stephen or Jon a Call. And remember if you are in the 20723, 20707, 20759, or 20777 Zips – You are only a 5-10 minute ride from Quality auto repair Help. You can learn even more about auto repairs like the check engine light.
Auto Repair Burtonsville MD 20866 – Wheel Theft
Car repair in Burtonsville MD can come after a break-in, as local mechanics we are invested in the community. So The newest trend in Automotive theft has come to the 20866 area, as well as the surrounding zips of 20723, 20759 and 20777. This one can be very alarming & costly.
So you bought a new high end SUV, Pick-up or performance vehicle. You drive it, wash it and begin to enjoy it. Then it happens, you come out Monday morning, 100 things to do and there is your Baby, sitting on cinder blocks, all 4 wheels/tires gone and a broken window too!
How can this happen? I bought wheel locks! The car was locked!
So let us use a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe example. This vehicle has the optional wheels, tires and looks great. You bought Mcgard wheel locks (the best) and you have the key (for the wheel locks) in the console, don’t want to lose that key! So the vehicle is spotted by a group of thieves and they watch your home for 1, maybe 2 nights. When does the house go dark (you’re sleeping) are your neighbors able to see your vehicle? Are windows up in the house? Can you hear activity outside, dogs, etc.? When they feel comfortable they strike. Wheel locks don’t slow them down a bit, like most people they know the key is in the glove box or console. So that is why they break the window as well as steal the wheels and tires.
So what can you do? First if at all possible park your vehicle in the garage, or park under a bright light. Put the key in the back, with the spare or with the jack. Talk with your neighbors, have a neighborhood watch. Call your insurance agent and make sure you’re covered. This is a 3-5 thousand dollar theft, should it happen and it is a nuisance.
Picture this, your garage has the other car in it and your vehicle gets hit. Now both are stuck because it’s right behind the garage door. We can’t stop thieves, but don’t let it be easy! We hope that our car repair advice for Burtonsville MD helps.
Call Us: 301-317-7886
Auto Repair Burtonsville MD 20866 – Oil Change
Okay so it’s time to change your vehicle’s oil, no Big Deal right?
Well hold on for a minute, this is the most important part of your engine, its Blood. The proper oil can give it a long life. If you use the wrong oil, leave it in too long, have it leak out or be burned away the engine will come to a sudden end.
But this is not about brand, most of the name brands are acceptable for your vehicle. No, this is about buying only this or that brand. Think of this as buying milk or any perishable item in the grocery store. We all look for the “sell by” or “best if used by date” on the carton. Did you know that oil also has a use by date? In this case it is for identifying that the oil is made to cover the specifications of YOUR Vehicle. Every few years the American Petroleum Institute (API), is tasked to come up with the specific components in oil that meets the Vehicle Manufacturers requirements. This is shown on a container and label for oil in the form of a “Donut” symbol that denotes the weight for example 5w-30 as well as the classification. Currently we are under SN which back services most vehicles to the pre-1970 years.
So when your oil is changed and the special deal place does it for “$9.95 with Filter.” That is below what any shop pays for the oil and filter themselves! So how did they do that? Bargain filter? Or perhaps old oil, if you drive a GM vehicle that is fairly new, you may know? It requires Dexos rated oil (GM Specs). Now not everyone can meet and get that on the brand, so big deal? YES! If you were to have your engine fail, they will ask for receipts and they better list the weight, the API classification and with GM, it better be DEXOS. All the oil we use at Thoroughbred Auto Care is from CASTROL and is the latest API of SN so if you’re in the 20866, 20723, 20777 or surrounding areas, stop in and ask for more details on Auto Repair in Burtonsville from ASE Certified Master Technicians, (feel free to simply call us “Your Mechanics!”) Stephen or Jon.
Call us: 301-317-7886
Auto Repair Burtonsville MD 20866 – Brake Repair
So you are hearing a noise in Burtonsville MD? Over time you realize it seems to happen when you brake. So do you need brakes? Maybe you do, maybe not! When we have these conversations, the first thing we do suggest is a thorough road test, followed by a physical inspection of the components in the braking system. Many times we find loose wheels, (lug nuts not torqued on last service.) Not expensive but, dangerous. We also find rust, especially this time of year on rotors and hardware. This can cause grinding and damage the pads. If only minor damage, some grinding and sandpaper can fix it. Again, not a costly repair, usually no parts are needed. But if a vehicle has sat for a long time that rust can be bad enough that new rotors or drums might be the only fix. Now all of these can cause noise. If bad enough it can cause vibration when braking. Yet it may not need “Brakes.” At Thoroughbred, the road test is FREE, talking to Stephen or Jon is also FREE.
If you have the physical inspection done and work is needed and done that visit, then the inspection is free too! So in Burtonsville Maryland or the surrounding areas of 20723, 20759, 20777 don’t spend any Money till you see us! You can learn more about car repairs like brakes in Burtonsville.
Auto Repair Burtonsville MD 20866 – Engine Noise
So it’s a normal day here in Laurel MD at Thoroughbred Auto Care. The phone rings and caller states “My engine is starting to get really Loud.” Jon, our Service Advisor, says “Turn if off immediately! And check the oil level.” The customer stays on the line and does that, then says “It’s full, Jon asks “Any warning lights on?” He answers back “No.” Jon says “Well best to tow it in, in case it’s something bad.” Against that advice and because he was close by, the caller elects to drive the car in.
So after a brief visual inspection and coming to an agreement to do some diagnostic tests, we hooked up a mechanical oil pressure. After looking up the specifications and starting the engine we had 50psi. This was great, but as we have learned 20+ minutes of running time operation is the real “tell tale.” As the minutes went by so did the oil pressure, by 15 minutes we had no oil pressure at Idle. Based on experience the engine would need to come out and be inspected.
This is what we found:
The picture above shows an engine ruined by not changing the oil often enough. After going over his records with him we determined he missed about 5 oil changes over the life of the vehicle. So 5 X $45.00 (average cost of an oil change) = $225 the savings? Now works out to about a $7,000 engine replacement. That Sludge you see in the middle is throughout every part of the engine. It is stopping the flow of oil to Bearings, Camshaft, Lifters and Pistons. Those parts were the noise, no oil and soon they were ruined, leading to engine replacement. So today’s “Car Repair of the Week” has a Lesson. When they say you can go 7,000 to 10,000 miles without changing your oil… Will they be paying for your engine replacement at 100,000 Miles?
Our ASE certified technicians (or Mechanics for Burtonsville if you prefer some “Old School”) hope you enjoy the auto repair stories and advice. As a locally owned and operated auto repair shop for Burtonsville MD we look forward to building your trust and earning our honest reputation.
55 Chevy – Auto Repair Burtonsville MD 20866
Talk about Fun? Yes indeed! Our Mechanics or “ASE Certified Technicians” had the pleasure of working on a ’55 Chevy with later model drivetrain installed. This vehicle hails from Burtonsville MD, 20866, and has been in the owner’s family since new. It has been restored with many newer vehicle features, including a 1990 Camaro engine and transmission. The transmission was not working correctly, so we got to pull the transmission and go thru it. It was an unusual problem in that Stephen found rusted, stuck valves in the valve body. The valve body is the brain of the transmission, telling the fluid where to go and puts the correct gear on. It’s more detailed than that, but in layman’s terms that’s generally how it works. Seems the transmission was rebuilt 10+ years ago and then sat on a shelf waiting to be installed. In that time it had enough moisture in it that the valves froze in position.
So while it didn’t require a bunch of new parts, it was a very labor intensive job. The good thing was once the valves were cleaned up and the unit re-installed it works and drives great. Whether you have a classic car or a new car, truck, van, SUV… Our Mechanics / ASE Certified Master Technicians can help with all your auto repairs for Burtonsville MD 20866.