Northeast Columbia Auto Repair

With fuel prices soaring, the owner of the Morris Company, Sir Leonard, requested that his top engineer, Mr. Alec Issigonis, to design a small car capable of carrying four adults, that would be fuel-efficient and priced for the masses. Issigonis designed the Mini with the engine sideways, and engineered the wheels into the far edges of the car, offering more passenger space in the cockpit. In 1959 the first Mini had its public debut. Its queer design had people a bit puzzled, yet soon, they realized that this new Mini was agile and quick, fuel-efficient, fun, fast, and inexpensive to operate. The new Mini symbolized freedom and blurred status lines between the rich, rockstars to hipsters, and race car drivers. The improvements in modern automotive engineering Issigonis provided within the Mini delivers outstanding performance, handling corners like a dream with improved balance and traction to the road. Racing legend John Cooper got his hands on the Mini, improving the car by installi ... read more

When you buy a new-to-you vehicle, most people spend a lot of time researching what’s best for them as well as investing a lot of time hunting down the best price. What often gets overlooked is having a trusted auto mechanic perform a comprehensive pre-purchase inspection. It’s easy to forgo that extra step because it’s often not at the top of your mind. What it can do for you, though, is make it well worth your efforts.  A pre-purchase inspection helps to give you the upper hand in many ways. From negotiating the sale price to knowing what you’re getting yourself into as far as what repairs you need to make right away versus the ones that can wait awhile. When you have a pre-purchase inspection in hand and can show it to the seller, whether it’s off of a dealer lot or out of an individual’s garage, it can help you negotiate a price because you have proof of what the problems are with the individual vehicle.  Sometimes a pre-purchase insp ... read more

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, any changes that will improve your safety should be at, or near, the top. Driving habits develop over time, which means that they can be difficult to change. That doesn’t mean you can’t change them, but it will require a firm commitment. We will get you started off with some of the most important driving habits to conquer. Slow down! Give yourself plenty of time to get to where you need to go. You think you’re saving yourself time, but think of how often you blow past someone at a stoplight only to find them catching up to you at the next one.  Come to a complete stop. Don’t run red lights or roll through stop signs. You never know what might be coming at you.  Watch out for your blind spots. Make sure you know your vehicle’s blind spots and make sure to account for the time and effort you’ll need to be able to safely change lanes. Leave your phone out of reach. Put it in the glove box or b ... read more

When many people think of winter, it often comes to mind tons of snow and ice, but that’s not necessarily the case for Columbia. More often than not, our weather is cool and wet. It’s important to be prepared for the climate you’re living in, and there are some specific ways to be best prepared for what Columbia weather provides. Making sure you’re taking the right precautions include good preventive maintenance and the right equipment to keep you and your car safe.  1. Tires Making sure your tires remain in working condition include checking your treads. If your tires are balding, you’re not going to be able to maintain proper traction on a good weather day, let alone when it’s raining or even on the rare days it’s icy and snowy. If the forecast for the winter is looking like it’s going to be more icy/snowy than usual, you may want to consider switching out your all-season tires for winter tires that are going to best prepare you fo ... read more

With winter weather looming ahead, it is important to make sure you and your car are prepared for whatever the cold may bring with it. Winterizing your car is going to be a sure way to help mitigate a lot of the risks that often come with driving in winter weather. Starting out by going through a maintenance checklist to ensure the peak performance of your car is the best way to prep for winter.  Seek Out the Professionals Going to your mechanic and getting your car serviced for winterization is going to give you a head start for the work you can be doing at home and day to day to keep you safe and prepared for winter driving. The systems you are going to want to get checked out include: your battery, cooling system, brakes, and the smaller, moving parts of your engine and electrical systems. Your battery’s life changes with the incoming cold weather due to its effects on the electrochemical make-up of a car battery. The power of your battery will drop as th ... read more

Being in and around our cars has become such a critical part of our (and our family’s) lives that it is more important than ever to make sure we are not skipping important steps when it comes to our vehicles. Whether it’s a maintenance step we overlook or downgrading our children’s safety seats too soon, there are some easy ways to help us to remember and to keep everyone safe in the car. Whether your car is on the road or in the garage, it is necessary to always treat it as a potential danger to your child. When not in use, in the driveway or the garage, make sure your emergency brake is engaged. This will help limit the chances of your vehicle rolling away. Locking your vehicle is another simple thing we can do to help keep the little ones safe. Kids like cars, it’s a part of their daily lives, and they’re cool, what’s not to like? So, making sure they can’t get into cars unsupervised is a way to help protect them. Before getting on the road ... read more

  As the football season is quickly approaching, so is the tailgating season! Having a good tailgating kit can not only make it more fun but keep you prepared for anything you may need. Here is our tailgating-kit list: Invest in a good cooler, not only does it make your food stay cooler for longer but they are more sturdy. They may cost quite a bit but instead of having to replace your cooler every few years having a great cooler should last for a long time. Have a few extra containers and bags packed, having plastic bags and containers on hand will help make cleanup easier. If you have any leftover food or grilling utensils after the fun, having these around will make it faster to pack up. Bring a pop-up tent, this is a great way to be ready for any weather problems whether it is raining and you want to stay dry or it’s super sunny and you want the shade. A portable grill is an essential item. One of the most famous things about tailgating is the parking lot barbecue. H ... read more

Many people think that December is the best time of year, but according to the hard numbers, it’s August. This is the time of year when the new models are being introduced and dealerships are making room for the new inventory. Dealers spend a lot of marketing dollars to advertise great incentives at year end, but not in August, and that is why there’s a misconception that December is the best month to buy your new vehicle.    The new models aren’t on the lots yet in August, but the dealerships are making way for when they arrive which is usually in October, sometimes in as early as September. This is also a good time to put in your special requests for those new models if that’s what you’re after. The lowest transaction prices combined with the best incentives is what makes August the best time to buy a new car.    Other recommendations on how to save when buying a new car:    The first two days of any month can save you ... read more

Summer is the perfect time for picnics. The grass is nice and green, the weather is warm, and the birds are singing. Packing a picnic lunch often seems like a game of Tetris and requires some preparation in order for it to be perfect. Here is a guide to packing the perfect picnic and don’t forget to pack a blanket.  First, you’ll need a blanket to sit on, it’s best to get a blanket with a waterproof side to avoid getting your legs damp from sitting. A classic wicker basket is very aesthetic but doesn’t do the best job of keeping your food cold. Consider using an insulated cooler bag to help keep your food safe. If you don’t have an insulated bag don’t panic, freeze a couple of water bottles to store in your bag. They will keep your food cold and then you will have water afterward. With the warm weather out you won’t want to eat food that has been sitting in the sun for hours.  The food is the most important part of the picnic. Prepa ... read more

You gathered and cleaned out old gas receipts, thrown out food wrappers, and even vacuumed your car. You went the extra mile and gave your car an extra long and soapy wash. After all that work you think your car is finally ready for summer adventures to start. It’s not! Everything under the hood needs to be prepared for summer.  Cleaning your car is a good start but what about your tires and brakes? When is the last time you got an oil change? It’s best to take your car into your local mechanic before the summer season begins. They will check all your fluids, lights, brakes, and more to ensure that your car is ready for the road. You can do some checks at home, if you see, hear or smell something off then take it into your mechanic.  Your air conditioner will make or break your summer, you want it to be working so it can cool you off during those extremely hot days. Run your AC system for a bit to see if it is blowing cold air and noises. It might need to be cle ... read more