At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, we are fully dedicated to providing excellent customer service. Our technicians work hard to ensure timely, friendly, and efficient maintenance and repairs that you can rely on.

Glow Plugs are an essential component of your diesel engine. However, a faulty glow plug can go unnoticed or be neglected for quite some time; your truck will still start and run, so it’s an easy issue to overlook. At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, we want you to know what to look for, and why you should be concerned with a bad glow plug.

Here at Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia we often do diagnostics and sometimes the problem is obvious after hooking the car up to the computer and reading the codes.  However, sometimes it isn't obvious during a test drive or after hooking it up to all those computer programs!  You know there is a problem and a Check Engine Light is on with the fleet customer telling you the car has been having issues starting and the light has been going off and on depending on several factors.  No pattern, no simple answer but the problem becomes obvious when you start following the "threads of the issue" thanks to all that ASE Technician training.

“Spark plug” is a word you are likely familiar with; it’s one of those car terms that you’ve heard your whole life. You know they’re important, you know sometimes they need to be changed. But how do you know when it’s time to replace them? What do they do, and where do they go wrong? Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia has the answers.

Obviously, your brakes are pretty important. At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, we are here to make sure your car, truck, or SUV stops like it should.

Your brake system is made of many components that all have to work correctly for your brakes to operate seamlessly. If one thing needs to be repaired, the whole system is compromised. Brake pads, rotors, hoses, calipers, and metal lines all play a part in stopping your car. Our team is equipped to make sure all of those parts are in working order, so you can be safe on the road ahead. 

We see this with our fleet customers, our regular Visalia car pool drivers and our diesel truck drivers so it isn't just one type of driver that ends up with a nightmare on their hands costing thousands of dollars to repair, asking about the costs of a JASPER replacement engine!  The fact is your driving habits and maintenance habits can easily avoid this issue!  6 EASY STEPS - Service, Tires, Don't Ignore Service Engine Lights, Keep it Clean & Stop Driving Crazy!

Have you ever noticed your dashboard ABS icon lit up? If you have it means there is an issue that needs to be diagnosed, ABS issues don’t need to be ignored long. The anti-lock braking system, or ABS, is an important feature on every modern car, truck, or SUV. It has been legally mandated since 2013 in the US but was standard on almost every vehicle even prior to that. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your ABS system doesn’t fail, from Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA.

If you’ve ever been in an emergency braking situation, you’re probably all too aware that the brakes are the most important safety system on your vehicle. And like many other systems in a vehicle, the brakes need regular upkeep to continue functioning properly. One way to preserve the integrity of the braking system is through brake bleeding, and while it may not be as well known as certain services like oil changes, it is a key maintenance item for a vehicle.

Now that you know why your turbo is necessary, you’ll want to know what the turbocharger is made of. Turbos are intricate and precise components, but not actually all that complicated or difficult to understand. Here’s a rundown on the parts of a turbocharger, from Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA.

At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, cars are our passion, so naturally, we like to keep up with new technology on the market. At the moment, surprisingly the current trend is moving towards a goal you may not expect; self-driving vehicles. You’ve probably heard about self-driving cars a little bit here and there on the news, but it likely still seems somewhere in the realm of science fiction to you. However, the reality is that self-driving cars are on the way and maybe here sooner than you think. Already, almost all major automobile manufacturers are dumping billions of dollars into research and development for self-driving cars, and even companies like Uber are jumping on board. 

Buying a used vehicle can be a risky endeavor, but also a rewarding one. Buying used, even if the vehicle is close to new, will save you a lot of money compared to the price of a new vehicle off the lot. However, there are some inherent risks that come with purchasing a used vehicle; here is how to best avoid trouble.

Whether you drive a Chevy, Dodge, or Ford diesel truck, there are a variety of options out there for a replacement engine. Depending on your truck's worth, it may depend on the type of engine and the amount of money you want to put into it. You can purchase a used, rebuilt, remanufactured, or even new diesel engine to replace your old. At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, we’re here to help you choose the right one. 

Nearly every day, you drive your vehicle. Whether it be a couple of miles to the store or a full-on road trip across the nation, you want to make sure that your vehicle is safe to drive and the systems are in check and/or up-to-date. Here are a few reminders to check and see if your vehicle is running in top shape.

Your gas mileage mostly depends on what kind of car you drive; engine displacement and vehicle weight are the largest determining factors on gas mileage, and there’s not much you can do to change either of those. That doesn’t mean attempting to improve your fuel economy is a completely hopeless endeavor, however. With these tips from Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, you might be surprised how much your fuel mileage can be improved.

At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, we know that the first and most important step toward keeping your car, truck, or SUV reliably on the road, is knowing how to properly care for it. Here are a few tips on how to keep your vehicle in shape.

Judging by the number of near-rear-endings we witness on our morning commutes, the typical attitude toward brake maintenance appears to be, “Brakes: Don’t let them stop you!” This puzzles us because monitoring your braking system’s health is one of the most straightforward aspects of car ownership. You do have to know what to look for, though, or rather, what to listen and feel for. So let us, uh, break it down for you. Here are the top three signs that your brakes need fixing.

A good technician will give your car a quick inspection whenever you have maintenance performed. Fluid levels, tire condition, dashboard lights, and a variety of other items typically are briefly explored whenever you bring your vehicle in for maintenance. At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, we're good at noticing things that need repair, but the fact of the matter is that only you know your car. You know when your car feels off when its been serviced last (or that it hasn't been serviced at all,) and have at least some vague idea of what’s going on with your vehicle day to day. Here are some questions you can ask us next time you come by the shop;

At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, we’re not only here to fix your car when something goes wrong...we’re here to help you understand your car, truck, or SUV a little better, too. Here are some tips concerning your thermostat - how it works, what to watch out for, and what to do about it when one fails.

At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, we know you’re busy. We also know that while there are certain issues with your car, truck, or SUV you can ignore for a while, some of them shouldn’t wait. While serious issues are often obvious, sometimes they aren’t - ball joints are one such case.

On modern vehicles, the PCV system (Positive Crankcase Ventilation System) is essential to ensuring your car or truck is ready to go when you are and remains a long-lasting, reliable vehicle. It’s much more than just emissions control - your PCV system serves multiple purposes and is quite interesting! How does it work, and what are those purposes?  Here at Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, we have those answers for you!