If you’re ever in a situation where you must remove the battery from your vehicle, it’s important to know what you’re doing. It seems pretty straight forward, and it is. However, there are some important things to remember when disconnecting the battery in your car, truck, or SUV. Here are some tips on disconnecting a car battery, from Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA.

When you get in your car, truck, SUV, or minivan to drive and the A/C does not work what could be wrong? Here at Zylstra Automotive & Diesel, we have some simple answers to help you understand how your vehicle A/C system works. The first question we are asked is "Why isn't my air conditioner blowing cold air?" Let's talk about what could be happening. 

If you’ve owned a vehicle long, particularly one with a few miles on it, you have probably encountered a peculiar smell that grabbed your attention. Scents that you encounter while driving (emanating from your vehicle, not the horse farm down the road) are indicators of your vehicle's health and often the first warning that something may be wrong. Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia has assembled this list to prepare for you for the next time you smell something odd, so you’ll know what’s going on next time you notice a funny smell.

Obviously, your brakes are essential. However, it’s easy to neglect or ignore brake issues, and even miss them altogether; as long as the car, truck, or SUV still stops, many people don’t see the need to have their brakes serviced. From Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, here are some common brake issues, and why you should fix them.

Obviously, your brakes are essential. However, it’s easy to neglect or ignore brake issues, and even miss them altogether; as long as the truck still stops, many people don’t see the need to have their brakes serviced. From Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, here are some common brake issues, and why you should fix them.

If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle made by manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes, Subaru, Land Rover, Porsche, etc., you’re probably no stranger to state of the art electronics, sensors, and control systems. At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel, our technicians have the right knowledge, ability, and equipment necessary to keep your car or SUV in top-notch condition.

An engine can last anywhere from 50 to 500,000 miles depending mostly on how well you maintain it. While some engines are certainly more reliable than others, all of them depend on maintenance to fulfill their greatest potential. Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA has provided for you some of the determining factors of engine lifespan, to help you make sure your engine lasts as long as it possibly can.

Nobody knows your vehicle better than you; if you suspect it isn’t driving the way it used to, there’s a good chance you’re correct. The truth of the matter is there are countless reasons and remedies for such a broad subject, but Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA has compiled a list of a few common problems that can cause a vehicle to drive poorly.

Obviously, the dirtier your fuel system is, the bigger the improvement you will see in performance and fuel economy after a fuel system cleaning. But it is important not to wait until your system is running poorly. If you do, by the time you get a cleaning, you’ve wasted hundreds of dollars in gas or even possibly damaged your fuel injectors and catalytic converter.

If you drive a Dodge, Chevy, or Ford diesel pickup, you know the amount of hard work your truck puts in. You may also be aware that diesels run a little dirtier than your average gas burner. At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, our goal is to keep your Duramax, Cummins, or Powerstroke truck on the road for many miles to come. A huge part of that is keeping your oil maintained.

There are many factors that go into making Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA a repair shop that’s above the rest.

No matter what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, maintenance is the key to giving your engine a long life. At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, we focus on keeping your engine running strong.

When driving around town, your vehicle's engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it needs a lot. In fact, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons of air for every tank of gas. All that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually, the filter gets completely full, and because the filter can only hold so much, dirt starts getting through. At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, we want to help you get the best air quality in your vehicle, but first, we want to explain the process of where this dirty air is going. 

If you drive a car, truck, or SUV that runs on gasoline, there's a good chance you’ve run it low on fuel a few times (or more than a few times,) and maybe even run out of gas completely a time or two. At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, we like to provide information applicable to you. Running a vehicle low on fuel is something we’re all guilty of, and most of us don’t think twice about it. But, can it be bad for your car?

At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, we know there’s a lot of conflict on when you should maintain certain things on your truck. We also know there are consequences to neglecting maintenance; the difference between a truck that breaks down all the time and a truck that has covered over a million miles virtually trouble-free all boils down to maintenance.

As your vehicle ages, it not only gains sentimental value but a number of maintenance measures arise as well. Vehicles from previous decades have the potential to keep their value and functionality for many years. But how can you make that possible? Here are some tips from Zylstra Automotive & Diesel to keep your older vehicle running and on the road for a long time!

If you want to avoid nasty and unexpected surprise maintenance costs, sticking to a regimented schedule of preventative maintenance is something you are going to want to get used to. The reason being is simple – frequent maintenance will keep your vehicle in good health, ensuring you get the most out of all those expensive-to-replace parts. While it might sound counterintuitive, the best way to reduce maintenance costs is to stick to a prescribed maintenance schedule.

If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle, there are important points to remember in preserving not only your car or SUV, but it's resale value as well. Luxury and performance vehicles depreciate more quickly than other cars. Many who own these cars like to have the newest and the best of the best. In that way, the odds are stacked against you when trying to get a good price for your car. Fortunately, Zylstra Automotive & Diesel has some steps you can take to ensure you get the most for your car when it’s time to sell. 

At some point or another, it’ll happen to you. You leave your headlights on, your battery finally fails, or for some other reason, you don’t have enough juice to start your car. Don’t call a tow truck just yet, though...Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia has the info you need to properly jump start your car.

At Zylstra Automotive & Diesel in Visalia, CA, our main goal is to keep your car, truck, or SUV always performing at its best. Valve adjustments are an integral aspect of that goal.