Safety from Bottom to Top.

It sounds out of sequence, doesn’t it?  This time it applies to what keeps your car rolling down the road this summer and beyond…your tires.  Safety starts at the bottom.  Tires are often ignored because today’s technology has made them more reliable and long-lasting as they have ever been in automotive history.

You know when your vehicle’s oil should be changed and when (according to the owner’s manual) other fluids need to be changed.  Under normal circumstances your biggest concern should be your tires.  Here is a tip.  Change your tires every four years regardless of how much tread is left.  A blowout at the wrong time could be a disaster!

For all of your vehicle’s maintenance needs (including your tires) trust Raleigh’s ultimate “shade tree mechanic”.  He is Jim Liacos and the team from Jim’s Auto Service located at 3711 Tarheel Drive in Raleigh.  Jim has been working on every type of vehicle for more than four decades.  Make an appointment today and have your tires checked by calling (919) 824-4566.

Let There NOT be Light.

Not this light…the check engine light.  In a the most radical scenario look for a serious problem that requires immediate attention.  Check your gauges and lights on your dashboard for indications of low oil pressure or overheating. These conditions mean you should pull over and shut off the vehicle ASAP!

Here are some reasons why your check engine light may have come on –

1.  It is time to replace your oxygen sensor.

2.  You have a loose gas cap…that would be nice if that’s all it is.

3.  You need to replace your catalytic converter.

4.  A cranky mass airflow sensor.

5.  Spark plugs have seen better days.

Whatever the case, you should seek the help of Jim’s Auto Service.  Jim and his staff have been the Raleigh area’s car repair and check engine light professionals since BEFORE there even was a light on your dashboard.  Make an appointment to have that check engine light diagnosed at 3711 Tarheel Drive by calling (919) 824-4566.

How Cold Does it Get in Raleigh?

December is right around the corner and the coldest weather of the year is coming as well.  Just because we don’t live in New York does not mean that our vehicles are immune from freezing temperatures.  Did you know that the average low temperature in the Raleigh area is right at the freezing mark?  If you are new to the area you might not have known that.

When the thermometer hits the freezing mark, bad things may happen to your car’s battery.  Your vehicle’s battery loses one-third of its power when the temperature dips below 32 degrees.  Simply put, dead batteries are all too common this time of year.  The mantra during wintertime is prevention prevents poor performance.

If you are new to the Raleigh area and the Triangle as we call it you will quickly discover our marvelous living conditions.  It is essential to find a great auto mechanic.  The ultimate shade-tree mechanic in the Raleigh area is Jim’s Auto Service.  Call Jim Liacos and have your car ready for its first or next winter in the triangle at 3711 Tarheel Drive.  Call (919) 824-4566.

Winterizing Your Car.

It is not too early to consider what your vehicle needs to get through the upcoming winter driving season.  We realize that winter in Raleigh is NOT winter in Boston, but it still can hit hard and fast.  You cannot take winter for granted here.  It is also NOT Miami and your vehicle will be subjected to changing weather conditions.

What are some of the emergency items that should be in your car?

1.  A working flashlight

2.  A blanket, a hat, and gloves

3.  A shovel small or large

4.  A brush with an ice scraper

5.  Non-perishable food

That would be a good start.  Now, what about your vehicle beneath the hood?  For that task, people of this area have counted on the decades of expertise from auto mechanic Jim Liacos.  At Jim’s Auto Service they are Raleigh’s premier automobile winterizing headquarters.  It will be here before you know it.  Visit the shop at 3711 Tarheel Drive by calling (919) 824-4566.

Volkswagens Everywhere.

How many VW’s do you see on the road?  There are plenty of them out there.  Americans have been “bitten by the bug” since the Volkswagen Beetle was introduced decades ago.  This great, popular German car has been at the center of mechanical controversies in recent years and it may have an impact on you.

In recent memory Volkswagen was involved in an emissions scandal that rocked the automotive world.  VW admitted to equipping more than 11 million diesel-powered cars worldwide with software designed to cheat government emissions tests.  Then there are the powertrain reliability issues in the Passat and Jetta particularly.

If you drive a Volkswagen in the Raleigh area, chances are you are sticking with your baby through thick and thin!  When your VW acts up think immediately of Jim’s Auto Service.  We are the Raleigh NC area Volkswagen repair and maintenance headquarters.  Make an appointment today at our shop located 3711 Tarheel Drive. Call (919) 824-4566.

Time To Get to Know Your Auto Mechanic.

I think this is a really good idea.  Simply put, your mechanic is your car’s doctor.  You want to get to know your family physician don’t you?  In the same way, you want to know that the place you take your vehicle to be maintained and repaired is run by someone that you trust with your car’s life.

Consider this your formal introduction to your vehicle’s future mechanic.  We call him Raleigh’s ultimate “shade tree” mechanic because of his years working on every conceivable thing on four wheels.  He grew up just north of Boston (you might still be able to pick up the accent!).  He served in the Army in the late 60’s. 

Rather than continue to describe this renaissance man we invite you to visit www.jimsautoservices.com.  After you read the biography of Jim Liacos I believe that you will want to trust him with your vehicle’s well-being.  Let Jim work on your car EVERY time.  Make an appointment at his 3711 Tarheel Drive location by calling (919) 824-4566.

Regularly Scheduled Maintenance.

Isn’t that what a visit to the dentist is?  How about an annual check-up by your family physician?  In this case, your vehicle’s regular mechanic is its best friend.  What is more frustrating than having car trouble in the middle of nowhere…not much!  Let’s avoid those hazards by having your vehicle regularly maintained.

You have many choices in the Raleigh area for regular auto maintenance.  You could go back to the dealership.  Here is what will probably happen.  You will wait longer, pay more, and some salesman will waltz over to you while you are reading a six-month old issue of People Magazine and try to get you to “trade up”.  Is that what you want?

How about this alternative.  You make an appointment with Raleigh’s premier shade tree mechanic.  He is Jim Liacos.  Jim and his crew have worked on every imaginable make of car, SUV, or pick-up for decades.  Jim’s Auto Service at 3711 Tarheel Drive is Raleigh’s car maintenance professionals.  Call for an appointment at (919) 824-4566.

Brake Check Time.

Next to the engine itself and the tires, what could be more important than your vehicle’s brakes?  Your safety depends on them.  Now that winter is pretty much over it is time to make sure that your brakes are ready for increased highway driving in warmer weather.  When was the last time that a professional took a look at them?

Often, it is painfully obvious that brake repair is a priority.  When you hear that awful “squealing noise” when you put your foot on the pedal do not hesitate another day.  A less obvious, but important sign would be a “mushy” feeling when you apply the brakes.  We may convince ourselves that this is not serious, but it probably demands your attention.

Brakes do not always adhere to a schedule.  Your owner’s manual may tell you the number of miles that are “projected” between a brake replacement.  Safety is at stake here.  Trust Raleigh’s vehicle brake replacement expert Jim Liacos.  Stop by his shop located at 3711 Tarheel Drive and have your brakes checked…or call for an appointment at (919) 824-4566.

Put Your Car on the Clock.

Say what…put your car on the clock?  What do we mean by that?  Well simply this…in the spring and fall we are governed by the clock.  We are about to spring forward after falling back late last year.  You even schedule your dental cleanings and change your smoke detector batteries bi-annually.  Why not put your auto maintenance on the clock as well?

With spring right around the corner, when was the last time you had your battery checked?  When was the last time you had your oil changed?  What about the air filter and other internal parts that need to be checked periodically?  If you stay on schedule then chances are you won’t end up stranded on the side of the road.

For my money, give me an auto mechanic who has grown up “under the hood”.  One who has seen them come and go for decades.  Give me someone who has worked on Studebakers and hybrids.  Raleigh’s ultimate shade tree auto mechanic is Jim Liacos.  Let’s spring forward and make an appointment at his shop located at 3711 Tarheel Drive by calling (919) 824-4566.

Maintaining Your Engine.

Maintaining a car’s engine is like proper health care and diet for your body.  If your vehicle’s engine is neglected it will give up on you.  No one wants to be stranded on the roads around Raleigh in the winter.  Why not use common sense and treat your car’s motor like your own internal organs?

People don’t know what to pay for a simple tune-up anymore.  Spurious auto mechanics around the country are charging as much as $1000 for a simple tune-up!  Step 1: Check your owner’s manual.  What are the scheduled tune-ups for your particular vehicle?  Just as you should not ignore them they don’t need to be done TOO frequently either.

Step 2 is obvious.  You pick up the phone and call Raleigh’s ultimate shade tree mechanic, Jim Liacos.  If you don’t know him already then go to www.jimsautoservices.com and fill out an estimate right on his website.  Jim has spent four decades tuning up vehicles in the Raleigh area.  Give him a call today at (919) 824-4566.

Your Car’s Oil and Coolant vs. Old Man Winter.

If you feel the bite of winter, then you can be sure that your car is feeling the same thing in its own way.  Unless you are driving in a bubble your car is exposed to the harsh change in temperature.  Your vehicle is counting on you to take care of it so you can get from point A to point B as easily as you did when the weather was not a factor.

If you make sure that you are current on your oil changes then your car will turn over easier in cold weather.  If you use a full synthetic oil that will help even more.  Just as important as the oil is the coolant.  The proper mix of water to coolant will protect your car’s cooling system from freezing and your engine block from corroding.

No one wants to be stranded along the side of the road during freezing weather.  To help avoid that make an appointment to see Jim Liacos.  He is the owner of Jim’s Auto Service your Raleigh area auto winterizing professional.  Some minutes under the hood and Jim will have you ready for winter driving.  Call for an appointment today at (919) 824-4566.

Test Your Battery for Winter.

You can almost count on it.  Your battery will fail just when you need it most.  Weather changes challenge your battery every year.  Think back…when was the last time that you even had your battery checked?  Is it fully charged?  When did you have it installed?  After all, it is the heart of your vehicle and needs to be treated as such.

The other thing to keep in mind is having a fresh oil change at the beginning of winter.  Your engine is effected negatively in cold weather with oil that has been running through it for more than 3000 miles.  This is NOT the time of year to squeeze a little extra out of your vehicle because you are too busy during the upcoming holidays.

How about combining both with one visit?  Make an appointment for an oil change and a FREE tire rotation and battery test.  You get all of that from Jim’s Auto Services.  Jim Liacos has been repairing and maintaining vehicles in the Raleigh area for 4 decades.  Call Raleigh’s auto care specialist at (919) 824-4566 and make an appointment with Jim at his shop located at 3711 Tarheel Drive.

Engine Maintenance at a Fair Price.

There’s a loaded statement.  You don’t have medical insurance for our car so at times we trust a perfect stranger to repair our car’s “heart” at a fair price.  That is quite a leap of faith.  Did you know that the average tune-up nationwide has been charged anywhere between $100 to $1000?  That is quite a variable isn’t it!

Obviously, a lot goes into the pricing of a tune-up, such as mileage and make among other factors.  You know that the procedure is necessary.  Your vehicle will run more efficiently and in the long run you will save a lot of money in major repair costs.  Your owner’s manual is the best place to discover the projected lifespan of your car’s engine.

The next step is where to go.  How about a true shade tree mechanic who treats every vehicle like his own?  Jim Liacos has been repairing vehicles of every type for 40 years.  We are lucky to have him in the Raleigh area.  Call Raleigh’s fall tune up specialist at (919) 824-4566 and make an appointment with Jim at his shop located at 3711 Tarheel Drive.

The Shade Tree Mechanic.

Maybe you have had the good fortune to know a true shade tree mechanic.  It is someone who fixed cars in their driveway back in a day under the shade of a big tree.  That is where the expression comes from.  What we tend to forget is that person learned auto repair from the ground up…not at some school or factory.  It is a disappearing breed in Americana.

Back in the seventies cars were pretty much the same.  Over the years “shade tree mechanics” disappeared as the job of auto repair became more complicated.  It just makes sense.  However, a few of them grew with the technology and opened their own shop.  If you find one of those you find someone who has a genuine love for anything on four wheels.

We know of one such master auto mechanic in Raleigh NC.  His name is Jim Liacos of Jim’s Auto Service.  Jim seemingly was born under the hood and has been at it for over 40 years.  Think about how precious your vehicle is to you…it is to him as well.  Make an appointment and drive into his shop at 3711 Tarheel Drive.  He is Raleigh’s true Shade Tree Mechanic!

The Right Car Maintenance Habit.

What do you do when the seasons change?  Chances are you make your bi-annual trip to the dentist…whoopee!  Maybe you change the batteries in your important electronics.  You probably switch out air filters if you own your home.  There are many things that we set our mind to doing when back-to-school time arrives.

How about adding auto maintenance to that list?  If you are conscientious about your vehicle you are already having the oil changed every 90 days.  That cycle may be coming up.  Why not have everything checked.  You already know that winter driving will take a greater toll on your car.  Have all of the mechanical features checked now and avoid emergencies in a couple of months.

Now I would suggest that if you are going to trust one shop to do ALL of this WITHOUT trying to upsell you I would go to a professional mechanic like Jim Liacos who has been doing this for 40 years.  Jim’s Auto Services is your Raleigh North Carolina preventative maintenance auto service center.  Drive in for a check-up today at 3711 Tarheel Drive or call ahead for an appointment at (919) 824-4566.

Road Trip!

Yes, it is that time again.  Happy 4th to one and all in the Raleigh area.  Now your attention may be turning to that summer vacation.  You have waited all year for this.  Stop mail delivery.  Find someone to watch the pets.  Make sure you have a job to come back to…just kidding.  And above all, have your vehicle ready for the long ride.

Make sure that the oil is changed even if you just had an oil change a month or two ago.  You may be tacking on thousands of miles in the next couple of weeks.  Make sure that every one of the fluids in your car has been topped off.  Check the condition of all hoses and belts.  Definitely make sure that your tires are prepared for the long journey.

There are many items on the road trip check list.  All of them need to be checked off by a trained professional before you hit the hot summer road.  Your Raleigh full service vehicle check-up pro is Jim Liacos.  Jim is and has been the owner of Jim’s Auto Services for decades.  He will give your car a clean bill of health before its summer sojourn.  Make an appointment today at (919) 824-4566.

Auto Service in Raleigh.

It seems like in this day and age everyone has a specialty.  Some shops repair German cars.  Some shops specialize in Jaguars.  Some put all of their expertise into larger vehicles and trucks.  Why not cut through the mess and have your vehicle repaired by someone who specializes in anything with four wheels?

If you drive a truck, a mini-van, an SUV, a BMW or whatever, it is comforting to know that there is someone in the Raleigh area who can fix ‘em all.  His name is Jim Liacos.  Jim brings four decades of experience repairing just about anything that is road-worthy.  When you have built a reputation such as this your repeat customers know they can’t find any better in the area.

If the vehicle is domestic or foreign, even if it is a hybrid, there is nothing of which Jim hasn’t poked his head under the hood.  Jim is proud to be able to fix the problem correctly the first time and continually earn your trust when mechanical problems strike.  Please call our full-service auto mechanic serving all of the Raleigh Durham Triangle area at (919) 824-4566.

Keep it Cool Raleigh.

Summer heat is on its way.  With that comes the stress and strain on your vehicle’s air conditioning system.  The most likely cause of an A/C cooling problem is a lack of refrigerant.  Since the last time you cranked up your car’s air conditioning there may have been a leak in the compressor or the O-ring seal.  Even a crack the size of a pin hole can suck out all of the refrigerant over time.

In many auto air conditioning systems, the compressor will not even turn on if the refrigerant is low.  There is a safety mechanism that will keep it from engaging in order to protect the compressor from being damaged because of a lack of lubricant.  There is a magnetic clutch that also may be defective and need to be replaced.

Your car’s air conditioning is your life blood.  Without it this will be one unbearable summer behind the wheel.  Fortunately, there is a 40-year veteran of auto repair in Raleigh.  His name is Jim Liacos of Jim’s Auto Services.  Jim is your best choice in the area for auto air conditioning system repair in Raleigh.  Call him today at (919) 824-4566 or drive in to 3711 Tarheel Drive in Raleigh.

Preventative Auto Maintenance Before Summer Vacation.

Holiday ROOOOOAD…Holiday ROOOOOAD.  Maybe you are preparing that ultimate summer vacation in the summer months to come.  Where will your travels take you?  Will you head west to explore the great frontier?  Maybe this is the year to drive north and visit America’s biggest and (at least according to them) best cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Boston.

Whatever you decide to do this summer, make sure that you don’t have a vacation like the Griswolds.  I mean, think about it - you might drive a thousand miles in a month.  Now you are going to embark on a multi-thousand mile trip in two weeks.  You don’t have to be an auto mechanic to know that you are putting a lot of stress and strain on your family car.

Luckily for you there is a great auto mechanic right here in the area.  He is a 40-year veteran of preventative auto maintenance in Raleigh.  His name is Jim Liacos.  Get to know him and you will trust him with all of your car’s upkeep.  Before heading out on vacation this summer make your first stop Jim’s Auto Services located at 3711 Tarheel Drive in Raleigh.

Preventative Maintenance on Your Vehicle for Summer.

A finely tuned automobile is like a finely tuned human body.  As summer approaches you should treat your car’s insides as well as you treat your own.  You generally try to eat better and exercise more in the warm weather months.  There are certain things that you can do for your vehicle before the hot summer of 2016 arrives in the Raleigh area.

Here are five different fluids that should be checked before summer.

1.  Check the oil.  When was the last time it was changed?

2.  Check the coolant.  If it has been more than 50,000 miles it may need to be changed.

3.  Check the transmission fluid.  This is another one where the red flag goes up at 50,000 miles.

4.  Check the brake fluid.  Every time you have your oil changed.

5.  Check your power steering fluid.  Your owner’s manual may vary on how often.

When it comes to checking your vehicle’s fluids an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.  This is why you should make an appointment to see Jim Liacos of Jim’s Auto Services.  His reputation in the Raleigh area for auto maintenance and repair is spotless. Call Jim today at (919) 824-4566, or drive in and see him at 3711 Tarheel Drive in Raleigh.