Month: June 2021

The Pros And Cons Of Owning A Smart Car By The Experts Of Los Angeles

Posted on June 19, 2021 by - Auto Info

Smart Car

Helping the environment is becoming a more popular idea among people and companies. We invest in solar-powered items, energy-efficient products, and other methods of being environmentally friendly. For many, buying a smart car is an option that fits with the goal helping the environment. This choice has both lovers and haters. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a smart car.

Advantages Of Owning A Smart Car

There are several pros to making this considerable investment. They’re the green choice, they’re easy to park, and they’re relatively quiet when operating. The following are the advantages of owning a smart car.

Environmentally Friendly

To begin, smart cars are here to reduce pollution. These green vehicles use less gas, and some are even solar-powered or use electricity as fuel, such as in hybrids. This further helps to decrease the amount of chemical pollution released into the air.

Interestingly, many store owners and commercial buildings reserve parking specifically for smart cars. This is to act as an incentive for this environmentally-friendly decision of investing in a smart car.

Compact Size

Parking is a headache in most cities. If you live or work in a large city, then you’re aware of the struggle to find some space for your automobile. Fortunately, smart cars are compact. They can be conveniently parked in smaller and tighter spaces. It may not seem like a big deal, but when you’ve spent ages driving around blocks looking for a place to fit your vehicle, it’s a huge lifesaver to be able to park easily.

As mentioned above, it’s also a massive advantage that some places will reserve parking strictly for smart cars. Additionally, because of the small size of the interior, you’ll never have to worry about anyone asking you to help them move!

Reduced Sound Pollution

Ever wake up in the middle of the night from your neighbor’s car engine making loud sputtering sounds? If they had a smart car, this would not be an issue. Smart cars are very quiet compared to your average vehicles. The way they are engineered helps to reduce sound pollution. Imagine how quiet a large city would be if everyone had a smart car.

Disadvantages Of Owning A Smart Car

Smart cars have numerous advantages, but they also have their share of disadvantages. These are some of the cons of choosing a smart car.

  • Limited Space: It may catch your attention to see the same aspect listed as a pro also to be called a con. Unfortunately, the truth is that the tiny size of a smart car can be a significant disadvantage at times. To start, you can’t really fit more than just one passenger. These autos are not for group travel. Also, if you’re going shopping, you have to consider the lack of space. It fills up faster than you’d think. Smart cars are not meant to be family cars.
  • Safety: Whereas the safety of smart cars is now years more advanced than before, it’s still not going to beat the crash tests of an average automobile. Smart cars have the necessary precautions, including airbags, advanced braking systems, and the essential safety cage. Despite their small size, they are designed with notable safety features. Nonetheless, a collision of any kind in a small vehicle could be a major problem.
  • Premium Fuel: Smart cars, whether they are hybrids or not, are all vehicles that still need gas. And sadly, this premium fuel can be quite costly. There is indeed better gas mileage, but it’s still important to consider that fueling up will still require money.

Carotech Automotive of Los Angeles Can Help

All in all, when making any large purchase, Smart Car Repair it’s necessary to look at both sides of the reviews. At Carotech Automotive And Tires in LA, we’re here to help you with any questions you have. And if you’ve already made the jump to making the world a cleaner place, then our premium-quality services and repairs can help keep your vehicle top-notch. Our mechanics are highly trained to give your smart car the care it needs. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, call or visit us at Carotech Automotive today.

* Smart Car image credit goes to: Carotech Automotive Smart Car Repair.

The Importance of Supercharger Oil For Your Mini

Posted on June 3, 2021 by - MINI Repair

MINI Supercharged Engine

In recent years, the Mini Cooper has solidified itself as a reliable choice for luxury drivers everywhere by introducing the supercharger to its system. A supercharger, unlike a turbocharger, is connected directly to the engine via a belt and can provide a huge boost in power and performance. However, this is only true if the supercharger is properly lubricated.

Today, we’re talking about the importance of keeping up with the oil levels in your Mini’s supercharger and some common symptoms to watch out for that tell you it’s time to get the oil changed.

The Supercharger and Oil

One common misconception that a lot of Mini drivers believe is that simply keeping your engine oil levels up is enough to keep the supercharger lubricated as well. This isn’t true, though. Regular engine oil shouldn’t come into contact with the supercharger at all.

A supercharger is an air compressor that includes a lot of moving gears and parts, and it’s constantly under a lot of pressure. Regular engine oil won’t last very long in this kind of environment, and once the supercharger runs dry, it can’t work as well and will negatively affect your car’s fuel economy and performance.

That’s why there is specially formulated supercharger oil that goes into the supercharger’s own oil reservoir. It was created to withstand the conditions of the supercharger and also does a little to help keep the temperature under your Mini’s hood at a reasonable level by reducing the amount of friction.

Signs that You Need to Get Your Supercharger Oil Changed

You may not realize it, but because the supercharger relies on the engine to work, letting supercharger problems fester can cause damage to the engine in the long run in addition to reducing performance and power overall.

Since Mini drivers rely on the reliability and power that the supercharger provides, you’ll likely be able to notice immediately when something is wrong. However, the best way to keep your supercharger and all of your Mini’s other components in great shape is by being proactive and following recommended maintenance routines. For supercharger oil changes, in particular, most mechanics recommend getting it changed every 50,000 miles, though you should ask your trusted mechanic for their specific recommendation.

Otherwise, if you see any of the signs I’m about to talk about, schedule an appointment with your local Mini expert as soon as you can.

The first sign that the supercharger oil is running low is a dramatic decrease in performance and fuel economy. If you notice that you’re going to the gas pump a lot more often than you normally do after driving the same amount, it could have something to do with the supercharger. Similarly, if you’re finding that your Mini doesn’t seem to be able to get up to speed as fast as it used to be able to, it may be because of the same reason.

Another symptom to watch for is strange noises coming from the engine. Specifically, grinding sounds indicate that the supercharger oil has run dry. Since oil is designed to lubricate the gears within the system and keep them from rubbing against each other, grinding noises mean that lubrication has gone away.

Too much friction between different components can cause significant wear that may mean you need to replace the supercharger entirely. You don’t want that to happen, as the supercharger is one of the most expensive parts of a car’s engine to replace.

How Carotech Automotive and Tires Can Help

You may be wondering if it’s possible to change Happy MINI Owner After Supercharger Oil Change the oil in your supercharger by yourself. The answer is that yes, of course, it’s possible. However, a supercharger oil change is not as easy or quick as a regular engine oil change. Even when a professional mechanic does it, it can be a complicated and time-consuming process, so unless you’re a Mini expert or very experienced with DIY car maintenance, you may just end up doing more damage than it’s worth.

Instead, bring your Mini to professionals like the technicians who work here at Carotech Automotive and Tire. Serving the Los Angeles area, we are experienced in servicing a wide range of domestic, Asian, and European car brands, including Minis. We’d love to help you out!