These are some of the blog-style articles we’ve written over the years. Sometimes we write an article to answer a commonly asked question. Sometimes we want to show off a skill or something we were proud of. And then there are times we just want to vent. You can search by keyword. You can sort by any of the columns. Or you can just scroll up and down. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can check out our articles about the automotive services we offer, or articles with information about our shop and how we do business.
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 | What’s Wrong with Quick Lube Shops? | We know. Quick lube shops are extremely convenient. However, other than saving time, there are no other advantages and several disadvantages. This article will compare the 15-minute quick lube with having a 5K service done by a professional mechanic. Here’s how we see the benefit of quick lube places: they… |
 | Nitrogen Tire Hype | “Should I believe the hype about putting nitrogen in my tires?” This question is answered best with an internal memo from the engineers of Honda: Surf any automobile tire-related website these days, and you’ll likely see something mentioned about nitrogen inflation. It’s becoming a hot topic. We’ve gotten a number… |
 | Why would you pay to diagnose a check engine light? | Why should you be willing to pay a mechanic to diagnose your car’s check engine light? We’ve all heard commercials from stores like Pep Boys and various tune-up shops for “free check engine light diagnosis” — even the transmission chain Aamco, with no general repair track record, is advertising “free”… |
 | How To Deal With Mechanics | Want to know how to deal with auto mechanics? Here are some tips. Now these tips are mostly for customers who go to other auto shops. At Art’s we’re lucky enough to have some of the best customers any mechanic could ask for, and most of them already know this… |
 | What’s a Tune Up? | The phrase “tune-up” is outdated, and it’s typically used these days when being lazy in description of vehicle maintenance, or used deliberately to obscure the nature of service you’re getting. This article is just a discussion of the phrase “tune up”. If you’re interested in what you should be doing to… |
 | How can I find a good mechanic | This is a question we are asked by customers who move out of the area, people who own cars we won’t work on, and people who found our website but don’t live near Art’s Automotive. We usually answer it 3 times per day, so I thought we might save some… |
 | Prius 2nd Gen – Repairing the Multi-function Display | |
 | Honda Insight Auto Stop | The Honda Insight auto stop feature will not work if certain conditions are not met:
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 | Why did my MPG drop? | A change in your fuel economy could be caused by mechanical problems with your car, but it could also be caused by many other factors. This page attempts to explain some of the reasons your mileage might change, as well as ways to improve your mileage. Non-mechanical reasons for poor… |
 | California Requires Mechanics to Set Tire Pressure | A new law will be in effect soon: all California auto repair shops will be legally required to set tire pressure on every car they work on. I’ve been absorbing the reaction from folks in the industry, and observed a common theme — people really hate change. Requiring repair shops to… |
 | Bulletin – Catalytic Converter Rules For 2009 | As of Jan. 1st 2009 there are new rules regarding the sale and installation of catalytic converters in California. Converters that were previously CARB OBDI or CARB OBDII certified can no longer be sold or installed on cars registered in CA. Obviously, we have been complying with the law, which means… |
| Reflashing Toyota ECUs back in 2005 | In 2005, Toyota promised “an era of unprecedented cooperation with independent repair shops”. Part of this new philosophy is providing access to all of the tools and information available to dealership mechanics to independent mechanics. Information in the form of repair manuals, technical service bulletins, campaigns, and even Toyota’s dealer… |
 | Buying Tires | When are tires worn out? According to most states’ laws, tires are legally worn out when they have worn down to 2/32″ of remaining tread depth. To help warn you that your tires have reached that point, tires sold in North America are required to have molded indicators called “wear… |
| The Snake Oil Story | The term “snake oil” is used to describe the “medicines” sold by traveling salesmen who claimed they would cure whatever might ail a person. The era of snake oil salesmen is, for the most part, dead. But the same type of too-good-to-be-true advertising lives on with some modern day automotive… |
 | VIN Tag Crackdown | Apparently, it is now illegal do buy, sell or possess a car missing any VIN tags, including those found on the bumper, doors, hood, fenders, etc. This is some new information we’ve just encountered today (04/20/2006) and no one, other than a few CHP officers, seems to know about it…. |
 | A Beginner’s Guide to Welding Aluminum | This page is far from a comprehensive tutorial; it’s just some tips and some links to more authoritative information. It’s intended for people who want to learn to weld aluminum, but have little no experience in welding aluminum, or even in welding in… |
| TIG Welding – Aluminum Cylinder Heads | Please note: We do automotive machine work, but only for our mechanical repair customers. We don’t do mail-in repairs at all, and for the most part we don’t… |
 | Honda Oil Pan Drain Plug Thread Repair | Sorry, but these Honda oil pan thread repairs aren’t available for mail order. We only sell them to customers having their cars repaired here at Art’s Automotive. Honda oil… |
 | TIRE PRESURE SENSORS / TPMS sensors | Tire pressure sensors are part of the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), also known as TPWS (Tire Pressure Warning System), which has been around for a few years now, but starting in 2008, ALL new cars are required to have a “direct” type… |
 | When should Honda valve clearnace be checked | From 1986 to 1998, all Honda and Acura V6 engines had hydraulic tappets and did not require periodic valve adjustment. In 1999 Honda released the J32A1, J32A2, and… |
| Air Conditioning Repair | Note from 2022 – This is a very old article and while some of the information is still valid, it’s not as relevant as it once was. Please read one of our more recent air conditioning articles instead. Air conditioning repair is one of those repairs that requires the customer… |
 | Tire plug repair: a lawyer’s wet dream | Recently lawyers have been extremely successful in suing shops that have installed tire plugs, manufacturers of tire plugs, and even individual mechanics that have repaired tires that later failed. It’s my understanding that in one case it wasn’t even been entirely clear that the tire was the cause of the… |
 | A glove Box Repair on a 1997 Acura Integra | The Acura Integra seems to be a popular car to steal. This will be the second post theft repair we’ve done in the last couple of months. This thief broke into the glove box to steal our customer’s extra ketchup packets. On most Honda products, forcing the glovebox will break… |
 | Oil Change Stickers, Interval Recommendations, and California Law | So the other day one of our customers walked into the shop and said, “Hey, have you guys heard that you can’t recommend when to change oil or put a mileage on a windshield sticker?” Nope, we hadn’t, and I kinda doubted that it was true. So, like all information… |
| How to bed-in your brake pads for the best performance | Many people know that their owner’s manual outlines engine break-in procedures that should be followed when their car is new, but not as many know that it also contains a brake pad break-in procedure. Just like when break-in procedure is repeated after a re-manufactured engine is installed, brake break-in procedures… |
 | Gasoline Direct Injection Service & Repair | Art’s Auto Berkeley | Gasoline direct injection (GDI) offers some unique diagnostic and repair challenges compared to conventional fuel injection, but it’s not difficult to work with. It’s just different. We rely heavily on scan tool data when diagnosing direct injection, rather than direct measurement, so that’s one difference. And special tools are required to replace… |
| Should I Put my New Tires on the Front or Rear? | Why put new tires on the front of a car rather than the rear? I can certainly answer that. What I can’t answer is why Costco and Michelin would recommend the opposite! In this short article I’m going to explain the benefits of putting new tires on the front of… |
 | Comparing Auto Repair Prices | Why would an auto repair shop want to educate their customers on how to shop for service and repair work? If we encourage price shopping, wouldn’t we risk losing business to other shops who charge less? Our thought is this: when our prices are compared item to item, apples to… |
| Can I Keep Driving With a Check Engine Light? | Can you keep driving when the check engine light comes on? The short answer? Probably. But you probably knew there wasn’t going to be a black and white answer when you typed the question into Google. Let’s chat. I’ll try to keep it short so you can get on with… |
 | DI-Why Air Conditioning | If you found this post looking for information about how you can service your car’s A/C system by yourself, you’ve come to the wrong place… or maybe not. I’m writing this for two reasons. First to convince people to… |
 | TPMS – Reset tire pressure light on the Honda Civic 2016-2020 | There are two ways to reset your tire pressure light depending on your trim level If you have a fancy color screen:
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 | Prius Jump Start | A Prius can be jump started, just like any other car, but there are a few things that you should know. First, the 12V battery is in the trunk instead of under the hood. This wouldn’t be much of an issue if you could open the trunk when the battery… |
 | My Mechanic Broke my Car! | Nobody wants to break down, and it’s especially irritating if you just paid for a service or repair. If you’re like me, you might get emotional, and by emotional I mean red-faced and furious. However, hopping out of the tow truck guns-a-blazing isn’t necessarily productive and may not produce the… |
 | 2017 Honda CRV – Nope, I wouldn’t recommend this car to a friend | What causes a P0172 on a Honda CR-V? The 5th generation 2017 Honda CRV sports a new engine option. It’s a direct-injected turbo-charged 1.5 liter, which somehow manages to push the 3,500-pound vehicle around at a reasonable rate, despite its tiny size. My wife likes camping and wanted a car… |
 | How to reset check engine light | You likely found this page trying to find out how to reset your check engine light. I’ll tell you, right at the top of the article, but please read on to find out why you shouldn’t. There are reasons you might not want to clear codes and you may save… |
 | Low Tire Pressure Light | Why is my TPMS LIGHT on?If your low tire pressure light is on, the most common reason is that your tire pressure is low. If this is the case, the fix is simple! Inflate the tires to the proper pressure and the TPMS light should go out after you’ve… |
 | Dim Headlights | Am I suffering from nyctalopia or are my headlights dim? The older I get the harder it is to see while driving at night, and I’m not alone in this. Customers frequently ask, “How can I make my headlights brighter?” In this short article we’ll cover how to make your… |
 | Digital inspections – a tool for communication, or fraud? | Digital vehicle inspections are the new hot thing. Just about every dealer service department is using them and about half of the independent shops use DVIs as well. However, DVIs aren’t universally loved. My partner absolutely hates them and bristles every time I suggest we implement them. Is he a… |
 | 2014 Subaru Forester Immobilizer Repair, BIU | Art’s Auto Berkeley | This is a story about a Subaru immobilizer repair we did here. Most of our customers won’t find it interesting, but I’ve had at least 10 mechanics from all over the world contact me for more information, so it certainly has value for some. Even if you’re not interested in… |
 | Fuse 37, Nissan Rogue keeps blowing fuses | So we had a 2017 Nissan Rogue come in with trouble codes P0075, P0078, and P0447. Our customer had just moved to the area and needed to get a smog certificate so she could register the car in the state, and of course… |
 | How Does a Steering Angle Sensor Work? | I can’t say I’ve ever seen one of these fail. Steering angle sensors (SAS) seem to be pretty reliable. However, the “clock spring” or spiral… |
 | Setting up a digital microscope – AFSCOPE C212 | There are a lot of different versions of similar looking microscope. Some of this will apply to all microscopes. Some may not apply to yours. I’m by no means an expert, but I did struggle through the setup, and it worked out well, so I thought I’d share, since I… |
 | KTM Super Duke 1290 “Front Brake Light Switch” Message | The other day a “front brake light switch” message appeared on my 1290’s display. It’s still a pretty new motorcycle. It might even still be under warranty since it’s a 2021 with about 5,000 miles. Anyway, it seemed like it would be a small issue, and I’m a mechanic, and… |
 | Subaru rear hatch won’t open. 3 beeps | If your Subaru rear hatch won’t open, you’ve come to the right place. The auto opening/closing hatch can get “stuck on stupid” as our lead tech Morgan likes to say. If you’re tired of loading your groceries from the rear door and lifting them over rear seats, here’s the solution…. |
 | Replacing a TPMS battery | Can you replace the battery in a TPMS sensor? Yes you can, but it may not be worth it. In this article I’ll show you how it can… |
 | How to dispose of hazardous waste in Berkeley | I think that everyone agrees that polluting the environment we all share is a terrible idea, yet I don’t think we’ve done a great job of working toward a pollution free environment. Why not? There are a bunch of reasons.
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 | Why is it so hard to find Subaru oil filters? | What caused the great Subaru oil filter shortage of 2023? Good quality Subaru oil filters were plentiful and reasonably priced one day, then completely gone. The dealer shelves were empty. What happened? From what I heard there was some… |
 | Prius won’t turn off? Here’s the solution! | My Prius doesn’t turn off when I press the power buttonThe 2004-2009 Prius has a common issue that can make it impossible to turn the car off in the normal way. Here’s how you can turn your Prius off if this happens… |
 | Is Toyota prepaid maintenance worth it? | The Toyota auto care prepaid maintenance program known as “Toyota Care” sounds like a really good deal and is a major selling point for some people. The basic ToyotaCare is a “free” maintenance package that comes with all new Toyota cars. It includes 25,000 miles of free maintenance (sort of),… |
 | What’s up with Subaru lug studs? | The Problem With Subaru Lug NutsOccasionally a lug nut gets stuck, and the lug stud snaps off when you try to remove it. This is a normal part of auto repair. Sometimes it’s because… |
 | Death from above | From time to time we find bullets in cars. Usually, they’re fired into the car. (I know. Welcome to the Bay Area.) This time the bullet had clearly fallen from the sky, since it was mostly undamaged. If you’re one of the people who shoot in their backyard on the… |
 | Should You Always Reseal TPMS Sensors? | Art’s Auto Berkeley | Should you reseal the TPMS sensors every time you replace tires? I’m kind of shocked that this is a point of debate in our industry. For years nearly every shop has automatically replaced the rubber valve stems when replacing a tire. The reason is simple: a bad valve stem can… |
 | What happens when you put diesel in a gas engine | Let’s start with a basic question – can you use diesel oil in a gas engine. Well, you can put diesel in a gas car, but your car won’t be happy about it! It will let you know be dying as you pull away from the gas station. While putting… |
| What to do if your car overheats | What happens if your car overheats and you keep driving?How long can a car overheat before damage occurs? Not long unfortunately. Overheating is really bad news and can quickly cause serious and costly damage to your motor. You’ll… |
| How to Replace Head Gasket | So, how do you replace a head gasket? Well, there’s no real answer, at least not in a single article. There are tens of thousands of different engines they’re all different. You’ll need to use a service manual, whether you’re a professional mechanic or a talented DIYer. This article contains… |
 | Sometimes you get the shaft | Sometimes in life you end up holding a bad hand. Oh well, things happen. But it’s made a whole lot worse when you were dealing the cards yourself. In today’s story I screw up and had to work to redeem myself. In the end everything came out OK and in… |
 | Prius overlanding? | What is overlanding? It’s not one of my hobbies, but it’s impossible not to notice all the cars driving around with lift kits, big tires, and various gear hanging from the roof and sides. It’s my understanding that it’s like car camping, but not the KOA variety. It involves driving… |
| COMPANIES THAT CAN SHIP A CAR OUT OF BERKELEY | Finding a local car shipping company can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for. There are many factors to consider, such as reliability, cost, and the types of services offered. Below, we’ll go into the top 4 companies that ship cars out of Berkeley, highlighting both the… |
 | Mazda oil filters: 1WPE-14-302 vs. 1WPY-14-302 | These Mazda oil filters look and fit the same. Is there really a difference between these two filters? If so, what is it? We’re going to cut two brand new filters open on our lathe and find out. In the past Mazda has issued service bulletins stating that even though… |
 | How Much Value Should You Assign a Good Tire Treadwear Warranty? | Shopping for tires is tough. There are a lot options and a lot to compare. One selling point is the treadwear warranty. And that’s what we’re going to discuss today. I’d argue that you should ignore warranty coverage and focus on more important things like suitability for your application and… |
 | Why did Toyota hybrid battery prices increase so much in 2025? | Suddenly, without warning, the prices for Toyota hybrid batteries nearly doubled for Prius model years 2004 to 2009, and 2010 to 2015. Many of our customers who were quoted prices in 2024 for HV battery replacement but wanted to save up for a little while before getting the work done… |
 | P2647 Honda – VTEC rocker arm oil pressure switch high voltage | P2647 is a Honda-only trouble code. The VTEC system is one of the many Honda inventions and P2647 is a trouble code indicating a problem with the way the VTEC system is working. But before jumping into specifics, let’s go over some background information. |