Margate City Auto Repair

Windshield wipers are the most dependable car feature, but we often overlook them because we only need them when our windshield gets wet or dirty. Wipers can be incredibly annoying if they aren't doing their job effectively. You'll know they need to be swapped out when they aren't clearing your windshield well. They also might start to skip, streak, and squeak and end up impairing your line of sight. The recommended time to replace windshield wipers is 6 months to 1 year, depending on usage and wiper brand. To help prevent premature wear of your windshield wipers, consider the following maintenance tips:   Wash your car regularly (or at least your windshield)! Cleaning your windscreen will reduce the amount of dirt and debris that adheres to the wiper blades. Those contaminants cause them to wear faster.   Wipe down your wipers every once in a while. As you use them over time, your wipers blades collect dirt. You can wash the rubber parts and help preserve the ... read more

Summer is here and living is easy! After the long cold year of 2020, we are ready to get out and live a little bit more. If you, like most Americans this summer, are planning on a trip by car make sure you get your car checked before you go. Unfortunately, due to covid, the car repair industry is still scrambling to get parts. This is forecasted to last into 2022. Parts that use to take us 2 days to receive now have taken as long as 6 weeks.  This is also useful to keep in mind as you plan to send your kids off to school and/or tailgating season approaches. If you suspect something is wrong with your car, try to bring it in right away so we can order the parts you need in time for your big trip. Being preemptive instead of reactive is more important now than ever to keep your life running as smoothly as possible.  As always, we here at Sunny Service Center, are here for you and look forward to seeing you

Hurricane season has started. New Jersey’s Hurricane season is June 1st thru November 30th. Our active season is August thru the end of October. Now a days we have plenty of warning. We can usually have an accurate forecast 5 days out or so to see what is coming our way. But it never hurts to know what your plan is.  Do you know your hurricane evacuation route? Do you know what roads are prone to flooding? Or have a plan on where to go? Are you staying in a flood zone? What should you do with your cars? Are there any pet friendly hurricane shelters? Do they need notice? If not, are there pet friendly hotels you can go to? (This is all off the top of my head, I am sure you might have more specific questions).  As you enjoy the lovely weather we are having right now, I can totally understand not wanting to figure these things out until you must. We are however having more active Hurricane seasons, so we suggest having a plan. Keeping on hand the necessities and knowing ... read more

A radiator flush is one of the critical vehicle maintenance services highlighted in the scheduled maintenance placard in the owner's manual. When speaking about a fluid flush, the first thing people think of is an oil change. And while many drivers know the radiator, a considerable number of them aren't savvy with radiator flushes. This post is here to help you understand what a radiator flush is and how often you need to visit your auto care technician for a flush. However, let's first understand the radiator fluid. What is a Radiator Fluid? Coolant is the fluid circulating in the radiator and cools the engine by dissipating much of the temperatures generated by the motor. Antifreeze prevents the coolant from freezing up under icy conditions in winter, thus continuing to cool the motor despite the extreme cold. Coolant is a critical fluid that requires proper maintenance for a healthy and high-performance engine. Understanding a Radiator Flush Just like the transmissio ... read more

It's spring and that means the heat is on its way. Happens every year, and you know as much as the other person that you do not want to get stuck with a faulty A/C during the first heat wave when everyone else who is sweating tries to find an appointment to get it fixed. If you have any questions, we here, at Sunny Service Center are always happy to help you. This article will hopefully answer some of your questions, if you have other question feel free to message us. Your air conditioning is part of your HAVC system. Which stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. It’s an important part of your car’s functionality. It keeps you comfortable in any season with the right amount humidity and temperature. It also helps with defrosting your car. It should be checked annually. If you are unsure of your maintenance history, we at Sunny Service Center keep track of that for you. Here are some of the most asked questions:  What would h ... read more

Almost every person who owns and drives a vehicle has one thing in common - they all dread the despicable "check engine" light. Everybody is thankful that their vehicle has a computer system with the technology to put out a warning when it senses that a particular part or system of the car is experiencing some sort of issue. If left ignored, that issue could result in causing some serious damage to your vehicle. The reason the check engine light is such a hassle is that it tells us there is an issue with the car, but it does not pinpoint that issue for us. It could turn out to be something minor, like a loose cap on either the gas tank or one of the engine fluid containers, but at the same time, it could be a major issue such as a transmission problem, in which case further driving of the vehicle is highly advised against. The only way to really understand what the check engine light is indicating is by running a computer diagnostics test on the vehicle. Unfortunately, not ... read more

Since most drivers who use the same vehicle daily would be 'in tune' with their car's sounds it goes without saying that if something in the vehicle sounds strange or 'off' the driver would immediately have the car repaired. Many drivers, however, choose to ignore strange sounds 'for now' if finances or time do not permit them to take the vehicle to the mechanic. Thus said, it is important not to ignore strange or unusual sounds in a car as these sounds could be a sign of major damage that would put the driver even more out of pocket or in extreme danger when driving. Here are five noises a vehicle driver should not ignore: A squealing or screeching sound coming from the wheels when you apply brakes. This could mean the friction material is worn out and the metal start rubbing on the rotors, and this is what usually makes the noise. Ignoring this could lead to the loss of braking action entirely, which is extremely dangerous ... read more

Brake pads are crucial to your vehicle's operation. It's a hassle when one set of pads wears down faster than the other. We all know that brake pads can be expensive and often people only replace the worn-down brake pad, but it is advisable to rather replace them all. The first thing that springs to mind when considering this situation is that somehow the car has a broken shock absorber or the vehicle is overloaded on one side, but that is not the case. Apparently, the most common cause of brake pads wearing down unevenly on one side is often when there is a discrepancy in the disc thickness on the brake pad. Even the smallest variation in thickness can cause the wearing on one side faster than on the other. There are several other factors that could result in one side of the brake pads wearing down fast and one of these things is dirt and rust in the rotors. Dirt and debris need to be removed properly as they can affect old or new rotors. An anti-rust coating is usually app ... read more

Hey all, I have been thinking about how long our vehicles have sat this year. Some never started all spring, some are only moving from the driveway to the stores. Some of us will be traveling by car and truck to visit our families for the holidays - this is exactly why our cars need to be maintained. When vehicles sit too long many different issues can occur, from batteries not starting to having animals chewing the electrical wires and nesting as it gets cold. Having your regular maintenance services performed, even if it is not due by mileage, but by time allows you to avoid any issues. Kind of like still seeing the doctor for your check-ups even though you are feeling well, your vehicle needs to be seen and checked for service. This year, we have seen cars sit so long that brakes have seized, we have found nesting rodents, chewed wires, batteries that would not charge and many other issues that have impacted a vehicles performance. During this time our vehicles can feel like th ... read more

The Season of Pot holes is upon us! Winter is hard on everyone and everything, yes that means on your roads and cars as well. That is why April is Car care Aware month. Its time to freshen up for the Spring. The biggest threat to your car right now is pot holes and neglect of maintenance. Pot holes meh, am I right? They come back every spring like flowers. They are caused by water seeping into the cracks of the pavement, then freezing and thawing, and then being driven on causes the pavement to weaken and eventually give.  If you lucky your city is on them like white on rice. Either way they are a danger to your car. Alignments, Tires, Hubs, your exhaust, your under carriage and depending on how deep it is anything within its evil grasp. It can cause leaks, dents and compromise the integrity of parts and sometimes clips can come off and parts can start to drag.   Is there any way to avoid them? Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee, that’s because your car can ... read more