Sarasota Auto Repair

Today, we will go through the complexities of your vehicle's exhaust system and answer these common questions: What is the exhaust system? What are the parts? And what do they do?    The engine usually ejects the various gases from the combustion chamber that need to go somewhere. This is where the exhaust system comes in. The entire system is responsible for moving gases around and converting these harmful chemicals into breathable gases before releasing them out of your car. The overall system comprises multiple pipes that work together to reduce the output of harmful emissions. The parts involved in the intricate process include the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, oxygen sensor, tailpipe, muffler, and resonator.    The exhaust manifold is at the beginning of the process. It collects the fumes from the cylinders within the engine's combustion chamber and moves them through the exhaust pipe.   The catalytic pipe converter then transforms t ... read more

Your car's exterior parts can be just as important as its interior components. A prime example is your headlights - without them, you would not be able to see at night, and other drivers would have trouble seeing you. Proper maintenance is necessary for your headlights, and that includes a thorough and detailed car wash. You may sometimes notice that your headlights might still look fuzzy and yellow, even after cleaning. The fogginess is probably attributed to oxidation, but it can be a quick and painless fix.    How to Remove Oxidation and Restore Your Headlights The top three essential items you need when cleaning are a microfiber cloth, soap specially made for cars, and water. Additionally, you will need to pair those things with one of these common three cleaning agents:   Toothpaste Toothpaste is chemically made to remove plaque, and it's also a reliable cleaning agent for oxidation. To clean your headlights, apply the toothpaste directly onto the ligh ... read more

Independence Day is an iconic symbol of freedom and joy in the United States. And traditionally, people take advantage of this holiday to drive long distances to see loved ones or go on a getaway. As exciting as it sounds, you should be extra careful when getting from Point A to Point B on the fourth. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway and Safety, July 4th is the deadliest day of the year for motorists in the USA. With that being said, here are five driving tips that will ensure your safety this 4th of July:  1. Practice safe driving etiquette. Negligence is the number reason behind the majority of car accidents in the US. Safe driving etiquette usually entails the basics of buckling up and asking other passengers to put on their seat belts before hitting the road. Additionally, always have your hands on the steering wheel and keep your eyes on the road at all times. Most importantly, do not drink and drive.  2. Avoid distractions. The most common distractio ... read more

Oxygen sensors are electronic devices that monitor oxygen levels in a liquid or gas. These sensors are measuring the proportional amount of oxygen and sending an alert if the mix is off. Original oxygen sensors were made from ceramic coated in zirconia and platinum. Modern oxygen sensors are called planar sensors. Planar sensors were developed by NTK in 1990 for Honda Civics and Accords. Planar sensors are constructed by layering High-Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (HTCC) green tapes and have become the industry standard. Modern-day sensors are designed and developed to be more efficient than their predecessors. What an Oxygen Sensor Actually Does Oxygen sensors are found in all automobiles manufactured after 1980. Oxygen sensors are located in the emissions control system and they transmit data to the central computer. For top performance, it is essential that the oxygen sensor is functioning, well-calibrated, and sending correct data to the computer. The sensor keep ... read more

The radiator in your car helps to cool the engine. That's something that many car owners understand, yet only a handful of them know the importance of observing a strict radiator fluid-flush schedule. Another aspect that most people get confused about is when or how often they should change the radiator fluid. As mentioned above, the radiator fluid prevents the car motor from overheating. When its volume decreases, you risk overheating the engine, especially when you're stuck in traffic. As a result, you get stranded in the middle of the road at an unexpected time. Always check the radiator fluid after driving your car. Remember, the fluid and its contents are pressurized, so don't attempt to open the radiator cap when the engine is running. If possible, use a heavy cloth to open it. If you can't see the fluid surface near the top or see rust and dirt elements, it is time to flush it out. What Does a Radiator Flush Mean? The purpose of flushing your radiator fluid is ... read more

Regular maintenance is critical for your vehicle.  It will extend the life of your vehicle so you will have less of a chance of a break down. The first thing you should do is get regular oil changes. Older cars need the oil changed every 5,000 miles. You should also have the tires rotated every time the oil and filter is changed.  This will keep the tires wearing evenly. Newer cars can go 7500 miles between oil changes.  You should get the oil and filter changed once a year even if you don’t drive very often.  This will prevent moisture from accumulating in the engine and potentially causing damage. Most people think fluids in your vehicle don’t need changed unless it smells strange or get a dark color to it.  Fluids should be changed before they become a problem. Fluid breakdown can cause a component in your vehicle to fail.  For instance coolant if left alone until it turns brown and rusty will cause the internal gaskets to fail like head gas ... read more

Sincere appreciation to all of our customers who participated in our 3rd annual Brakes for Breasts Fundraiser. We gave away 43 sets of brake pads/shoes and raised $1,016.46 for the Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Fund. We look forward to another great event in 2021! Our annual participation would not be possible without our generous partners at Napa, The Parts House and BG/Fox Distributing. We truly appreciate their dedication to Kaufman’s, our customers and for contributing to the success of the Brakes for Breasts Fundraiser each year. If you missed out on the opportunity this year, we will send an email in September 2021 with all of the information you will need to join us in October during Breast Cancer Awareness month to help us put the brakes on breast cancer!   THANK YOU from all of us at Kaufman’s Auto Repairs

Tip # 1 : Watch out for the weather. Check a app to get the weather conditions where you are traveling to. There could be icy or snow conditions and you want to allow extra travel time for bad weather conditions.  Tip # 2 : Get a pre trip inspection before you travel. Check the wipers and fluid levels. Have the oil and filter changed. Have your shop check the battery, tires, brakes, headlights for proper aim, and have them do a complete inspection for any potential problems. Have you shop check the spare tire pressure and condition. You want to take care of all those things before you start the trip.   Tip # 3 : Think about the route you are taking, you may want to take a alternate route if the traffic gets bad. Tip # 4 : Practice alert driving habits.  Adjust the mirrors and your seat for your comfort. Make sure everyone is wearing a seat belt. Seat belts save lives!  Make sure you have a full tank of fuel. Wear the correct eyewear, in ... read more

Join Kaufman’s Auto Repairs for our 3rd year to put the Brakes on Breast Cancer! Brakes for Breasts is an organization that unites the hands of Independent Auto Repair Shops during the month of October. Our industry stands united to put the Brakes on Breast Cancer! The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2019 there will be over 271,000 people diagnosed with Breast Cancer and over 42,000 will die. With those numbers it’s hard to find anybody who hasn’t been touched by Breast Cancer. Although treatment is better than it’s ever been, why do we wait until it happens to treat it – Let’s stop it before it happens. FREE BRAKE PADS IN OCTOBER For every brake service performed, customers will receive their brake pads for free and the customer pays for the labor and any other parts. Kaufman’s will donate 10% of that brake ser ... read more

  The tire DOT number is not sexy, exciting or very cool for that matter. But it can be very useful if you understand what the numbers mean. All tire manufactures are required by our federal law to stamp the tires specs as well as the DOT numbers on the sidewall of each tire that is sold in the United States. This includes details about the tires characteristics, construction, various capacities (including load, speed, inflation pressure, etc.) as well as the DOT tire identification number.  According to current regulations the DOT tire identification MUST start with the letters DOT. The number is 10,11, or 12 digits long and can be a combination of letters, numbers or symbols.  The last four digits are always numbers and it is a date code. For instance the numbers 1320 means the tires were made in the13th week of 2020. The DOT number is used for a safety standard certification and is used also in the event of a safety recall. The DOT number is used to identify the ... read more