Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at Kalispell car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and - well a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of Kalispell, MT folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.

Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacturing, there’s no reason a modern vehicle can’t be made to last for a 150,000 miles or more for smart Kalispell drivers.

The old adage: 'a stitch in time saves nine' is really true for Kalispell motorists when it comes to car maintenance. A great example is coolant service.

Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. Smart Kalispell car owners have their cooling system service taken care of right on schedule.

Ditto for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. Of course, oil changes should be done right on schedule to avoid the build-up of harmful oil sludge.

Don't let your brake pads go too long before they are worn to the point that your rotors are at risk. Preventative auto maintenance at Loren's Auto Repair is a great way to keep your operating costs down in Kalispell.

Replacing belts and hoses is much cheaper than repairing the costly damage that can be caused by failure.

We know that this is a lot for busy Kalispell area drivers to remember. Let the team of automotive professionals at Loren's Auto Repair keep on top of this stuff for you. We can tell you what your auto maker recommends and help you develop an affordable plan to take care of it.

Bottom line – do routine maintenance on schedule and you will reduce operating costs, prevent expensive repairs and maintain your warranty coverage. Call Loren's Auto Repair today for an appointment; you can reach us at 406-755-7757.

Let us take good care of your car at Loren's Auto Repair in Kalispell, and it’ll take good care of you.

Loren's Auto Repair
Give us a call today at 406-755-7757.
Or stop by at 1309 US Hwy 2 West, Kalispell, MT 59901

Your car is important to you and keeping it running properly is vital to your Kalispell lifestyle. That's why you're smart to have it serviced regularly at Loren's Auto Repair in Kalispell. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right by automotive professionals.

It's also very important to your Kalispell service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our Kalispell auto service center spends annually to make sure our professional and courteous service advisors are properly trained.

  Loren's Auto Repair offers a variety of automotive services for many kinds of vehicles. We need to be current on the latest techniques and parts so that we can give you quality service. Our Kalispell centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer.

And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. Loren's Auto Repair technicians follow these procedures so they can safely deliver a consistent level of high-quality service.

Some services at Loren's Auto Repair require the use of specialized equipment. Loren's Auto Repair technicians are trained extensively on this equipment so that they can service your car quickly and efficiently.

Classroom, video and hands-on training is provided by the company and outside trainers. It's not only important that professional and courteous service advisors be able to perform a given task, they also need to be thoroughly trained in inspection and diagnostic techniques. One of the great services they perform is to detect potential problems before they become serious (and costly).

The automotive service industry has standards for classifying and communicating problems to car owners. For example, it's one thing to learn that your manufacturer recommends that you change your serpentine belt every 30,000 miles and another to learn that the belt is on the verge of failure. These standards help you understand the urgency of recommendations, letting you make better automotive service decisions.

MT folks may be interested to know that service technicians (including those at Loren's Auto Repair) are trained in compliance with federal and local Kalispell laws and regulations, including environmental regulations regarding the disposal of used parts and fluids.

It's the goal of Loren's Auto Repair to provide fast, courteous service. You should feel free to ask your professional and courteousservice specialist or one of the managers about your service or for more information about their recommendations.

At Loren's Auto Repair, well-trained service providers, established procedures, industry standards, and, of course, AutoNetTV, combine to give you the best auto service in Kalispell.

Just as our bodies need clean air to function properly, your Subaru engine needs clean air to operate efficiently. Let’s go egghead for a minute. For every gallon of gas we burn driving on MT interstates, twenty pounds of carbon dioxide comes out the tailpipe. Question: how can a gallon of gas that weighs a little over six pounds produce twenty pounds of carbon dioxide?

The answer is that the carbon comes from the gasoline, but the oxygen comes from the air. You see, it takes about twelve thousand gallons of air to burn a gallon of gas in your engine. Clearly, your Subaru needs a lot of air to keep going in Whitefish. A lot of clean air is best.

You’ve seen the pictures of people in Japan wearing face masks. They want some kind of filter to keep unwanted pollution and germs out of their lungs. Well, your Subaru also works better when its internals are clean. When your Subaru air filter’s dirty, it simply can’t trap any more dirt, so the pollutants just pass through into your air intake system. From there it can clog your fuel injectors and even get into the motor itself. Not surprisingly, burning dust and pollen in your Subaru engine does you no good.

So, we’re talking potential damage for Kalispell drivers. But another big thing is wasted fuel. Your Subaru engine management computer tries to mix the correct amount of air in with the fuel. If the filter’s clogged, there isn’t enough air for the optimal fuel to air mix and that really messes with gas mileage.

In fact, replacing a dirty air filter at Loren's Auto Repair in Kalispell can improve your fuel economy by up to ten percent. At today’s Whitefish fuel prices, you should be able to pay for a new air filter before your next oil change.

The verdict: When your Subaru engine air filter needs to be replaced; it needs to be replaced. How often depends entirely on the level of air pollution where you drive in MT. A simple visual inspection at Loren's Auto Repair will tell you when you need a new engine air filter.

When you look at the air filter on your furnace at home and see it’s all clogged up with dust and dirt, you don’t hesitate to replace it. When your Loren's Auto Repair service advisor shows you your nasty engine air filter, you now know why you should go ahead and replace it.

Kalispell service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Kalispell drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.

Loren's Auto Repair fuel system cleaning: Over time, the Subaru fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.

Loren's Auto Repair headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It’s usually good to change them every year or so.

Loren's Auto Repair inspections: Kalispell drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they’re going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle’s ready for MT summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used Subaru and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or are getting close to having a problem.

Loren's Auto Repair oil change: – there are several options: Some Kalispell centers offer just an oil change and new filter as an option. Most will also check and top off all of your other fluids and do a quick visual inspection with a full service oil change. In my way of thinking, the full service option is best because it makes sure you have adequate fluids and may uncover an emerging problem. There may also be options for higher mileage fluids or an upgrade to synthetic oil.

Loren's Auto Repair PCV valve replacement in Kalispell: PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It’s a little part that releases pressure from the engine. It can get gummed up and that can lead to engine damage. Just needs to be changed now and then.

Loren's Auto Repair power steering service: Often overlooked. Your professional and courteous Loren's Auto Repair technician will evacuate the old fluid, clean out the system and replace it with clean fluid. Keeps the Subaru system running well for a long time.

Loren's Auto Repair serpentine belt service: That’s the belt that powers the Subaru engine’s accessories like the alternator, air conditioner, power steering and brakes. You’ll want to replace the serpentine belt before it breaks, because that’ll shut you down.

Loren's Auto Repair shocks and struts: This starts with an inspection of the suspension components. Shocks last a long time and wear out slowly, so many Kalispell people don’t notice when it’s time to change them. If they’re worn or leaking, they need to be replaced.

Loren's Auto Repair transmission service: This involves removing the transmission fluid and replacing it with clean fluid. It’s like an oil change for your transmission.

Loren's Auto Repair tire rotation and wheel balancing: The tires are rotated from front to back using the recommended rotation pattern. This helps tires wear more evenly. Wheels need to be balanced from time to time to keep them turning without any wobble or bounce. Helps the ride and saves tire wear.

Since driving requirements and lifestyles differ among Kalispell motorists, Subaru vehicle manufacturers publish two auto maintenance schedules: the regular schedule and the severe service schedule. Which schedule should Kalispell drivers follow?
Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Are most of your trips less than four miles around Kalispell?
Are most of your trips less than 10 miles in below-zero MT temps?
Are most of your trips off-highway in MT?
Do you drive often in dusty Kalispell areas?
Do you regularly tow a trailer or carry heavy loads around Kalispell?
Do you drive in very hot or very cold MT weather?

Think about your typical week. Do you live by your nearest Kalispell freeway on-ramp and enjoy a non-stop commute to Kalispell or Whitefish? Or, do you drive the neighborhood car pool in stop-and-go traffic on Kalispell surface streets?

Let’s suppose your owner’s manual says the severe service oil change recommendation is 3,000 miles and the standard recommendation is 5,000 miles. You know that you need to change the oil somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 miles. Analyze your driving patterns and Kalispell weather and road conditions to determine which end of the spectrum you’re closer to.

Why should Kalispell car owners care about this? Normal condensation causes moisture accumulation in the engine oil. Short trips around Kalispell or winter driving means that the engine doesn’t heat up enough for the moisture to evaporate. The water in the oil turns to harmful oil sludge that clogs up your engine and doesn’t let the oil protect it adequately. That’s why MT auto owners need to change their oil more often – to clean the sludge out before it causes problems.

Carrying heavy loads (with or without a trailer) in sunny MT summer weather causes your engine and transmission to run at higher temperatures and with more stress. The fluids will break down more quickly. Additives that clean and prevent harmful corrosion will be depleted sooner. Air pollution and dust cause fluids to get dirty faster. Ditto for filters. All of these things can lead to premature wear and eventual repairs, not to mention your MPG. If you want some expert advice, talk with your professional and courteous Loren's Auto Repair advisor. We can help you restore your Subaru to good working order and help you know the best schedule to follow.

To learn more, watch our informative AutoNetTV auto video tips at the top of this post.

Loren's Auto Repair
406-755-7757
1309 US Hwy 2 West
Kalispell, MT 59901

Buying a new car in Kalispell is always a big financial decision. The allure of that new car smell is powerful, to be sure. But what if your current car is still in good shape? How do you decide?

People in Kalispell who've been used to driving a new car every three to five years may be having second thoughts in this economy. For many, the question is, how does the certainty of a new car payment stack up against uncertain repairs for a car that may be out of warranty?

For purposes of our discussion, let's assume you live right here in Kalispell and have a five year old vehicle. It's now paid off. If you keep it, you fear that there'll be some repairs over the next five years, but you really don't know what to expect. For help we turned to Edmunds.com.

Edmunds.com has compiled maintenance and repair information for cars and trucks. With this data, they project likely service and repair costs for a particular make and model. They're able to use manufacturer's maintenance schedules and repair histories for the projections.

Of course, these projections can't predict what will happen to your vehicle in Kalispell, but they do give you information to use in your decision.

Let's look at the numbers for a five year old Toyota Camry V-6. In this example, the combined maintenance and repairs for the five year period is $5,748. This works out to an average of $96 a month. The year-by-year averages range from a low of $49 a month to $124 a month.

So compare $96 a month with a new car payment. And it's actually better news than that; you would still have maintenance expenses with a new car, so the repair element could be less than half that figure.

Here are numbers for some other five year old vehicles from around Kalispell:

• Ford Escape - $116 a month
• Chevy Silverado - $131 a month
• Jeep Grand Cherokee - $138 a month
• Hyundai Accent - $85 a month.

Now, if your vehicle is older than five years, have a chat with your Kalispell service advisor at Loren's Auto Repair. We see hundreds of vehicles through our bays every month and we know your car. See if there's any particular problem common with your vehicle that you might see over the next couple of years.

And of course, the best way to keep future repair costs down is to take care of all your scheduled maintenance. This is especially important in older vehicles that have had time to accumulate some deposits.

There are special motor oil formulations that help clean older engines and protect and recondition their seals and gaskets.

We hope this eliminates some of the unknowns in the decision to keep or trade.

Give us a call if you have any questions:
Loren's Auto Repair
1309 US Hwy 2 West
Kalispell, MT 59901
406-755-7757

Myths passed around our Kalispell MT community start with a grain of evidence and are then built up with a lot of imagination and very elastic logic. And the internet is a breeding ground for automotive myths. Some bloggers recall the Subarus of yesteryear and declare their modern decedents to be virtually maintenance free and that anyone who says otherwise is out to rip you off.

To get the truth about auto myths you hear around the Kalispell area, come over to Loren's Auto Repair.
You'll find us at 1309 US Hwy 2 West, Kalispell, MT 59901.
Give us a call at 406-755-7757 to make an appointment for your next auto service.

Let's examine a couple of the more popular rants and look at the truth behind them.

The first one is that the chassis no longer needs lubrication for suspension, steering and the driveline. They declare that anyone who has charged you for lubrication is a charlatan.

The truth on which this myth is based is that many new cars come from the factory with sealed joints and cannot be greased. However, there are still some grease points on many cars around Kalispell. A grease fitting may have been installed in conjunction with a repair. And most trucks and truck-based SUVs driving in Kalispell still require chassis lubrication. This is because they are more heavy duty and proper greasing is still required to keep them going.

Another common rant you'll hear around Kalispell is that modern cars don't need tune-ups. That depends on your definition of a 'tune-up', which has changed as technology has progressed. Before engine control computers, electronic ignition and fuel injection, a tune up meant replacing mechanical parts that wore out. Loren's Auto Repair would manually adjust fuel and air mix and timing. When these adjustments were off, spark plugs would foul and need to be replaced.

This definition just doesn't apply to modern vehicles. Service centers like Loren's Auto Repair generally consider a tune-up to be the major service visit, recommended by your manufacturer, every 30,000 miles or so.

Of course you can't lubricate a sealed joint. Of course you can't adjust a carburetor if your car doesn't have one. You probably don't need to change spark plugs every year if your manufacturer says they can go 30,000 miles. What are these bloggers getting so worked up about?

The danger with these modern-day myths, is that they prevent people in our local Kalispell community from taking care of the routine preventive auto maintenance that manufactures recommend. Check out this partial list of things you still need to do to take care of your car. How many of them are really any different today than they were 20 or 30 years ago?

Oil change, cooling system service, transmission service, tire balancing, tire rotation, wheel alignment, suspension service, power steering service, proper tire inflation, brake service, differential service, battery maintenance, engine air filer, PCV valve, breather element, fuel filter, belts, hoses, timing belt, windshield wipers . . .

You get the picture. Your Subaru is still a machine that needs to be maintained. And, hey, your service advisors at Loren's Auto Repair have always adapted to keep pace with automotive technology. Next time you come across an angry voice about your car care, talk to your Kalispell service advisor at Loren's Auto Repair, or do some research of your own.

There’s a segment of the Whitefish population that’s not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Mistaken perceptions have crept into the MT area over time. Many Whitefish motorists think the root lies in the fact that modern cars are so reliable. Reliability has improved dramatically in recent years. Quality surveys report fewer problems with new cars than ever before.

Back when cars spent more time in the repair shop, Whitefish drivers were more mindful of routine service. Now, it’s much easier to put it off.

Take tune-ups for example. In the days of mechanical ignition systems, an engine needed to be tuned-up every couple of years. The ignition points had to be replaced, spark plugs and coils replaced and the timing adjusted. If your engine was out of tune, you knew it. It ran poorly and got bad fuel economy.

Now, the ignition system in your Subaru is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as a hundred thousand miles. So tune-ups used to force you in to Loren's Auto Repair for service and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.

Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new cars in Whitefish have been leased. These folks plan on turning the car in after two or three years, so they haven’t focused on the maintenance that helps your car last longer.

Given all that, what’s the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your Subaru will perform better and return better fuel economy.

Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that major repairs are prevented. And these aren’t just repairs that are a long ways off. Modern Subaru engines are far more sophisticated and have many parts that are in critical need of proper lubrication. Missing just one oil change can allow oil sludge to start forming. Sludge clogs small engine passages, robbing parts of the lubrication they need. An expensive failure could easily occur within two or three years.

And modern engines require more sophisticated fluids. Because of the different types of materials that are used to make auto parts, things like aluminum, plastics and steel, different types of additives are required to protect automotive components from corrosion. These additives deplete with time as well as with use.

For example, your Subaru engine coolant could actually become so corrosive that it eats holes in your radiator or other cooling system parts. Of course, that could lead to massive engine damage, all for the want of replacing the coolant on schedule.

Taking care of the little things now prevents big problems later. At Loren's Auto Repair, we have been taking care of all those little things for 27 years. Your Subaru still needs to be taken care of – it’s just that some of those points of care have changed with automotive advancements. The need for proper maintenance in Whitefish did not go away.

Sometimes we hear Kalispell car owners say, "What's up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don't break down." While it is true that today's cars and trucks are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials than ever before. All that complexity demands higher tolerances for everything. For example, most Kalispell car owners don't realize how high tech automotive fluids have become. Fluids like, engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid.

Did you know that a modern engine would not run for more than a few months using motor oil formulas from 30 years ago? Today's automotive fluids contain a much higher percentage of additives to protect your vehicle's components from premature wear and corrosion. Time and miles march on for all of our cars. Please don't think we're using scare tactics to get you to take care of your maintenance - but here are some personal stories from AutoNetTV staff members to emphasize and show how critical it is to get things done when they are due. Names are withheld to avoid embarrassment to those who should know better. Even though they should know better, it usually comes down to real life: time and income. But they are tales of a stitch in time saves nine.

The first comes from a staffer who bought a used pick-up truck for his son. The oil was clean and all the fluids were topped off. A short time later, the truck overheated on a highway in MT and shut down. The repair shop diagnosed the problem: the radiator pan was corroded and dumped the coolant. Even though the coolant level was correct, it was clear that the coolant had never been completely replaced - just topped off from time to time. While this kept the engine cool, all of the anti-corrosion additives had worn out; the coolant became acidic and ate through the radiator pan. The cost: hundred of dollars and four days in the shop. This demonstrates the need to get your coolant exchanged on schedule.

Another story involves the true cost of skipping an annual inspection. Our staffer took his SUV in for the MT safety inspection to renew his registration. At the Kalispell inspection station, he learned that the law had changed and that his newer rig only required an inspection every two years. He was very happy to save the cash. The problem was, his rear brake pads were very worn. Two months later, it was bad enough that he could hear the grind - over the radio, DVD player and the kids. He took it in to get the bad news. Both of the rear brake rotors were damaged. The left one could be resurfaced. The right had to be replaced. So saving a little cash on his safety inspection turned into an extra $500 over what brake pad replacement would have been. Moral of the story for Kalispell motorists: don't skip your vital annual inspections. The irony is that many Kalispell service centers would have done a brake inspection for free.

Next: a teenage daughter and a curb. Daddy's little princess smacked a curb when she turned into a shopping center and popped the tire. The problem came when Dad didn't get an alignment. The impact was hard enough to ruin the tire - so it was powerful enough wreck the alignment. But instead of an alignment after the first tire, Papa ended up buying a second tire a few months later - and then an alignment.

Situation: son and wife with cars from the same auto maker with essentially the same engine. Our staffer checked the son's maintenance schedule and saw that it needed a timing belt replacement at 90,000 miles/145,000 km. He had it done - it cost several hundred dollars. His wife's car had about 60,000 miles/97,000 km, so it should be ok for a while. Right? Wrong. The problem was that the wife had the turbo charged version. Its belt was scheduled for replacement at 60,000 mi/97,000 km. At 63,000 mi./101,000 km, the belt snapped on the interstate. The valves all crashed down into the cylinders at high speed and the entire head was shredded and had to be replaced. The cost: several thousand dollars. Does he wish he had checked the auto manufacturer's maintenance schedule? You bet he does - every time he passes a big-screen TV.

The team at Loren's Auto Repair in Kalispell recommends taking care of little things before they become big things. And when you take care of the little things, you can make your car run better and is more economical to operate in MT. Remember to save those maintenance records. It'll show potential buyers that you've taken care of your vehicle and it will help you get a better price. Or when you buy a used car, check those records. If there aren't any, assume that the maintenance hasn't been done and take it to your Columbia Falls or Big Fork service center or Loren's Auto Repair in Kalispell for an inspection. Take care of unperformed critical routine maintenance sooner rather than later.

Loren's Auto Repair
1309 US Hwy 2 West
Kalispell, MT 59901
406-755-7757

Today in our Loren's Auto Repair blog, we’re going to talk about following recommended service intervals. Your Subaru isn’t the only aspect of your life in Kalispell with recommended intervals: Let’s start with twice yearly dental check-ups and regular physical exams. How about laundry, watering the lawn and paying the bills?

Now, what would happen if you didn’t follow these intervals? Well, you’d get more cavities. You’d may not discover health conditions that could be more effectively treated with early detection. And you’d have to wear dirty clothes, be embarrassed by your brown lawn and have your utilities shut off.

Clearly, there are some things in life that we have to take care of regularly. If we don’t, there are negative consequences. Our quality of life in Kalispell takes a hit and it inevitably costs more money.

So why is it so hard to remember to follow regular preventive maintenance on our Subarus? Probably a couple of reasons. One is that automotive maintenance items just don’t seem that urgent. All our Kalispell neighbors can see our dead lawn, but no one knows how dirty our transmission fluid is. It’s easy to put off. The other reason is that we’re just not as familiar with automotive maintenance, so it’s a bit intimidating.

From a practical standpoint, Kalispell people don’t need to memorize their Subaru owner’s manuals. You can let your Loren's Auto Repair advisor remind you of the guidelines established by manufacturers: he has checklists of what the manufacturer recommends and can find potential problems when he inspects your Subaru. You really can rely on Loren's Auto Repair professionals to help you make good automotive decisions.

For Kalispell drivers who want to be more proactive with their Subaru care, here are some simple ways for Kalispell auto owners to remember what has a maintenance interval.

First: Fluids. If it’s liquid, it’s got a replacement schedule. Oil, transmission fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, differential fluid, etc.

Then think tires. They need air, rotation, balancing, and alignment. And while you’re thinking tires, don't forget brakes and shock absorbers.

And what makes your Subaru go? Air and fuel. Air filter replacement, fuel filters and fuel system cleaning. Of course there are more items, but if Kalispell car owners remember to take their car or truck in to Loren's Auto Repair for these things, their service advisor will help them with the rest.

And if you don’t follow recommended service intervals? You get lousy fuel efficiency, your Subaru doesn’t run as well, your safety is compromised and you’ll spend more money in the long run. So it’s the same as everything else: The quality of your motoring life takes a hit and it ends up costing you more.

Reason enough for me to follow recommended service intervals.