Gardner Auto Repair

Today at Bret's Autoworks we're going to talk about windshield wiper blades. Now that may seem like a pretty mundane topic, but think about how important your vision is: We protect our eyes. If we need contacts or glasses, we took care of them too.   And, well, wiper blades are critical to our vision when we drive around the  Olathe and Gardner area. We really ought to think about wipers as part of an important safety system. We should think about maintaining safety – not just responding when our wiper blades fail.  How many times have you been caught off-guard by the first storm of the season with a streaky windshield you can barely see out of? Or with no washer fluid? Wiper blades live outside the vehicle, exposed to heat and sun in the summer and cold and ice in the  area winter. It's no wonder that they get dry, brittle and torn. We recommend changing wiper blades twice a year – before they're so damaged that they don't ... read more

Let's talk about air conditioning service and repair issues for the Kansas City area. Most of us in Gardner and Olathe don't give our air conditioning a second thought as long as it's making cold air. But it's a complex and expensive system that we should think about before it starts blowing hot air. The refrigerant in the air conditioner contains a special oil that lubricates and cools the A/C parts. When enough refrigerant leaks out, your air conditioner still makes cold air, but the parts don't have enough oil to protect them and they wear out faster than they should. So it's important to service the air conditioner as recommended. Replacing old refrigerant has another benefit: refrigerant tends to gather moisture and become corrosive. That causes leaks in the system which can be expensive to repair. Fresh refrigerant protects the air conditioning components and keeps the system operating at peak efficiency so ... read more

  Let's talk shocks and struts. Shock absorbers and struts last a long time for drivers and wear out pretty slowly for most vehicles. They're easy to take for granted, but your shocks and struts do a very important job so you need to pay attention to them. They keep your tires on the road; and your tires are what connect your vehicle to the road and allow you to safely handle your car through turns, over bumps and even stop in time. What happens when your shocks and struts are worn? Your tires bounce excessively over bumps. Your vehicle will wallow through corners, your front-end will dive when you stop and your rear-end will squat when you accelerate. All this hurts your ability to control your vehicle. And your ride just isn't as comfortable. Tire Wear Worn shocks or struts cause excessive tire wear so drivers will have to replace their tires sooner than they should. Worn shocks and struts also stress other ... read more

Ever get musky odors coming from your car's air vents? It's fairly common for  Gardner and Olathe drivers. Moisture can accumulate in the air conditioning/heating ventilation system allowing mold, mildew, fungus, and bacteria to grow. Disinfecting and deodorizing is a process. Depending on how bad the problem is, there are a couple of approaches Bret's Autoworks may take to get rid of the unwanted smells. For mild situations (especially on newer vehicles), a special deodorizing disinfectant is introduced into the ventilation system. This may be an aerosol or a mist application. The treatment kills the offending organisms and deodorizes the system. Sometimes in older vehicles, a good deal of mildew or other microorganisms can grow on the air conditioning evaporator which is housed in the heating/air conditioning air blend box behind the dashboard. In cases like this Bret's Autoworks fills the blend box with disinfecting foam that can eliminate stubborn organisms a ... read more

Imagine you are driving on a snowy or rainy KS road. You need to slam on your brakes and your rear wheels lock up. Chances are good that the rear end of your vehicle will try to pass the front end and you can easily lose control. What would happen in the same circumstance if your front wheels locked up? Well you certainly would not be able to steer properly and your front end would go to wherever momentum leads it. The ABS modulates your brakes on and off as many as 15 times a second. This keeps your wheels from locking up while providing the greatest amount of braking possible. You are better able to steer your vehicle and maintain control. Olathe service advisors often talk about the 3 S's of anti-lock brakes: Stomp – Stay – Steer. Stomp on the brake, Stay on the brake and Steer normally. Modern anti-lock brake systems  utilize a computer to receive information from sensors and control the ABS. There are wheel speed sensors at each wheel rep ... read more

Reports say that the median age for cars on the road is over nine years and that two-thirds have over 75,000 miles (120,000 kilometers). In recent years those numbers have continued to rise here in Gardner and across KS. Many Gardner & Olathe  residents are keeping their vehicles longer. The KS economy has influenced that, but the fact that modern cars and trucks are more durable and reliable means that owning a high mileage vehicle doesn't have to be a painful experience for Gardner or Olathe.  Gardner & Olathe drivers with over 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers) on their vehicles often ask us at Bret's Autoworks about what service intervals they should follow. Let's start with the special needs of the older vehicle. The reality is that time and mileage will take its toll. The engine and transmission will have more sludge. The fuel, steering and brake systems will have gum and varnish built up ... read more

Anti-lock brakes (ABS) help you stop faster. That is not always the case on loose gravel or snowy surfaces. Anti-lock brakes, in fact, are designed to help you maintain control of your vehicle in an emergency braking situation. Imagine you are driving on a snowy KS road. You need to slam on your brakes and your rear wheels lock up. Chances are good that the rear end of your vehicle will try to pass the front end and you can easily lose control. What would happen in the same circumstance if your front wheels locked up? Well you certainly would not be able to steer properly, and your front end would go to wherever momentum leads it. The ABS modulate your brakes on and off as many as 15 times a second. This keeps your wheels from locking up while providing the greatest amount of braking possible. You are better able to steer your vehicle and maintain control. Gardner service advisors often talk about the 3 S's of anti-lock brakes: Stomp – Stay – Steer. Stomp on the brake ... read more

We did it Again! 7 Years in a Row!Bret’s Autoworks Earns Esteemed 2016 Angie’s List Super Service AwardAward reflects company’s consistently high level of customer service Bret’s Autoworks has earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of customer service to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2016. This achievement is particularly significant as Angie’s List experienced unprecedented member growth in 2016. More than 1.6 million consumers, many of whom were eager to quickly hire highly qualified service pros, joined Angie’s List after the company added a new, free membership tier. “Companies that can meet higher demands without missing a beat in their exemplary performance standards truly do stand apart from their peers,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “Only a fraction of the Auto Repair companies in Kansas City ... read more

This is too much “stuff” on a key ring. The weight could cause damage to the ignition lock cylinder. So “lighten up

Your air conditioning system uses refrigerant to create cold air. The most common reasons Olathe drivers lose their cold air have to do with the refrigerant. The first is not enough refrigerant. Refrigerant is a gas in the system and very small holes in a hose, seal or coupler can allow enough to leak out to prevent the creation of cold air. Another potential problem for Olathe auto owners is contamination. Over time the inside of the rubber hoses can deteriorate and little bits of rubber can clog up various filters and other parts of the vehicle A/C system, preventing proper circulation of the refrigerant. And a component could also be worn or broken. So the first step for Olathe drivers who can’t cool their vehicle is a thorough air conditioning inspection, looking for leaks and worn parts. In fact, Federal law requires an inspection before adding refrigerant. Some states do not allow topping off a leaking system. Once any repair ... read more