Gardner Auto Repair

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

How do you know your spark plugs should be replaced? Well it can be confusing because there are several types of spark plugs and some last longer than others. Your owner’s manual will have a recommendation for when your spark plugs should be changed. Here’s a little background from Bret’s Autoworks. Spark plugs are in the combustion chamber of your engine. They send a little spark between two electrodes at the end of the spark plug which ignites the gasoline. This little spark goes off thousands of times a minute. Over the miles, the electrodes on standard grade spark plugs wear away increasing the gap between them. When that happens, the spark isn’t as strong and the fuel doesn’t burn as well. Several Types of Spark Plugs The standard grade is copper core. They are great for quick starts and may last 12,000 to 13,000 miles. Single platinum spark plugs use platinum on one of the electrodes. These typically last 30,000 to ... read more