Oceanside Auto Repair

  A recent customer brought this 2013 BMW X3 from their home in Carlsbad into our BMW repair shop in Oceanside, CA, 92058 and mentioned that there was a loud grinding noise coming from the car, accompanied by a burning smell all while the car will not drive with a Check Engine Light on. After performing our free vehicle health inspection, we confirmed the vehicle does not drive freely, and there was definitely a hard grinding noise present when attempting to move the vehicle. Inspection/Findings We put the vehicle on and drove on rack, we were able to recreate the concern. After removing the vehicle’s under panels, we found the front differential had failed entirely and there was a big hole in the side of the casing. This is all resulting in a massive grinding noise when it is engaged. Cause It’s hard to say what the cause was… Whatever happened, it wasn’t good. Initially we thought it might have been caused by blunt f ... read more

  Are you experiencing smoke coming from the engine of your BMW? This could be happening for a number of reasons. This article is specifically referring to smoke coming from the engine bay of a car, if there is smoke coming from the tailpipe or another area, please click here: why-is-my-bmw-smoking to learn more! Engine Smoking symptoms can be a sign that one of your car’s fluids, such as oil or coolant, is currently leaking. When the leaking fluid encounters something hot such as an exhaust or part of your engine, it will burn off, evaporate, and release smoke. If your car is smoking from the engine bay, this is a sign that something is wrong and should be inspected by a professional as soon as possible. If you are experiencing smoke, this might mean that an ongoing problem has progressively gotten worse and now requires immediate attention. In our experiences, we have found that smoke coming from a BMW engine bay can, in most cases, relate back to an oil leak or a coola ... read more

Are you hearing a weird rattling noise coming from your Mini Cooper? In this article we specifically address a ‘rattling noise’ that many Mini Cooper owners commonly complain about. This weird noise originates in the engine bay at the front of the vehicle. It often occurs more frequently at idle, lower speeds, and/or in colder weather. Could it be a timing chain issue? MINI Copper Timing Chain A timing chain is what holds all the major internal engine components together and allows them to operate in synchronism. If your MINI Cooper’s engine is rattling, this could be a result of the timing chain. Unfortunately, the timing chain support rail is made of plastic, which over time can wear down and eventually break. As this support rail begins to wear, the timing chain stretches, and the infamous rattling noise begins. If you ignore the issue, the timing chain can break and cause detrimental damage to your engine. Avoid Rattling Noise: Preventi ... read more

An alternator helps recharge your vehicle’s battery while you drive. It also allows you to use all your car’s fun accessories such as your seat warmer, radio, sunroof, USB charger, and Bluetooth, as well as your necessary headlights. Typically, an alternator should last well over 100,000 miles. However, if your vehicle has a bad or failing alternator, this could leave you stranded, at any given moment, while on the road. Common Alternator Symptoms The most common symptoms of a failing alternator include your car not starting, the engine stalling, and/or various electrical issues occurring. We have all heard stories of customer’s saying how their car died while at a stop light or even worse, “My Car Shut Off While Driving.’ Essentially, when your alternator fails, there will eventually be no power leftover to replenish the car’s electrical system while you drive. Schedule A Service Well, if you are near Oceanside California, we can help! Give us a c ... read more

Spark plugs are a vital part of your car’s normal operating system. Spark Plugs is an appropriate name because electricity or sparks travel between the two small leads at the end of the plug. Consequently, when your car is running, a spark plug is constantly supplying a spark that ignites an air/fuel mixture within a given cylinder of your car. When the air/fuel mixture ignites, it results in an explosion that allows your engine to produce power. Spark Plugs Failure Symptoms Dirt, oil, or carbon buildup can lead to premature spark plug failure. If you have bad or failing spark plugs your car will likely be running poorly. Your vehicle may exhibit common symptoms such as rough idling, engine misfires, hard starts, lack of acceleration, and reduced gas mileage. Bad spark plugs may also trigger the check engine light. Schedule a Service If you are unsure of the condition of your spark plugs, then you can either remove and inspect them yourself, or ... read more