Four Star Import

So a customer came up with a cool mascot for the shop. We need some input as to what to name him. Give us some ideas!!

Head gaskets are becoming a more common problem. Especially with the kind of heat that we have been experiencing lately. Engines are not able to sustain high temps. 🔧 WATCH FOR THESE SIGNS:

❌ Engine overheating
❌ Coolant disappearing with no visible leak
❌ White smoke/steam from the exhaust
❌ Milky-looking engine oil
❌ Bubbles or excessive pressure in the coolant reservoir
❌ Rough starts or misfires
❌ Sweet-smelling exhaust
❌ Repeatedly needing to add coolant. 🛑 Stop ✋Don’t drive it, bring it in and let us perform proper testing.

⛽️ Did you know you shouldn’t overfill your gas tank?
When the gas pump clicks off, that’s your cue to stop pumping. 🚗 Your gas tank needs a little room for fuel to expand, especially on hot days. ☀️ Trying to squeeze in “just a little more” can:
• Push gasoline into your vehicle’s EVAP system and potentially damage it
• Cause fuel to spill or overflow
• Create a strong gasoline smell
• Trigger a check engine light
• Waste fuel without giving you much extra driving range maintenance

What is the wildest thing you’ve ever seen found in a tire? 👀🛞 This is a full bit set found in one of our employee’s tire! Drop your comments below 👇🏻

Did you know that we also service Honda & Toyota Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) vehicles? Here we have a JDM Celica GT-Four getting an engine out service for oil leaks, timing belt, clutch and other various repairs/upgrades. The Celica GT-Four is unique in the fact that a lot of it's drivetrain and suspension design came from Toyota's European Rally Racing days. It's equipped with a 255 HP 2.0 liter turbocharged 3S-GTE 4 cylinder backed up with a 5 speed manual transmission and ALL-WHEEL DRIVE. We can't wait to get this thing back on the road, carving up corners and bringing a smile to it's owners face!

Lately, we have been experiencing an influx of phone calls. We greatly appreciate the business you all give us. However, we have limited staff and cannot answer every call, especially during peak hours. Please be patient as we try to answer as much as we can. Or try calling at non-peak hours. Thank you for choosing us!

Old school vs Modern and what you need to know before buying.
*Older vehicles comes with their fair share of quirks but for the most part seem to be built to last. Downside is that with older vehicles, be prepared to spend money for normal wearable repairs.
*Newer vehicle are nice because they come with factory warranties and more fancy technology. However like most things, they are not built to last and we have been seeing more newer vehicles needing big expensive repairs with lesser miles.

We're often asked "Why does this repair cost so much?" so here's some pictures to help explain. Sometimes, the cost of the parts is the culprit, sometimes it's the labor. In the case of this GX460, it was the labor (between 20 & 30 hours). We performed a timing cover and valley plate reseal which are prone to leakage on the 4.6 & 5.7 Toyota & Lexus V8's that are equipped in the LS460, GX460, LX570, Tundra, Sequoia & Land Cruiser.

We hate when a customer suffers a catastrophic failure but we hate it even more when it was caused by someone else's negligence. This Odyssey was towed in with a shredded timing belt that was installed late last year by another facility that has since denied responsibility after they "inspected" it and said the belt is only "frayed". We knew there was more to it so we decided to investigate. Once we opened up the covers & cleaned up all the belt fuzz, we found that the timing belt crankshaft guide (silver disc) was installed backwards which caused it to wear against the belt until it was sharp enough to cut the belt. Given the mileage on the original engine, the customer opted for a low-mileage used engine instead of just repairing this one.