San Francisco Bay Area workers made their most dramatic commuting shift yet between the years 2006 and 2013 according to a new Census Bureau report.
San Francisco now scores the nation’s third highest spot in alternative commuting methods. In 2006 73.6% of workers commuted to work by private car, including carpooling workers.
In 2013 that level has dropped to 69.8%.
While these numbers include San Francisco and the entire bay area, the city of San Francisco alone has the nation’s lowest rate of one person, one automobile commuting by far, with just 40.5% of its residence driving a personal automobile by themselves to work.
San Francisco also enjoys a healthy carpool population, with 1 in 10 workers (10.8%) carpooling to work.
We would like to thank all of the happy BMW, Porsche, Audi and Mercedes owners (and everyone else!) for making our shop so popular with the San Francisco community.
We know you enjoy getting the best auto repair and service around in both a clean and friendly environment. That’s why we go out of our way to have the cleanest auto repair shop in the bay area as well as the most friendly and knowledgeable auto mechanics on staff.
Without our loyal customers, we wouldn’t be here! Thank you for all your love and support!
When it’s time to look for an auto mechanic you’ll want to find someone that’s been around the block. Look for a shop that’s been open for a while. Plus it’s good to find a shop that specializes in your type of vehicle. Shops that service the same types of vehicles over and over again build experience on those vehicles and are familiar with the car’s strengths and potential peculiarities. An experienced auto mechanic will also be able to give you great advice when it’s time for you to buy a new car, since they’ve seen the cars that are most often in their shops and for what reasons.
Honesty.
It’s important to have an auto mechanic you trust.
Auto Mechanic You Can Trust
Nobody wants to shop around every single time they need to get an oil change, brake job, or some minor repair on their car or SUV. Once you’ve found a mechanic you can trust you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re getting a fair price without having to shop around every time you bring your car in for service. Customer loyalty is good for your auto mechanic, but it’s also great for you since having a mechanic you use on a regular basis can dramatically save you both time and money.
Organization.
One of the most powerful attributions a shop can have is impeccable organization. A well organized shop is an efficient shop.
A Clean, Organized Shop
It also shows a deep respect for detailed work. An organized shop is a shop customers can feel comfortable visiting. It shows a respect for the shops clientele and a respect for the auto repair industry as a whole.
Look for these key factors when shopping for a new auto mechanic in your area. You can’t go wrong with a shop that has experience, honesty and impeccable organization.
If you are looking for an auto repair shop now, please don’t hesitate to consider us. You can make an appointment online or get an easy online estimate. Or just call us. We are happy to answer questions at (415) 551-9930.
It’s impossible to avoid all engine wear, but you can take steps with the right synthetic oil and high quality oil and air filters to substantially increase the life of your car’s engine.
There are four major types of wear and tear your engine can suffer from: abrasive wear, adhesive wear, corrosive wear and fatigue.
Abrasive wear comes from dirt and soot — contaminants that originate outside of your engine. Most of these contaminants can be blocked out with high quality oil filters and air filters. This will greatly increase the life of your vehicle’s engine. It’s also why it’s important to make sure your vehicle’s oil filter and air filters are replaced on a regular schedule.
Adhesive wear is from microscopic imperfections and your engines metal. These high spots known as asperities, are commonly invisible to the naked eye. Over time under high stress, speed and high temperatures, these imperfections can cause surfaces to adhere to one another. As these surfaces adhere and pull apart from one another more imperfections can be created over time leading to internal parts seizure and engine failure.
Corrosive wear is sometimes called chemical wear and can result from vehicles sitting over time or regularly being exposed to heavy adverse weather conditions.
Fatigue wear occurs predominately in rolling element bearings inside your engine. Fatigue wear is result of regular stress on lubricated services which can cause fracturing of your engines parts over time.
How synthetic oils reduce wear and tear and greatly extent the life and performance of your vehicle.
Modern engines run under much more stressful conditions — hotter temperatures and higher engine pressures – then older vehicles. This is why synthetic oils are critical to maintaining a longer lasting engine. Modern oil filters and air filters are also made with hugely superior materials, allowing them to filter out far more environmental impurities than the older filters. Always using the latest technology with your vehicle, whether you have a later model vehicle or new car, fresh off the lot, can drastically increase the life of your engine.
Nothing is more traumatizing than seeing what’s left of your Porsche.
Porsche Repair in San Francisco
But if you live in San Francisco and your Porsche ends up looking something like this, we can help you make it look brand new again.
International Sport Motors is a Porsche mechanic and collision repair expert. Over the past 32 years we’ve performed collision repair services on nearly 1000 Porsche’s in the San Francisco Bay area.
In addition to flawless collision repair with perfect paint matching, we’ve also tuned up and done high-performance work on Porsche’s all over the bay area.
If you’re a Porsche owner and are looking for a great Porsche mechanic that won’t charge you an arm and a leg, give us a try. We would love to earn your trust and your business.
We came across this great post from another shop specializing in the same BG Lifetime Fluids program we have at International Sport Motors.
Take a look at these amazing results. Can you see the difference? It’s huge!
Before…
After…
Vehicle make and model: Mercedes Benz S Class
Mileage: 18,000
Driving Conditions: City driving.
Services: The auto repair shop performed the BG PXT transmission performance oil change service. With this service the Mercedes transmission fluid is completely flushed with BG 106 to get all the transmission oil out of the vehicle. Once the flush is complete, the transmission oil is replaced with BG 3124 transmission oil. This is a premier BG product that comes with an additional lifetime transmission protection warranty to insure your car is shifting perfectly for the life of your vehicle.
The arrival of our new Autologic auto repair diagnostic scanner.
Our newest purchase of quality auto diagnostic equipment is the brand new European motors Autologic scanner. This impressive piece of software diagnostic equipment is the most advanced European diagnostic technology on the market today.
European motors diagnostic scanner in the box.
We are currently the only independent auto repair shop In San Francisco with this amazing piece of equipment. This incredible scanner allows us to flawlessly diagnose any issue on such popular European brands as Mercedes, BMW, VW, Audi, Mini, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover models.
European motors diagnostic scanner at our diagnosis center.
Whether your European car or SUV has a tough-to-solve diagnostic issue, or you just want to get the best gas mileage out of your vehicle, we have the highest quality equipment in the San Francisco bay area. Let us make sure your ride is running in perfect condition. Call our shop to learn more or visit us today.
Autologic up and running, ready to solve any issue with your European car or SUV.
We are upping our auto repair warranty to 3 Years / 36,000 Miles. Nothing beats this warranty protection! And the new warranty covers…
Roadside Assistance
Ignition systems
Engine cooling systems
Brakes
Fuel systems
Cruise control
Heating, Air Conditioning and climate controls
Electrical (includes starter and charging systems)
Engine performance
Steering and suspension systems
CV joints/U-joints, half-shafts and driveshafts
Wheel bearings
Exhaust systems
On-board computers and electronic engine management systems (engine, body, brake and suspension computers)
Other minor repairs
This is a great auto repair warranty that we are happy to provide to our customers. The warranty covers a lot with just a few exclusions.
In most cases, we will do any necessary followup auto repair work on your vehicle. If for some reason you are more than 25 miles from our auto repair facility, you can call our warranty administrator (800-457-0203) and they will refer you to another participating auto repair shop nearby and your warranty repair work can be performed there.
Specifically excluded are any engine, transmission, clutch, or differential repairs, ASSOCIATED GASKETS AND SEALS, or assembly replacement of the same.
This warranty does not include additional expenses you may incur as the result of faulty repair or service.
Complete details will be provided in writing when you have your car or SUV repaired at International Sport Motors.
The average American spends nearly $1000 per car in auto repair and maintenance per year. Finding the right auto mechanic to repair and service your vehicle can be a challenge. Here are some helpful tips to help you save money on your auto repair costs.
Tip 1 – Shop around.
Know the going price. There are tons of free apps online that you can look up general prices for your area. Know a ballpark cost before you call the shop and all will be well.
If you do break down and find yourself at a shop unprepared, get an estimate. You want an idea what you’re going to pay before you make the commitment to have your repairs done. Just because a car is at a shop, doesn’t mean you have to have the repairs done there. If you feel they are over charging you, find another shop. Many shops have special offers on towing, and have the ability to get your car to their shop without adding more than a few dollars to what may turn out to be a far less exorbitant bill.
Tip 2 – Scan the car yourself.
Many auto parts stores carry scan tools now. And there are plenty of websites and auto repair forums. So if you are mechanically minded you can work out what the problem is before you even call a mechanic. Easy problems you can fix yourself. More difficult jobs you can enlist your local auto repair shop for help. Which leads us to…
Tip 3 – Find a mechanic that you love before major auto repair issues come along.
The time to start shopping for an auto mechanic is before you really need one. You can ask your friends and family, post the question on Facebook or maybe ask your coworkers if they have a mechanic they trust. Once you have a shop in mind, take your car there for a small service — maybe an oil change or scheduled maintenance — just to get to know the repair shop before you need any major work done. Then you are in a position to buy small before you need more in-depth repairs done.
Tip 4 – Sweat the small stuff.
That’s right. Keeping up on oil changes and your vehicles scheduled maintenance is the best way to avoid expensive auto repair bills in the future. Instead of paying for big repair bills all at once, keep the maintenance up on your vehicle. Regular maintenance bills are smaller but keep you away from major repair cost once something major breaks.
Like the corrupt Captain Renault in the classic film Casablanca, Insurance companies seem to be shocked…yes SHOCKED…their insurance agents are steering collision repair customers away from quality independent accident repair shops and into their own, privately controlled repair shops.
And the analogy doesn’t end there. As Captain Renault reels in disbelief, a porter races over to give the dear Captain his ill-gotten winnings. Auto insurance companies are not so different since their ultimate motivation is the money.
Where independent shops have every incentive to make sure your vehicle is repaired with the best, original factory certified parts, insurance company shops are working for the guys that send them the bulk of their business. Guess what. It’s not you.
Here is a great report from CNN on this growing and disturbing practice.
As more and more shops become controlled by the insurance companies, the public suffers. There illegal practices not only damage the resale value of your vehicle, it is systematically stripping the auto repair industry of the natural checks and balances our communities have benefited from for decades.
Captain Renault in Casablanca: “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”
ISM Auto Body is an independent auto repair shop. We work for you, the customer, not for your insurance company. Our top priority is making sure your car or SUV is repaired right, not cutting corners to shave a couple dollars off your insurance companies quarterly report.
San Francisco Bay Area workers made their most dramatic commuting shift yet between the years 2006 and 2013 according to a new Census Bureau report.
San Francisco also enjoys a healthy carpool population, with 1 in 10 workers (10.8%) carpooling to work.
