Orinda Auto Repair

At Orinda Motors, we are proud to use auto parts made by ACDelco. On May 11, ACDelco is celebrating 100 years of being in business.   For those of you unfamiliar with the ACDelco brand, here’s some of their history: If you prefer auto technicians that are honest, use quality parts, locally-owned, and involved with the communities of Orinda, Moraga, and Lafayette, come see us at Orinda Motors. You’ll be glad you did!  :-)  

Some of us love checklists, and some don’t. Same goes with road trips. If you’re lucky enough to be one of those people who loves both checklists AND road trips, this blog article is for YOU! :-)   Admittedly, we got a little help from Bellhop, which offers a bunch of helpful travel info. We recommend the following checklist for road trip essentials: Full tank of gas Bottled water / Drinks Snacks Cooler Gum Paper towels / Tissues GPS / Maps Mobile phone with Bluetooth for hands-free driving iPod / Music player Charger Car battery charger Spare tire Additional electronics First-Aid Kit / Medications Travel documents Driver license Credit cards / Currency Female items Male items Trash container​   Of course, the most essential item is not on the road trip checklist at all. The most essential item is a safe and fully-operational vehicle. If your vehicle requires an oil change ... read more

Orinda Motors takes pride in restoring classic cars. Heck, that’s putting it lightly. We LOVE classic cars and we are deeply passionate about restoring them. To illustrate what we mean, here are the six reasons we go bananas -- in a good way -- when a client asks us to repair, restore, or maintain their old car.   1.   We appreciate the art form. Classic cars are works of art on wheels. The lines. The curves. The magnificence of the engine. The power. The engineering. The history. Each car was beautifully crafted, albeit on an assembly line, and they have become a major part in the fabric of American culture.   Classic cars are featured in movies, on television, in video games, and in songs. From the time we were babies, we were taught that cars are a piece of art that is both practical and an asset that defines you.   2.  Working on them is like meditation. Imagine going to your favorite place in the whole wide world. Now, imagine sitting i ... read more

  Vehicles produce a large amount of CO2 into the environment. Smog checks are the solution to this environmental problem. When you bring your vehicle in Orinda Motors for a smog check, we are ensuring your vehicle’s emissions are well-within state and federal guidelines.   California basically has a love affair with cars. Out of California’s 34 million residents, 25 million of them own a vehicle. That is one car for every adult over the age of 18. As a result, a ton of emissions are emitted into the environment. These emissions form into smog. Smog, unfortunately, is associated with several health problems and global warming. So, California was faced with a major problem. How do we minimize this smog, without limiting how much an individual can drive, or many cars they can own? The answer was smog checks. A smog check is designed to make sure your vehicle is not emitting excessive emissions into the environment, which ultimately, reduces the overall smog in C ... read more

  With El Nino coming, it is smart to prepare your vehicles for winter storms and road conditions. Here are some ways you can be proactive and make sure you are not involved in a preventable breakdown.   Know Your Brakes Before an Emergency. If you are driving on snow-covered or wet roads, apply firm and even pressure with the ball of your foot on the brake pedal. This will prevent you from locking the brakes and skidding out of control. Avoid Hydroplaning and Slow Down. When the roads have oil slicks or are pooled with water, your chances of hydroplaning and losing traction with the road increases. To avoid dangerous hydroplaning conditions, reduce your speed and gently tap your brakes when you need to slow down so that your tires stay connected to the road. Have a Tire Kit Handy When Driving in Snow. The Lamorinda area clearly does not have to worry about snow, but if you travel to Lake Tahoe region to go skiing, be sure to have tire chains and the appropriate tools to ... read more

The holidays are coming! Do you need a rental car for yourself, a loved one, or a friend traveling to the East Bay? If a rental car would ease the travel stress of you or your visitors, our rentals start from only $29.99 per day!   We offer a wide variety of rentals in our fleet. From minivans and sedans to convertibles and compact cars, we have the wheels you need, AND we are affordable. Plus, we are conveniently located for anyone in Orinda, El Sobrante, Lafayette, Moraga, Oakland, and Walnut Creek.   In addition to being affordable and convenient, Orinda Auto Rental offers great service, too! If you land at SFO or OAK, you can take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to the Orinda station. If you make an appointment with Orinda Auto Rental, we will be happy to pick you up from the Orinda BART station and bring you to your awaiting auto rental. Open 7 days a week, Orinda Auto Rental offers local pickup and delivery service by request, free of charge.     One thing ... read more

Orinda Motors, Flying A Gasoline, Express Oil Change & Tire Center, Orinda Auto Detail, and Orinda Auto Rental were proud to participate in this year's 11th Annual Orinda Classic Car Show. We had a blast at the fundraising dinner, Dancing With The Cars, on Friday, September 11, 2015, followed by a fun-filled day with auto aficionados on Saturday, September 12, 2015. We hope you will enjoy the videos we made!  :-) 2015 Orinda Classic Car Show   Flying A Gasoline Presents: Orinda Classic Car Show 2015 If your vehicle requires repair or service, we hope you will come see us at Orinda Motors or Express Oil Change & Tire Center. When you need fuel or a car wash, visit us at Flying A Gasoline and Orinda Auto Detail. Lastly, when you need to rent a set of wheels at an affordable rate, view our fleet at Orinda Auto Rental. Whatever your automotive needs ... read more

Summer is the season for car shows, and we are getting very excited about the upcoming 11th Annual Orinda Classic Car show. Orinda Motors is the co-founder and has been a proud sponsor from the very beginning, and we have lots of great things planned at this year’s event.   Friday, September 11, we will kick off the event with our “Dancing With The Cars” dinner party. This year’s theme will be a “Surf’s Up” Beach Party where we will have “Fun, fun, fun til her Daddy takes the T-Bird away”! So, wear your flip-flops, Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, sarongs, or board shorts, and get ready to dance the night away. The menu features tropical cocktails, a sumptuous SoCal luau dinner, and an exclusive display of T-Birds, Cobras, and Woodies. The “Dancing With The Cars” party will be located at the Orinda Community Center and Library Plaza, starting at 6:00 PM ... read more

How important is your vehicle’s suspension system, and how does it affect your tires? Well, the suspension system is critical not only for turning, stopping, and stability, but it also smooths out the ride each time you hit a pothole, speedbump, or an object in the road. Without a well-maintained suspension system, your vehicle may not be able to absorb the impact and maintain stability...and that’s dangerous.   Your vehicle’s suspension is comprised of joints, pivot points, and arms that allow your ride to be smooth over the roughest roads. For the most part, the parts of a suspension system include: Ball Joint Bushings Sway Bar Tie Rod Tie Rod End Control Arm Struts Tire Cupping   Eventually, all suspension systems show wear and tear, but there are signs you can look for to make sure your suspension system is healthy and performing well. The easiest way to determine if your suspension system needs service, repair, or replacement is to look at th ... read more

  Many of our customers love our rewards card because they know they are earning discounts on future services with every dollar they spend at Orinda Motors, Express Oil Change & Tire Center, Orinda Auto Detail, and Orinda Auto Rental. Every time you use your Rewards Card, it pays to shop at Orinda Motors!   Here is what you get when you use your Orinda Motors Customer Rewards Card:   3% of each repair bill from Orinda Motors or Express Oil Change and Tire Center goes into a special fund to be used as a discount for future services. Discounts earned from the Rewards Card may be redeemed at Orinda Motors, Express Oil Change & Tire Center or Orinda Auto Detail. You can login and check your Rewards Card balance any time on our web site.   This Independence Day, July 4th, we had a terrific time with our family of Orinda Motors customers. As sponsors of t ... read more