Ft. Collins Auto Repair

When you are pointing your vehicle straight down the street, it should go straight.  That’s pretty straightforward, right? Sometimes, though, you may notice you have to keep adjusting the steering wheel to keep going straight.  While that could be caused by many different issues, one possibility is that you have a failing or bent control arm. Another sign is that when you brake, your vehicle pulls to one side or the other.  Sometimes your suspension may sound noisy, especially when you’re traveling on rough surfaces.  A damaged control arm may also make it almost impossible for you to get a good wheel alignment.  The control arms are part of your suspension, and some vehicles have upper control arms and lower control arms.  Not all have the same number of control arms, but one thing is important: If you have worn bushings on your control arms or a worn-out ball joint, the control arm on the other side should also be replaced.  The rubber ... read more

A pre-purchase inspection can save miles of trouble and heartache.   In the automotive repair business we are frequently asked the question “From a repair perspective, what kind of car should I buy?” Many are initially drawn to the emotional side of things - performance, luxury, throaty exhaust. Others more strongly consider the practical side. Do you need all-wheel-drive, or better fuel economy?   Technology in today’s automobiles is advancing at an amazing rate, offering features from advanced driver assistance systems to Colorado-friendly all-wheel drive. This can bring cost and complexity in the automotive repair market.   To eliminate anxiety and help you get an accurate assessment of the vehicle you are about to purchase, consider a pre-purchase inspection (PPI). A pre-purchase inspection is a detailed assessment by a qualified technician to determine the cosmetic, mechanical, and safety condition of the vehicle before completing the purchas ... read more

We recently lost one of our favorite customers, Frank Johnson. Following are reflections from our years of doing business with a great man. Sending love, thoughts, and prayers from All Tech Automotive to Frank's family and those who knew and loved him! Frank was a long-time customer at our shop, and an outstanding example of a wonderful businessman and family man. Frank's 1999 Ford Expedition saw over 360,000 miles - not because it was that reliable of a vehicle, but because Frank cared for it that well. Oil and filter changes. Pre-trip inspections. Suspension repairs. Tune-ups. Transmission replacement. Engine replacement. Failed emissions diagnostics. A lot of work, over a lot of years. He loved that truck and was most excited about taking it back to the cabin in Montana, it seems. He took care of his family in the same manner. We practically watched his grandson Austin grow up at the school down the street and then into multiple jobs, and multiple cars along the way. We h ... read more

This week we found ourselves with a little time on our hands; decided to go after the valve cover gasket leak on our 1993 Toyota Pickup. This thing has been our shop truck since 2015, and it's a great little runner! Four wheel drive, manual transmission - fun to drive and extremely capable.  As it sometimes goes with automotive repairs, once we got under the hood we found a few other things. The power steering pump was leaking, and needed to be replaced. The engine thermostat housing was also leaking and we decided as long as we were there, why not?  We thought we were going to be done here, but while our technician had the timing cover peeled back, he noticed large cracks in the timing belt! I guess we shouldn't be surprised, given the truck is 1993 and has 137,xxx on the clock. Original timing belt, needed to be replaced.  Anyway, long story short - we're confident this list of repairs has given our beloved shop truck a new lease on life. And quite possi ... read more

Let's talk about the elephant on the table - coronavirus is fundamentally changing the way of life for all of us, all around this world. Business as usual? Hardly. Back to normal? Probably, never. What WILL remain for us as a constant though, is what we do - we fix cars. From oil changes to engine exchanges, under the hood and under the car - we fix cars. Brake repairs? No problem. Starter motor replacement? Yes, we can. Check engine light or other diagnostics required? We've got this. Radiator decided to put all it's coolant on the outside of your engine, instead of on the inside? We'll whip it into shape. Because that's who we are. It's what we do. And when the times are tough like they are now, we continue to come to work, every day - because we love the customer service side of our business almost as much as we love cars. We're here to help, and we're here to stay, no matter what the future looks like. Give us a call today at 970-482-3971. &nbs ... read more