Driving in the First Rain: Why the Roads Get So Slick and What to Do
Why the first rain after a dry summer makes roads so slippery, how to drive it, what to do if you hydroplane, and the tire and wiper checks worth doing first.
Yahia Aboushadi
Co-owner, Johnson's Auto Repair
Yahia Aboushadi is one of the owners of Johnson's Auto Repair in Lake Elsinore. He has worked on his own cars for years, and he writes about the questions drivers bring to the counter: what a warning light or noise means, what can wait and what can't.
Every post is checked against the sources it links, and the shop's own service records supply the "recent work" examples.
Posts by Yahia
Car Overheating? What to Do Right Away (and What Not to Do)
Temperature gauge climbing or steam from the hood? What to do in the first minute, why the heater helps, why not to open a hot radiator cap and when to tow it.
Getting Your Car Ready for a Southern California Winter
Winter here means rain, cold mornings and trips to the snow. What to check on your battery, tires, wipers and coolant, plus Caltrans chain rules for Big Bear.
How Often Should You Get Your Brakes Checked?
How often to have your brakes checked, the warning signs that can't wait, and what a brake inspection actually covers, from our Lake Elsinore mechanics.
Can Water Damage Your Car's Alternator?
Rain won't hurt it, but deep water can. Signs of a failing alternator after driving through a flooded street, what to do before restarting, and when to call us.