When should I change my engine oil?

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Mike Granger| Comments Off

Standard Oil: Every 3,000 to 5,000 miles
Synthetic Oil: Every 10,000 miles

Back in the day many of us were taught that you should change your oil quite regularly. Changing your oil every 3000 miles or every three months was generally the standard. But these days with cars becoming more and more technologically advanced people change their oil far less frequently.

Some people think you can go without ever changing your oil. That’s not the case! Frequent oil changes are the best way to keep your car in good running condition.

If you don’t change your oil every 3000 to 5000 miles your car could have expensive trouble in the future. What you want to do is make sure that you change your oil as frequently as you need to, depending upon what type of oil that you are using.

Synthetic oils can last much longer than regular petroleum-based oils. With this premium synthetic oil your car or SUV can regularly go as far as 10,000 miles between oil changes. Synthetic oil is more expensive but if you average in the fewer oil changes you are actually saving money.

Synthetic oils are the latest craze and you can actually see the improvements on your dipstick. Check your oil and you see far fewer dirty oil deposits and black particulate matter suspended in the oil.

Synthetic oils are a great way to keep your car running smoothly and make your car engine last through 300,000 to 400,000 miles.

Posted in Auto Repair

Mercedes Repair in San Francisco

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Mike Granger| Comments Off

Many of our Mercedes clients bring there vehicles to the International Sport Motors auto repair shop and collision center because we only use factor Mercedes parts.

If you are looking for a great mechanic for your Mercedes repair in San Francisco, ISM is a great shop with certified Mercedes mechanics, and an easy going, friendly, family owned feel.  They have been in business in the San Francisco bay area since 1980 and have plenty of great reviews online from all kinds of satisfied customers.

They also use Mercedes factory parts where a lot of other shops use cheaper aftermarket parts. The only time they my use something other than the factory Mercedes parts is when their is a better, more long lasting option.  Sometimes other manufactures have even better parts. Where a Mercedes fuel pump may have a plastic housing, a Boss fuel pump may have a stainless steal housing.

ISM’s ultimate goal is to make sure any repairs they do will be long lasting, and they will never make any decisions without consulting you first.  The ultimate goal of the ISM auto repair shop and collision center is to make you a loyal Mercedes repair customer for life. :)

Posted in Auto Repair

Porsche Service San Francisco

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Mike Granger| Comments Off

If you’re like me, you like to keep your Porsche in tip top shape with regular oil changes and manufacturer’s scheduled service. While I enjoy having my car in great running condition, I don’t enjoy having to wait around the shop while a routine service is performed.  To avoid this hassle there is a great auto repair shop that does great Porsche service in San Francisco, AND will rent you a car for just $15 for the day.

I can actually drop my Porsche at their shop in the morning on my way to work, drive off in a rental car, and pick the car up in the evening after they’re done with the work. It’s so fast and convenient that I don’t dread having work done anymore, and never put off those regular oil changes.

If you like a shop that goes the extra mile and will keep your Porsche running in the best condition humanly possible, International Sport Motors is the shop to try.  Mention that you are a new customer and they will even give you a 15% discount off your auto repair invoice.  Who could ask for more?

Posted in Auto Repair

Online Auto Repair Estimates

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Mike Granger| 2 Comments

We are all busy people these days.  Between work, school, kids and family little thinks like oil changes and minor car repairs can slip through the cracks.  And heaven forbid you are in a fender bender and need to lose your car to the local collision center for an entire  week.

This is why it’s great to work with a mechanic that can save you time by handling a lot of the estimate legwork over the internet. International Sport Motors wants any car repairs you might need to be as painless as possible.  They have all kinds of great perks that will make any auto repair experience easy, painless, and completely professional.

First off you can grab your smart phone and easily take pictures of the damage to your car and email them too the shop.  ISM will look at the photos and in most cases get back to you within one hour. This is a great service for people on the go. It’s also great if you’ve already got an auto repair estimate and want a second opinion or are looking for a better price.

If you have an Insurance company you are dealing with, ISM will do the legwork there as well. You can drop your car off at the shop and they will even tow it over to your insurance claims adjuster so you don’t have to.

They also have inexpensive fifteen dollar a day Enterprise rental cars, so if you don’t get a rental with your insurance policy they can provide you with one at very little cost.  This is such a nice perk as you’re life doesn’t have to be on hold just because your car is in the shop.

One of the best features they have also is they help you save money on your auto insurance deductible.  Not a lot of shops can do this since many shops have deals set up with different insurance providers that send work to their shops in exchange for providing the insurance company with a discount.  ISM does not do that.  They will give the discount to you instead, so you can put the money toward your insurance deductible.  It’s a great offer!

Posted in Collision Center

ISM Collision Center

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Mike Granger| 2 Comments

International Sport Motors is a full service auto repair shop and collision center located in San Francisco, California. The shop specializes in European and Japanese vehicles.  They have great service and lots of great online reviews so you can see what you are getting into before you take your car in for service.

In addition to great service and excellent work they have a number of special offers that can help make getting your car fixed as hassle free as humanly possible.  Here are the best ones:

· Easy on-site $15 rental cars
· $25 towing to the shop
· Up to $1000 off any insurance deductible

A lot of people don’t have time to think about renting a car while their vehicles in the shop.  But with ISM’s inexpensive on-site rental cars, getting your car serviced or repaired has never been easier. Just drop your car off in the morning and take a rental to work. Pick your car up in the evening or whenever its finished and drop off the rental right at their shop. What could be easier than that? And for only 15 dollars a day it’s the best money you’ll ever spend.

And who likes dealing with the hassle of finding a tow truck that can pick your car up and deliver it to a shop?  Who likes worrying about how far it is or how much it’s going to cost?  With ISM’s easy $25 towing service, all you have to do is call the shop, give them the address of the vehicle, and they can tow your car to their shop from anywhere in the San Francisco area.  And don’t worry about paying the driver.  They’ll just add it to your invoice.  It’s super easy.

And if you are paying with your auto insurance, they can deal directly with your insurance company saving you time –  and money with their auto body and collision work discounts.  Many shops offer the same discounts as they do, the only difference is they actually offer them to you!  While some shop offer great discounts to insurance companies that send them work, ISM brings in their own business and passed the discounts on to you — and they’ll even apply them to your auto insurance deductible.  How awesome is that?

So if you are looking for a great collision center after a recent accident, or just looking to get some scratches and scrapes taken care of, give ISM a call.  They’ll take good care of you and your car or SUV!

Posted in Collision Center

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