Ocala Auto Repair

Photo by Shelly Busby on Unsplash   Do you love to go out and recreate? We do, too! We love getting our vehicle packed, hitching up the trailer, and driving off to our next adventure. It doesn't matter if we want to go boating, horseback riding, camping, show off our car in a show, or go racing around the track. We love it all!   But before we head out for the fun activities we have planned, we know that our top priority should be safety. That is why in this article, Pals Ocala Auto Repair wants to address how to safely tow your 5th wheel trailer, your boat trailer, your horse trailer, the trailer carrying your classic car, and anything else you might be hauling.   Many things can affect the safety of you, your passengers, your vehicle ... read more

Now that the State of Florida has relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, we are seeing a lot of people get super excited about taking a Summertime road trip. Honestly, we can’t blame them one bit!    Summertime road trips are the focus of a lot of families, and Florida is an incredibly popular destination. We have beaches, rivers, lakes, and springs to keep you cool. Though the amusement parks are beginning phased reopening, and when they’re fully open, we expect a lot of people are going to be excited to enjoy them again. Plus, as Florida rolls back restrictions, there will be plenty of shopping, salons, restaurants, and barber shops to visit. Considering how antsy people are getting, almost everyone we talk to at Pals Ocala Auto Repair is looking forward to seeing friends and spending quality time with family during their Summertime road trips.   But the question remains… Is your vehicle ready for Summertime road trips? Please see us before you travel.   ... read more

COVID-19 has spun our nation sideways by shutting down our economy and wreaking havoc on our supply chains. During this time, we at Pals Ocala Auto Repair would like to send a special thank you to our President and our nation's first responders during this pandemic.  There is nothing more important than empathy, compassion, and community in this time of isolation and uncertainty. Isolating ourselves is vital to flattening the curve and taking the intense pressure off of our first responders, nurses, doctors, and hospital staff. We are incredibly grateful to our nation's leader for all that he is doing to keep our country safe from this global pandemic. It is not an easy time to lead our country, watching unemployment rates skyrocket and our economy nosedive due to the shutdown of all services. Ways our President is supporting our nation during his response to COVID-19, he has declared a national emergency, offering a 50 billion dollar boost in relief funds to assist hosp ... read more

Why Your Vehicle Can Benefit From Spring Cleaning Spring is upon us, and with the new life and growth comes inspiration to deep clean and re-sort many aspects of our lives. Out with the old, in with the new. A new fresh feel is often just what we need to kickstart the spring season, especially if you are considering taking a road trip soon. Here is a list of spring cleaning ideas for your car to give it some love and feel good about your ride. Washing your car The chances are that you encountered a fair amount of rain and wind this winter. The underside of your vehicle can become pitted and eventually get rust from salt build-up on treated roads, or even being near the ocean. It is essential to wash the underside of your vehicle to keep it from rotting the exhaust system, muffler, and the frame. You will want to be especially careful if you launch or load a boat near the saltwater. Salt can destroy your car in a hurry, rusting out the undercarriage and wheels in just a matter of a few ... read more

It feels great to know that your tires are in tip-top shape and ready for the road. Be prepared for spring break with a fresh set and, your car will be ready to take you anywhere you want to go. Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) is a rating to keep an eye out for when tire shopping. UTQG measures tires tread wear, temperature resistance, and traction. We want you to be safe out on the road, and so put together a list of 5 excellent All-Season Tires with good UTQG ratings for you.   Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 This tire has the very best UTQG rating possible and performs well under the most strenuous of circumstances on both asphalt and concrete surfaces. The engineers at Michelin outdid themselves with this tire that has steel belts to prolong tread life and wear as well as performing and looking good.   Goodyear Assurance Tripletred This hearty tire is ideal for SUV’s small trucks and minivans and packs a rating of 6,000 lbs of load capacity. The three-way tread zones p ... read more

February is a perfect time to find a nice gift for the car lover in your life. Sometimes shopping for the perfect thing can be daunting, so we decided to compile a list of items to inspire you.    Care Care Kit. Your car lover is sure to be tickled with a car care kit by Meguiars. Here is a link to a comprehensive package including wash, wax, tire gel clay bars, swirl removals, and so much more.   Seat Gap Filler. Have you or your partner ever lost your keys, cell phone, or Chapstick between the seats? It is SO frustrating! A seat gap filler can be just the solution to prevent it from happening again. We found this one on Amazon.   ... read more

December is one of our favorite months of the year for so many reasons. Among them, are all the holiday display worth visiting around Florida. Here are a few of the best displays you’ll want to visit.   2019 Reindeer Run 5K Race, Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 4:20 PM: Ocala, FL    Although this is not exactly a holiday display, it is a very fun community event in Ocala that supports the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County. Pals Ocala Auto Repair is sponsoring this event and we would love to see you there. The Rudolph Dash Kids Fun Run starts at 4:10 PM, and the location is at the Center State Bank parking lot. The address for Center State Bank is 1632 East Silver Springs Boulevard Ocala, FL US 34470. To enter the race and find out more details, visit their website at https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Ocala/GatewayBankReindeerRun.  Kirby Family Farm’s Christmas Train: Williston ... read more

In Ocala, we are blessed to have a lot of snowbirds come down during the winter months. A lot of these snowbirds have driven to Florida numerous times, but for some, living and driving in Florida is a new experience. Though we don’t have snow here in Florida, (that is, unless we get a freak winter storm that blows down to our region) but there are some driving tips you should know about. Here are five things snowbirds need to know about driving in Florida:   Love bugs. If you’ve never seen a love bug, they’re rather cute insects. They don’t bite like the mosquitoes, fleas, or ticks do. In fact, they are pretty harmless. They fly paired up and move slowly. The big hazard, however, is that they love to commit buggy suicide on your car. These love bugs are highly acidic, so when they go splat on your car’s paint job, you would be wise to wash your car soon after. Otherwise, their acidic bodies will eat away at your car’s paint, and that’s ... read more

If you are looking for fun and family-friendly Halloween activities near Ocala this October, you’re in luck. There are several October events that we love and we thought we’d share them with you. Ocala's 4th Annual Oktoberfest For those of you who love beer and brats, you’ll enjoy Ocala’s Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 5, 2019 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This event features live music, a beer garden, yummy German food, and fun for everyone. Located at Tuscawilla Park, the address is 829 NE Sanchez Avenue in Ocala.   Ocala Fall Horse Trials Being that Ocala is the center of many horse-related sporting events, the Ocala Fall Horse Trials are top of mind for a lot of equestrians in October. Located at the Florida Agricultural Center and Horse Park, this event takes place October 12 - 13, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The address is 11008 South Highway 475 in Ocala. Jeeptoberfest 2019 Sponsored by the Ocala Je ... read more

  Photo by NASA on Unsplash September is the height of hurricane season and it is important for you, your family, and your vehicles to be prepared. A lot of people think that if you are inland and away from the coast, you will be fine. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. As monster hurricanes are becoming the norm, many inland communities, like Ocala, are affected as well.  If you have a person in your family with special needs, if you have horses, or if power outages are a major concern for you, you may need to evacuate in the event of a hurricane. Trouble is, a lot of people in the Ocala region have similar issues, and it is important to get ahead of the major traffic jam caused by evacuees. But if you are stuck in gr ... read more