Allen’s Auto Service

one of the better places for a quick easy smog check, and other DMV required services such as brake and lamp adjustment inspections. reasonable prices and FREE re-​tests if you fail! other places require to pay them extra for retests or even sometimes force you to pay for another test!

I had very minor leaks on both engine and transmission side. Allen gave me a bloated estimate of $ 750 to fix both after giving me some theory about seals that might have become loose. Did not explain things clearly and when I got another view, the mechanic said all I needed was a drain-​plug gasked change. something the oil-​change guys will do for free as part of regular oil-​change.
I’m not going back !

Allen and his fellow mechanics treated me amazing. He’s direct, tell me what’s he doing, why — even when it came to the oil change when he found an oil leak. He told me how the oil leak was going to effect teh engine — where, everything. Which I appreciated — and which my brother in So. CA who works on cars confirmed. Allen said it wasn’t something that was urgent but I would have to tend to it in the future.
He also randomly gave me some suggestions for helping my car run better since I have a stick shift and he said with its older model (1986) — I needed to do several things to avoid needing it replaced sooner rather than later.
I today did something RIDICULOUS — i had to get my car smoged for DMV renewal. There’s a place right next door to my house (not in the SOMA like Allen) so I decided to get up early and do it before work. To my dismay my car failed teh smog check. the smog check guy had a «friend» who could fix my ignition timing. I called Allen and asked him how much to fix the ignition timing — he said «oh, you fail your smog test?» & I replied yes. He said that maybe it was just the timing belts, they probably hadn’t been adjusted in some time (I hadn’t been to him in about a bit) and some other items in the engine may help with that. So he’d see if maybe repairs weren’t needed. I WAS SHOCKED.
I should have just gone straight to him… I hang my guilty head. Who needs a cigarette?
(& he closes everyday at 5pm — I’ll be there this weekend — traffic on the weekend in SOMA is a breeze)