Rollin' with Lloyd's Tire Service

2011-12-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

A Happy & Safe Holiday from All of Us at Lloyd's

To all of our customers and anyone reading this post, we wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe holiday season.

We will be closed tomorrow, December 24th, plus Christmas and Monday the 26th and then on December 31st, January 1st and 2nd for New Years. We will be open our normal hours all other days, so call (831) 426-4363 if you need tires, service or repair.

2011-07-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

Green Program video highlights Lloyd's Tire Service

The Monterey Bay Green Business Program has recently produced a short video on the value to both a business and to the community from considering the environment in all practices. The video can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3YzFdzZPOE.

We are a green business because we too are members of the Santa Cruz County community, equally responsible for maintaining the beautiful environment that enhances the quality of life here. Please watch our video to see how we comply with MB Green Business Program Standards, and find out how we deal with everything from fluid clean-up to tire disposal.

2011-03-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Why should I have my power steering, cooling system or air conditioning flushed?

The simple answer is that it's good preventative maintenance that can save you thousands of dollars down the road. Just like we change our engine oil and transmission fluid, it is important to flush these other systems and replace fluids regularly to ensure long life and trouble free miles.

Power steering fluid breaks down just as quickly as engine oil, introducing contaminants to the system. The power steering pump is a mechanical pump with many moving parts that wear, and those contaminants get in and lessen the fluid's lubricating properties. The same is true for cooling systems and air conditioning as well.

Prevent problems down the road with fluid flushing and replacement at Lloyd's. Flushes run from $69.95 to $159.95. By comparison, replacing a broken power steering pump, AC compressor or water pump runs $500 or more.

2010-10-13T13:07:00.001-07:00

One Stop Auto Care, one step at a time

Your trusted source for tires now offers complete auto service and repair

Over the years, customers at Lloyd’s Tire Service had asked owner Larry Johnson if Lloyd’s could do brakes, alignments, balancing and such, so Larry brought in Dean Schwartz as a co-owner in 1998 to start offering those services. In the years since, customers have continually asked Dean about other things like oil changes, check engine light service and regularly scheduled maintenance. As a result, these services and more were gradually introduced, and today Lloyd’s now offers One Stop Auto Care, complete automotive service and repair.

“This has really been a step-by-step process building up the mechanical services part of the business,” says Dean. “Rather than jumping in all at once, we’ve taken the time to purchase the best equipment and to train our employees so that each service we introduce will be done properly and to our customers’ complete satisfaction.”

Meeting the highest standards

Lloyd’s Tire Service has become one of the largest independent Michelin dealers in the country by offering fast and friendly service combined with fair and honest pricing for over 70 years. Dean remembers, “When I first came aboard, I was well aware of this shop’s good reputation, and I was determined that all of the new services that we would offer would meet the high standards set. We have been successful at this largely due to the professionalism and attention to detail of our technicians.”

Factory Maintenance at Lloyd’s

New car owners with vehicles under warranty may now come to Lloyd’s for regularly scheduled factory maintenance that just like going back to the dealership, keeps your warranty intact. Lloyd’s technicians are all ASE certified just like the dealer techs, and as a result, Lloyd’s is becoming a preferred alternative to dealers and their traditionally high prices.

2010-07-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

2010-03-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Drive-in Oil Change Service Now Featured at Lloyd's

In our ongoing effort to provide "One Stop Auto Shop" service to our customers, we have added Drive-in Oil Change service for your convenience at Lloyd's Tire Service. Since we feature quality tire brands like Michelin and BFGoodrich, it is only fitting that we exclusively use high quality Castrol motor oils.

So call us for an appointment or simply drop on by, and we'll provide you with the same fast and friendly service that you've come to depend on when you buy tires at Lloyd's.

2010-01-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

Lloyd's Celebrates 70 Years Serving Santa Cruz County

You make a lot of friends in 70 years when you treat people right

Since my grandfather opened the doors in 1940, we have been dedicated to offering customers great prices and the best service around. And we've made so many friends with the way we do business that we have become one of the largest independent Michelin dealers in the country.

One of the best friends we have made along the road is my co-owner Dean Schwartz. Dean came to Lloyd's in 1998 to help us develop in the area of mechanical service. Thanks to Dean, we now offer more than just tires. Everything from brake service to oil changes are now available at Lloyd's, making us a convenient, one-stop auto shop.

Most folks are thinking about relaxing a bit at 70, but we're working as hard as ever and continuing to move forward - and we couldn't do it without our many friends. Thank you for your loyal patronage.

Sincerely,
Larry Johnson, Owner

2009-12-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

Think Local First with Lloyd's

Lloyd's Tire Service is proud to be one of the founding members Think Local First Santa Cruz. As a business founded in Santa Cruz in 1940, we know that dollars spent locally are dollars that stay in the community, benefiting all of us. To this end, we by most of our auto parts and all of our business supplies from locally owned and operated businesses like ours. We appreciate the great service we get from these merchants, and we appreciate their patronage of our business as well.

We encourage all of our customers to shop at locally owned and operated businesses whenever possible. To find out more about how you can "think local," go to: http://www.thinklocalsantacruz.org/c/.

2009-10-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

Brake and Shake
By Dean Schwartz

Customers come to me all the time because their car shakes when braking, mostly at higher speeds. Quite often they believe that they have a problem with their wheel balancing or alignment, but nine times out of ten, the issue is their brakes. Though shaking independent of using the brakes is a sign of problems with balancing, alignment or worn tires, when you "brake and shake", it's probably because of out-of-round rotors, worn brake pads or perhaps something even more severe and potentially dangerous in the brake system. We do free brake inspections on most vehicles by appointment at Lloyd's Tire Service in Santa Cruz. If you're concerned about "brake and shake" or anything else regarding your brakes, give us a call to schedule an inspection today.