Auto Repair Tempe

During the early days of the automobile, it was difficult to start a car using a hand crank, and it was even harder to bring it to a halt once it had begun moving. Drivers relied on a block of wood to create friction on the wheels to stop a carriage. However, even though the lever system was capable, it was only effective when the carriage was moving slowly, approximately ten to twenty miles per hour. In 1890, the Michelin brothers introduced pneumatic rubber tires, and their idea came to replace the use of wood block for braking. History Of Automotive Braking System The introduction of electronic controlled braking systems was in 1898. The man who patented this idea was Frederick William, who was an English engineer. However, the first electric car was invented in Cleveland by Elmer Ambrose Sperry and the car relied on disc brakes to stop or slow down the car. The disc brakes were attached to the front wheels, and this made it difficult to h ... read more

This week We dive into the history of the Chevrolet Corvette at a special 60th anniversary exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Come join Car and Driver contributing editor Csaba Csere as he explores the rich history of this iconic sports car. The Corvettes in this episode: 1953 Corvette EX-122 - 0:45 1956 Corvette SR-2 - 4:25 1960 CERV (Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle) 1 - 6:34 1962 Big Tank Corvette - 13:25 1964 World's Fair Corvette - 15:54 1959 Corvette Italia by Scaglietti - 19:38 1963 Corvette Grand Sport - 21:50 1967 Corvette L88 Coupe - 24:33 1968 Corvette L88 - 25:31 1969 Corvette L88 Race Car - 28:06 1968 Corvette Sundowner Bonneville Race Car - 30:56 1984 C4 Corvette - 32:30 2004 Corvette Convertible Indianapolis 500 Edition - 35:05 2010 Corvette ZR

Did you know that the force from hitting a pot-hole or speed bump can exceed several tons? The vehicles suspension and steering system supports the weight of the vehicle, absorbs shocks and bumps from the road, and allows the front wheels to pivot allowing steering and controls the geometry of the tire and road relationship for best traction and handling under changing road conditions. Key components of the suspension system include: - Shocks - Struts - Springs - Control Arms - Bushings - Ball Joints Key components of the steering system include: - Power Steering Pump - Power Steering Gear - Steering Linkage - Power Steering Hoses - Steering Column - Steering Knuckle The suspension and steering system is a critical to the safe operation of your vehicle. Abnormal noises or clunks when rolling over bumps or loose steering should be inspected immediately. Have the system checked periodically to catch potentially dangerous conditions early. Visit us here at Elite Auto Repair for expe ... read more

It's likely the most dangerous thing you'll do during a given day is to drive in a vehicle. Scary, isn't it? This act has become so commonplace that most people don't even give it a second thought. Many people can remember times where they've driven stretches of familiar roads without remembering it afterwards. Luckily for consumers, most manufacturers are implementing state of the art safety features into their designs. Regardless, there are some things every driver should be doing to maximize his or her safety while behind the wheel or while riding as a passenger. 1) Keep Up On Maintenance Keeping up on oil changes, tire rotations, and periodic checks, along with getting your car to one of our ASE Certified mechanics quickly whenever the "check engine" light comes on is an excellent way to keep the car working like it should, and consequently keeping you safe. The manufacturer probably knows your vehicle better than anyone else, so caref ... read more

Cruise control is one of the most popular features of cars these days. It makes long journeys a little bit less tiring, and helps to stop drivers from getting mental fatigue (and speeding tickets!). Automotive cruise control is something found on a lot of American cars, but is less common in Europe, where roads are smaller and shorter, so there's less need for the feature. The most basic cruise control systems are quite limited, just setting the speed of the car until you override it. This type of feature is becoming less and less useful as the roads get busier, though, and more sophisticated adaptive cruise control features are rising to prominence. How Cruise Control Works Cruise control can be used to set the speed and the acceleration or deceleration of your car. Basic cruise control features will kick in when your car goes above a certain speed (so you don't have to worry about it mistakenly taking over in residential areas), and will st ... read more

People today are busier than ever, with more places to go and things to do. If you need a little more utility out of your next vehicle, here are the top five reasons to consider an SUV, or to perhaps take care of and keep the one you already have. Number Five: More Space If you're typically hauling a lot of stuff, the cargo space you'll get with an SUV will make it easy to transport groceries, sports equipment or supplies you need to maintain your home. And there will be plenty of room for your golf clubs when it's time to take a road trip. Got kids, in-laws, animals, or even lots of crazy friends to haul around? Third-row seating makes SUVs a great mode of transportation for a crowd, and there are a lot of stylish options on the market. Number Four: Improved Safety If you're concerned with safety (and who isn't?), you'll find that many of today's SUVs hold up extremely well when it comes to crash tests. Be sure to research crash test scores from the federal government and the Ins ... read more

Today I want to talk about your engine air filter. That's the filter that cleans the air, before it's burned in your engine. Pop Quiz! How often should you change your engine air filter? The simple answer is…when it's dirty. That's a function of how much air is passed through the filter. So the manufacturer will recommend a mileage interval for replacing the air filter, but you can imagine that how dirty the air is would affect how quickly the filter gets filled. If you drive where there's a lot of dust, pollution or pollen, your engine air filter will get dirty more quickly and need to be changed sooner. That's why we check the air filter with every full service oil change. We can visually tell if the filter needs to be changed. What happens when the air filter gets completely dirty? The filter can only hold so much dirt. So, dirt will pass through to the engine, once the filter is full. This dirt gums up the combustion chamber and hurts performance and may cause damage. It can a ... read more

The Positive Benefits Of Preventative Auto Maintenance We don't know anyone who looks forward to unexpected repair bills for their cars, but it's something that you may face time and time again, without consistent attention to the maintenance of your vehicle. We feel the pain of each and every customer that walks through our doors with broken cars in desperate need of repair. Their story could be different if they had taken a little time to care for their cars on a routine basis, instead of putting things off for some future date. If you feel like you're spending too much time and too much money on repairs, the answer to your woes is having preventative auto maintenance performed on your vehicle at the right intervals, or when you first get a warning that one of the systems in your car is in need of repair. These warnings may come from an odd sound that you notice coming from your vehicle or may come from a light on the dash that stays on longer than it used to. Paying attent ... read more

The spark plug...not very sexy, but a critical component of a finely tuned automobile engine. Their condition can effect not only the power your engine puts out, but also how smoothly it runs and what your fuel economy will be. Here's a little history from Wikipedia... Here's how these small, but critically important parts, are made

Remember how awesome getting your first car as a teenager was and how it was a total stress out for your parents? Now it's decades later and your turn to stress with your teen's driving. I'm sure you'd agree that the safety of your family on the road is a priority for you. In no case could that be more true than if you have a teen driver in the family. Among many other factors, they are simply inexperienced. The one thing you can do is to make sure they're driving the safest vehicle possible. To help keep him or her safe, here are five things your teen's car should have. Number Five: Where the Rubber Meets the Road Start from the ground up and think about the tires on your teen's car. All-weather tires help give young, inexperienced drivers like your teen the best chance for maintaining control, especially in poor weather. Teach your teen the benefits of proper inflation and the penny test for checking tread. Number Four: Bigger Cars May Be Safer At least that's what the experts ... read more