Auto Repair Tempe

Keep your car running efficiently with these 5 money-saving car maintenance tips

Little things can make a huge difference, and this applies in particular when it comes to your car. Small problems with your car can add up over time and lead to significant problems for you. However, making small repairs and taking little maintenance steps can extend the life of your car and keep it on the road for many years. Let’s explore some of the things you can do to keep your vehicle running in excellent shape. 1. Ensure The Fluid Levels Are Always Full From brake fluid to engine coolant, windshield washer fluid, and power steering fluid, always ensure these fluids are topped up and at the manufacturer’s recommended levels. This will not only ensure your vehicle is in tip-top shape, but it will also ensure your car is safe to drive and keep it running for many years. Letting the fluids in your vehicle run down to extremely low levels before topping them up is a dangerous mistake, which should be avoided because you can add most car f ... read more

Toyota revealed a hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric vehicle at CES 2014, along with the announcement that it'll be hitting the market sometime this year! In this video we hear from Toyota's Fuel Cell Group senior engineer Jared Farnsworth about the project, including fueling the vehicle, testing the vehicle, and the obstacles that stood in their way while developing the tech. For more on this car and it's technology visit it's site: http://www.toyota.com/fuelcell/ When you need service on your Toyota, or any other domestic or foreign car, give us a call here at Elite Auto Repair in Tempe! (480) 455-5331

When’s the last time you exchanged your old and worn tires for new ones? Whether your tires are in great or subpar shape, you’ve probably wondered at some point if you could get by on replacing just one or two of your tires. There may be a variety of reasons why you would want to replace only one or two of your tires; whether one is more worn than the other (may indicate alignment issues), or you ran something over you shouldn’t have. Tires are something you don’t want to cut corners on. Why It’s Not A Good Idea While you’re neighborhood car expert may have told you it’s perfectly okay to do if you’re trying to save money, experts warn it may be a terrible, if not deadly mistake. Tire experts warn unless you can remember which tires you replaced and when, you should only replace all four if you can help it. Most of the time, the car owner only remembers to replace two at a time and forgets about the other two ... read more

With so many different types of motor oils available today, it can be difficult to discern which one is best for your car. Although there are many different manufacturers, they each provide different types, including conventional, synthetic, semi synthetic and motor oil that's been specifically designed for high mileage motors. When it comes to conventional motor oil, the reason it's called conventional (or standard) is it's the only petroleum-based motor oil available. It's been refined, blended with a variety of additives (including some detergents) to keep your engine lubricated and clean. Most standard motor oils have a variety of additives, which keep your engine from overheating, lubricated and running smoothly. Many people consider full synthetic motor oil the very best available today. There are many claims regarding the ... read more

In January of this year, Chevrolet revealed its latest marvel, the 2014 Corvette Stingray. The iconic Stingray, a name not used since 1976, has been developed to continue the classic American manufactured excellence that has come to be expected, while simultaneously revolutionizing the design to create a sleek, yet powerful car. Using only two parts from the 2013 model, both the interior and exterior of the car have been hugely revamped. While the car won't go on sale until the third or fourth quarter of the year, predictions are already being made that the 2014 Corvette Stingray will easily make itself worthy of its ambitious name. The new model has distinguished itself from past models not only in name but also in many of its components. Throughout the design process, speed and agility were the focus. One of the key results is an aluminum frame, which is 57% stiffer and 99% lighter than the 2013 steel frame. By utilizing a carbon fiber hood and roof panels, extremely lig ... read more

Nissan is now testing a prototype vehicle it says can make car washes a thing of the past. This is due to a new nano-paint coating, which actually repels liquids and dirt. Real world tests are now in progress. What an awesome thing this could be! Car washes are time-consuming and costly, and they don't last. How many times have you pulled out of the car wash with a beautifully clean car only to hit a mud puddle or rainy weather in just a couple of days? Nissan claims it's the first car manufacturer to apply a superhydrophobic, oleo phobic topical coating called Ultra-Ever Dry to a consumer vehicle. This nanotechnology based substance has been designed to repel all water-based (and some oil-based) liquids. It supposedly can prevent mud, dirt and road grime from ever sticking to the cars finish. Your car could always look like you just had it washed! Nissan is considering offering this cutting edge coating as an aftermarket option. Check out th ... read more

Wheel bearings - not the most exciting topic. :) However, they're another important part of your car that keeps your ride smooth and safe, and they need proper maintenance. Wheel bearings are what enable your wheels to spin freely. Since they bear the entire weight of the vehicle, they have to be tough. Wheel bearings can last well over 100,000 miles, but they do wear out and eventually need to be replaced. You might hear a groaning sound from your wheels. The sound might disappear at some speeds and reappear at others. Your service technician her at Elite Auto repair can quickly tell if your bearings are bad by raising the vehicle and wiggling the wheel. When you grasp the top and the bottom of the tire, it shouldn’t move along the vertical access. Many vehicles these days have wheel bearing assemblies that cannot be serviced. When those bearings go bad, we simply replace the entire assembly. For those ve ... read more

TPMS, or Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, alert you if you have unsafe air pressure in any of your tires. These monitors are installed in your wheels, and alert you through a symbol on the dashboard that looks a little like a flat tire. In 2007, the Federal TREAD act (or Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation) began requiring all new cars and light trucks come equipped with TPMS. This legislation, like that requiring air bags, helps to keep you safe on the road. The TPMS sensors are located inside each of your wheels. The sensors send a radio frequency signal to the vehicle onboard computer, which will illuminate a light on your dashboard if your tire pressure were to become unsafe. If you see that light activate and stay on, you'll want to pull over and check that your tires are okay. It's a good idea to carry a digital air pressure gauge for checks like these. As long as your tires are safe, you can drive on to a shop and have the air topped off. I ... read more

One skill every driver should have, regardless of age or gender, is to be able to change a flat tire on a car. One thing you must keep in your car is the original manual that comes with the car. Not only will this give a step-by-step guide on tire changing, it also contains other important information about your vehicle. Before discussing the actual process of tire changing it's important to go over some of the tools and gear, you'll need for the tire change. It's a good idea to keep all of these items together in a bag or toolbox in the back of your car in case of an emergency. For a proper tire change, you'll need a large screwdriver, a tire iron, wheel nut wrench, jack, wheel block, mallet and heavy duty gloves. Fortunately many cars come equipped with most of these items, so take stock of what your car already has and go from there. Here is a step-by-step guide on changing a tire: Step 1 - Figure out where everything i ... read more