Auto Repair Tempe

Today I'd like to talk about the simple oil change. The oil change itself may be simple, but there's some pretty important things to know about preventing oil sludge. Oil eventually turns into a jelly-like sludge. Now, sludge clogs up oil passages and keeps oil from getting to some areas of the engine, causing parts to wear out prematurely, and that means expensive engine repairs. That's why you need to change your oil and oil filter on schedule, to get the old oil out before it turns to sludge. Your manufacturer should have a recommendation for how many miles you can go between oil changes. They usually have a number of months between recommended oil change. That's because detergents and other additives in the oil, break down over time. Many automakers are extending their oil change intervals. That makes it all the more important to use quality oil and oil f ... read more

The new Acura NSX is all about immediacy. It uses electric torque, class-leading chassis rigidity and next-level all-wheel drive electronics to ensure it responds to inputs with urgency. But for a car that goes so stinkin' fast, it sure took it's sweet time to get here. Then again, perhaps the one thing you can't rush is greatness, and that's what we're about to find out. Let's take a look now! VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, front- and mid-motor, 4-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $155,000 ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection DISPLACEMENT: 213 cu in, 3493 cc Power: 500 hp @ 7500 rpm Torque: 406 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm Mid Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 50 hp, 109 lb-ft Front Motors: two permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 36 hp, 54 lb-ft (each) Total System Power: 573 hp TRANSMISSIONS: F: 1-speed direct drive; M: 9-speed dual-clutch automatic with ma ... read more

Vehicles today are quite complex and diagnosing them requires highly-trained, skilled, and well-equipped personnel. Unfortunately, many vehicle repair shops have failed to keep up. Often the repairs needed on vehicles are over their heads. Some fraudulent shops love to push clients to buy replacement shock absorbers and MacPherson struts. However, these fraudulent shops are a tiny portion of the auto repair industry. Original Replacement Parts Vehicle manufacturers use high-quality MacPherson struts and shock absorbers. Original parts are designed to last over 100,000 miles. The products fraudulent shops push to customers are often purely for profit-generating purposes as opposed to the their real needs. In many instances, the high-quality original part is replaced with an inferior-quality part. What Is The Difference Between MacPherson Struts and Shock Absorbers? The differences between the two are subtle. The role of sho ... read more

There's nothing quite like discovering you have a flat tire, especially if you're in a hurray to get somewhere. And why does it always happen when you're dressed up in your good clothes? Sigh. It's one thing if this happens to you at home, but what if it happens to you out upon the road or highway? What can you do to be prepared. First of all, have a membership with a good automotive emergency group, like AAA. One call and you can simply wait while roadside assistance arrives and takes care of the problem. What if you don't have time for that? If you experience a flat due to a slow leak, just getting it aired up so you can make it to the nearest service center could be a life saver. Small air compressors that work off of a cigarette lighter or 12V power socket work really well, and you shouldn't be without one in your trunk. In just a few minutes, and with little effort, you can be back on the road! What about something a littler more serious, like a puncture from a nail, or somet ... read more

In honor of our new Medium Duty Truck Service And Repair Department, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some medium duty truck history. Today we feature Chevy - the C40, C50, C60, and C70. These trucks were sold as cab and chassis for many different bodies, but they all had similar cabs and front ends. Many different engines were used, ranging from a small block 366ci V-8, to a 427ci big block V-8. Detroit diesels were an option in C60s and C70s (6-71 in the early years and 8.2 liter in later years). It's sad that so many of these trucks are suffering a slow and painful death by rust and corrosion because they have been left out in someone's field and completely forgotten

Brakes that work properly are essential to your safety. So of course, you want to carefully maintain your brakes. In vehicles equipped with drum brakes, the brake components are housed inside a drum that rotates with the wheel. When you step on the brake pedal, brake shoes push out against the inside of the drum, slowing the wheel. Now, brake shoes just wear away by rubbing on the drum when you brake. When it's time to replace brake shoes, it's a straightforward repair. If you hear squealing or grinding when braking, have your service advisor here at Elite Auto Repair in Tempe check them out. He'll have a service technician perform a thorough brake inspection to see what needs to be done. He'll check for signs of brake problems and go over other brake components to see that they're working properly. He can tell you if it's time to replace the shoes or if there are other brake i ... read more

Seeing where you're going while driving at night is crucial. Yet many drivers suffer with less than adequate light from their headlamps or headlights, and there's no good reason to let that happen. 40% of traffic fatalities take place at night, even though there’s 60% less traffic, which serves to demonstrate how important proper visibility is to nighttime driving. Obviously, a clean windshield is important and so are good wiper blades, but what role do your headlights play? The answer is, a big one! There are two main concerns. One is with the headlamp/headlight, or bulb, the other is with the lens. The fact of the matter is, headlamps go dim over time. You just need to replace them. Some vehicles come with a standard bulb, which you can replace, or you can upgrade to a halogen bulb that is much brighter. Halogen costs a little bit more, but you'd be amazed at the difference. Ma ... read more

We've all heard a car or truck thunder by that needs a new muffler, but there's actually more to the exhaust system than just the muffler. The exhaust system has three main functions. First, it safely gets the hot exhaust gas from the engine, out through the tailpipe. Second, it treats the exhaust to remove harmful pollutants, and third, it muffles the engine noise What is meant by the fact that it safely moves the exhaust? Exhaust gas is poisonous. You don't want it getting into the passenger compartment where you sit. Carbon monoxide can be deadly. That's why you should never run your engine in a closed garage. Not to be too dramatic, but...if you have a leak somewhere in the exhaust system, it could get into the passenger cabin and make you sick or even be life threatening. It's pretty serious indeed. If you smell exhaust in the vehicle, roll down your windows and get it inspected. You may smell or see exhaust coming from the engine compartment or under the vehicle, if yo ... read more

You've probably noticed a bunch of warning lights on your dash when you start your engine. They flash on to test the circuits and then go off if everything's okay. One of the warning lights looks like a car battery. Its job is to tell you if your battery is not charging properly. Now, you know that your battery stores electricity, enough to start your engine and get you moving, but that's about it. You can only get a few miles on battery power alone. You need an alternator to generate enough electricity to run your engine and power your electrical accessories, like the stereo, power seats, heater fan, onboard computers and so on. On top of that, the alternator needs to recharge your battery. So when your alternator isn't working properly, there isn't enough electricity for all those things. One thing's for sure, when your alternator fails, you aren't going very far. Why would your alternator not work? Usually they've simply worn out. Alternators are driv ... read more

Everyone wants to save money, especially when it comes to their vehicles. But after you've found the cheapest gas, calculated the best routes to and from work, and made use of all those little tips and tricks to save on your day-to-day car costs, is there anything else you can do? Yes--you may actually be able to deduct some of your automobile expenses on your taxes. This can help lower the amount you have to pay or even help you get a tax return. This isn't an option for everyone, though. People who own their own business will most likely get more benefit from it, although people who regularly drive a company vehicle or need to use their vehicle for business travel can also made these deductions. However, it's important that you know the rules and regulations for deducting vehicle expenses before tax time. Why before? Because otherwise, you may not have all the receipts or other information you need when you sit down to do your taxes (or ... read more