Auto Repair Tempe

While our mild weather makes it attractive to many, it’s important to remember weather can be unpredictable regardless of where you’re located. Preparing your vehicles for winter and cold climates can be essential to the performance of your car. During the winter you don't have to drive very far from the Valley of the Sun to find yourself in the pines, and in winter driving conditions.   Prepare for Adverse Weather Externally  ++ Start with your car’s shoes. For the most part, winters in our area are pretty mild. Your all-season tires should provide sufficient enough traction to navigate the roads just fine. However, the tread depth, tire pressure and condition of each tire should be assessed to determine if you need to complete any necessary repairs or purchase new tires. If snow and slippery ice conditions are commonplace for you (Flagstaff anyone?), consider switching to a dedicated pair of snow tires, or at least a highly ... read more

No one likes to get stuck behind an oblivious person that doesn't notice when a light changes, so Audi came up with a technological solution. The Audi Online traffic light recognition system could save fuel as well as annoyance, by allowing drivers to anticipate changing lights. The system works by reading the automated signals from a city's central traffic computer, and transmitting that information to the driver through the car's Driver Information Display. At a red light, the system can count down the time remaining until a change to green, as well as prime an engine start-stop system to restart the engine five seconds before that. While on the move, it can also sense whether a car will be able to make it through a green light and--if not--advises the driver to start braking early, preventing abrupt stops. Audi believes this technology could save significant quantities of fuel in city driving, where the constant start-and-stop nature of tr ... read more

Perhaps you heard that the owners of the Tesla Model S woke up one morning last month to discover a new software update in their cars, one that included something called "Autosteer". Interesting! It was indeed a hands-free driving feature. However, Tesla's people made it abundantly clear its new Autosteer feature wouldn't work without the driver keeping his hands on the steering wheel at all times. Nick Jaynes over at Mashable found out they were wrong! Nick said. "While some skeptics might point out that several carmakers offer similar systems right now, including Mercedes-Benz and Honda, none, however, work quite as seamlessly or as competently as the Tesla Autopilot. "Where Honda's system ping pongs between freeway lane markings and Mercedes' requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times, I sat back and enjoyed the ride in the Tesla, despite warnings against going completely hands-free ... read more

Hyundai Motor Co. plans to start selling its first battery-powered electric vehicle (EV) in 2016 as South Korea's champion of fuel-cell cars hedges its bets in next-generation green technology. Hyundai has leant toward engines which turn hydrogen into electricity in response to stricter emissions regulations in markets such as the U.S. Research and development partner Kia Motors Corp. has focused on rechargeable batteries. But the division of labor is blurring at a time when the number of battery-powered EVs is on the rise. BMW's i3 and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd's Leaf are widely expected to reach Korea this year - as will Kia's Soul EV. "There is no clear direction about which eco-friendly cars will win. We are dividing roles of Hyundai and Kia, with Hyundai launching fuel cell cars and Kia focusing on electric cars," Senior Vice President Lee Ki-sang told reporters on Tuesday. "But the time will come when Kia will introduce a fuel-cell car. Hyundai is also preparing to launch ... read more

When your vehicle needs maintenance, your first instinct may be to look for the cheapest mechanic around. This is especially true if you're on a very strict budget and can't afford to spend a lot of money on car repairs. However, picking the cheapest mechanic or buying the cheapest parts to use may not always be the best thing to do. While there might not always be a reason to buy the most expensive items or go to the most expensive mechanic, don't always go with the cheapest. Quality Service Sometimes Costs - But There's Value Quality service isn't always inexpensive. The mechanics who cost more often have reasons why their services are more than others. Some have better equipment. Others have been in service longer and so have more training and experience. They may have a larger staff so they can work on more cars at once, or they might have completed a number of certifications, like all of our auto technicians here at Elite who are ASE Certified. Some ... read more

Your tires are one of the most important parts of your car. If they are in poor condition, at best you may find yourself stranded on the side of the road. At worst, you could have a blowout and end up in a life-threatening accident. That's why it's so important to make certain your tires are well-maintained. Keeping your tires in good condition can also help them last longer. In fact, experts say that you can get as much as 50 percent more life out of your tires if you maintain them properly! Make Certain They Are Properly Inflated It's very important to make certain your tires are properly inflated. If they are under-inflated, they actually create excess heat as they move over the pavement. This can create a blowout or weaken the tires, making them more susceptible to being punctured. Also if your tires are under-inflated, they'll take extra wear and tear. The center tread will wear out more quickly than that on tires that are fully inflated, so you ... read more

Understanding The Battery Indicator Light The charging system light or battery indicator light shouldn't be ignored.. Whenever this indicator light turns on, it means that the vehicle is relying solely on the stored battery power to continue to power all of its electronic components. Unfortunately, this means the car is limited in how far it can travel before the car dies due to lack of electrical power. Most vehicles will display the warning light in one of three ways: The light may be red or amber and displays the "CHG" or "ALT" icons. The indicator light is red and displays the "BATT" when the key is in the ignition and the engine is off. Most commonly, there's a red icon that represents a car battery.   Before the 1990's, the charging systems in vehicles relied on a voltage regulator near or inside the alternator itself to function properly. The light was attached to the battery and whenever the vehicle started, th ... read more

If there's one thing everyone in the Greater Phoenix area knows about their cars, it's how important the cooling system is to both personal comfort and the longevity of their rides. Speaking to that need Prestone has released a new antifreeze/coolant that is said to offer advanced corrosion protection as well. They are calling their new formulation "Cor-Guard Inhibitor". The lowdown from Prestone is this new formula better protects the areas in your cooling system most vulnerable to rust and corrosion, including components like the water pump, the heater core, the radiator, and so on. They also claim it will protect critical engine gaskets offering longer engine life. Tim Shipley, vice president of sales and marketing for Prestone says, "Our new proprietary formula improves Prestone's already industry-leading antifreeze, making it easy for all drivers on the road today to better protect their engines. Prestone with Cor-Guard inhibitors will be one of the most pivotal innova ... read more

The development of self-driving vehicles continues to accelerate faster and faster. following up on announced plans last year, Volvo has become the latest manufacturer to being public road testing with actual vehicles. They plan to eventually have a fleet of 100 text cars on the roads around their headquarters in Sweden. Volvo has branded this phase of their testing "Drive Me". Federal and local government agencies are cooperating on the project. Right now drivers are getting behind the steering wheels of semi-autonomous vehicles that are traveling on 31 miles of roads round Gothenburg, Sweden. "The test cars are now able to handle lane following, speed adaption and merging traffic all by themselves," said Erik Coelingh, a technical specialist at Volvo. "This is an important step towards our aim that the final 'Drive Me' cars will be able to drive the whole test route in highly autonomous mode. The technology, which will be called Autopilot, enables the driver to hand over th ... read more

When the oil gets low, we pop the hood, look for the small yellow cap, and pour in the quart. But do we ever look at the rest of what’s going on under the hood? If we venture a little farther than the oil cap, we might understand that the battery helps start the car. We might discover that the alternator recharges the battery while the car is running. We might fundamentally grasp that the transmission makes the gears switch. But, we're literally dancing around the main question: what about that big engine right in the middle? The average American understands that by feeding the engine gasoline, it makes the wheels turn, but beyond that we get lost. In an effort to get rid of ignorance, below is a step-by-step description of how a standard engine works. Most engines in cars--diesels ignored--are four-stroke engines. This means that for every power stroke that the engine puts out, there are four strokes total that each of its pistons performs. A stroke is ... read more